Debates of Oct. 15th, 2004

Health

[Robert Thibault, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, to the best of my knowledge the fund was created with the figures derived from the provinces, which are giving care to those people, from the people afflicted themselves, to their class action, and with the court; the best information possible.

The courts determine whether there is an actual surplus. The minister has said that if that is the case, he would be willing to work with the partners, who are participants in the fund, to see what the best use would be. Distribution to the pre-1986, post-1990 might be one of those areas.

Canadian Heritage

[Daryl Kramp, Conservative, Prince Edward—Hastings, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage. “Democracy Watch” has now stated that the trip to Banff should be listed as an election expense because the speech she gave amounted to blatant electioneering.

Not only did the minister spend $55,000 on a personal trip on a Challenger, but a further $4,000 so that two political aides could accompany the minister. This flagrant abuse of the law and taxpayer money is both robbery and snobbery.

Why did taxpayer dollars pay for two political aides to attend a non-partisan event when they simply handed out Liberal election pamphlets?

[Raymond Chan, Liberal, Minister of State (Multiculturalism)]

Mr. Speaker, the minister was there to talk about policies with the CRTC, the importance of the CBC and how important Canadian culture was.

As I understand it, all her expenses followed the Treasury Board policies. I hope the opposition will spend more time telling the Canadian public about its position on those policies.

[Gary Schellenberger, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the former Canadian heritage minister took the stage in Banff during the last election. Afterward, according to Variety magazine, many attendees expressed concern over such a “nakedly political speech”. The speech was given for purely partisan reasons. Taxpayers should not have to pay for Liberal electioneering.

Will the minister guarantee that the Liberal Party will repay taxpayers for this trip?

[Raymond Chan, Liberal, Minister of State (Multiculturalism)]

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, the speech that the minister delivered in Banff was about the CRTC, the importance of CBC, the importance of the Canadian television fund and how important Canadian culture was.

I hope the opposition will spend more time telling Canadians its position on those very important issues to Canadians.

Health

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-6 on reproductive technologies passed in the last Parliament and was represented to include a comprehensive ban on human cloning. However, at the same time Canadian representatives before the United Nations were supporting a resolution for only a partial ban, which would permit a form of human cloning called somatic cell nuclear transfer, otherwise known as therapeutic cloning.

Will the Minister of Health reaffirm to the House and to all Canadians that our law is and will continue to be a comprehensive ban on human cloning by all forms and techniques, including therapeutic cloning?

[Robert Thibault, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the government's position on human cloning is clear. As of April 2004, under the Assisted Human Reproduction Act, all forms of human cloning are prohibited in Canada for whatever purpose and using whatever technique. Even though therapeutic cloning is now prohibited, important research involving stem cells can still proceed.

The Assisted Human Reproduction Act establishes a framework within which research involving in vitro embryos to derive stem cells can be undertaken. Researchers wishing to undertake embryo research to derive stem cells will have to comply with strict regulations and obtain a licence for the new regulatory agency to be established--

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Halifax.

Post-Secondary Education

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, yet again the government underestimates the surplus, this time by $7.2 billion. The government may not know the difference between $1.9 billion and $9.1 billion, but Canadians sure do. They also know this is not the real surplus because it masks the debt burden heaped on our students and their families.

When will the government restore the billions cut from post-secondary education and reinvest sufficiently in our colleges and universities to enable tuition reductions and ease the all too real student debt burden in the country?

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member will want to recognize that we have an array of mechanisms at the disposal of students who find themselves in a situation where their loans become burdensome. There are $380 million put toward loan repayment. There are $73 million set up annually for students who require debt relief.

Yesterday, I am pleased to say, we introduced a Canada learning bond that will help students from disadvantaged families and lower income families have better access to an education down the road.

Guaranteed Income Supplement

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister, also known as Scrooge McDuck, is smiling like a Cheshire cat on his huge surplus. He is making life very difficult for Canada's seniors. Every day seniors make choices between prescription drugs, food and heating their homes. One constituent in my riding, Brenda Anderson, received an 11¢ increase on her GIS.

