Debates of May 30th, 2005

Airports

[Jim Gouk, Conservative, Southern Interior, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last year the transport committee unanimously passed a resolution calling for a freeze on airport rents until the committee could complete a study on the subject and make recommendations. The government ignored it. Now the government has announced adjustments that do not begin to address the problem it created and ignored the tabled recommendations of the committee.

Why is the government ignoring the needs of the hard hit aviation industry and the position of its own committee members?

[Jean Lapierre, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, if the member had read the reactions that we received from across the country, he would have seen that most airport authorities were very happy about the fact that we lowered the rent by 60%. Some $8 billion is much better than a freeze. We lowered the rent by 60% across the board. Thanks for the congratulations.

[Jim Gouk, Conservative, Southern Interior, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the government is destroying Canada's air industry by treating airports like cash cows. It has already collected far more than the value of the airports it turned over to airport authorities, and those authorities have invested billions in infrastructure long neglected by the government. The transport committee rejected the recent government announcement as inadequate, and called for deeper cuts and faster.

When is the government going to implement the needed rent reduction recommended by all committee members?

[Jean Lapierre, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, it is kind of awkward to get that type of recommendation from the Tories because we had to correct the leases that they had signed. They started the process incorrectly and we corrected it.

The Environment

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Lake Winnipeg watershed provides drinking water for thousands and its health is key to Manitoba's future and prosperity. The environment minister already told the House that the government was increasing water quality monitoring on the Red River station. It is now being tested every 11 minutes.

Can the minister advise the House what the government is doing to further assist Manitobans in addressing the Lake Winnipeg water issue?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, with the investment of over one million dollars per year we will significantly increase the water quality and biological monitoring capacity to increase our ecological understanding of the Red River and the Lake Winnipeg south basin. Lake Winnipeg is our third largest lake completely within Canadian territory. We will take care of it. It is a priority.

Correctional Service of Canada

[Lynne Yelich, Conservative, Blackstrap, SK]

Mr. Speaker, according to the recent report “Behind the Bars II”, compiled by the member for Abbotsford, we learn that federal prison inmates have access to subscriptions to pornographic magazines. Over 400 prisoners subscribe to pornographic magazines which are circulated throughout federal prisons, including into the hands of violent sex offenders.

Would the minister of public safety explain how pornography is appropriate material for violent sex offenders and how the government believes this is helping their rehabilitation?

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

Mr. Speaker, obviously the hon. member does raise a very difficult issue and one that requires a very fine balance. Whether the hon. member or others might like it or not, inmates have access to material which is legally available to all Canadians on the open market.

However, I want to assure the hon. member that strict controls are in place to restrict access to any material that could be considered demeaning, could jeopardize the safety of any individual or the institution, is sexually violent or involves children or could be detrimental to the offender's treatment.

[Lynne Yelich, Conservative, Blackstrap, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I would like the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to tell that to over 23,000 women who in 2003 were sexually assaulted or raped, and whose lives will never be the same again. Even more, I would like the minister to explain to these women why our prison libraries include pornographic magazines.

Will the minister explain why our prison libraries feel it is necessary to provide pornographic material to violent sex offenders?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I just said, and maybe the hon. member did not hear me, I want to assure her that strict controls are in place to restrict access to any material that could be considered demeaning, could jeopardize the safety of any individual or the institution, is sexually violent or involves children or could be detrimental to the offender's treatment. We take the safety of our correctional institutions very seriously.

Justice

[Richard Marceau, Bloc, Charlesbourg, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the disparaging remarks by Mr. Justice Michel Robert against the sovereignists go beyond politics and the borders of Quebec. With respect to the process of appointing federal judges, former Ontario Superior Court Chief Justice Patrick LeSage, spoke out in favour of a more transparent, less partisan procedure, and a recent report by the Standing Committee on Justice, Human Rights, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness concurs.

We are prepared to give our support to moving this matter along. Does the government therefore intend to accept our offer made in good faith and table a proposal in the near future to improve the process of appointing federal judges?

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I am going to call a meeting of the chairs of all the judicial advisory committees and of a panel of experts to see how we might improve this process, which, in principle, is an excellent one.

Fisheries

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Exploits, NL]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

Regarding the recent incident this weekend involving a Portuguese fishing vessel, would the minister please update the House on that situation?

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

Mr. Speaker, a Portuguese vessel was arrested in Canadian waters on charges related to fishing inside Canadian waters in 2003. The vessel has been escorted to port in St. John's and the captain will be arraigned this afternoon.

Health

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in December 2002, Sainte-Justine hospital presented its development plan entitled “Growing up healthy” and sought federal government help in funding a new research centre. Two and a half years later, the federal government has still not deigned to respond to the hospital's request.

Does the Prime Minister intend to put an end to concerns and commit to doing its part in funding the Sainte-Justine hospital project in the amount of $120 million?

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we respect the provincial jurisdiction with respect to capital health infrastructure. We have provided over $42 billion over the next 10 years for health services and delivery. The basic infrastructure must come from the province itself in terms of the bricks and mortar.

The Environment

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in Canada greenhouse gas emissions are growing faster than our economy. We have the top industrial polluters on the continent, but nearly $1.5 billion to reduce air pollution sits idle.

Canadians deserve clean air. Health Canada says that 6,000 Canadians die each year from air pollution.

The funding announcements have been made, but where is the action? When will the Liberal government actually enforce pollution reduction?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, it is true that we need to do more, but the fact is that pollution is decreasing in Canada. It is not increasing. If we compare with 1998 levels, Canada actually decreased its emissions of pollution by 13%. What is quite good is that metal recycling increased by 36%.

We are going in the right direction, but it is true that we need to do more.

Sponsorship Program

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has claimed all along that it supports the Gomery commission and that it wants Mr. Justice Gomery to do his work. At the same time, the biggest Liberal of the last 20 years, Jean Chrétien, and Alfonso Gagliano are doing their very best to shut down the Gomery commission.

Why does the Prime Minister not get all his friends together, all the prominent Liberals, and let Mr. Justice Gomery do the work that he is commissioned to do? Why does he not get his friends together and give them that message?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is the Prime Minister has and will continue to support Justice Gomery's work. The government has been clear that it does not agree with the actions taken by Mr. Chrétien or Mr. Gagliano, but they do have rights as individuals to defend themselves and to take such actions.

If the hon. member is suggesting that the Prime Minister should engage in witness tampering and try to interfere in that regard, I can tell him that what he is suggesting is shameful. It either demonstrates a lack of understanding of the law or that the Prime Minister engage in inappropriate behaviour and this Prime Minister would not do that.

Government Response to Petitions

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 36 petitions.

Certificates of Nomination

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling three certificates of nomination which will be referred to the appropriate standing committees.

Order in Council Appointments

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a number of orders in council recently made by the government.

National Defence and Veterans Affairs

[Keith Martin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure today to table, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), in both official languages, two copies of the document “Fiscal Year 2003-2004, the Annual Report to the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs on the quality of life in the Canadian Forces”.

Criminal Code

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-53, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (proceeds of crime) and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make consequential amendments to another Act.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)