House of Commons Hansard #20 of the 37th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was federal.
Brian Fitzpatrick Canadian Alliance Prince Albert, SK
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board got a lot shorter.
So much for Liberal openness. Why is this very old and tired Liberal government hiding the Earnscliffe contracts from Canadians? What is it trying to hide? All we are asking for are copies of those contracts.
I will ask this question very slowly for the President of the Treasury Board. He seems to have trouble with fast questions. When will the government table the Earnscliffe contracts?
Reg Alcock LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, I have worked with some of the analysts at Earnscliffe and they are among the best in the country. They deliver first class services and very high quality work.
I think it is a bit much for people to come into the House and start one more time making slurs or innuendoes by association. They compete for those contracts and they follow all the guidelines. In fact, they are extra careful about it because of the concerns that are raised. However they are among some of the best in the country, which is what the government wants.
Eugène Bellemare Liberal Ottawa—Orléans, ON
Mr. Speaker, given the importance of retaining our excellent public servants, their priceless corporate memory and their dedication to their given responsibilities, it is my opinion that any attempt by the government to contract out will have a profoundly negative impact on the quality of service the government provides to all Canadians.
Could the President of the Treasury Board reassure Canadians that the government has no plans to privatize services?
Reg Alcock LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, I have had more questions from this one member than I have had from the entire opposition on our public service. I have offered over and over again and I have been saying over and over again that the government has no intentions to privatize services.
What we are attempting to do is modernize public management. There is a statement that I use all the time: There are no bad people; we have bad systems and we are going to fix them.
Lorne Nystrom NDP Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK
Mr. Speaker, Myriam Bédard, one of our Olympic stars, is said to have been forced to resign from her job at VIA Rail, because she refused to work for Groupaction.
To add insult to injury, Jean Pelletier, the former chief of staff of the prime minister, said:
“The poor girl is a sad case”.
Is this how we treat our star female athletes in this country?
I ask the government whether it will ensure that Myriam Bédard is immediately reinstated in her job with VIA Rail with all the appropriate apologies.
Lucienne Robillard LiberalMinister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
Mr. Speaker, again, Ms. Bédard personally wrote to the Prime Minister of Canada. The Minister of Transport and the President of the Treasury Board are currently looking at the actions that must be taken.
As for the comments of the chairman of the board, if such remarks were actually made, we feel that they are completely inappropriate. We remind the chairman of the board that it is a privilege to serve in a crown corporation.
We hope that appropriate action will be taken.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, more than 22,000 members of the Union of Taxation Employees and the Public Service Alliance have been engaged in arduous negotiations with the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency since last August.
The union members are not convinced that the employer wants to bargain in good faith. They believe the employer wishes to delay the process until after the election in order to do the Prime Minister's bidding, that is, make cuts.
Is the Minister of Revenue going to give a clear and precise mandate to the employer to remain at the bargaining table until the parties reach a collective agreement? Yes or no?
Reg Alcock LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to say that we are in bargaining with our employees. I am not going to discuss those issues here in the House. They are issues that are to be discussed at the tables. There is a process for that.
I am sure the very competent leadership in our unions and in the department will conduct this in a professional manner rather than in the way it is conducted on the floor of the House. This is not where we bargain.
Cheryl Gallant Canadian Alliance Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the House leader promised to deliver details on the video made for the former minister of national resources during his trip to China. What was the cost of the video and was the contract tendered?
Bob Speller LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, I know this was asked yesterday of the minister and I had an opportunity to look into the issue. In fact, there was no videographer. In fact, there was no video. In fact, there was no cost.
Cheryl Gallant Canadian Alliance Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, membership in cabinet and on the communications committee does have its privileges.
While a backbencher in the foreign affairs ministry, he received $564,000, but when the minister was made the foreign affairs minister, his money to his riding went up to $2.5 million.
Will the Prime Minister now admit that the sponsorship program was nothing more than a slush fund for Liberal ministers?
Reg Alcock LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, a slush fund for Liberal ministers that opposition members were writing to and arguing for and receiving grants on behalf of organizations in their ridings. Some secret slush fund.
Art Hanger Canadian Alliance Calgary Northeast, AB
Mr. Speaker, I woke up this morning and read that the government child protection bill has been given a two thumbs up by none other than John Robin Sharpe, that real bad person. This pervert thinks the cross-examination of sexually abused victims in court would be both entertaining and educational, that the legislation offers new opportunities for the defence by going into the sordid examination of the abuser's relationship with his child victim.
