Debates of Feb. 20th, 2004

Bloc

Monique Guay Bloc Laurentides, QC

Mr. Speaker, for many years the month of February has been known as Heart Month.

Despite the fact that medical research has made giant steps over the years, much remains to be done. I invite my hon. colleagues and the general public to contribute generously to the Heart Foundation's fundraising campaigns.

Let us take advantage of this month of awareness to find out about the risks of cardiovascular disease and stroke, and let us learn how to control the risks. Cardiovascular disease is striking at increasingly younger ages and is often tied to obesity and lack of exercise.

We can never overemphasize the importance of taking care of our health and inviting the people around us to do the same. And why not set a good example by taking advantage of the better weather in spring to begin a fitness plan that will help us take care of our hearts?

Ethanol IndustryStatements By Members

Liberal

André Harvey Liberal Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC

Mr. Speaker, I want to say a few words about an announcement we made last week that is extremely positive for Quebec and the rest of Canada with regard to the ethanol expansion program.

Last Friday, February 13, it was a pleasure to announce the recipients and contributions in the first round of the ethanol expansion program, which has a total allocation of $78 million.

Seven projects, including one in Quebec, will receive funding. Commercial Alcohols, Inc. received $18 million in funding for the construction of a fuel ethanol facility in Varennes. Discussions about this facility have been ongoing for many years, and many partners, including Commercial Alcohols, Inc. and the Canadian government, are associated with it.

This commitment by the federal government will enable the company to move forward with its project financing commitments and, it says, begin construction this fall. The Varennes project will involve a total investment of some $105 million and will generate almost 1,000 jobs during construction. The facility will create about 50 permanent jobs at the plant.

Finally—

Ethanol IndustryStatements By Members

The Deputy Speaker

The hon. member for Skeena.

Oil and Gas IndustryStatements By Members

Canadian Alliance

Andy Burton Canadian Alliance Skeena, BC

Mr. Speaker, the offshore oil and gas industry is alive and well around the world, from the North Sea off Europe to the coast of Africa, from Cook Inlet in Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico, and even on the east coast of Canada, but not in British Columbia.

The recently tabled Royal Society of Canada report to the Minister of Natural Resources concludes there are no scientific gaps to be filled before lifting the moratoria on oil and gas development in British Columbia.

However the senior minister for B.C., Canada's environment minister, is currently forging ahead with a plan to create Scott Island marine wildlife area, an area of up to 2.7 million hectares, which would effectively prohibit oil and gas exploration in much of the Queen Charlotte basin, an area of great exploration potential.

The natural resources minister is supportive of the west coast oil and gas possibilities. Clearly the environment minister is not. It is unacceptable for a divided federal cabinet to waffle on an issue as important as offshore oil and gas development is to the future of British Columbia.

Maritime ProvincesStatements By Members

Liberal

Mark Eyking Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the worst winter blizzard in decades blasted the Maritime provinces dumping 90 centimetres of snow in 24 hours. This is the third major weather event to hit the area in six months.

Early last fall Hurricane Juan paid an unforgettable visit to the region. Then in January a frigid air mass dropped temperatures to minus 30°. Now, P.E.I. and Nova Scotia are covered with a big blanket. Age old records were broken as the snow fell and strong winds piled huge drifts. Snow plows were called off the roads and both provinces have declared a state of emergency.

The weather gods seem to have their attention focused on eastern Canada. On behalf of all members, I extend our concern and best wishes to the residents of P.E.I. and Nova Scotia and tell them that spring is just around the corner.

CN RailStatements By Members

NDP

Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB

Mr. Speaker, the strike at Canadian National Railway has the potential to be an ugly one. The government needs to take an aggressive, hands-on approach to this major national labour dispute.

The reason for this is quite simple. CN top management is now primarily American and cares not what it does to Canadian workers, communities, values or traditions. Replacement workers, or scabs, are not something that was ever contemplated in the context of past rail strikes.

This time CN is actively training scabs, or as in Toronto already, bringing in American workers from Illinois to help break the strike. This is outrageous. If this Liberal government, which privatized CN in the first place, allows this to happen, then the Prime Minister might as well run up the American flag and admit that our largest railway is owned and operated by interests and values that come from somewhere else.

