Debates of Sept. 18th, 2003

Centre de Golf Le Versant

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Madam Speaker, on July 4 I had the great pleasure of attending a celebration for the 15th anniversary of the Centre de Golf Le Versant.

This golf centre has three magnificent regulation 18-hole courses, an 18-hole executive course, a practice range and an impressive clubhouse. From a modest beginning in 1988, it has grown rapidly to become one of the most highly regarded golf clubs in Canada, and certainly the most popular in the greater Montreal area.

This accomplishment has been the work of a team of brothers, Pascal, Angelo, Frank and Guy Di Menna. These businessmen with a vision have been able to count on the support of their family.

Today I want to recognize them, congratulate them for their community involvement, and offer them my best wishes for continuing success.

Kativik Regional Government

[Guy St-Julien, Liberal, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik, QC]

Madam Speaker, the National Assembly of Quebec passed legislation on the northern villages and Kativik regional government on June 23, 1978.

This legislation created the Kativik regional government, which has jurisdiction over many areas, namely municipal and regional affairs, public works, police services, transportation, communications, employment, training, daycare, land-use planning and parks.

The KRG council consists of elected representatives for each of the fourteen northern villages in Nunavik and one from the Naskapi community.

Johnny N. Adams has been the KRG chairman since 1998. This week, KRG is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Over the past 25 years, KRG has built relationships with the two levels of government founded on mutual respect. KRG has been remarkably successful at managing government programs and administering public funds. It has won the respect of the provincial and federal governments.

Happy 25th anniversary to the people of Nunavik.

Robert Sawyer

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Madam Speaker, I wish to pay tribute today to yet another Canadian citizen who has won an international literary distinction.

I wish to congratulate Robert J. Sawyer who recently won the world's most prestigious prize in science fiction, the Hugo Award, for his novel Hominids . His growing body of work--he had written 12 novels before this one--is recognized as distinctively Canadian in the way he tackles difficult questions as he does in Factoring Humanity and Calculating God , and in his choice of locations such as the ROM and the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory.

The award was given to him during the 61st World Science Fiction Convention held in Toronto at the end of August and early September.

On behalf of my colleagues, myself and my wife, I wish to offer Robert and his wife, Carolyn Clink, our most sincere congratulations and our best wishes for continued success and fulfillment.

B.C. Forest Fires

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

Madam Speaker, watching last month's news, all Canadians witnessed the carnage of monstrous fires raging through the Okanagan Valley, destroying tens of thousands of acres of forest, almost 250 homes and resulting in one of the largest mass evacuations in Canadian history.

On today's news we see the first family members who have begun to rebuild their home from the ashes where it once stood. This reflects the spirit of every man, woman and child in the Okanagan who reached out to help one another in their time of need.

The entire region, though on the road to recovery, is now in need of the federal funding which followed other disasters such as the Manitoba floods and the Quebec ice storms. The Prime Minister well knows that many British Columbians feel they are not treated as well by the federal government as others are. Now the Prime Minister has the opportunity to prove the questioners wrong.

Mr. Prime Minister, please do not wait until the eve of the next election to come waltzing into our burned out areas with the much needed funding. Prove to us now that we are not second class citizens. People and businesses are hurting now. Please tell us, sir, when will you stand and deliver?

Agriculture

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Madam Speaker, I rise today as a member of the Liberal rural caucus to commend our Minister of Agriculture for his commitment to Canadian farmers.

Since a single case of BSE was found in Canada, our minister has worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of Canadian consumers and livestock through a comprehensive investigation and by taking all necessary steps to control the situation. The minister has effectively demonstrated to our trading partners that Canada is a reliable and responsible supplier of safe beef. In fact Canada is the only country with a confirmed case of BSE to have resumed trade with BSE-free countries.

I ask the House to join me in commending the minister for his hard work and ongoing efforts to support our agricultural industry.

Transportation week

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Beauport—Montmorency—Côte-De- Beaupré—Île-D'Orléans, QC]

Mr. Speaker, during public and alternative transportation week, which runs until September 21, the Comité régional des usagers du transport en commun have organized a series of activities in the Quebec region to encourage public awareness of the numerous socio-economic and environmental advantages of public and alternative transportation.

With the ratification of the Kyoto protocol, public awareness of the importance of viable transportation is more necessary than ever. The transportation sector is responsible for 38% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Quebec; consequently, more must be done to promote alternatives to travelling by car.

Over the course of this week, seminars, information kiosks, the Enviro-Course and a bike ride will be held to increase awareness in the Quebec region of the benefits of public and alternative transportation.

I want to congratulate the organizers and the volunteers, without whom this week would not be possible.

Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, congratulations to those involved with the 13th annual Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival.

The five day event attracted over 70,000 people who enjoyed more than 150 shows last week in Fredericton. It keeps getting bigger and better every year with larger crowds and more impressive performers visiting New Brunswick from across the country and the United States. The headline acts this year were Canadian blues and rock veterans Colin James and David Wilcox.

