Debates of May 5th, 2003

Committees of the House

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I too would like to note that we strongly support this concurrence motion. Indeed, the NDP member for Burnaby—Douglas has worked very hard on this issue in bringing it forward to Parliament. In fact, many of us have consistently written letters to our own government imploring it to allow Taiwan to have observer status at the WHO.

The one China policy aside, we need to have a one planet policy. We need to have a policy whereby the international community can come together, where people can monitor what is happening with this terrible virus and disease called SARS.

I think that the request from Taiwan to participate and to have observer status at the WHO is something that is of critical importance to the people of Taiwan and in fact the whole global community. In Vancouver on Saturday, the Greater Vancouver Canada-Taiwanese Association held a friendship luncheon and on Saturday night there was a dinner with members of the Canadian Taiwanese business community and this was the topic of conservation.

I think it is very important that the foreign affairs committee has come forward with this motion again recommending to our government that we show some leadership on this issue and that we recognize the fundamental importance of having Taiwan participate as an observer at the WHO.

I cannot think of any other example that demonstrates so well the need to put aside partisan politics and the need for parliamentarians in Taiwan, in Canada, in Europe, in the U.S. and around the globe to work together on this issue. Surely it should be seen as a sign of good faith, as a sign of commitment to global health issues.

I too would appeal to government members to support the motion and the report from the foreign affairs committee and to say that we can speak with one voice here. We can speak with a voice of reason. We can speak with a voice of global health and we can speak with a voice of protecting people in making sure that Taiwan and all nations are involved in the WHO.

I think it is a very reasonable request and I sincerely hope that members on the government side will listen to what all of us on this side of the House and indeed many Liberal members are saying and support this initiative from the foreign affairs committee.

[Stockwell Day, Canadian Alliance, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments from the member for Vancouver East and can only echo what she has already said. This was, by the way, a topic of considerable discussion at the event on Saturday that she mentioned and that is indicative of how this is a focus in that particular community right across Canada, a topic of significant focus, one in which people who are Canadian citizens or who are waiting for their citizenship and are of Taiwanese descent are looking to us. They are looking to us with hope and with optimism. They are looking for that example. Even as, they have said, Canada has been an example in the formation of their own democracy in Taiwan back in the 1990s, they are asking us to continue to set that example.

I appreciate the comments from the member for Vancouver East and her reflections on the input from the member for Burnaby--Douglas. We continue the appeal to our counterparts across the way.

[Keith Martin, Canadian Alliance, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I compliment my colleague for this motion, which at its heart trumps human lives over international politics. That is what this is about: human lives. This motion is important, whether someone lives in Taiwan or China, because whether it is SARS or a much larger problem such as the pandemic of AIDS, the diseases spreading across borders today are an offshoot of globalization.

As our international community becomes more global and barriers fall, it is important for us to have an integrated health care response that will muster up an international response to international health care concerns. We have seen this with SARS. We have seen what is happening right now in Taiwan. We have seen what is happening in China. SARS is only one of a litany of problems that we have to deal with today and which we will have to deal with in the future.

The fact that Taiwan is simply asking for observer status shows that it has no interest whatsoever in thumbing its nose at China, in trying to give China a bad name or trying to disrespect it in some fashion. In the motion that my colleague has put forth, the people of Taiwan want to be a participant, not only for the people of Taiwan but also for the people of China. This motion will help the health of the people of China, it will help the people of Taiwan and it will help the international community.

What response has my colleague had so far from the government on this very fine motion?

[Stockwell Day, Canadian Alliance, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments from my colleague, who also adds his own considerable medical knowledge and experience to this debate. When it comes to medical issues, we as lay people can speak to this with clarity and with forthrightness based on its merits, but it certainly adds to the weight of the argument when we have medical doctors bringing their perspective to the debate. I do appreciate that.

[Alan Tonks, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, first I would like to make an observation. There is absolutely no question that the relationship between Taiwan and Canada has had an historical significance over the last three or four decades. What the Taiwanese have contributed to Canada is outstanding.

