John Manley

[Centre For Information Technologies Innovation, June 20th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Laval Centre should be embarrassed to ask such a question. Is she not ready to admit that we have a number of federal laboratories in Quebec, including the Food Research and Development Centre in Saint-Hyacinthe, the animal health and food safety laboratory in Saint-Hyacinthe, the research station in Lennoxville, the research station in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, the space agency in Saint-Hubert, the earth resources branch, the systems provided in Hull, the environment service-

[Centre For Information Technologies Innovation, June 20th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, as announced in the February 1995 budget, the first program review concluded that CITI's activities were not essential to the government's mandate and should be gradually excluded from it by April 1, 1998.

After looking at the options that would best serve the interests of employees and of taxpayers, I asked my officials to try to privatize CITI. Following a transparent public process, MicroCell submitted a duly completed proposal to us last April 29.

We responded with a counteroffer, and are now awaiting MicroCell's reply. We have informed the staff at CITI of the government's position in this matter.

[Competition Act, June 18th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, may I begin by stating that, when the bill is introduced this fall, my colleague, the Secretary of State for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec, will be responsible for it, being a Canadian expert on the Competition Act.

Second, I take very seriously the arguments that have been made by a number of representatives from the small business community, including the independent grocers, that the existence of provisions relating to price discrimination and promotional allowances gives them some protection from actions of large suppliers, although those provisions have never been used.

Having taken heed of those arguments we will not be recommending that those provisions be eliminated from the act.

[Tourism, June 14th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question. After the Prime Minister issued the challenge to the private sector to match the contribution of the government of $50 million a year, in the first year we raised from the private sector contributions virtually $40 million. In the second year we expect to make the target of $50 million, thereby doubling the contribution of the federal government.

The Canadian Tourism Commission is an example of how federal, provincial and private sector contributions working together can create jobs and economic growth for Canadians in all parts of the country.

[Small Business, June 10th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, since the time of the election the government has identified small and medium size businesses as the sector of the economy where most of the potential job growth lies. It has been very important to deal with the issues the small business community has been bringing to us. I suppose at the top of that list would be access to financing.

Repeatedly we have heard it needs access to financing not only from governments but particularly from Canada's chartered banks. The industry committee asked for the Canadian Bankers Association to come forward with a baseline study which will enable us to understand exactly what that relationship looks like today and begin to pursue the policies that will ensure that in the future the small and medium size businesses of Canada have the level of capital they need, both debt and equity, in order to create the jobs Canadians are looking for.

[Research And Development, June 4th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, we are always happy when members of the Bloc ask questions on research and development. It is rare, but sometimes they do.

On the subject of the TRIUMF project, the former science and technology critic agreed with our decision to support TRIUMF. It is a totally different matter in the case of tokamak. The opposition should be asking about other aspects of science and technology matters and about our expenditures throughout the field of research and development. We have helped not only Quebec, but all regions of Canada.

For example, I note we have just received a Quebec astronaut, who was in space as a Canadian astronaut. He works at our space agency, which is located where? In Saint-Hubert, Quebec.

[Newspapers, June 3rd, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, again this is a government of laws, not of people whose opinions may or may not be of interest.

Under what authority does the hon. member suggest we should act? I suggest to her there is no authority in the Competition Act for us to consider the implications with respect to editorial content or journalistic opinion arising from this transaction. There are issues related to economic concentration and the director will look at those.

Does she really think governments should decide whether or not editorial content in the national newspapers reflects adequately the opinions that should be there? For my part I do not think the editors agree with us often enough, but that is not for me to say.

[Newspapers, June 3rd, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, this is a strange formulation for a question. While the hon. member suggests that the answer provided on Friday was hiding behind the Competition Act, I would suggest to her it is the Competition Act within which we would find our powers and our ability to act, if it were so desired.

The balance she suggests, which indeed may be one in favour of which she can argue, is not a balance which is found within the Competition Act itself. If she reads the law itself she will find that the Competition Act, based on the decisions of the courts, deals with the economic interests and the concentration of ownership as it would impact on competition, within the framework of the business of newspaper publishing in this case.

Content itself is not a factor which the director of investigation research in the competition bureau is capable of considering.

[Hollinger Incorporated, May 29th, 1996]

The member for Winnipeg Transcona seems to think he has lost his voice in this House, largely because they did not elect enough members in the last election. That is why he does not get his chance to make those comments.

The competition law deals with the economic impact of acquisitions, such as that which is proposed by Hollinger, that will be reviewed by the director of investigations and research as to whether there are anti-competitive reasons that the director should intervene in the transaction. He has done that. He has concluded that is not the case. But that does not deal with future behaviour. He will continue to monitor the behaviour as a result of this acquisition. If it is anti-competitive, he will act.

[Hollinger Incorporated, May 29th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, it is a little hard to follow the premise of the member's question and connect it to the conclusion he has drawn.

When freedom of speech prevails in Canada in very clear and legal ways he criticizes the ownership of newspapers at a time when we are surrounded not only by newspapers but by other media and means of exchanging information.