This hugely successful festival would not be possible without the tremendous support of 700 dedicated volunteers and an enthusiastically engaged corporate community.

The Government of Canada has been a major contributor to this event. We provided close to $200,000 from the sponsorship program, Heritage Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts and the summer career placement program in the last 10 years; this year almost $50,000 to Harvest Jazz and Blues.

Congratulations to everybody associated with it and we will see you again next year.

Government Appointments

[Ken Epp, Canadian Alliance, Elk Island, AB]

Well, Mr. Speaker, it is payback time. As the Prime Minister ends his 10 year exit strategy, he is looking after his friends. Patronage abounds.

Mac Harb is off to the Senate. His credentials? He helped the Prime Minister with the Liberal leadership 13 years ago and has stuck by his man ever since.

We all remember Georgette Sheridan, the Liberal MP whom the Prime Minister appointed as a Liberal candidate. Well, she lost her seat in 1997 and now is on the tax court at a cool $200,000 per year.

How about defeated Liberal cabinet minister David Dingwall? He collects $250,000 a year from the Mint. Hey, what is a quarter million between friends?

The prime minister in waiting keeps hinting at fixing the democratic deficit, but I will not hold my breath waiting. If I were a betting man, I would wager that he will do the same. That is, if Canadian voters let him.

Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport

[Clifford Lincoln, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on September 9, the Government of Canada renamed Dorval Airport in honour of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. The airport's new name will come into effect on January 1, 2004.

Even those who opposed the move must admit that Pierre Elliott Trudeau was a distinguished Canadian, Quebecker and Montrealer who left his mark on our country's history. A tireless advocate of human rights, he gave us the Charter of Rights, promoted official languages, and was dedicated to the development of the have-not countries of the world and the well-being of their citizens.

That is why it is appropriate that the name of this illustrious Canadian and Quebecker should symbolize Montreal as an international point of entry and link to the citizens of the world.

Atlantic Canada

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

Mr. Speaker, it is shameful that the Government of Canada has not responded to the request of the Atlantic Canadian provinces for compensation for the costs incurred during the September 11 terrorist attacks. There was no hesitation when the government directed those planes to the airports in Atlantic Canada to avoid putting the citizens in central Canada at risk.

It is incredible that the government has paid $100 million to air operators but will not pay the provinces. It is clear that the federal emergency measures system is in chaos. When I asked the minister in charge of emergency measures questions about the emergency, he said it is the responsibility of the Privy Council. However when I put a question on the Order Paper, the Minister of Transport answers.

I am told by officials there is no agreement on who pays. Meanwhile, the government continues to stall the provinces despite the fact that they made the greatest contributions during this terrible tragedy.

Métro

The

[Caroline St-Hilaire, Bloc, Longueuil, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to announce in this House today, the recent appointment of Corinne Sorin as chief editor of the Métro .

She has extensive journalism experience and is a strong-willed woman of letters who will certainly meet this new challenge brilliantly and bring a particular flare to the paper, especially since she is the only woman on the board of directors.

I would also like to congratulate Sébastien St-Hilaire who was promoted to director of sales and marketing. His reputation for being a clever strategist in market development will undoubtedly bring him much success.

Founded in 2001, the Métro brought together a most dynamic group of people, making it the third largest French-speaking daily paper in Montreal. This free tabloid, which is distributed in all the metro stations, provides quality information that is diversified and accessible to everyone.

On behalf of the Bloc Quebecois, I applaud this leader of the free press in Quebec and offer my sincerest congratulations to Ms. Sorin and Mr. St-Hilaire.

Jewish War Veterans

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last Sunday, in a ceremony attended by several hundred people, the Montreal Jewish community unveiled a monument to Canadian Jews who fought in the two world wars.

Members of the Jewish War Veterans of Canada, Branch 97 of the Royal Canadian Legion and the Combined Jewish Appeal, presented the memorial located outside Cummings House in Montreal. It is the first such monument open to the public in Canada. As a symbol of the important role of Jews in our Canadian Montreal history, the monument is engraved in French, English and Hebrew.

Some 17,000 Jews fought in World War II alone; 430 of them died for this country. Always we shall remember all Canadians, including our Jewish Canadians, who fought protecting our country's interests overseas.

Canadian Alliance

[Svend Robinson, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to do something that I have never done before in the House, and that is to congratulate the Canadian Alliance on a remarkable new power that we discovered that it had yesterday. At four o'clock yesterday afternoon, the Canadian Alliance website announced that my private member's bill, Bill C-250, had passed and their amendments had been defeated. This was two hours before the vote actually took place.

Now we know that the Leader of the Opposition has remarkable powers. He has discovered a secret conspiracy between the Prime Minister, the judiciary and Martians to ram through same sex marriage. Now we know that the Canadian Alliance can also predict the results of future votes in this House.

I look forward to the next federal election two weeks beforehand, Canadian Alliance website “Stunning upset; Prime Minister Jack Layton; Canadian Alliance wiped out in the election due to its narrow intolerant agenda”.

