Philip Mayfield

[Firearms, March 11th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the safety course the government has forced law-abiding responsible firearms owners in British Columbia to take is no more than a Liberal anti-gun re-education exercise.

There was no need for the federal government to spend over $7 million on yet another level of bureaucracy of firearms instruction. The British Columbia conservation outdoor recreation education course offers students the ability to shoot a gun and learn with firsthand experience the proper way to handle a firearm, including the significance of safety concerns and the difficulties of hitting a target. The federal course does not even do that.

My constituents compare the federal course to teaching individuals to drive a car without ever allowing them behind the wheel. The RCMP has backed away from the Liberal gun registry. Public safety and fighting crime have not been the priorities of the government's firearms laws. These laws are causing great hardship to hunters and families who need firearms to protect themselves and live safely in remote areas of our country.

Sixty-eight years of handgun registration did nothing for public safety and neither does this firearms safety course.

[B.C. Winter Games, February 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the 2002 British Columbia Winter Games open on February 21 in the city of Williams Lake, the heart of the colourful Cariboo in central British Columbia. It is a great four day party and everyone is invited.

This gold rush of competition features 27 different sporting events at 19 venues in Williams Lake, Quesnel, 100 Mile House and Lac La Hache. About 2,500 world class athletes will be competing for places in the Canada Winter Games.

Local individuals and community groups have been working with great enthusiasm to make this the best British Columbia Winter Games ever. We will be ready to welcome the athletes, their families and their fans. With our average annual snowfall of about 166 centimetres and an average temperature of minus five degrees we have great weather for this year's events.

I congratulate the organizers and the army of volunteers for a great job in getting these games running. I extend my best wishes to the athletes as they test themselves in the competition.

Let the games begin.

[The Budget, December 11th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the facts as I understand them do not entirely square with the comments of the hon. parliamentary secretary. For example, the Department of National Defence said that it accepted responsibility for the fir bark beetle infestation when I made a representation to it shortly after I was elected in 1993. Whatever happened, I am not in a position to say, the plans that it had to deal with that infestation never took place.

What strikes me is the amazing similarities between what happened with the fir bark beetle and with the mountain pine beetle. When I speak to DND it hardly knows what is going on and it does not seem to care to find out. I have great difficulty accepting the parliamentary secretary's response.

[The Budget, December 11th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, my question this evening follows my question on November 30 to the government asking it to commit to fighting the infestation of mountain pine beetle that is devastating the pine forests in central British Columbia.

This threat is of deep concern to all citizens of northern and central British Columbia and, as a result, representations on this have been made by the members for Prince George--Peace River and Prince George--Bulkley Valley as well as myself.

This infestation may be the largest epidemic of its kind in Canadian history. The pine beetle has infested 5.7 million hectares of working forest, which is about twice the size of Vancouver Island. The pine beetle and U.S. softwood lumber duties are threatening to kill thousands of jobs and entire communities in B.C.'s interior. The government's lack of response to the provincial plan to eradicate the beetles indicates once again that the Liberals do not care about British Columbia. This is not an Ontario ice storm and it is not a Quebec flood, but the government will care when billions of dollars of tax revenue from B.C. stop flowing to Ottawa.

The British Columbia government needs about $60 million a year over 10 years to fight this enormous problem of the pine beetle. Everyone in British Columbia is waiting with great impatience for the reply from the foot dragging Liberal Minister of Natural Resources and the senior Liberal cabinet minister for B.C., who have been thoroughly briefed on this issue.

In his initial response to me on November 30, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources tried to have us believe that the only responsibility of the Government of Canada in fighting the mountain pine beetle infestation is to deliver the science. However, the government has a clear responsibility for infested federal lands, like the Riske Creek military reserve. From this federal land those beetles are spilling out into provincial forests and nothing is being done to control them.

Does the government recognize its obligation to fight the infestation on its own lands? I hope the response from the government this evening addresses that responsibility.