Asking railroaders to accept minimal increases while profits soar and bonuses for management proliferate is unacceptable. I urge the Minister of Labour to use the Canada Labour Code and the full extent of her powers to prevent this attack on Canadian workers from succeeding.

Île DupasStatements By Members

Bloc

Roger Gaudet Bloc Berthier—Montcalm, QC

Mr. Speaker, on January 4 in my riding of Berthier—Montcalm, the municipality of La Visitation-de-l'Île-Dupas launched the tricentennial celebrations of Île Dupas.

The festivities began with a mass celebrated by Bishop Gérard Drainville, who grew up on the island.

A period ball held on February 14 was a huge success. I invite the public to take part in the various activities that will be held throughout the year.

I want to congratulate the founding families who built this beautiful village on the banks of the St. Lawrence.

I also want to highlight the excellent work of a dynamic team, including the tricentennial committee chair, Victor Drainville, as well as the contributions made by the mayor, Maurice Désy and the entire municipal council.

It was a pleasure to personally take part in this event, and I wish them great success throughout the year.

Montreal High Lights FestivalStatements By Members

Liberal

Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to acknowledge the opening of the 5th edition of the Montreal High Lights Festival.

Yesterday afternoon, Montrealers embarked upon the 11-day winter festival of Quebec's largest city with a flurry of free activities and top-quality performances.

This celebration of the winter season is much like Winterlude, which we celebrate every year in the national capital region.

Montreal High Lights is offering a variety of activities for the young and the not so young until the end of the month.

This year's program is made up of three festivals in one: wining and dining, performing arts, and the celebration of light.

I wish Montrealers a happy Montreal High Lights Festival.

Official LanguagesStatements By Members

Canadian Alliance

Deborah Grey Canadian Alliance Edmonton North, AB

Mr. Speaker, last Saturday I was called at home and asked if I would take part in a survey on Hockey Night in Canada. By the third question, I realized what was going on. I asked, this is not about Hockey Night in Canada, it is all about Don Cherry, is it not? Sheepishly, she said yes.

The questions were veiled by mixing in other names, but every time it circled back to Don. Was he racist, was he sexist, she asked? I told her and I will tell you, Mr. Speaker, I think that is despicable. Such labels are hateful, not simply information gathering.

She also asked what I thought of the seven second delay proposal to be able to blitz any comments by Cherry. I told her and I will tell you, Mr. Speaker, I think that is despicable.

The underlying question is, do we have free speech in this country or do we not? What does CBC stand for--Censorship Broadcasting Corporation? I hope not.

Guess who paid for this slanderous survey? You guessed it, Mr. Speaker, you and I and every other taxpayer in the land. We fund this type of stuff unwittingly and unknowingly. Thanks a billion.

Let Don Cherry speak. Censorship is this: if I do not want to watch him, I do not have to. I can change the channel.

Arts and CutltureStatements By Members

Liberal

Diane St-Jacques Liberal Shefford, QC

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday evening, the red carpet was rolled out on Saint-Denis Street in Montreal to welcome the upper crust of the arts community for the world premiere of the highly anticipated musical Don Juan .

Critics have nothing but praise for this magnificent show. I am especially proud to hear and read comments about the young female lead role of Maria, played by Marie-Ève Janvier, a young artist from Roxton Pond, in my riding.

The very talented Marie-Ève, who has worked tirelessly, what with flamenco lessons and fencing lessons, is on her way to becoming a new entertainment star.

With more than 200,000 copies of the album sold and Don Juan nominated for a Juno Award last week, Marie-Ève, whose opening night performance won her rave reviews, must feel like all her sacrifices have paid off.

Congratulations and I wish the entire cast the success they deserve.

HealthStatements By Members

Canadian Alliance

Rob Merrifield Canadian Alliance Yellowhead, AB

Mr. Speaker, almost five years ago, Oakville teenager Vanessa Young died of heart failure after taking a prescription medication.

The inquest into Vanessa's death recommended mandatory reporting by health professionals of all serious adverse drug reactions to Health Canada within 48 hours. Health Canada has not acted on that recommendation.

