House of Commons Hansard #124 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was counsellor.
Myron Thompson Canadian Alliance Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Speaker, that is not quite true. They have been avoiding this issue. A staff sergeant with the immigration and passport section testified that he was left with the impression that the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade “had pressured the force into curtailing the investigation”.
Again for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, is he disputing this very serious allegation that his department influenced the RCMP?
Wayne Easter LiberalSolicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, the member knows full well that if I or any other member of the government were to comment on this process, it in fact could jeopardize the right of the unbiased process for both the individual and the RCMP. Therefore, I cannot make a comment on the process, and the members opposite know that.
Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Revenue. A taxpayer from the Lanaudière area was surprised to discover 49 income tax files in his mailbox, some belonging to residents of the same area, and some from other places in Canada. All of these files came from Revenue Canada.
In view of this catastrophe, will the minister launch an investigation to find out how such a bizarre incident could happen?
Elinor Caplan LiberalMinister of National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for the question.
The information is as follows: last year that tax service office sent out over 700,000 pieces of mail. There was a mechanical error that caused this particular problem. The agency and I regret that. I want the member to know that every effort is made to ensure that our safeguards against information loss are state of the art. We are conducting an indepth review of our national systems.
We are also conducting a review of all TSOs and TC facilities to ensure that precautions are taken against break-ins, theft and unauthorized access.
Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC
Mr. Speaker, I understand that apologies can be made to taxpayers, but it is too late for that when their income tax files get into their neighbour's mailbox.
With the team of public servants working in this agency, with all the facilities at her disposal, with all the procedures that can be established, can the minister be certain that never again, never ever, will such leaks occur, rather than excusing herself after the fact and saying that they will try to never do it again? We have the tools, the personnel, and the technology to do this.
Elinor Caplan LiberalMinister of National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, I wish that I could assure the member opposite that we would always be perfect. We subscribe to the theory of continuous improvements, and our people and our equipment are excellent. However, as I said, we are reviewing to ensure that our systems are as good as they can be, and when a mechanical error does happen, as happens very rarely, we apologize. I regret this particular situation very much.
Diane Ablonczy Canadian Alliance Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, Canadians recently learned that several men arrested on suspicion of terrorist links entered Canada with student visas to attend the Ottawa Business College. It turns out that the school was a bogus operation. In spite of that, the Liberal government let people into Canada to attend this so-called school and gave it several thousands of dollars in HRDC grants.
Would the minister care to explain to Canadians why hundreds of fraudulent entrants were allowed into Canada through this loophole?
Denis Coderre LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure I quite understand the question. Does she feel now that every student is a problem? Does she mean that international students do not have a place in Canada? We are doing what we have to do. We must remember that in that specific case, it was a person in Mexico who took care of the files. We must be very cautious when we are talking about international students. They are what we need in Canada. We believe they have a place here because they are truly an investment for the future of this country.
Diane Ablonczy Canadian Alliance Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, Canada has a proud record of opportunity for students from around the world, but the Liberal record on national security is a different story.
The Ottawa Business College was only the tip of the iceberg. Canadian officials from embassies abroad have been sounding the alarm bell for quite a while about bogus schools operating in Canada. These operations rip off thousands of dollars from foreign students, and now it appears that some may be fronts for international operatives.
Why has the minister not gone after bogus schools and shut this loophole?
Denis Coderre LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, the member should listen to the answer to the first question and then see if a second question should be asked.
It is because of our people that we found out about that situation. Of course security is a priority for our government. We need international students and we believe they are truly an investment, not only for us, but for the country of origin because this is how bridges can be built. I believe that we should invest even more to have more international students in Canada.
Christian Jobin Liberal Lévis-Et-Chutes-De-La-Chaudière, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Minister for International Cooperation is currently attending the World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meetings in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. She is also taking part in the Afghanistan Development Forum, where international support to this country is being discussed.
Could the parliamentary secretary to the minister responsible for CIDA tell the House what CIDA is doing to build a better future for the Afghan people?
André Harvey LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for his interest in the Afghan people, who are of major concern to the Canadian government.
I can assure him that in 2003-04, $250 million will be invested in priorities identified by the Afghan government in sectors such as agriculture, humanitarian aid and security.
In closing, I want to pay tribute to the Afghan and multilateral NGOs helping the people of Afghanistan build a better future.
