Debates of Oct. 29th, 2004

La Société des fabricants régionaux du Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean

[Robert Bouchard, Bloc, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of the constituents of Chicoutimi—Le Fjord to salute a dynamic network of entrepreneurs from my riding and my region.

La Société des fabricants régionaux du Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, known as SFR, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and has nearly 100 heads of manufacturing companies as members. The goal of the society is to promote goods made in the Saguenay—Lac Saint-Jean region and it also develops strategies to face the challenge of globalization.

The Saguenay—Lac Saint-Jean region is going through difficult economic times. And yet I believe the initiative of these businesspeople shows that we have dynamic human resources and that we believe in our abilities.

Congratulations to the SFR.

Health Sciences

[Russ Powers, Liberal, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, recently I was honoured to participate in the official opening of the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Health in its new home, the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery at McMaster University, an education institution that I was employed at for over 25 years.

The new institute for innovative research and gene therapeutics, under the stewardship of Dr. Jack Gauldie, is situated within one of the most advanced institutions of learning in Canada, indeed in the discipline of health sciences research worldwide.

The new centre will house one of the finest virology and immunology groups in Canada and will surely play a central role in positioning McMaster to take its place at the forefront of discovery.

Canadian Forces

[Merv Tweed, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight a very important event that will be happening in my constituency. November 13th will mark the official welcoming ceremonies of the 2nd Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry to CFB Shiloh. Preparations have been taking place since the move was announced, and the 700 soldiers and their families moved in over this past summer.

The residents of Brandon--Souris have welcomed the Princess Pats with open arms, reaching out to them and making them feel at home in their new surroundings. Soldiers and their families have reciprocated by becoming active in and bringing a great deal of energy and enthusiasm to their new communities.

As member of Parliament for Brandon--Souris, I am very pleased to welcome these honourable men and women in uniform and their families to the riding. I look forward to meeting with them at the official welcoming ceremonies on November 13.

Coast Guard

[Ken Boshcoff, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Canadian Coast Guard on the addition of its new search and rescue cutter, Cape Chaillon to Thunder Bay harbour station at Keefer terminal.

The Canadian Coast Guard search and rescue program commitment to serve and protect lives in the maritime environment has search and rescue crews working out of Thunder Bay harbour from April until December each year, out in weather conditions most of us would only watch on television.

I would at this time also like to commend the good men and women who crew vessels like the Cape Chaillon for their bravery and skill, and recognize their contribution to the safety and well-being of all Canadians.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians from coast to coast to coast are very strong supporters of public broadcasting. Yet for years the Liberal Party has used the board of the CBC as a dumping ground for pals and payers to the party. Since 1936, 90% of the appointments to the CBC have been buddies of the governing party. What a dismal record.

The heritage committee has come forth with recommendations for setting up a transparent nomination procedure for CBC appointments. A new president is being appointed and Canadians are asking the government to turn over a new leaf.

Unfortunately it looks like the Liberals will be singing from the same old songbook and so the long list of Liberal appointments, anointments and reappointments will continue. We deserve better.

Stop using our institutions as a retirement home for political cronies.

Health

[Joy Smith, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, many Manitobans want the government to take the initiative in providing preventive health care measures.

Recently I met with Mark McDonald and Ethel Hook, representatives of the Alliance for the Prevention of Chronic Disease. They presented an initiative outlining a five year pilot project which is built on a low cost, effective, community led approach that can be a model for preventive health care across the country.

The initiative will facilitate and support activities promoting physical activity, healthy nutrition and weight, and freedom from tobacco at the community level. A well-developed evaluation mechanism will demonstrate the effect of these activities, both for the individuals and communities involved in them.

Manitobans can no longer disregard the importance of primary prevention. Health care systems can no longer remain fixated on acute care.

I call on the members of the House to actively take steps to implement community based preventive health care, effective and broad based--

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Laval.

Quebec Coaches Week

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow I will be attending and speaking at a luncheon conference hosted by the sports Laval regional organizing committee and the Laval regional recreation and sports unit, as part of Quebec coaches week. Michel Larouche, a diving coach and one of the spokespersons for the week, will also attend.

While we do need to recognize the important contribution coaches make in the development of sports in Quebec and the quality of their work with athletes of all levels, we need to recognize above all the chronic lack of funding to enable them to continue their extraordinary work with young people.

The government must develop a real sports policy and establish goals for achievement on the national and international scene.

The hon. member for Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, a former chair of the international mountain bike committee, joins with me in wishing all our coaches the opportunity to continue sharing their passion for sport with young people in conditions that meet their needs—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Fleetwood—Port Kells.

Marijuana Grow Operations

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last week we had the spectacle of the government auctioning off confiscated marijuana grow op equipment at a discount so criminals could start up new grow ops cheaply.

Some criminals in Surrey are reporting their illegal gains as income on their tax returns. Across the border in Washington state the penalties for running a grow operation are three months in jail for a first offence. In B.C. operators are likely to receive a slap on the wrist, even after seven convictions.

Surrey currently has 4,500 grow ops. It is one of the biggest issues facing all police forces today.

The Liberal government needs to start taking the issue of marijuana grow ops seriously by implementing stiff minimum sentencing requirements and providing law enforcement agencies with the resources they need to make our streets safe.

I call on the Liberals to come to the aid of the citizens of Surrey rather than to the organized criminals.

Equalization Payments

[Michael John Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government has shown great leadership in bringing forward a new deal on equalization.

The provinces told us they wanted more stability in their payments and we listened. For this year we have guaranteed stability by ensuring that no province will receive less in equalization payments than was estimated at the time of the last federal budget.

