John Manley

[Telecommunications, December 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure I understand the question as it relates to competition. As the hon. member knows, our policy is to promote competition. We set up a system for satellite and telephone services that promotes competition, so as to reduce costs for users and improve the choice of services for consumers.

In the next short period of time we will be moving to license companies that will be introducing a new range of personal communication services. It will provide additional competition not just in those new services but for existing cellular providers as well.

[National Capital, December 11th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is quite right. In light of the reductions in the size of the public service, the national capital region has taken a large share of the cost of reducing government costs.

I am sure the member will also agree that public servants who are leaving the public service have been offered generous packages. As well there is the government's support under the industrial assistance strategy for the REDO effort to help with economic diversification in the region. Even more important is the announcement made last Friday on behalf of the Minister of Transport concerning the federal government's participation under the strategic transportation initiative program to complete the construction of highway 416. This was something our party had committed to in the last election.

The support of the hon. member for Leeds-Grenville was crucial in seeing this completed. There is also the support the Minister of Transport has given to the acquisition of the right of customs preclearance at Ottawa international airport which we hope we will be able to announce later this week. This will be of special benefit to this region as a result of the open skies agreement which again the Minister of Transport was finally able to negotiate last year.

[Copyright, December 11th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, Parliament has waited a long time for a substantive bill on copyright. The hon. member will know that decades have passed as governments have wrestled with some very difficult and complex issues. We will present a bill on copyright as soon as it is ready.

[Copyright, December 11th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, obviously such a bill will be introduced as soon as possible.

[Information Highway, December 4th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure whether the member had trouble understanding the answer, but what he needs to understand is that questions of conflict are ones which are taken extremely seriously.

The moment such a conflict was raised by a competitive firm for a contract which was being offered in response to a request for proposals, that matter was investigated thoroughly. The undertakings given and the oaths given were judged by the ethics counsellor to be sufficient to give us the confidence that no conflict would prejudice the work that was being done.

I want the hon. member to understand that the issue of integrity and conflict are very important. If he has any basis on which to suggest that we should not accept the oath or the systems that are in place, then let him come forward with specifics as to what his problem is in particular.

[Information Highway, December 4th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, first I remind the hon. member that it was not that long ago that we brought forward the toughest, most extensive lobbyist registration legislation in the western world and he did not support it.

Second, I would indicate to him that in the matter he has raised, the issue of conflict of interest was raised with the ethics counsellor. He reviewed the arrangements the firm in question had put in place with a view to applying the same principles which apply within the legal profession, as approved by the Canadian Bar Association.

The ethics counsellor indicated that in his view there is no conflict of interest that would arise if the contract in question were to be awarded.

[Standards Council Of Canada Act, December 1st, 1995]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-113, an act to amend the Standards Council of Canada Act.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

[Bankruptcy And Insolvency Act, December 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, last Friday I was very pleased to table a bill containing many amendments to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, including ones that deal particularly with the issue the hon. member has mentioned.

This is the first time that the bankruptcy act has had provisions that have been intended to enable trustees in bankruptcy to take possession of assets that pose environmental risks.

We have given claims which stem from environmental damage priority over those of other creditors, both secured and unsecured, so that dealing with contaminated properties and properties that are adjacent to the property where the damage occurred and linked to the activity that caused the environmental damage will be able to be used as a priority claim in order to effect the clean-up. This will not only relieve some of the responsibility from local governments, but it will also ensure that trustees are willing to move in and take on some of these very difficult files.

[Bankruptcy And Insolvency Act, November 24th, 1995]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-109, an act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, and the Income Tax Act.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

[Booksellers, November 24th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to thank the Bloc member for her interest in Canadian heritage.

As for the rest of her question, I will not dignify it with a reply.