Debates of Feb. 27th, 2004

Agriculture

[Bob Speller, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, I had an opportunity to review with my officials the plan put forward by the opposition.

I might note that after the opposition heard that the Government of Canada was in the process of bringing forward a program itself, I looked at it, and in a lot of ways it mimics what is already being done by the Government of Canada.

If we look at the numbers within it, I think they are quite off in a number of the different areas. However, I would be pleased to have officials at committee, at some time, go through it with the hon. member as to what the real numbers are.

Rwanda

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

Earlier this week, the House unanimously adopted a motion that I put forward declaring April 7 each year a day of remembrance of the victims of the Rwandan genocide. I would like to thank all the hon. members for supporting this motion.

I would now like to ask the minister what tangible action the government intends to take so that Canadians will remember this momentous day, this infamous day in the history of Rwanda and humanity?

[Hélène Scherrer, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank the hon. member for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell for his question and also congratulate him on his excellent work in this matter, which is so important for the Rwandan community.

I can assure this House that the Minister of State for Multiculturalism is working closely with her colleagues to find the best strategy to acknowledge this tragedy in Canada. I invite all Canadians to help us mark this sad event in the history of humanity on April 7.

Atlantic Canada

[Rex Barnes, Progressive Conservative, Gander—Grand Falls, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the government's track record in its treatment of Atlantic Canada is very poor. The government has made drastic cuts to transfer payments to the provinces, and this has adversely affected the quality of health care and education for Atlantic Canadians.

Also, Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province without a fixed link to the rest of Canada, yet the government has squandered taxpayer dollars through the HRDC fiasco, ineffective gun registry and now the sponsorship program scandal.

When will the government treat Atlantic Canadians properly?

[Joe McGuire, Liberal, Minister of Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada along with the Government of Newfoundland are supporting the pre-study of the fixed link between Newfoundland and Labrador.

It is something that has been discussed for many years in Newfoundland, and we will put the issue to rest one way or the other.

[Rex Barnes, Progressive Conservative, Gander—Grand Falls, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the government now has an opportunity to put things right for Atlantic Canadians.

The government could change the equalization formula and eliminate the clawback on revenue from natural resources. This would give the provinces more revenues to improve health care, education and create much needed employment.

Is the government willing to change the equalization formula and eliminate the clawback on revenue from resources for provinces like Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador?

[Reg Alcock, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, I was actually discussing a previous question at the time.

The equalization formula, contrary to the allegations of the hon. member, is not a discretionary decision making document of the government. It is an agreement that is put into legislation based on an agreement with all provinces. The amounts go up and down depending on the level of activity. Every province agrees to that.

We are now at a stage of renegotiating that and looking at more ways to improve it. We are constantly looking at ways to improve those agreements. That is what the finance minister is doing and that is what the premiers are doing. I am sure they will reach a good conclusion.

International Trade

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have learned that the United States would be prepared to impose an export tax on raw materials, in order to avoid having countries like China, India and South Korea take away their scrap metal stocks at more than $300 per tonne, thus paralyzing a part of their industrial production.

Will the government tell us if it, too, plans to employ this kind of solution—which has the advantage of not contravening international trade regulations—as a means to protect us against the price explosion that threatens our industrial production?

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

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member asked a very good question on which I do not have a brief. I will take that question under advisement and report to him shortly.

Employment Insurance

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Human Resources announced that an investigation had been carried out in southeastern New Brunswick concerning workers not having to reimburse employment insurance.

My question is for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development: Are others in Canada, for instance the other 11 people in northeastern New Brunswick who were also investigated, going to be included in the same group as those in southeastern New Brunswick?

And does the minister also agree that it is time the EI system was changed, since it does not suit the workers and employers in Canada?

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development (Social Economy)]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the minister answered this question from one of our colleagues, indicating that negotiations had taken place precisely in order to seek a solution.

As for the problem of seasonal workers, I know that the hon. member has raised this question frequently, but it must be stated that the purpose of employment insurance is to provide temporary support to workers.

We have made improvements to the system over the years and will continue to find overall solutions to this problem in conjunction with our partners—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Skeena.

