Albina Guarnieri

[Criminal Code, February 14th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, I am pleased to give additional information concerning the question of the hon. member for Wild Rose on the development of Sunshine Village.

As the guardian of our national parks and historic sites system Canadian Heritage is committed to the continued protection of our national heritage. Protection of heritage resources is fundamental to their continued use and enjoyment by present and future generations. As Canadians we must do all we can to ensure that any development within a national park is respectful of our natural heritage.

The Sunshine lease covers 918 hectares of federal crown land in Banff National Park. Parts of the ski area are located in a highly environmentally sensitive alpine meadow.

Following public review of the application for the Goat's Eye permit phase II we have found that there is significant concern about the impact of the Goat's Eye project on the environment and that the Goat's Eye development and the 1992 plan are indeed closely related. As a consequence the Minister of Canadian Heritage referred both development proposals to the Minister of the Environment to establish an environmental review panel.

The review of Sunshine's proposal is following the legislated environmental assessment and review process. There are legal requirements to respond to scientific deficiencies and public concern with the present proposal.

Environmental assessment has been key to the development that has already occurred at the ski hill. In fact much of the data collected earlier can be used in the current evaluation. We will continue to be mindful of our responsibilities as managers of Canada's precious natural treasures.

[Criminal Code, February 14th, 1994]

On behalf of the Minister of Canadian Heritage I am pleased to have the opportunity to clarify the scope of the court challenges program for my colleague from Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.

As the hon. member mentioned, this government initially indicated its intention to reinstate the court challenges program in the red book and recently reinforced the commitment in the speech from the throne.

In fact the government is committed to not only the reinstatement but also the expansion of the court challenges program. In addition to language and equality rights the new program will fund test cases of national significance involving challenges to fundamental freedoms as outlined under section 2 of the charter.

I am pleased to reassure my colleague that the reinstated program will continue to support national test cases concerning federal and provincial statutes that come under sections 93 and 133 of the Constitutional Act of 1867, section 23 of the Manitoba Act, 1870, and sections 16 to 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The program will also financially support challenges to federal statutes, practices and policies under sections 15 and 38 of the Charter or when an argument based on section 27 of the Charter confirms arguments based on section 15.

The minister hopes to have the new program operational early in the new fiscal year as he indicated to my colleague previously. As a result of the broad range of interests, experience and expertise that will be taken into account by the government, the Minister of Canadian Heritage is confident the program will be implemented as quickly as possible in a manner accountable to the government and the people of Canada.

[Points Of Order, February 11th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps I could replace the words in question with misleading and inflammatory and ill conceived words on the part of the hon. member for Wild Rose.

[Points Of Order, February 11th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The hon. member for Wild Rose, in his effort to malign the Minister of Canadian Heritage, referred to a Globe and Mail article which is acknowledged by all parties involved to have been ill researched and largely inaccurate. I would hope the hon. member would certainly retract his comments.

[Social Security System, February 3rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Canadian Heritage I am pleased to respond to the question raised by the member for Rimouski-Témiscouata on the appointment of the new president of the CBC.

As the minister said, the selection process for the new president of the CBC was very transparent. On November 13, 1993, a call for candidacies was printed in The Canada Gazette, and all interested candidates had the opportunity to apply for the position. Also, many people were consulted on this issue.

The CBC needed someone with experience who knew the nuts and bolts of this institution and was ready to go into action immediately. Mr. Manera is such a person. He has been working for the corporation since 1985, holding the positions of senior vice-president, Resources and Administration, and more recently, acting president.

The appointment of the new president comes with a series of measures the government has undertaken to allow the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to assume its own destiny, one of the commitments the Liberals included in the red book.

The appointment of Mr. Manera and the series of measures announced will assist the CBC in reinforcing its role as public broadcaster and as a national institution serving the Canadian public.

Of all our cultural institutions, the CBC is undoubtedly the one which plays the most significant role in defining our national identity.

The broadcasting industry is undergoing massive changes, and it was imperative that we appoint a president capable of dealing with the financial problems of the Corporation and of reasserting loud and clear the role of the CBC as a public broadcaster serving the Canadian public. That is exactly what we have done, and an announcement on this issue was made this morning.

[Social Security System, February 3rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I know the hon. member has a long and distinguished background in settlement work in her home province. She can take pride in the fact that the government has already introduced regulatory changes that will allow refugee claimants to work while awaiting the outcome of their claim.

The government is committed to enhanced co-operation and co-ordination between the two levels of government. We will have to work together to use scarce resources more effectively.

The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration met on Monday with his Ontario counterparts to discuss the very matter raised by the hon. member for Beaches-Woodbine. I am pleased to say that the province of Ontario and the federal government will begin negotiations with a view to establishing an immigrant

agreement. Ontario is one of only three provinces that does not have an immigration agreement with the federal government.

With this first step we have clearly demonstrated our willingness to enhance co-operation and co-ordination between the two levels of government. The federal government has a series of settlement programs and services designed to help immigrants access services available to all Canadians. These programs are designed and delivered on the understanding that settlement is a process that involves new and established Canadian residents.

Canadians are involved as sponsors, service deliverers, volunteers and hosts. More than 300 external partners have entered into contribution agreements with the Department of Citizenship and Immigration for the delivery of services to newcomers.

The program allocations for the various settlement programs for 1993-94 will be over $251 million. We understand and share Ontario's concerns about settlement and integration, and we are certainly prepared to listen. This immigration agreement will be the first step in addressing Ontario's concerns.

[Social Security System, February 3rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Scarborough for his question on the Rouge River Valley.

As the Minister of Canadian Heritage has already indicated to the House, this government remains committed to the creation of the Rouge River Valley Park. In fact this 11,400 acre preserve is North America's largest urban park. Its creation is an excellent example of co-operation among the federal and Ontario governments as well as private organizations in meeting federal government environmental objectives.

Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning, the federal government has been in favour of the Rouge River Valley Park. In 1988, the Minister of the Environment of the time announced that the Canadian government would invest $10 million for the conservation of the valley.

In fact, the federal government contributed $1.5 million of the $2.6 million purchase price for the culturally significant Bead Hill National Historic Site in Scarborough within the Rouge River Park. This is the only intact 17th century Seneca village and burial ground known in Canada.

As my friend from Scarborough-Rouge River knows, Bead Hill is an example of an important aspect of native history which is under-represented in the Canadian network of national historic sites.

The federal government's commitment to the Rouge River Valley Park remains firm. Upon establishment of a park management agency by the Ontario government, we would be pleased to consider funding further projects for park development within our commitment.

I would like to thank my friend from Scarborough-Rouge River for displaying his continuing interest in Rouge River Valley Park. It is a very important element in the lives of his constituents as well as all Canadians. He should be congratulated for bringing their concerns to the forefront of discussion in the House.

[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, February 3rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, we have just learned that Mr. Anthony Manera was appointed as the new president of CBC. This is good news indeed for the CBC and for all Canadians.

Given the current situation, we need someone with experience in charge of this top-notch national institution. And this is certainly the case with this appointee. He knows the CBC's nuts and bolts and is ready to act. Under him, the CBC will be able to regain control and reassert loud and clear its role as a public broadcaster.

We want to wish the best of luck to the new president, Mr. Manera, and to the CBC.