Less than 10% of all adverse reactions are reported each year. Studies suggest that up to 10,000 Canadians die each year due to adverse reactions like Vanessa's. We do not really know how many are dying because reporting is voluntary and so very few events are actually being reported.

My private member's motion, to be debated today, calls on the government to consider making it mandatory for health professionals to report all serious adverse drug reactions.

This House has an opportunity to make an important statement on a matter which affects children, adults and the elderly. The problem is only going to get worse unless we act now.

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, the sponsorship scandal is a disturbing tale of corruption, inactivity, denial and now cover-up.

The latest that the Prime Minister would have received this report, this damning indictment of his government, was December 12. Knowing of the existence of this bombshell, the Prime Minister then pushed back the date of the return of Parliament.

If the Prime Minister was really concerned about action, transparency and getting to the bottom of this, why did he delay the opening of Parliament?

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, as the House is aware, the Prime Minister immediately cancelled the sponsorship program upon becoming Prime Minister.

That was one of the first things that he did. Then, as soon as the Auditor General's report was tabled in the House, we introduced a comprehensive plan to respond to the concerns of the Auditor General to ensure that all Canadians have the opportunity to know what happened here.

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that the government waited two months and the money is still being paid out.

The Prime Minister's communications officer apparently does not communicate well with his boss, but they must have the same talking points. Mario Laguë refers to a secret clique and the Prime Minister refers to a small group of rogue bureaucrats. They seem to have protracted the same phrase, “Let me be clear”.

How could the top senior communications officer, during this entire sponsorship scandal, and the top financial official for the country, the then finance minister and now Prime Minister, know nothing of a one quarter billion dollar budget blunder going on under their very noses?

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, it is very important to remember that the former senior public servant in question had no responsibilities for the design or management of the sponsorship program. In fact, it is important for people to remember that Mr. Laguë was secretary to the cabinet committee.

I want to draw attention to the fact that it is most unfortunate that there are those who appear willing to call into question the reputation of individuals when those individuals have no opportunity to defend themselves.

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, we are talking about responsibility, not reputations. These are individuals who were trusted, supposedly by the government, to look out for taxpayers' money.

The Prime Minister is looking more and more like the man who knew too little every day. His chief communications officer is similarly supposed to have Canadians accept that he knew nothing of a communications strategy he was supposed to put in place. The man who knew the most is now in charge of saying nothing about it as the communications officer for the Prime Minister.

Why did the Prime Minister go out and hire this individual? Is the man who knew--

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

The Deputy Speaker

The hon. President of the Treasury Board.

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

Winnipeg South Manitoba

Liberal

Reg Alcock LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board

Mr. Speaker, the member for broken deals and incomplete documents stands on his feet to make a point. The problem is that every point he has brought forward thus far has not proved to be substantive.

If he wants to ask a question about who knew what and when, he might go no further than the member for Prince Albert who has chaired the public accounts committee for 11 years and never once talked about this until we made it public.

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

Canadian Alliance

Jason Kenney Canadian Alliance Calgary Southeast, AB

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's chief spin doctor, Mario Laguë, worked hand-in-hand with his cabinet boss, Alfonso Gagliano, on communications during the ad scam.

According to a top former Liberal Jonathan Murphy, Laguë attended secretive meetings to thwart access to information requests and divert attention from Auditor General's reports. A leaked memo now reveals that Laguë was in the loop on efforts to sanitize the Auditor General's report back in 2000.

If the Prime Minister is really serious about getting to the bottom of this, why did he hire, as his top spin doctor, somebody who was up to his neck in the cover-up?

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

Vancouver Quadra B.C.

Liberal

Stephen Owen LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that unsubstantiated allegations are made in the House about a public servant and now member of the PCO and the Prime Minister's staff.

Rather than making allegations in the House which are unsubstantiated and cannot be answered by the person they are directed at, I would invite the opposition to bring this evidence before one of the inquiries and processes that is underway such as the public accounts committee and/or the independent judicial inquiry.

The opportunity is there. Let us bring it forward and we will have the evidence--

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period