My question is for the Minister of Justice. Obviously the legislation is open-ended and ill-defined, so will the justice minister please advise the House how this bill will in fact aid in swiftly prosecuting child--
Sue Barnes LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to answer this question because I too, and all members, read that article. There is nothing that is entertaining or educational about the sexual exploitation of children, which is why the government has a bill currently before the House and one on which we hope the opposition members will support. The bill would strengthen what can be done in our courtrooms. Our judges are there to protect the children in the performance of what happens in that courtroom. They will do their jobs and we will give them the tools.
Art Hanger Canadian Alliance Calgary Northeast, AB
Mr. Speaker, this child protection bill is another Liberal nightmare. Our laws pertaining to the protection of children need to be certain, not ambiguous, not mushy like Bill C-12. If the government were truly interested in protecting children, it would remove the loopholes that allow the likes of John Robin Sharpe to tie up our courts with frivolous and degrading arguments.
Why does the minister not go back to the drawing board, scrap the public good loophole and raise the age of sexual consent to end it all?
Sue Barnes LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to reply to this because this has nothing to do with what the opposite member is putting on the floor here. In fact, we have allowed, through our Bill C-12, the former Bill C-20, to go and add more power to the defence and the prosecution of these very damaging assaults on children through exploitation.
I hope the members opposite join the government in adding to the protection so cases like this can be properly judged in our courtrooms to protect children.
Francine Lalonde Bloc Mercier, QC
Mr. Speaker, the French foreign minister is encouraging President Aristide to step down, given his responsibility in this crisis, and allow a government of national unity to be established in Haiti. While stopping short of asking President Aristide to resign, the United States and Canada say they support France's idea to avoid the crisis in Haiti from becoming a blood bath.
Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell the House if he supports France's initiative?
Aileen Carroll LiberalMinister for International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, that is not correct. France has not asked for Mr. Aristide to step down. Yesterday, the Department of Foreign Affairs discussed the situation with Mr. de Villepin, who was clear. He said:
“Obviously, it is up to Mr. Aristide to consider every option.”
Mr. Aristide could very well decide to leave, in the best interests of his country. The Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs told Mr. de Villepin that if this happens, Canada will be there to act with the international community in such an eventuality—
Francine Lalonde Bloc Mercier, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am sorry, but in a news wire this morning from Agence France-Presse, a spokesman for the French Department of Foreign Affairs stated that Mr. de Villepin remarked that President Aristide carried a heavy responsibility for the current situation, and it is up to him to accept the consequences of the impasse and resign.
Yesterday, the Canadian Prime Minister said that Canada had a responsibility and that it intended to assume this responsibility. Will Canada stop hesitating and say it is prepared to take part in a UN-led intervention?
Aileen Carroll LiberalMinister for International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, I already explained this. Canada is prepared. France is also prepared. I explained that the best solution is probably a political agreement.
However, we are prepared to act alongside the international community, as a member of the United Nations, and along with our colleague from France, Mr. de Villepin.
Gerry Ritz Canadian Alliance Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, Canadian farm families are facing unnecessary hardship. They are struggling because the Liberal government's programs actually made matters worse down on the farm.
The minister is musing he is almost ready to make some sort of announcement. Here are a couple of things he could actually do today that would help. He could get out some real cash advances that are not mired down in bureaucratic red tape. He could do some loan guarantees to producers and of course he could remove, not delay, the cash deposit requirement for the CAIS program.
What is stopping him?
Bob Speller LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity to read the hon. member's release that he put out yesterday, obviously after hearing that the Government of Canada was working hard in terms of bringing forward a program to bridge Canadian farmers and farm families from today until the fall, when the CAIS program really kicks in.
I want to tell the hon. member that I have had an opportunity to talk to Canadian farmers and farm families. The Government of Canada is working very hard with these groups to work through what is really necessary so that the Government of Canada can help them.
Gerry Ritz Canadian Alliance Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, it is great that the minister is listening, but time is of the essence here.
Agriculture, the primary production of food in the country, is going down for the count. Our safe, secure food supply is being put in jeopardy due to the Liberal government's inaction and bureaucratic programs that totally miss the mark.
We released our farm friendly program yesterday, and the minister finally got around to reading it. That is great. I would like to see him put it in play. We would be happy. That is the sincerest form of flattery to see one's project put into play.
Would he at least release the outline of his program so farmers could finally start making some plans?