Debates of Dec. 10th, 2004

Border Security

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

Mr. Speaker, what Canadians want to know is how it is working.

There are 107 border crossings in Quebec alone. Forty-seven of them have gates and only three are manned 24 hours a day. An official has said, “We are being told not to put ourselves in dangerous situations. When alone we are to lock our doors and we don't take chances. Upon the slightest doubt, we allow vehicles to pass”.

In the last few years many things have changed and Canadians are very concerned about their safety. Is it still going to be government policy to continue with unmanned borders?

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

Mr. Speaker, we assess the risk at border crossings on a regular basis. In fact, at some border crossings that risk is assessed on a daily basis. We will continue to assess the risk at border crossings in this country. Border crossings will be dealt with appropriately on the basis of that ongoing risk assessment.

Justice

[Darrel Stinson, Conservative, North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the man accused of killing Vernon auxiliary RCMP officer Glen Eveley in a crash with a stolen vehicle has walked away from jail due to errors which RCMP have called “an accidental release”. This is no comfort to a city that has suffered at least three murders in eight years due to failures of the prison and parole system.

In October, the Deputy Prime Minister told me she would review the system. I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister, is she at peace with herself knowing that her inaction has caused so much misery to so many people?

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

Mr. Speaker, on the situation to which the hon. member refers, while I cannot comment on the specific situation, I believe this actually was a matter that involved provincial corrections officials. I would ask the hon. member to go and check his facts.

In terms of the review of our parole system, I indeed have indicated that I think it is important to constantly assess whether our corrections and parole system puts public safety first. I am more than willing to have the Standing Committee on Justice take up that matter and offer any recommendations--

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission.

Fisheries

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Dewdney—Alouette, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Liberal government had two opportunities to respect the call of British Columbians for a judicial inquiry into the management of the salmon fishery, and twice refused to do so, this in spite of the fact that the Prime Minister promised to make addressing western alienation one of his many highest priorities.

He said in a speech, “There is no question in my mind that B.C.'s sense of alienation is not a myth, that it is real”. Yes, it is real, and it got even more real yesterday.

Why do the Prime Minister and his government continue to treat British Columbians like second class citizens?

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, we are in fact treating the matter of the Fraser River salmon fishery this year very seriously. In fact, that is the reason we have appointed a former chief justice of the B.C. Court of Appeal to head a panel, the integrated harvest planning committee, to look into this matter.

He is a very well-respected former judge. I know the members opposite do not have much respect for the courts or for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but they ought to have respect for Mr. Williams, who is an outstanding British Columbian.

Tourism Industry

[Sébastien Gagnon, Bloc, Jonquière—Alma, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region has benefited from the program to extend the tourist season since 2002. To date, this program has been very promising for the 35 participating businesses. The spinoffs for our region are almost $4 million. But these businesses need this program to be extended for another two years.

Can the minister, who has seen the overall results of this program, assure our businesses in the tourism industry that he will extend this program, which, unfortunately, expires today?

[Jacques Saada, Liberal, Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and Minister responsible for the Francophonie]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to see that the Bloc Québécois is finally taking an interest in this matter. This is the first time they have raised it in the House.

For several weeks now, we have had representations from regional tourist organizations alerting us to this problem.

We are working with the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development to find short term solutions. We are particularly concerned with the impact on the families involved, and it is our absolute hope that they may have a good Christmas. We will find a very short-term solution to this problem.

[Sébastien Gagnon, Bloc, Jonquière—Alma, QC]

Mr. Speaker, first, I would remind the minister that this matter has been under consideration for one month already and that my colleague, the hon. member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, has already questioned the minister about this.

Does the minister understand that our tourism industry needs to start planning for its next season now and that it needs to know immediately whether or not this program will be extended? I remind the minister that 181 additional jobs are at stake and this is a major issue for our region.

[Jacques Saada, Liberal, Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and Minister responsible for the Francophonie]

Mr. Speaker, at the risk of repeating myself, I must say that the Bloc Québécois tends to want to take credit for all the things it does not do, quite remarkable.

We have already, in the past several weeks, received representations from the Association touristique régionale or ATR. The Department of Human Resources and Skills Development and my department have since joined forces to try to find a solution. There are two problems: a short term problem, from now until next March, and another longer term and more general problem. First, we want to address priority areas. That is why we are working to find a short term solution, so that the families affected may enjoy the holidays.

