Anne McLellan

[Research And Development, June 4th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, let me reconfirm and reiterate for the hon. Leader of the Opposition that my department provides approximately 25 per cent of its regional R and D funding to the province of Quebec. In fact, that is marginally greater than the population of Quebec.

Across the federal government I believe that it provides approximately 25 per cent of its R and D funding to the province of Quebec. In fact, the federal government has nothing to apologize for in relation to its funding of R and D in the province of Quebec.

[Research And Development, June 4th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I will not so commit myself. I have made it plain and the position of the federal government is consistent and clear.

The government has exercised its right to terminate funding under the contribution agreement. That federal funding will be terminated.

I promised that I would appoint someone from my department to work with other interested stakeholders to attempt to find alternative funding during the year of transition. I stand by that.

[Research And Development, June 4th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, let me clarify for the hon. Leader of the Opposition what I said last week in committee.

As the hon. leader probably knows, I indicated that the contribution agreement under which the federal government was funding research at Tokamak, there is the opportunity to terminate the agreement with one year's notice. We undertook to exercise that right. The one year's notice is in part to provide for an orderly transition.

I indicate in response to a question from a member from the official opposition that during that one-year period I would do whatever I could to ensure that orderly transition took place. Make no mistake, the transition is to ensure that the federal government does not continue to fund the Tokamak project as it has in the past.

[Energy Sector, May 30th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member rightly points out that I did visit the Asia-Pacific area over the past week and a half. The reason I did so is that area provides significant opportunities for Canadian private sector energy companies.

If we look at this region, energy needs are growing at the rate of 11 per cent or 12 per cent per annum. In this country we have expertise, be it in relation to coal, hydro, natural gas or the nuclear industry, which will permit these economies to continue to develop over the coming years.

In this country we understand energy. We have goods, services, equipment and technologies to sell. That was the purpose of my trip.

[Atomic Energy Of Canada Limited, May 29th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe what I have just heard from the hon. member. He should consider the hundreds of millions of dollars that are spent in the province of Quebec by the federal government in relation to science and technology.

In my department alone, some of our best research facilities presently exist in the province of Quebec and will continue to exist in the province of Quebec. I suggest that the hon. member get his facts straight.

[Atomic Energy Of Canada Limited, May 29th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, AECL is going through a process of restructuring and rethinking its main lines of work and its main objectives. That process is ongoing. At this time no final decisions have been made.

[Varennes Tokamak Project, May 29th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I will simply reiterate what I have said before in the House to the hon. member and others. Government is about making choices and we have had to make some difficult choices.

I have explained over and over again that one of our choices was in relation to the future of the nuclear program in this country. We are going to focus on the export sale of Candu reactors.

Let me remind the hon. member that the sale of one Candu reactor represents potentially over $100 million to the province of Quebec and 4,000 person years in jobs.

[Varennes Tokamak Project, May 29th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, as I believe I have made clear in the House on a number of occasions, because of the fiscal situation in which the government found itself, having been placed there by the previous government, some very difficult choices had to be made. It is not possible for the government to continue to do everything it had done.

In relation to the future of AECL and the nuclear research program, it has been decided to focus on the export sale of Candu reactors. That export market provides benefits to both Quebec and other parts of Canada.

[Natural Resources, May 9th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, let me reiterate to the hon. member that we intend to keep this promise and we are keeping this promise.

This promise is about sorting out responsibilities. I assure the hon. member those areas that we continue to be involved with in forestry are within federal jurisdiction, for example the 25 per cent of forests on federal crown lands, the First Nations and their lands. Forestry is an important aspect of their economic self-sufficiency. National issues in relation to science and technology-

[Natural Resources, May 9th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I apologize. I think the hon. member raises a very important question which deserves an answer. That is the point I was trying to make.

Let me reassure the hon. member we intend to deliver on our promise in the speech from the throne. What this promise is about is sorting out appropriate responsibilities between the federal government and provincial governments. It talks about determining who can most appropriately do what functions in the area of forestry and mining.

My department for the past two and half years has been hard at work on this and we will continue to work on it.

I ask the member to consider that my department by 1997-98 will be reduced by some 60 per cent and 1,500 employees. It seems pretty clear to me-