I noted in the auditor general's report that the Department of National Defence contributed $2 million to an urban park. Why is there no money to be put into this military reserve where the federal government has a clear responsibility to an urgent need?

The government's response to other questions concerning the issue is “Oh, well, we're working with the province”. That is an obfuscation and an attempt to sidestep the matter.

The B.C. government has a plan to fight the beetle infestation. It needs a commitment from this government, but there was nothing about it in last night's budget. The $60 million of new money budgeted to the CBC would be all that is needed this year from the federal government to assist B.C.

Worst of all, the most recent reply from the government of which I am aware is the reply to the hon. member for Prince George--Peace River who wrote to the Minister of Natural Resources on November 6. He received a response that again did not answer this question: What resources will the government commit to eradicate the pine beetle epidemic in B.C.'s pine forests? We are talking also about federal crown lands. The government is not even prepared to deal with the problem on the land it controls.

Long ago, ministers of the crown in British Columbia approached me to help get the government's attention on the issue. This is not a new problem. As I said earlier, years ago I pressed the government to deal with the fir bark beetle also spilling out of that same Riske Creek military reserve west of Williams Lake. Nothing, but nothing, was done then either.You should see the devastation there now, Mr. Speaker.

There are forests in British Columbia for which the government has a constitutional responsibility. These forests are being faced with a devastating infestation that is increasing the amount of damaged wood, lost income and cleanup costs for the province.

What is the commitment of the government to British Columbia to fight the mountain pine beetle infestation, first on its own federal lands and then in assisting the province of B.C. with this present economic and environmental crisis?

[An act to amend certain acts and instruments and to repeal the Fisheries Prices Support Act, November 30th, 2001]

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Yesterday we did not have business to do. Today we do not have members to do business. I call quorum.

[An act to amend certain acts and instruments and to repeal the Fisheries Prices Support Act, November 30th, 2001]

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. This goes to the hon. government House leader's description of the bill and the technical amendments including fish, pensions of lieutenant-governors, film, municipal structures, nuclear safety control and Yukon first nations. He mentioned the bill would be referred to a committee. What committee would the bill be referred to?

[Forest Industry, November 30th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, ministers of the crown in British Columbia have approached me to help them with this issue. This is not a new problem.

Years ago I pressed the government to deal with the fir bark beetle spilling out of the same military reserve west of Williams Lake. Nothing but nothing was done then either. Members should see the devastation now.

Why is it that when Bombardier thinks it might need a couple of billion dollars it gets the cash? When Quebec has a flood or Ontario has an ice storm the government comes rushing in but in British Columbia not even constitutional responsibilities are met. Why is that?

[Forest Industry, November 30th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Natural Resources tried to make us believe that the only responsibility of the Government of Canada in fighting the mountain pine beetle infestation in British Columbia was to deliver the science. However the government has a clear responsibility for infested federal lands like the Riske Creek military reserve where those beetles are spilling out into provincial forests and nothing is being done in that area to control them.

Does the government recognize its obligation to fight the infestation on its own lands?

[Foreign Missions and International Organizations Act, November 29th, 2001]

Jail them secretly.

[Bill C-36, November 28th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, access to information is a cornerstone of democracy. The right to know ensures transparency and accountability in government and a healthy democracy. The government recoils at the level of accountability that transparency brings.

With Bill C-36 the government would weaken Canada's access to information laws in its zeal to provide us with anti-terrorism legislation. It would give the attorney general the power to issue certificates that would exclude information now allowed. It would prevent the information commissioner and the courts from reviewing unjustifiable government secrets.

There would be no meaningful independent review of these secrets. The government would not have to prove that disclosure would cause injury and there would be no end to this period of secrecy. We would no longer have the right to protect our property and loved ones through democratic transparency and accountability.

The government is gutting the access to information we now enjoy and taking away the freedom of information from Canadians.