Jason Kenney Canadian Alliance Calgary Southeast, AB
Mr. Speaker, incredibly, the Customs and Revenue Agency sent one Quebecker the personal income tax records of 49 other taxpayers from all over Quebec. This is a serious violation of the agency's regulations and legislation, as well as the right to privacy.
Will the Minister of National Revenue demand an immediate investigation to identify the cause of this error, as well as take the necessary disciplinary actions?
Elinor Caplan LiberalMinister of National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, I can tell the member opposite that we know exactly what happened. In that tax service office last year, over 700,000 pieces of mail were sent out. In one case, due to a mechanical error, this situation occurred.
My understanding is that all of our national systems are being reviewed to ensure that they function properly. Mechanical error does happen from time to time. Further, we are looking at all of our tax service offices and our tax centres to ensure that proper precautions are taken in all of our--
Customs and Revenue AgencyOral Question Period
The Speaker
The hon. member for Calgary Southeast.
Jason Kenney Canadian Alliance Calgary Southeast, AB
Mr. Speaker, the problem is that we hear stories of this kind of incompetence under this minister's administration all the time. She constantly blames her bureaucrats.
When is the minister going to step up to the plate and take responsibility for violating the privacy of Canadians and for undermining their confidence in the tax system? When are we going to see somebody, including the minister, held responsible for this kind of repeated incompetence?
Elinor Caplan LiberalMinister of National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, as I said, while we regret this mechanical problem that occurred in one out of 700,000 pieces of mail, we have taken appropriate action. Let me say again, we want all of the safeguards that we have placed to ensure that our information loss is minimized to be state of the art, and we are conducting an indepth review of all the national systems.
We are also conducting a national review of all TSO and TC facilities to ensure that precautions are taken against break-ins, theft and unauthorized access. We are doing that because service to the Canadian public is our priority.
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
Mr. Speaker, in February, the Secretary of State for the Status of Women promised to conduct an analysis to determine whether the changes to the Divorce Act in Bill C-22 would have a different impact on men than on women.
The Secretary of State for the Status of Women made this promise eight months ago. We want to know today whether this gender equality analysis has been concluded and when it will be referred to the committee that is studying this issue.
Jean Augustine LiberalSecretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women)
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her interest in this area.
The analysis is usually done by the group or groups, and by the departments that are working with specific areas that pertain to women. At this point in time, there is no general analysis that has been done where one can stand and say “This is precisely how it is happening”. It is going issue by issue, and through committees.
Hélène Scherrer Liberal Louis-Hébert, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.
Representatives from the marine industry in Canada, some 800 Canadian companies, submitted a proposal to the minister on August 26, 2002 for a long term agreement on the Coast Guard Cost Recovery Plan.
Users of the St. Lawrence River must foot half the national bill of $35 million, and more than 80% of fishing harbour breakout costs. All this in an environment where trucking, a major competitor to shipping—
Marine IndustryOral Question Period
The Speaker
The hon. Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.
Robert Thibault LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question. I met with members of the coalition who propose that marine services fees be eliminated. I indicated to them that I continue to review these points of view carefully in the context of the government's national policy and its fiscal targets.
I also mentioned to the members of the coalition that I still intend to consult my cabinet colleagues as to the future direction of marine services fees. I am still pleased with the partnership between my department and the coalition.
Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC
Mr. Speaker, after the painful repercussions caused by the cuts to the Canadian Television fund on TV production, the Minister of Canadian Heritage is repeating the offence by cutting the Canada magazine fund from $32.6 million to $16 million.
Does the minister realize that she is now doing the same thing to magazines that she did to television, and does she realize that, with these new measures, free magazines will no longer be eligible for assistance and will therefore be doomed to certain extinction?
Carole-Marie Allard LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, indeed the Canada magazine fund assists paid-circulation magazines, and from now on the bulk of the assistance will go to cultural and literary magazines, publications with lower circulation, and those serving the ethnocultural communities, but these will all involve paid subscriptions.
Gary Schellenberger Progressive Conservative Perth—Middlesex, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Veterans Affairs is treating widows as a budget item.
Mr. Murray spent one and a half times the budget of the average Canadian family for food. He spent more on hotel costs per month than most Canadians pay in rent. The reality is that there are thousands of widows who do not qualify for the VIP and the minister is doing nothing about it.