Lost his last election, in 2008, with 29% of the vote.
Industry December 13th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, Canada's productivity can best be increased by assisting small and medium size businesses to adapt to new and innovative technologies.
We know these businesses are the engines of our economy and the future of economic growth. What is the Minister of Industry doing to assist SMEs to foster growth through new technologies?
Child Pornography December 6th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, many Canadians are very concerned about the protection of our children. Canadians want strong, no tolerance laws against child pornography and we want proactive safety checks for those who teach, care for and lead our children.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice please explain what is being to make sure our children are safe?
Chancellor Robert S. K. Welch October 14th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to congratulate the chancellor of Brock University on a very special honour. On Saturday, October 16, the Faculty of Education building will be named after the chancellor, Robert S. K. Welch, in recognition of his contribution to Brock University. Chancellor Welch has a long history of public service and deep roots in the Niagara community.
From his first years on the St. Catharines Board of Education, Chancellor Welch rose in provincial politics to head the education ministry and later to the position of deputy premier of Ontario. His many years of service were acknowledged when he was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in 1994.
The naming of the faculty of education building is a way for Brock to honour a man who has given so much of his time and energy to the institution over the many years.
I join with students, faculty and friends to honour the important work of Robert Welch and the dedication he has shown for education in Niagara and in Ontario.
Tancook Island Ferry Wharf June 7th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hon. member's question. I will take note of his question and report back to him as soon as possible.
International Year Of Older Persons June 7th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to send a special greeting to everyone involved in a celebration of seniors at an International Year of Older Persons wine and cheese party taking place at the Heidehof Home for the Aged in my riding of St. Catharines.
The United Nations has designated 1999 as the International Year of Older Persons. This special year for seniors recognizes the world's aging population. For Canada the year holds special meaning because we have one of the fastest growing seniors populations in the world. Our national theme for 1999 is “Canada, a society for all ages”.
In this special year for seniors I join with the seniors and the organizers of the St. Catharines wine and cheese to promote and enhance understanding, harmony and mutual support across generations. Working together we can truly make Canada a society for all ages.
Personal Information Protection And Electronic Documents Act June 2nd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to speak to the motions in Group No. 1. We strongly oppose the motions in Group No. 1. These motions, which were tabled by the Bloc, strike at the heart of Bill C-54 and undermine the government's ability to introduce a national law that will protect the privacy rights of all Canadians.
Moreover, these motions attack the government's competence to deal with federal laws that impede electronic government and electronic service delivery to Canadians.
In our consultations as well as in the industry committee consumer groups and industry have expressed the view that the government has achieved the right balance in Bill C-54. We have balanced the right of individuals to have some control over their personal information and to have access to avenues for effective redress with the need of industry to collect and use personal information as a vital component of success in the information economy.
For these reasons consumer groups like the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Association of Consumers, as well as industry groups like the Information Technology Association of Canada, the Canadian Marketing Association, cable companies and telephone companies have all called for the rapid passage of Bill C-54. Swift passage of Bill C-54 will help build the consumer trust and market certainty needed to ensure that Canada is a world leader in electronic commerce and the global information economy.
The motions tabled by the Bloc are unacceptable and must be rejected. With the passage of Bill C-54, Quebec citizens will benefit from the best data protection in the country. Bill C-54 will provide all Canadians, including those in the province of Quebec, with complete and comprehensive privacy coverage across Canada.
I will quote some of the witnesses. The Chief Regulatory Officer for Bell Canada, Bernard Courtois, told the member for Mercier that Bell welcomes this legislation. In responding to a question from the member the witness said:
This bill clearly applies to companies operating under federal jurisdiction. It leaves a place for the Quebec legislation within its particular area of responsibility. That seems to us to be quite a clever way of not getting involved in needless jurisdictional disputes.
Members of Quebec's historical community, the Quebec Association of Archivists and the Historical Institute of French-Speaking America, expressed support for Bill C-54. In fact, I asked them specifically to comment on the Quebec privacy law. They said that the Quebec legislation has problems because it does not make any provision for the preservation of personal information for the future. In other words, for historical or archival purposes.
I would point out that Action réseau consommateur and Option consommateurs, which were involved in the adoption of the Quebec legislation, told the committee:
We fully support the bill's underlying principles. We would also like to highlight the importance and the relevance of federal government intervention at the Canada-wide and international level to ensure the privacy of Canadians.
We are here today because we strongly believe in the importance of truly protecting the personal information that companies have concerning Canadians. We congratulate the federal government for its initiative and for the ongoing efforts by the Minister of Industry, as well as the many people who have given concrete expression to this requirement which has become, over the past few years, more and more obvious.
The committee heard constitutional experts who spoke of the need for a law that applies between provinces and across the country. Roger Tassé of Gowling and Henderson said that the federal legislation could stand with the provincial legislation because they deal with different areas.
Finally, Jacques Frémont of the University of Montreal, who does not support this bill, acknowledged on March 16 the following, which the member for Mercier left out:
If there is a federal law, it's perfectly proper for parliament to regulate the transfer of information between provinces.
What I'm saying is there's a perfectly, and I want to repeat it to stress it, there's a perfectly legitimate federal presence for inter-provincial international commerce and for inter-provincial international circulation of private information.
(There is) perfectly legitimate room for Canada and the federal parliament to have a Canada-wide law which applies to federal fields of jurisdiction.
Finally, I would have expected better of the Bloc than to table amendments which would deprive the rest of Canadians, who have no privacy protection in the private sector, from getting the benefits of this new national law. I have full confidence in the privacy commissioners of this land, in each of the provinces, and the federal privacy commissioner. I urge all members to support consumers and reject the motions in Group No. 1.