However, it is somewhat more than a diplomatic nicety that we have a relationship with the People's Republic of China. My first question to the member is, does the member not find it encouraging that as recently as last week the People's Republic of China granted the WHO the opportunity to go into Taiwan and observe with respect to the implications vis-à-vis SARS? On the basis of that, does the member not think that in view of the diplomatic relationship Canada has with the People's Republic of China his motion would be more credible, if we will, if it were to be worded in such a fashion that it would request the foreign affairs ministry to use all of its capabilities in diplomatic terms to enjoin the People's Republic of China to grant observer status to Taiwan?

[Stockwell Day, Canadian Alliance, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment. In fact, I have requested the foreign affairs minister to do just that. I have requested him to use the persuasive capabilities he more than adequately has to help advance this. Because I do not want to get into any of the acrimonious partisanship that often accompanies such a debate, I will simply say that I have asked the minister to do that. For reasons he has, and which are different from mine, he feels certain limitations in his ability to do that. He feels he has done pretty well what he can, and he may do more in the future, but I have addressed that to him. Because of the limits of what he is able to do, it has compelled me and others to continue with this motion today.

[Paul Forseth, Canadian Alliance, New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is very interesting that it is only in Canada we would see Liberal members twist themselves into such a pretzel and be concerned about such a motion.

I have been to Taiwan. I have looked at its medical health care system and it has advances in science that I think Canada should be looking at. Certainly in looking at its response to SARS, perhaps Canada could learn a lot from Taiwan in that regard. We need to have Taiwan as a full player as an observer at the WHO and it should not be hampered by other political considerations. I would not want to see Canada again be offside from the community of nations because the Liberal government is without principle and cannot find its way out of the forest.

[Stockwell Day, Canadian Alliance, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, obviously my colleague comments about many of the issues that we contest with the government. On this particular one I am withholding judgment, as it were, because so far we have had some fair questions on this, in particular the question from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment.

Although I would agree with my colleague that on many of the issues previous to this one on which we have engaged the federal Liberals, we have really gotten into the thick of it, and quite rightly, challenging what the principles were, so far what I have heard from Liberal MPs on the committee are arguments based on principle and merit, which support this particular request. Until I have heard differently, and I hope I do not hear differently today, we will continue to advance this motion as it is moving right now.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak on this debate. I move:

That the debate be now adjourned.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Bélair)]

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Bélair)]

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

[Some hon. members]

Yea.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Bélair)]

All those opposed will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Bélair)]

In my opinion the nays have it.

And more than five members having risen:

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Bélair)]

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Bélair)]

I declare the motion carried.

Petitions

[Charlie Penson, Canadian Alliance, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present two petitions today that have over 130 signatures combined.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking steps to outlaw all materials promoting or glorifying pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children.

[Myron Thompson, Canadian Alliance, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions today that I would like to present. They are all on the same issue and all from the City of Airdrie and surrounding area.

The petitioners call upon the government to do something about child pornography: to fix it, get it stamped out, get rid of it. That is the message these petitioners are sending, along with hundreds of thousands of others. I do not know what is taking so long. It should have been done years ago.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 171 and 183.

Question No. 171

[Bill Casey, Progressive Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

With respect to Bill C-25, An Act to modernize employment and labour relations in the public service and to amend the Financial Administration Act and the Canadian Centre for Management Development Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, which received its first reading on February 6, 2003: ( a ) have steps been taken to anticipate the cost of implementing the transition of the title “Public Service of Canada” to “Federal Public Administration”; ( b ) if yes, what steps have been taken and what is the amount of the anticipated cost of changing this title; ( c ) how many legislative acts will this title transition affect; ( d ) is this change of title to be retroactive to all relevant legislation; and ( e ) if yes, what is the anticipated cost of making this change retroactive to all relevant legislation and departmental material?

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

The answer is as follows:

(a) There is no appreciable cost to implementing the changes of the term “Public Service of Canada” to “Federal Public Administration” in the present legislation. The changes will be inputted by Department of Justice staff in an electronic directory of bills and statutes held by that department which is part of usual operations when legislative changes are approved.

(b) N/A.

(c) The change in nomenclature affects approximately 115 statutes.

(d) The changes will take effect upon the proclamation of the relevant portions of the Public Service Modernization Act. The changes will not have a retroactive effect.

(e) N/A.

Question No. 183

[Charlie Penson, Canadian Alliance, Peace River, AB]

Has any government department or agency conducted an analysis of the economic consequences of the failure of Canadian banks being permitted to consolidate/merge?