The provinces told us they were concerned about the overall funding of equalization. This deal offers a floor of $10.9 billion by 2005-06, the highest level ever reached by the program. That amount will grow by 3.5% a year.

It is clear to see the deal announced by the Prime Minister on Tuesday will be instrumental in helping the equalization program to fulfill its constitutional obligation, ensuring that all Canadians, no matter which province they call home, can have access to high quality public services.

Employment

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, work permits are being given to foreign nationals when qualified Canadians are available.

In one alarming incident in Gold River, B.C., an employer was given permission to bypass local Canadians and bring in cheap labour from India to dismantle the local pulp mill. When he was asked why he did not use Canadians, he wrote “because the cost is too high”. On this basis a permit was granted and foreign nationals took work from Canadians.

On the other coast, Swiss nationals were given permits to come in and erect the new printing press at the Halifax Chronicle-Herald . In this case there were 80 local unemployed millwrights available as 15 foreign national millwrights erected the printing press.

I call it economic treason to deliberately give our jobs away to foreign nationals when qualified Canadians are available. We want this practice stopped. We want some assurance from the government that a better process will be followed before our jobs are given away.

Sponsorship Program

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Central Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, evidence mounts day by day that the Prime Minister knew more about the sponsorship program than he is prepared to tell Canadians.

Today's revelations have nothing to do with the Gomery commission. Former cabinet colleague Alfonso Gagliano stated in a letter that the sponsorship strategy was approved by cabinet. He said that cabinet, including current members of the cabinet, designed, approved and supported the sponsorship program and strategy.

Is the Prime Minister and cabinet suffering from collective amnesia as Mr. Gagliano has said? How can the Prime Minister continue to maintain he knew nothing of the operations of the sponsorship program?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, of course the Government of Canada will always have a vigorous strategy to promote Canadian unity and the well-being of all Canadians. Was there a strategy to violate rules? Emphatically no.

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Central Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, not everything Alfonso Gagliano says is necessarily to be believed, especially his harsh criticisms of the Liberal family. We can accept that the Prime Minister has made some major mistakes and suffers from amnesia, yes. That some current ministers supported the tactics of Chuck Guité, yes, but that Mr. Gagliano testified before the Gomery commission with any enthusiasm, not likely.

Will the Minister of the Environment be testifying before the Gomery commission with enthusiasm?

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I think we all need to watch what we say in this House, particularly when our words are taking a certain tack, in order not to make insinuations.

That said, the Prime Minister has struck a commission of inquiry into this matter. We need to let it do its work, and to wait patiently if necessary for it to finish its work and make recommendations.

Natural Resources

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Central Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, despite a week of intense negotiations, the Prime Minister has failed again to bring about an offshore agreement that lives up to his campaign commitment to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Premier Williams and Premier Hamm went home earlier this week empty-handed. However, they are prepared to fly back to Ottawa on a moment's notice to meet with the Prime Minister to resolve this important issue.

Can the acting prime minister tell us today whether a meeting has been arranged with the premiers to discuss the issue of offshore royalties? Will that agreement include no cap, no clawbacks, and no limitations on time or money?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister reported earlier this week, there have been conversations between himself and both of those premiers. I have had the opportunity to speak to the minister from Nova Scotia.

The discussion is continuing. It is a very constructive effort aimed at getting a solution that will work very well for Nova Scotia and very well for Newfoundland and Labrador in the best interests of the country. We continue on a very good faith basis.

[Loyola Hearn, Conservative, St. John's South, NL]

Mr. Speaker, first the Minister of Natural Resources went to Newfoundland and Labrador and told it to take it or leave the deal that the Prime Minister promised. Then the Prime Minister's spokesperson, Scott Reid, basically called Premier Williams a liar and tried to blackmail us into the future. Now the member for Glengarry--Prescott--Russell has said that our issue is unimportant.

Does the Prime Minister agree with his minions, or will he deliver the deal as promised?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, the remark by the communications officer that the hon. gentleman referred to has already been apologized for as was appropriate. Second, in terms of the work that we are undertaking, we are all very anxious to get a solution to this issue because it is not only important to Newfoundland and Labrador and to Nova Scotia but it is exceedingly important to the country.

[Loyola Hearn, Conservative, St. John's South, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad it was the Minister of Finance who answered the questions because we might get some straight answers on this.

The Minister of Natural Resources has been saying he was given charge by the Prime Minister to do the deal. We know that is not true. He is not trusted anymore. The Prime Minister apparently does not know what was communicated to him.

I ask the Minister of Finance, is he in charge of the ship now? Is he going to be doing the pitching for the government? If he is, maybe we will get the deal we want.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, this is an issue that has riveted the attention of the entire government. The Prime Minister is obviously in charge.

His ministers will work very hard on the mandate that we have been given to get a solution that works for Newfoundland, that works for Nova Scotia, and that works for Canada.The Minister of Natural Resources has been very much engaged in trying to get the very best result for his province.

Sponsorship Program

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, despite the Prime Minister's exaggerated denials during the election campaign, the former Minister of Public Works has confirmed that all the ministers supported the strategy and method for making Canada more visible in Quebec, including current ministers, namely the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of the Environment.

In light of these revelations, will the Prime Minister finally admit that not only was he fully aware of the existence and operation of the sponsorship program, but instead of denouncing it, he took advantage of it?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the point has been made clear in the House many times. Were members of the government, members of the opposition, and all members of Parliament aware of the existence of a sponsorship program? Yes, indeed. Were we aware or did we authorize any violation of the rules? Emphatically, no.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Alfonso Gagliano himself said: the first list of events to be sponsored was approved by the Treasury Board in 1996. We know who was vice-president of the Treasury Board at the time.

How can the Prime Minister still maintain that he knew nothing about the sponsorship program?