Debates of Sept. 22nd, 2003

Agriculture

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

Mr. Speaker, I know that is an issue with the beef cattlemen. It is also an issue with the dairy industry which has concerns about that as well, and they are different from what they are for the beef industry. It is an also an issue as far as health is concerned.

I have asked the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to do another review of the level of risk. That will be done as quickly as we possibly can to ensure that whatever action is taken we have the level of risk in reference to those specific diseases, bluetongue and anaplasmosis, as low as possible.

The Environment

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, New Brunswick has given the green light to the construction of an incinerator at Belledune on the baie des Chaleurs, an incinerator in which soils contaminated with creosote and hydrocarbons will be burned. In addition to the risks for public health, both emissions and transportation of the contaminated waste are a danger to fish stocks.

Since the Fisheries Act indicates that it is forbidden to operate facilities or businesses that might lead to the deterioration, destruction or disturbance of fish habitat, is the minister prepared to enforce the law and impose a moratorium on construction of the Belledune incinerator?

[Robert Thibault, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, to my knowledge, the incinerator will have to operate according to emission standards. The standards set out in the act and regulations must be met.

If there are problems, we will intervene with Environment Canada and New Brunswick's environment department.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there is a problem. The minister's answer surprises me somewhat.

When Quebec wanted to construct a power plant on the Toulnustouc River north of Baie-Comeau, Ottawa did not hesitate to use the Fisheries Act to block the project for six months, even though Quebec, unlike New Brunswick, had done its homework and even though freshwater fisheries are not within federal jurisdiction.

Since fishing in the baie des Chaleurs is clearly within the federal domain, what is the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans waiting for before enforcing the law and blocking construction of an incinerator at Belledune?

Is there one law for Quebec and another for New Brunswick? I would like to know that.

[Robert Thibault, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, the laws of Canada apply to all Canadians.

In the first proposal for Belledune, there was a plan to discharge water into the ocean. That required a study and an environmental assessment to see whether or not the discharges met the standards.

In the proposal as it now stands, it is a closed system. Thus there is no discharge and no study is needed.

[Jean-Yves Roy, Bloc, Matapédia—Matane, QC]

Mr. Speaker, challenged by residents of the Gaspé and the Magdalen Islands, the federal Liberal MP, the minister's colleague, replied that he could not prevent the construction of a toxic waste incinerator in Belledune, New Brunswick. Yet, through the Fisheries Act, the federal government can intervene, and it already has in the past on the north shore of Quebec.

Does the Minister of Fisheries realize that under section 35 of the Fisheries Act, he can and must act as soon as possible? This is vital to the region.

[Robert Thibault, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, under the Fisheries Act, the minister can intervene if there is any discharge or indication of discharge. In this case, there is none. Therefore an environmental assessment is not required.

[Jean-Yves Roy, Bloc, Matapédia—Matane, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there are indications of possible problems.

The government and the future Prime Minister are constantly talking about dealing directly with municipalities, about education or early childhood, all of which are provincial responsibilities. Protecting fish stocks is its responsibility.

Since the toxic waste incinerator project will have an impact on the fish and possibly on public health, will the federal government take its responsibilities and declare a moratorium immediately?

[Robert Thibault, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, according to information I have received so far, there is no impact on fish stocks. There is no discharge. Everything is being done according to standards. When I am provided with information to the contrary, I will act accordingly.

Agriculture

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the beef industry is losing $11 million a day. That is over a total of $1 billion since the border closed 124 days ago. Unbelievably, the Prime Minister today at the United Nations turned an occasion to build goodwill and trust into another insult to our biggest trading partner, the United States.

Has the Prime Minister requested a specific meeting with the President of the United States to address this ongoing crisis in the cattle industry? Has he made that request and if not, why not?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has answered that question before. He has raised this issue with President Bush, and as my colleague, the Minister of Agriculture has said, every effort is being made to bring some normalcy to the situation.

However the Prime Minister did in his speech today talk about the inclusiveness, the democracy, the openness and shared opportunities for prosperity and how we can work together to fight terrorism. I would have hoped the hon. member would have focused on the positive aspects and the Canadian values the Prime Minister outlined in his speech rather than ask once again about the Prime Minister's conversations with the President, which he has already answered.

