Anne McLellan

[Research And Development, October 2nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, let me provide the hon. member this afternoon with some very good reasons why Quebecers should vote to stay in Canada.

In the Department of Natural Resources we have a substantial presence in the province of Quebec. Let me share with the hon. member some examples: our annual contribution to Forintek Canada, which recently established its eastern office in Quebec City; funding provided to the Centre canadien de fushion magnétique; the establishment of the Canadian Centre for Geomatics in Sherbrooke; and let us not forget the work done at the Varennes laboratories pertaining to energy efficiency and alternative energy.

The financial infusion of my department into Quebec is strategic and represents targeted investments that will ensure not only Quebec's long term economic future but the future of our nation.

[Forestry Workers, June 8th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I find it only slightly strange that the hon. member and his party, who argue so strenuously for exclusive provincial jurisdiction in the area of forestry, should now suggest that the federal government pick up the tab for forestry.

Having said that, let me reassure the hon. member that my department and this government continue to wish to work co-operatively with my colleague, the minister of natural resources in the province of Quebec. I have written to the gentleman three times. I have offered to meet with him on a number of occasions. The door is always open to further co-operative ventures between our two governments. I await his call.

[Forest Fires, June 5th, 1995]

Let me simply say that we work in co-operation with the provinces and in particular through the inter-agency forest fire centre which ensures that the federal government and the provinces make the best use of their resources to fight forest fires.

[Forest Fires, June 5th, 1995]

Perhaps they might be interested in listening to the answer considering that it deals with the economy of provinces like British Columbia and Alberta.

[Forest Fires, June 5th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to update the House with respect to the situation right now in the country.

While the forest fire season got off to a slow start, unfortunately we are now seeing the destruction of many thousands of hectares of Canada's forests in the western part of the country. For example, in British Columbia 112 fires are burning; in Alberta, 24 fires; in Saskatchewan, 54; and in Manitoba, 27.

Very briefly let me say again that what we are doing at the federal level-

[Research And Development Contracts, June 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister pointed out to me that in addition to those facilities and contributions there is another important one. In the city of Montreal this government supports the Canadian Pulp and Paper Institute, the centre of pulp and paper research.

If the member wants to talk about percentages, if we exclude megaprojects which are sunset projects and which will be taken from my budget in the year 1996-97, and if we exclude the national capital region, the percentage of expenditures in my department to Quebec is 25, representative of the population.

[Research And Development Contracts, June 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, let me reiterate, as did the Deputy Prime Minister last week when this issue first came up, the government awards contracts on the basis of identified research needs.

Let me reassure the hon. member my department and, I am sure, every other department in the government is committed to research in Quebec. Perhaps I could share with the hon. member some examples.

My department makes a significant contribution to Forintek technology. My department makes a significant contribution to the research into fusion. We make a significant contribution to the Canadian Centre for Geomatics in Sherbrooke. We also make considerable contributions to the Varennes laboratory. My department has a significant research practice in Quebec.

[The Environment, May 31st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I think I should make something very plain here. When I talk about developing a plan to deal with long term costs for radioactive waste disposal, I am talking about historic waste.

The hon. member is quite right that various utilities across the country generate energy through nuclear power and they are responsible for the disposal of those wastes. We operate on the basis of a polluter pay principle and we as a government are

working closely with those utilities to develop the safest and most cost-effective disposal mechanisms.

[The Environment, May 31st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, The hon. member is right that the auditor general quite rightly identified that we have a long term radioactive waste disposal problem in the country.

The government is working on the problem. In March I went to my cabinet colleagues with a long term strategy to deal with the problem and I will return to cabinet in November with a timetable and with cost estimates as to how we will proceed in the future to deal with the nuclear waste problem in the country.

[Mining, May 8th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the government is very pleased to declare the second week of May national mining week.

We are all aware that a prosperous minerals and metals industry is very important to all of Canada and benefits the economy of all Canadians. We attach great importance to those areas of federal jurisdiction that relate to mining such as international trade, international environment and the science and technology necessary to understand and develop policies in relation to those areas.

We work in partnership with the provinces and industry in these key areas. All provincial ministers of mines, all provincial mining associations and the Standing Committee on Natural Resources of the House recommended the proclamation of such a week.