Natural Resources

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS]

Mr. Speaker, how long does it take to deliver a promise? It is now 166 days since the Prime Minister promised Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador that they would receive 100% of the provincial revenues from the offshore development.

Since then there have been some meetings, mainly initiated by the provinces, and now the Prime Minister and his ministers have punted the file into the hands of a bureaucrat, Mr. Himelfarb. Is this because the Prime Minister considers his ministers incompetent, incapable or insensitive to Atlantic Canadians? This Christmas, will there be a lump of coal in Atlantic Canadians' stockings or a deal on oil and gas?

[John McKay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, as members know, this has been quite an active file for the finance minister and he has been a very active participant in the negotiations and discussions on an ongoing basis, somewhat more intensely at times and sometimes less intensely. These discussions are carrying on as we speak.

National Defence

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, two Canadian airmen died when their CH-146 Griffon helicopter crashed on a search and rescue mission that was beyond the craft's capabilities.

A Canadian sailor died in the hurry to launch a submarine that was not seaworthy.

In the rush to replace the vehicle in which three Canadians soldiers died in Afghanistan, stress cracks suggest its replacement is not ready for service either.

Why does the government insist on jeopardizing the lives of Canadian soldiers with flawed equipment?

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, these are tragic accidents. I want to assure the House that all our services, the air force, the navy and the army, take these individual incidents extremely seriously. They conduct rigorous investigations to ascertain their causes and we take the steps to make sure they do not happen again.

It is a myth to say they do not have good equipment and it is certainly a myth to suggest that they are not professionally approaching the way in which we manage these very difficult situations.

Health

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of State for Public Health. What is the Public Health Agency doing to warn Canadians about the danger of malaria while visiting the Dominican Republic?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of State (Public Health)]

Mr. Speaker, the Public Health Agency of Canada responded very quickly to the reports of malaria in tourists coming from the Dominican Republic. Last week the agency posted a travel advisory on the website. The agency has been collaborating with its stakeholders, the Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health, the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies, travel health insurance operators and all the Canadian tour operators, as well as the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians.

The Public Health Agency wants Canadians to know that before going to the Dominican Republic they should see their family doctor or a travel doctor to get an independent risk assessment. They should try to avoid getting bitten and should let anybody know when they come back of their--

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River.

Canada Post Corporation

[Jeremy Harrison, Conservative, Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the community of Grandmother's Bay in my northern Saskatchewan constituency has long been fighting for access to federal postal service. At present members of this 400-person community have to get their mail from La Ronge, over 100 kilometres away.

I have inquired repeatedly on this issue, but at this point Canada Post is still refusing to commit to providing postal service to Grandmother's Bay.

What will it take for this Liberal government to recognize that Canadians living in remote and northern communities deserve the same access to service as other Canadians?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, Canada Post is the most visible face of the federal government throughout rural Canada. We have a commitment to maintain that visibility.

On matters of specific cases, it is an operational matter. I will take up the point raised by the member with the officials at Canada Post.

Human Resources and Skills Development

[Gord Brown, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-28, the compassionate care bill, is to be reviewed early in 2005.

Canadians in need have discovered that the bill is seriously flawed. They are humiliated and demoralized at a crucial time when they are desperate to care for their loved ones.

Will the minister set a date for the review and will he open the process to allow all Canadians, including those who are seriously in need and seriously affected, to have input into that review?

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

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the interest in this most laudable of programs that we initiated very early on in the year. It heartens me that many members on both sides of the House support it.

We are in the first year of the program and we committed at the very beginning to make any changes subsequent to the accumulation of data so that we could make any adjustments that reflected the real needs of those who find themselves in a most tragic and trying moment in their lives.

However, right now, as the member knows, the mechanism is triggered by a declaration by an attendant doctor and it applies to immediate family--

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Richmond—Arthabaska.

Aboriginal Affairs

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on November 2, in response to a question from the Bloc regarding negotiations with the Cree nation in the James Bay issue, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development said the negotiations were moving along nicely. The Cree are worried now, and a breakdown in negotiations could have serious consequences.

There is not much time left before the March deadline; can the minister guarantee, here in this House, that negotiations will occur within this time frame and will conclude by March 2005?

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians]

Mr. Speaker, I do not recall swimmingly, but we are optimistic in terms of these negotiations, as I said before, and I continue to be optimistic that we will see a resolution very soon.