The hon. member for Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore.
House of Commons Hansard #107 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was employees.
House of Commons Hansard #107 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was employees.
HealthOral Question Period
The Speaker
The hon. member for Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore.
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, three years ago the Auditor General of Canada said that the government, through the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, was managing the shellfish industry in the exact same manner as it was with the groundfish industry. We know the catastrophe that has happened there.
With the recent announcement of the 29% increase of northern shrimp, the territory of Nunavut is now questioning the legality of that decision and we on this side are questioning the scientific evidence of that decision.
Would the minister kindly provide to the House or to the Standing Committee of Fisheries and Ocean the scientific evidence on which he based his justification of the 30% increase of that precious stock?
Robert Thibault LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, after discussions with the industry and the scientific advice available, we established a TAC this year that is well within the safe limits for that industry. We could have gone higher, but we do not know by how much.
We are working with the industry to have an enhanced scientific knowledge process that will give us the capability of increasing yields further in the future, reducing if we should, and getting better potential access for communities like Nunavut.
Betty Hinton Canadian Alliance Kamloops, Thompson And Highland Valleys, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Province of British Columbia is currently considering leasing the Coquihalla highway to a private company because it cannot afford the maintenance and upkeep. Many of my constituents are furious. In 2002, the people of British of Columbia paid a combined amount of $1.1 billion to the federal government in gas taxes and GST.
Can the minister explain why only 2.5% of that is being reinvested back into highways?
John Manley LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the government has many sources of revenue. We go into the consolidated revenue fund and spend it on a whole variety of programs. We do not have a dedicated tax for highways or roads and neither does the Province of British Columbia. It must be remembered that almost the entire responsibility for highways lies with the province.
Betty Hinton Canadian Alliance Kamloops, Thompson And Highland Valleys, BC
Mr. Speaker, provinces would not have to resort to leasing their highways if the federal government would simply do its part and reinvest the road taxes from fuel back into roads. My constituents will now be facing increasing tolls on that highway.
How does the minister justify returning less than 5¢ on the dollar to British Columbia?
John Manley LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, because we spend the money on health care; we spend the money on defence; and we spend the money on support for poor kids. If the member wants an increase in the--
Highway InfrastructureOral Question Period
The Speaker
Order, please. The hon. member's colleague asked a question. Surely the whole group wants to hear the answer. How could the poor member for Kamloops, Thompson and Highland Valleys hear the answer with all this noise? I cannot. How could she?
The Minister of Finance has the floor. We will hear the answer.
John Manley Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Mr. Speaker, we spend the money on agriculture and we spend the money on support for people who are unemployed.
If the hon. member wants an increase in the excise tax on fuel so that it can be spent by the provincial government, why does she not get up and say so? I do not think that would be a very good idea.
Robert Lanctôt Bloc Châteauguay, QC
Mr. Speaker, with regard to the sponsorship scandal, the minister refuses to answer under the pretext that he has referred the investigation to the RCMP. Modes Conili, Confections St-Élie, Groupaction, Communication Coffin, Lafleur Communications and eight other files were referred to the RCMP, some of them as many as three years ago now, and that was the last we heard of them.
With regard to the sponsorship scandal, is the government not using the formula that has served it so well: refer the case to the RCMP so that it will never be heard of again?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, I entirely reject the aspersions against the conduct, authority and ability of the RCMP.
When matters come to the attention of either ministers or other officials of the Government of Canada, they are referred to the RCMP. The RCMP alone, at its own discretion, using its own good judgment, decides what, when and how to investigate. The RCMP takes and receives no political instruction.
Robert Lanctôt Bloc Châteauguay, QC
Mr. Speaker, I find it quite strange that, after three years, it is considered normal for nothing more to be said about this. There is something immoral about the government's behaviour, which has, to date, requested 14 investigations relating to its integrity and then fixes things so that this is the last we hear of it.
Is it not strange that, each time investigations into the government's morality are referred to the RCMP, nothing ever comes of it and it is never mentioned again?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, those matters that fall within the administrative purview of the government are in fact being investigated under the terms of the Financial Administration Act. We have engaged the services of the world's very best forensic research team. It has filed one report. That report has been submitted to the RCMP and the second phase of the activity is now underway. We are following exactly what the law requires and we intend to continue to do that.
Myron Thompson Canadian Alliance Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Speaker, recently I asked the Minister of Transport about a dangerous stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway in my riding. There have been many accidents, 22 deaths and 119 injuries since 1999.
The minister told the House that an agreement with the government of Alberta has been signed to address this problem. The government of Alberta says there is no cost sharing agreement for highway projects in national parks.
Again, my question is for the Minister of Transport. How many more lives have to be lost on this highway which is in Banff National Park? How many more lives before it is finally fixed?
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I would like to correct the earlier answer that I gave last week. This matter falls under the purview of my colleague, the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
Myron Thompson Canadian Alliance Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transport has readily received letters from the Province of Alberta and the minister of heritage has been receiving letters from the Province of Alberta. The province has been requesting that this highway be fixed for over two years and nothing is happening. The Province of Alberta has not even received a reply.
Could the minister please explain why he has not even replied to the Alberta government request?
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I am sure that all of these representations will be considered in due course.
R. John Efford Liberal Bonavista—Trinity—Conception, NL
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Government of Canada announced the signing of the Newfoundland and Labrador housing agreement.
Could the Secretary of State responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation advise the House on the status of the federal housing agreements with the provinces and territories related to the $680 million for affordable housing announced in the 2001 budget?
Steve Mahoney LiberalSecretary of State (Selected Crown Corporations)
Mr. Speaker, I can tell the House that the agreement he referred to in Newfoundland and Labrador is a $30 million affordable housing agreement, which is good news for Newfoundland and Labrador.
Also, on Friday I signed an agreement in Charlottetown, which was the 13th agreement. We now have all 10 provinces and all 3 territories signed on to a truly national affordable housing agreement. Unlike some critics opposite, we will focus on working with our provincial partners to build housing that is affordable for Canadians.
Dave Chatters Canadian Alliance Athabasca, AB
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are hearing mixed messages from the government on the proposed northern gas pipeline. The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development offered to finance pipeline development in the MacKenzie Valley, yet at the same time, the Minister of Natural Resources is attacking the U.S. incentives for pipeline development and saying Canadians do not fund pipelines.
What is the Canadian position on financing the northern pipeline?
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian government has a very clear position and it is very consistent with the American government. We do not provide subsidies for any pipeline project, whether it is the northern pipeline or the MacKenzie Delta pipeline. This is very consistent with the U.S. administration and is very consistent with our policy that we do not subsidize the development of pipelines in this country.
Dave Chatters Canadian Alliance Athabasca, AB
Mr. Speaker, it is vitally important to Canada's petrochemical industry that it has market access to northern gas. What is the natural resources minister doing to modernize the 1977 northern pipeline treaty to guarantee Canada that access?
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, we will ensure that any pipeline project would have to go through the National Energy Board, an arm's-length organization. However, I want to ensure the hon. member that any pipeline that is built will be in the interests of Canadians, made for Canadians, and so that Canadians will benefit from that pipeline construction.
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC
Mr. Speaker, on April 5, 2001, the member for Etobicoke Centre, who was then the Minister of Health, and the member for LaSalle—Émard, then the Minister of Finance, announced with great ceremony that over $480 million would be allocated over the next five years to implement a comprehensive, integrated and sustained approach to tobacco control. At the time, they said there would be stable funding, but less than two years into the program, $13 million has already been cut.
Why is the Minister of Health ignoring the financial commitments to Canada's tobacco control strategy made by her government in April 2001?