I would like the finance minister to look into the camera, speak directly to Brenda Anderson and advise her where she should spend her 11¢ increase.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, one of the reasons why it is important to deal with issues like debt reduction is to ensure that when we face that big retirement of the baby boomer generation, just five or six years from now, those senior citizens, together with today's senior citizens, will have medicare and pensions and will not see 30¢ or 40¢ out of every dollar going to pay interest rates. That is the advantage of debt reduction.

I am very pleased to tell the hon. gentleman, we are going to increase the GIS.

Agriculture

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the BSE border closure has caused a backlog of livestock across the country, and the need for more slaughter capacity is a must. New start-ups have been trying to access Farm Credit Canada's venture investment fund to start their operations. Many producers are skeptical as to whether the government's new loan loss reserve will entice lenders to invest in slaughter plants.

If the government's loan loss program does not work to expand plants or induce new start-ups, will the government commit to direct financing of new and expanding plants in every region of the country to deal with our backlog of livestock?

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food (Rural Development)]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is certainly getting into hypotheticals and taking the negative approach, like the Conservatives often do.

The minister made a very important announcement on September 10 in which we would maintain trying to get the U.S. border open. We would look at getting new borders open. The minister made an announcement from China the other day in which it would take bull semen, as well as cattle embryos. There will be an announcement coming out of Japan in terms of the slaughter capacity. We have the set aside program, and we are working strenuously to get that slaughter capacity increased.

[Lynne Yelich, Conservative, Blackstrap, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister met with U.S. homeland security chief Tom Ridge. The Liberals have said that they will use all meetings with U.S. counterparts to discuss getting the border reopened for Canadian beef. I quote the finance minister, “We don' t want any bilateral conversation to go by without BSE”.

Did the Deputy Prime Minister discuss the border closure with Secretary Ridge yesterday?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member was listening to the press conference that Secretary Ridge and I held yesterday, in response to a question from the media, Secretary Ridge indicated that I had discussed this matter with him. I will continue to discuss the matter with him as I know all our colleagues do when they meet their American counterparts.

Justice

[Bradley Trost, Conservative, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice. On Wednesday when the minister was asked about closing loopholes for child pornographers, he said that we must “protect the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms”.

Why does the government use the charter as an excuse to protect pornographers instead of children?

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as Attorney General, I am obliged with respect to the introduction of any legislation to certify that it comports with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I do not think the member opposite would want me to be in breach of that legal obligation.

With respect to child pornography, we have introduced legislation that will give us the strongest child protection regime against child pornography anywhere in the world.

[Joe Preston, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister claims that he has closed all the loopholes, but the legitimate purpose loophole in Bill C-2 still will allow the courts to excuse child pornography on the basis of it being so-called art.

Could the minister please tell me how child pornography could possibly be artistic?

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I suggest to the hon. member that he re-read the bill because it states clearly that child pornography remains child pornography. There is no defence against child pornography. There is a defence if there is a legitimate use of materials with respect to an investigation regarding child pornographers.

Oil and Gas Industry

[Robert Carrier, Bloc, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in light of the flare-up in oil prices, it does not take a psychic to know that consumers will once again foot the bill. This increase will hit not only motor vehicle owners, but also the many families that rely on heating fuel in the winter.

This time, will the government have the foresight to create a petroleum monitoring agency?

[David Emerson, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, on May 4 of this year the Competition Bureau initiated a study of the gasoline pricing market. That study is underway. If there is any violation of the Competition Act, I am sure suitable action will be taken and taken firmly.

[Robert Carrier, Bloc, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the fall of 2003, a majority of members of the Standing Committee on Industry recommended the government create a petroleum monitoring agency.

Why does the minister stubbornly refuse to immediately act on this recommendation?

[David Emerson, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, this issue is under consideration right now. We will look at it going forward. We first want to hear from the Competition Bureau on the competitive conditions in the market for oil, gasoline and other fuels.

Justice

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Speaker, on September 16 of this year Darryl Talbot was found brutally murdered in his Regina home. Lawrence David Sharpe has been charged with this murder. Mr. Sharpe is also charged with the death of an Alberta man in August of this year and has a long history of violent crime stemming back to 1991, but our justice system continues to allow Mr. Sharpe to reoffend.

My question is for the Minister of Justice. Why was this individual not classified as a violent offender? Why is the justice system failing Canadians?