Leader of the Opposition

[John Harvard, Liberal, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia, MB]

Mr. Speaker, last night when other members of the House were free to vote according to their beliefs on a matter of conscience, the Alliance Party, which up until now prided itself on being a populace party, was forced into a whipped vote.

What is worse is in this morning's newspapers I read that the Alliance leader was warning that there would be consequences for members who did not explain their whereabouts. In fact he is publicly criticizing members, including one on his own side, who chose to abstain from the vote.

One of the fundamental tenets of a free vote is the freedom to choose to vote yea or nay, or in fact to make the choice to abstain from voting. While I do not support abstentions, MPs are obliged to make choices, I think.

What is truly appalling is the apparent decision taken by the leader of the official opposition to force his members, without due regard to conscience, to vote no on issues as fundamental as human rights. That perhaps explains the one no show. Whatever the case, the action taken by the leader of the Canadian Alliance is to be condemned.

Alzheimer's

[Darrel Stinson, Canadian Alliance, Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Mr. Speaker, approximately 10,000 coffee breaks will be held across the country this week to support the 364,000 Canadians with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in Canada.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative brain disorder with no known cause or cure. Alzheimer's disease and related dementias currently affect one in 13 Canadians over the age of 65. With the aging of the baby boom population, it is estimated that more than three-quarters of a million Canadians will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia by the year 2031 if a cure is not found.

What is needed are more dollars for research on Alzheimer's disease, tax relief for caregivers and a national home care program including standards and funding.

Voyageur Colonial Pension Funds

[Stephen Harper, Canadian Alliance, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, this morning past employees of the former finance minister gathered on Parliament Hill. These are Voyageur pensioners, people who lost up to 30% of their pensions at the hands of the former finance minister. To quote one of them, the former finance minister stiffed them.

Will the government allow a full, independent inquiry into how these people lost their pensions?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the OSFI is a completely independent organization of the government that supervises the activities of the pension plans of different companies. There was in that case no complaint of any intervention by anybody. I do not know why the opposition keeps trying to throw mud rather than respect the normal operations of the government.

[Stephen Harper, Canadian Alliance, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister should read the Financial Administration Act. OSFI is a schedule I agency under the complete control of the minister, and the minister's fingerprints are all over this decision.

The finance minister was not prepared to answer questions on this yesterday. The government has had 24 hours to reflect, so I ask the Prime Minister, does he know, why did OSFI, an agency under the direct control of the former finance minister, allow the former finance minister to shortchange his own retired bus drivers?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, this file had been delegated by the then minister of finance to the minister for financial institutions. He had already delegated the authority to make decisions to the secretary of state.

[Stephen Harper, Canadian Alliance, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I will remind the Prime Minister that the minister's senior staff were involved in this decision. We know that for a fact. For this Prime Minister to defend the former finance minister is a bit hypocritical. He is the one who fired him in the first place.

Perhaps the government does not give a hoot about pensioners. Yesterday, the Minister of Finance described our questions as sound and fury signifying nothing.

Is the minister, or the government, prepared to sit down with Voyageur pensioners and tell them that losing 30% of their pension fund means nothing?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the problem has been looked at by public servants who are responsible for an organization that did not come directly under the administration of the Minister of Finance. He had delegated this to his secretary of state. All applicable rules were followed. Moreover, inquiries were made of the ethics commissioner, whose response was that he had not been able to identify any conflict of interest.

Agriculture

[Rick Casson, Canadian Alliance, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday the parliamentary secretary indicated the BSE issue was solved and said the job is done, the border is open. That is absolutely absurd. We cannot run a multi-billion dollar industry through a two foot gate on a 3,500 mile fence. It just will not work.

We have asked for four months, and I am asking again, what conditions is the United States Department of Agriculture demanding of Canada before the border really opens?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member he should be thanking this government and thanking the United States for opening their border to the extent that they have. It is the first time in history that any non-BSE country has accepted beef products from a country that has BSE. They have opened it for boneless beef and they are expediting the process, as the secretary of agriculture in the United States said to the press yesterday, in order to move forward to allow the movement of live cattle under 30 months going direct to slaughter. Now they are expediting that process.

[Rick Casson, Canadian Alliance, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this summer I was in Washington with my leader fighting for the Canadian cattle industry and one issue was very clear. Until the Canadian border opens to year round access to U.S. feeder cattle, their border will remain closed to ours.

This has been a hang-up to the Canadian cattle industry for 10 years. We know this is the single issue that is keeping that border closed. Will the government listen to Canadian producers, reverse its position, get that border open and get it open now?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, the single issue that has closed that border was unfortunately the fact that we had one single animal. It is a health issue and that is what we have to deal with. We are going by the guidelines of the Office International des Épizooties. They are following those guidelines. They have even moved past those to recognize the system that we have and the quality of beef we have in Canada. For that initial movement we are very thankful and we look forward to further opening of the border.