Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In all humility the hon. member did not get a chance to answer the question I asked him about the just transition program. I was wondering if the member could answer that question.
House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2015, with 34% of the vote.
Kyoto Protocol December 2nd, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In all humility the hon. member did not get a chance to answer the question I asked him about the just transition program. I was wondering if the member could answer that question.
Kyoto Protocol December 2nd, 2002
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the CEP union which wholeheartedly endorses the Kyoto protocol, will the former finance minister be supporting just transition programs in terms of financial compensation to those workers who may be displaced by the Kyoto ratification?
Kyoto Protocol December 2nd, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to see where the Conservative Party of Canada stands on the Kyoto protocol. Prior to the member's discussion, we were unsure exactly where the Conservative Party stood and now it has come four-square against it.
The hon. member mentioned the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. I should remind him that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities took a vote among its members and said yes to the ratification of Kyoto.
We know that Kyoto is not perfect. We know that probably when the Liberals or the House ratify it, nothing will be done the following day. We are quite certain of that. We fear that the Liberals will ratify it just to meet their superficial obligations worldwide and then will do absolutely nothing about it.
I would like the hon. member for Fundy—Royal to stand in his place and reiterate the fact that it is the Federation of Canadian Municipalities that said yes to the Kyoto protocol and yes to innovations that he talked about. It is not just Kyoto; there are many other things we could do to promote environmental concerns within the country. I would like him to elaborate on that.
Citizenship Act December 2nd, 2002
Don't forget the Dutch.
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board November 27th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, there is another useless answer from a minister.
Yesterday, in the finance committee, Mr. John MacNaughton, of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, said that right now pension dollars from Canadian taxpayers were going to profit tobacco companies in this country. At the same time the government is spending millions of dollars trying to stop people from smoking.
Will the government now change the legislation to put an ethical screen into the Pension Plan Investment Board so that our pension dollars will not go to aiding and abetting the killing of thousands of people in the country? Will it do that now, please?
Canadian Forces November 26th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to the attention of the House and to all of Canada a remarkable job that happened on November 17 in Zgon, Bosnia.
Bosnia has been devastated by a terrible war. Many homes have been devastated. The only activity right now in terms of economic development may be forestry. Imagine the reaction of people in Zgon, Bosnia when the only lumber mill in that area caught fire at 4 o'clock in the morning.
Who came to the rescue? The 1st Battalion Princess Patricia's of Edmonton. With unknown safety concerns for themselves, they helped to put out the fire in 100 kilometre winds and helped save many homes occupied by workers of the surrounding mill.
On behalf of all parliamentarians and all Canadians, I salute the members of our Canadian Forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina and wish them good luck and success in the future. God bless them.
Canadian Coast Guard November 6th, 2002
Mr. Chairman, I agree with my hon. colleague from Vancouver Island North that an inquiry into DFO and its management is definitely required, as is a discussion and a serious look at the merger of the Coast Guard into DFO. He is right. When it comes to winners and losers, from our perspective we believe that the Coast Guard was the one that lost on the merger.
He well knows of incidents that happened when Brian Tobin was the premier of Newfoundland and Labrador and used a Coast Guard vessel as a personal pleasure craft, with his cabinet, to take a little swing around St. Anthony in Labrador. He also knows of an incident that happened in St. John's harbour when Coast Guard officials used a Coast Guard vessel for a little wine and cheese party one evening.
The fact is this was at the time when the member for Egmont was saying that the government had to make cuts to balance the books. While the government was cutting, cutting, cutting, influential people in Newfoundland and in the Coast Guard were using valuable vessels as their pleasure crafts. It is unconscionable that they would do that and think they could get away with it when the men and women of the Coast Guard are scratching for every dollar they can get in order to do their jobs.
My hon. colleague from Delta—South Richmond indicated a very serious concern about the government actually not abiding by its current regulations that it has and downsizing requirements to make the purchase of a hovercraft when it will not meet the needs of its own regulations. I would like him to comment more on that. I find it unconscionable that there are regulations in May 2000 which state what is needed and then the government turns around and, because it wants to get a vessel that does not even meet those requirements, it lowers the standards.
When it comes to safety, we should not second guess. We should be following the regulations to the maximum in order to have maximum coverage in the event of a serious emergency. I would like my colleague to comment on that please.
Canadian Coast Guard November 6th, 2002
Mr. Chairman, I thank my hon. colleague from the Bloc for bringing up the concerns about these fees and the devastating effect they will have on inland communities along the St. Lawrence.
Could he elaborate a bit more about what happens in communities like Sept Îles, Quebec City, Montreal and Rimouski, as a result of these fees and lack of services on top of that? Those communities pay federal taxes to have the Coast Guard in effect operating as it should. Then on top of that they have to pay additional fees for the service. Could he elaborate a bit more on the concerns that the communities and businesses have, in his particular riding and those along the Quebec shore?
Canadian Coast Guard November 6th, 2002
Mr. Chairman, I too, on behalf of our party, wish to congratulate the member from Scarborough for his election as chairperson of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.
For the record, we are a committee made up of five political parties that works cooperatively together and is extremely apolitical. I must give the member from Scarborough a lot of credit. A lot of people have asked me, “You have a member from Scarborough on your fisheries committee, what does he know about fish?”
Well I have watched him work very diligently, and although he admitted he did not know the difference between a seiner and a trawler, the fact is that he is willing to learn, he is willing to understand and he is willing to ask the difficult questions when they need to be asked in a respectful but tactful and direct manner by cutting through the bush.
The member was in Tofino. He rightfully talked about the Strait of Juan de Fuca and how busy that traffic system was. We heard Mr. Henderson say in Vancouver that money was not a problem. We heard the people in Tofino say something completely different.
With his experience in bureaucratic bafflegab, why would the manager in charge of the Coast Guard on the west coast make such a bold statement in front of all of us, but when we went to Tofino we heard the workers and the managers there say something completely different? Why would that person say such a thing? I would like him to reflect upon that for a moment.
Canadian Coast Guard November 6th, 2002
Mr. Chairman, I know my colleague has to leave, but I do have a comment to put on the record.
My colleague represents the Gulf Islands. It must be difficult for him as he represents a community which lost five people in a tragic accident. I know he is not saying that the Coast Guard caused the accident. He is saying that an accident occurred and possibly the Coast Guard with a clear direction, the right mandate and proper resources may have saved a life or two. We do not know and we will never know.
Hopefully we can have an inquiry and get to the bottom of that situation. If and when an incident such as that ever happens again on the west coast or anywhere else, the men and women of the Coast Guard will have clear directions.
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is one of the busiest sea lanes on the entire planet. Nuclear submarines, commercial fishing vessels, recreational fishing vessels, oil tankers and military vessels go back and forth. Tofino is the ears and eyes for that seaway. When we were in Tofino they mentioned that they need $10 million more just to do the bare minimum of their job.
That is such an important commercial seaway. By the way, our United States cousins rely on us to be their ears and eyes and watch for them. Why would we in any way, shape or form even consider cutting in that type of area? It is simply unconscionable and unacceptable.
We had an incident with the Cap Rouge II . Imagine if a nuclear submarine hit an oil tanker because there were not the proper resources to warn the two of a possible collision. I do not want to be around the day an incident like that happens, and it very well could happen. We need to give the people at the MCTS centre in Tofino everything at their disposal to ensure they have every single tool and opportunity and trained personnel to do the job.