The Environment

[Andy Burton, Canadian Alliance, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-10, pertaining to marine conservation areas, calls for a mineral exploration review assessment prior to establishment of any new areas This process must be adhered to, otherwise west coast oil and gas development potential will be seriously jeopardized.

Will the environment minister meet this legal obligation as it pertains to his hurry up, Scott Island marine wildlife area proposal?

[Serge Marcil, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. Naturally, when we speak of marine areas, marine parks, protected areas, wildlife preserves and the like, these are all very sensitive issues of which the minister is keenly aware. Our objective is to protect these areas and to allow the public to make use of them as well, while respecting the marine environment.

Agriculture

[Pierre Paquette, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, almost one year ago, the federal government was made aware of the situation of Quebec's flue-cured tobacco producers, who have seen the tobacco multinationals significantly reduce their orders, which has caused production to decline abruptly. The tobacco farmers are still waiting for financial assistance for alternate crop strategies.

Can the Minister of Agriculture tell us what there is in the agricultural policy framework, besides the salary of one adviser, to help Quebec tobacco producers financially, directly and soon?

[Bob Speller, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I am well aware of the situation being faced by tobacco producers in Quebec. In fact it is a result of companies deciding not to purchase tobacco from them next year.

I have set up, as part of my department, a roundtable where members of both Ontario and Quebec tobacco producers can sit down with the companies and the federal and provincial governments to work through solutions to their problems.

Interparliamentary Delegations

[The Speaker]

I have the honour to lay upon the table the report of a Canadian parliamentary delegation to Algeria and Tunisia, from January 18 to 23, 2004.

Points of Order

[Cheryl Gallant, Canadian Alliance, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on February 24 in response to a question from the member for Edmonton--Strathcona, the Prime Minister quoted from a list of sponsorship program projects for the fiscal period , and I quote Hansard , “2003-04”. We must assume that the Prime Minister quoted the years for the purpose of accuracy.

On a subsequent point of order raised by the member for Pictou--Antigonish--Guysborough, the member requested the Prime Minister to table the document from which he was reading. In response, the President of Treasury Board told the House that the list which the Prime Minister had been reading from had been tabled in the House twice. In fact, the list that was tabled with the House was for the years 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03. The document the Prime Minister was reading from was not the same document that was tabled by the President of Treasury Board on February of this year.

Will the President of Treasury Board immediately table the actual document from which the Prime Minister was reading, which includes the sponsorship projects from the fiscal year 2003-04, which includes all projects up to the date the program was cancelled?

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

Mr. Speaker, we will take the comments of the hon. member under advisement and report to the House in due course.

Interparliamentary Delegations

[Eugène Bellemare, Liberal, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, two reports of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association. The first report is from the official delegation that represented Canada at the Transatlantic Parliamentary Forum held in the United States on December 8 and 9, 2003, and the second concerns the visit of the Defence and Security Commission of the NATO Parliamentary Association to the United States, from January 26 to 30, 2004.

Committees of the House

[Paul Forseth, Canadian Alliance, New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates.

The committee has studied the supplementary estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2004 and has agreed to report them without amendment.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the designation of Bill C-450 as a non-votable item.

[The Speaker]

Members will recall that provisional Standing Order 92(4) allows the member for Saskatoon--Humboldt to appeal the decision of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs within five sitting days of the presentation of the report we have just received.

Since Bill C-450 will come up for debate in the House prior to the end of that appeal period, I am directing the table officers to drop this item of business to the bottom of the order of precedence. The member for Saskatoon--Humboldt has been so advised.

On Monday, March 8, 2004, private members' hour will thus be cancelled and consideration of government orders will start at 11 a.m.

Petitions

[Paul Devillers, Liberal, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I have the pleasure to present a petition from constituents of the riding of Simcoe North.

The petitioners urge Parliament to pass legislation to recognize the institution of marriage in federal law as being a lifelong union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.

[Marlene Catterall, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure to present a petition from constituents and others. They point out that pursuing embryonic stem cell research is critical in the fight against juvenile diabetes. They call upon the House of Commons to ensure that research proceeds on all types of stem cells, including embryonic stem cells, because it is impossible to predict which will provide the most medical benefits.