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, with his usual tact and impeccable timing, the Prime Minister has turned an occasion to address this situation head-on into another insult to our biggest trading partner; a slight on our biggest trading partner; a stick in the eye. This type of diplomacy will not help the Canadian cattle industry.

I ask this again. Has he taken the occasion to set up a specific meeting to speak with the U.S. President about opening the border or will he continue to slough this off and wait for it to resolve itself?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, it is hardly a slight to the United States when the Prime Minister goes to the United Nations and talks about expanding opportunities, sharing prosperity, reducing the growing disparity between rich and poor and promoting and encouraging economic security as a means of promoting global security.

All these things the Prime Minister said in his speech. These are noble sentiments that express the true worth of Canadians and they were expressed at the United Nations.

Member for LaSalle--Émard

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, that is a very interesting answer. Yesterday the Liberal Party elected its most conservative leader in history, a leader, by the way, who has yet to reveal which corporate donor bankrolled his campaign. Clearly, Mr. Democracy does not feel Liberal members deserve transparency before electing the next prime minister.

My question is for whoever over there thinks he or she knows what bank boy is up to. We do not know which bank contributed to the new leader's campaign.

Does anyone over there know what the new leader promised the banks? Does anyone over there know?

[The Speaker]

I think whether anyone knows is irrelevant. It is not a question that is within the administrative responsibility of the government.

Perhaps on her supplementary the hon. member will ask such a question.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, clearly the government does not want to answer these questions about which Canadians want to know.

To add to that, do we know that the Alliance is running scared about the hard right turn the Liberals just took? It strikes me that hunting season has now just begun on the Prime Minister's legacy.

We know that marriage and marijuana will probably be the first to go. What about some other popular legacy items? What about Kyoto? The new Liberal leader voted for marriage, but then he said that he would turn the clock back when he took power.

Again, is anyone over there willing to answer what the government stands for? Will the government tell us whether the coal baron will not do the same for Kyoto and abandon it? Who will answer?

[The Speaker]

I am not sure there is a question that has to do with the administrative responsibility of the government, unless it is asking what the current government policy is.

I am sure that if the hon. member wants some further elucidation on that point and that was the question, then there will be an answer. Otherwise we will move on.

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member, who is the House leader for the NDP, does not know about the government's positions on these key issues, then she is the one with the problem.

Government Expenditures

[Monte Solberg, Canadian Alliance, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, according to the speech by the new leader of the Liberal Party, he is strongly in favour of both higher taxes and lower taxes, higher debt and lower debt, and higher spending and lower spending. Whatever people believe in he is with them all the way.

Will the finance minister be accepting the advice of his new boss that we spend $62.5 billion more than we already have?

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, I guess we judge people by their record. I think the record is quite a good one. We eliminated the deficit. Does the member remember that $42 billion deficit? We cut taxes by $100 billion. We are leading the G-7 in economic growth and job creation.

[Monte Solberg, Canadian Alliance, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, millions of Canadians who pay into EI would have something to say about his record.

I guess if we want answers on this issue we will have to put on our Tilley hats, grab our Minolta cameras and head out to the visitors centre so we can convene the House out there.

The new Liberal leader has a $62.5 billion hole in his accounting. Will the finance minister be counselling the finance committee witnesses to go home, liquidate their assets and buy gold now that he has charted his vision for national bankruptcy?

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, historically the finance committee has done excellent work on prebudget. I would of course recommend that all members of Parliament continue to participate and make the excellent contributions they have historically on a number of budgets.

If the hon. member does not want to participate that is his personal choice.

Agriculture

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this morning the Quebec agriculture minister met with her federal counterpart concerning the addition of a second phase to the financial assistance program for companies affected by the mad cow crisis.

Can the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food tell us whether the federal government intends to add a second phase to the existing plan, as his Quebec counterpart is demanding?

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

Mr. Speaker, I have made it very clear that we have hundreds of millions of dollars available to assist farmers across the country, including beef farmers. We need to move that money and use that money first.

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, although there was not a single case of mad cow disease in Quebec, Quebec farmers have been victims of the problems experienced in Alberta. Quebec beef farmers have also been hit.

Will the minister acknowledge that they deserve assistance?