Questions On The Order Paper May 31st, 1999
(i) The Business Development Bank of Canada, BDC, provides commercial financing to small businesses. Requests for financing are examined based on established commercial credit criteria. As a term lender and provider of venture capital the bank assesses not only the project but also the long term viability of the business. The Bank carefully assesses the viability of the project by reviewing the management, the potential profitability, shareholder's investment and available security. The instruments and/or policies used to scrutinize the information submitted by applicants for financial assistance as to its accuracy are described as follows.
The bank has a comprehensive due dilligence process in place to assess eligibilty, environment, credit worthiness and viability of the project, proposal or business. This includes verification requirements with the applicant's principal chartered bank, any other financial institution and/or government agencies dealing with the applicant, principal suppliers and clients, chartered accountants and various credit associations to verify information. In some cases external industry specialist assistance is obtained.
(1) It is mandatory to obtain credit bureau reports. Dun & Bradstreet reports are requested depending on size and complexity of the operation.
(2) It is mandatory to obtain chartered bank-credit union reports on every applicant at time of initial inquiry. It is also a requirement to contact any other lenders, including leasing, to obtain experience information and confirmation.
(3) It is mandatory to complete a management assessment and market evaluation through a series of questions and outside verifications with commercial lenders, trade suppliers and industry experts.
(4) It is mandatory to undertake a complete financial analysis, both horizontal and vertical, supported by discussions with the applicants accountant-auditor. The bank emphasizes requirements for audited financial data. However review engagements are acceptable for smaller less complex proposals.
(5) It is mandatory to assess the environmental conditions of the grounds and facilities.
(6) All pertinent information is entered into a risk grid and compared to industry norms to determine the overall level of risk.
In addition, a second level approval process is in place for larger applications that includes a thorough review of all supporting information gathered by the processing office in the due diligence process. This is similar to processes conducted by other commercial lending institutions in North America.
(ii) BDC does not provide grants or subsidies. It provides debt and equity financing which must be repaid, including both capital and interest. All the money lent by BDC to small business is borrowed from international and domestic financial markets. In order to meet the operating needs of its loan clients, the bank provides flexible repayment terms, including seasonal payments if required.
(iii) For its administrative purposes the BDC maintains activity reports on a branch by branch basis. The BDC does not maintain statistics on the basis of electoral ridings and is therefore unable to provide the listing as requested. BDC is, however, providing statistics relating to loan activity of the BDC on the basis of branch. Branches may service more than one riding. The following are the loans and guarantees authorized for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1998, by branches which include in their territories the requested rindings:
The Scarborough branch, which includes the riding of Markham, authorized 53 loans for a total of $25.1 million; the Saint John, N.B., branch which includes the riding of Saint John, authorized 44 loans for $7.2 million; the Calgary branch , which includes Calgary Southwest, authorized 198 loans for $36.5 million; the Halifax Branch, which includes the riding of Halifax, authorized 81 loans for a total of $22.6 million, the De Maisonneuve branch, which includes the riding of Laurier—Ste-Marie, authorized 74 loans for a total of $26.3 million; the Trois-Rivières branch, which includes the riding of Saint-Maurice, authorized 68 loans for a total of $16.1 million; the Ottawa branch, which includes the riding of Ottawa South, authorized 114 loans for a total of $33.3 million; and Place Ville Marie Montreal branch, which includes the riding of Lasalle—Émard authorized 221 loans for $55.1 million.
(iv) For the provinces requested the following are the loans and guarantees authorized for the year ending March 31, 1998. In the province of Quebec there were 1,807 loans authorized for a total of $477.4 million. In Ontario there were 1,291 loans authorized for a total of $388.3 million. In Alberta there were 693 loans authorized for $98.2 million. In Nova Scotia there were 118 loans authorized for $29.4 million and in New Brunswick there were 227 loans authorized for $47.4 million.
(v) (a) The Techno-net loan was recently launched. Therefore it is too early to report activities under this product.
For the fiscal year ending March 31, 1998: (b) 515 loans for $18 million were authorized under the micro business program; (c) 46 patient capital loans for $9.4 million were authorized; (d) term loans which include products such as the micro business program, the young entrepreneur financing program and the tourism investment fund consisted of 5,759 loans for a total of $1.2 billion for the year; (e) 215 venture loans for $77.6 million were authorized; (f) 231 working capital for growth loans were authorized for a total of $18.5 million; (g) 16 working capital for exporters loans were authorized for a total of $3.3 million; (h) 27 loans for $31.8 million were authorized under the tourism investment fund program; (i) 158 loans for $4.1 million were authorized under the young entrepreneur financing program; and (j) 59 aboriginal business loans were authorized for $12.2 million.
Question No. 232—
Shipbuilding Industry May 31st, 1999
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Industry indicated at that time he would look into the matter for the member for Nanaimo—Alberni. I am pleased to inform the member that Canadian jobs are not being exported and the Department of National Defence, the owner of the technology, has no intention of selling it. The country in question, Australia, was inspecting a shipbuilding site in B.C. and reviewing the DND technology. Hopefully the review will lead to Canadian contracts. The accusations were totally false.
I congratulate the member for Nanaimo—Alberni for the good work the company in question has done. I hope we can work with them to support possible future contracts for our technology and for our country.
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency May 28th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member makes a number of accusations which are totally wrong. When a firm gets changed over to another, brand new firm, I do not think the policy of the Reform Party would be to tear down the building. I am sure the member does not want that to happen. This is a new company, with new management, a new business plan and new products to make things happen for the Atlantic provinces. We want to create more jobs in the Atlantic provinces under new management.
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency May 28th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that the two companies are not related. The former company did go bankrupt, but the new company has all new people. It just happens to be in the same building. All new people are running a new company and the member should know that. Perhaps he should learn a few more details before he asks a question.