Sheila Copps

[Goods And Services Tax, March 18th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister indicated very clearly that there would be no new GST, so the question of extending the GST to food and medicine is pure speculation, because we are committed to replacing the GST.

[Immigration Act, March 17th, 1994]

First of all, what I told the House was that the funds earmarked for Phase II of the St. Lawrence Action Plan will be spent on cleaning up the river.

Having said that, I must point out that the St. Lawrence runs all the way from Brockville, Ontario, before reaching the sea in the Lower St. Lawrence district. My brother's father-in-law has a cottage in Carleton, on Chaleur Bay, just across from New Brunswick.

What we want to do it is to clean up the St. Lawrence and that is exactly what we have committed to do before this House. All the funds earmarked for this project will be spent on pollution control.

That being said, I think that the hon. member is taking a narrow view when he claims that, in the event of technological problems, investments will necessarily be distributed on a geographical basis. He must have heard of Dr. Jonas Salk, the medical researcher who developed the vaccine to stop the polio epidemic afflicting so many people around the world.

We did not tell Dr. Salk, who was with the University of Toronto, that the funds had to be invested in Toronto.

What is important is to use the right technology. The technology used to clean up the St. Lawrence has to be good, whether it is developed in Quebec or elsewhere. If there were a problem in Lake Ontario or Hamilton Sound, near where I live, and a research scientist from Montreal could find a way to solve the problem, I would not tell him not to just because he is from Quebec.

I think that the decision to invest in cleaning up the river is a sound one. Our government is not the one that signed the agreement under which the funds were not distributed properly. This five-year plan for cleaning up the St. Lawrence River was signed by the current Leader of the Opposition, who was Minister of Environment at the time, and his Conservative colleagues. This plan did not specify how much was to be spent on pollution control. That is only part of the problem anyway.

The other one is making sure the right technology is used. I am sure that high-tech environmental companies in Quebec are very competitive and would not appreciate it if we decided that all funds for the Great Lakes could come only from companies around the Great Lakes. What we are looking for is good environmental technology that can be used in Ontario as well as in Quebec or in other provinces. That is what real environmental technology is about.

[The Environment, March 17th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity to meet with representatives of the band who obviously are very concerned about the negligence shown by Abitibi-Price in this particular case.

Subsection 36(2) of the pulp and paper regulations makes it very clear that when there is a spill, the spill is to be reported immediately. In this case it is intolerable that the company waited four days before notifying authorities that 828 kilograms of this particular pesticide were dumped into a river which subsequently serves as drinking water for Canadians.

We are vigorously investigating with provincial authorities. There are a series of charges being contemplated, both charges for non-reporting and charges for deleterious substances being released into the river system. We intend to report back to the member and to other interested members on this issue as soon as we have a final conclusion.

[International Water Day, March 16th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased on the National Capital's Celebration of International Water Day to be

able to rise to inform the House that another red book commitment of the government is being kept. It proves that as a government we mean what we say and we are serious about governing in a new and sustainable way. It is particularly significant on the National Capital's Celebration of International Water Day because water is the basic form of sustenance that each human being needs to live.

Earlier today I wrote to the able chair of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development to ask that the committee study the ways in which the concept of an environmental auditor general might be instituted to ensure that our government's actions are carried out in a sustainable manner. In doing so the government keeps several of the Prime Minister's commitments. By seeking the advice of the standing committee we recognize in a non-partisan manner the importance of consulting members of Parliament before we introduce legislation. By asking the committee to hold hearings we recognize the importance of consulting Canadians.

[Translation]

In Creating Opportunity , we stated clearly that the environmental agenda can no longer be ignored and that government needs to recognize the fundamental link between a healthy economy and a healthy environment. We said that all government departments need to adopt economic and environmental principles that converge, integrate, are accountable and show leadership.

On February 22 my colleague, the Minister of Finance, kept our first red book promise. He announced a task force of government, industry and non-governmental organizations to carry out a review of the barriers and disincentives that currently exist in the tax system to sound environmental government practices, and to find effective ways to use economic instruments to support sustainable development.

Canadians are justifiably proud to have a Minister of Finance who recognizes that economics and the environment are not competing agendas but complementary realities. I congratulate him and I know that the members of this House feel as I do.

"Creating Opportunity" laid out our plan for an environmental auditor general as the second task of the government's move toward sustainability. That is why I have asked the committee to look at what the focus of an environmental auditor general might be. Members of the committee will consider how an assessment of current government practices and policies and departmental policies and practices should be incorporated into the functions of an environmental auditor general.

I have asked the committee to consider means by which we can achieve our objective properly, keeping in mind the government's commitment to budgetary restraint. In particular, I want to avoid duplication and overlap.

The committee might consider whether we can learn from the experiences of provinces or other countries which have created similar offices.

It is the government's hope that the committee will be able to report to the House of Commons by the end of May.

The point is simple. The government under the leadership of the Prime Minister is determined to place environment at the top of Canada's agenda, determined on this National Capital's Celebration of International Water Day to make our country a leader in sustainable development.

If we are serious then our government must show leadership in getting our own house in order. We cannot expect high standards of others, whether they be business, labour or other countries, unless we impose and demand high standards from ourselves.

I am continually grateful for the serious and non-partisan manner in which all members of this House approach the important environmental issues facing our country.

I am sure it is in that non-partisan spirit that the standing committee will examine the role of an environmental auditor general. I look forward to the wisdom of all the members of the committee and indeed all the members of the House of Commons on this serious initiative which will start the government on the road to putting sustainable development into action, not only by our words but also by our deeds.

[Overfishing On The High Seas, March 15th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, I can assure the hon. member that the Canadian government is very pleased with the outcome of the minister's visit. Moreover, it is prepared to work closely with its NAFO colleagues to ensure that an international strategy is in place to address this problem which affects not only the fishery, but conservation and the environment as well.

The ministers involved are working very closely to ensure that the good work of the United Nations is not being undermined by foreign vessels who fish illegally and who disregard their environmental responsibilities.

[The Environment, March 15th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I absolutely and unequivocally give that 100 per cent guarantee.

I am happy the government is prepared to make a stronger commitment to cleaning up the environment than the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister of Environment.

[The Environment, March 15th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, it is very simple. Under the former government, when the Minister of the Environment was his colleague, the Leader of the Opposition, the Conservatives signed an agreement that did not respect the standards for cleaning up the St. Lawrence River.

I can assure the hon. member that Mr. Paradis, my counterpart in the province of Quebec, and I are about to sign an agreement on the second phase of the St. Lawrence Action Plan, which will ensure that all the funds are spent on cleaning up the St. Lawrence River, unlike what was done by my colleague, the former Minister of the Environment.

[International Women's Day, March 8th, 1994]

Second, on the issue of the specifics of the court challenge we are exploring the possibility of discontinuing that challenge. The matter is now before the President of the Treasury Board.

On the issue of employee bargaining I can assure the hon. member that each member of Parliament is free to address this matter in his or her own way. In fact in the last Parliament the assistant in my office was one of those who was very active in the organizing process.

The member would agree that on the issue of freedom of a member of Parliament's office I do not think it is the responsibility of the government or a particular political party to decide for the whole House but rather individual members of Parliament have the right as any Canadian does for their employees to seek to organize.

[International Women's Day, March 8th, 1994]

Madam Speaker, first I would like to congratulate the member who is the first woman leader of a national political party. She has been a role model for all women in Canada.

[Ethics Counsellor, March 8th, 1994]

Absolutely, Madam Speaker.