Ralph Goodale

[Canadian Wheat Board, June 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, in fact the Canadian Wheat Board works very hard with farmers and others to encourage diversification and value added.

I think the hon. gentleman's criticism is a little bit off base. He is speaking as if the Canadian Wheat Board were the worst abomination in Canadian public life. According to his good friends, that position is already occupied.

[Energy, June 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, in the last couple of hours I have had an opportunity to receive the document from the Canadian Wind Energy Association. It will be reviewed with a great deal of care by the government.

I would also point out that we have been purchasing green power in the province of Alberta for the last three years. We will be purchasing green power in the province of Saskatchewan before the end of this year. Two weeks ago we signed a new wind power agreement in the province of Prince Edward Island.

[Natural Resources, June 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the accounts of my department are audited by the auditor general. The funding arrangement between my department, the Department of the Environment and the new foundation will be reviewed by the auditor general.

The actual spending decisions by the foundation will be audited by a distinguished, independent auditing firm from the private sector according to generally accepted accounting principles fully within the law and all authorized by the budget of February 2000 in the House.

[Natural Resources, June 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the premise of the hon. gentleman's question is absolutely wrong.

In order to establish a foundation of this nature there are three ways in which the government could proceed: either under specific legislation passed by the House, or under the general authority of the Canada Business Corporations Act, or by contract with an independent third party.

In any event the funding was provided for in the February 2000 budget and duly voted upon by the House.

[Sustainable Development, June 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman is completely wrong in his description.

In the establishment of organizations such as the Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology one could use specific legislation. One could use the Canada Business Corporations Act or one could use a contract dealing with an arm's length party outside the government. We have chosen an option of the first two in combination.

[The Environment, June 11th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, this morning the Minister of the Environment, the Minister of Transport and I participated in an announcement in Toronto about several Government of Canada initiatives totalling well over $100 million and directed toward the very issue the hon. member was referring to.

Specifically, for my part, we announced $16 million for motor vehicle fuel efficiency initiatives and $23 million for the Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance. On the fuel cell alliance, we expect that market in the world to add up to more than $100 billion worth of potential for Canadians over the next two decades.

[The Environment, June 11th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the fact that the member for the Alliance Party is articulating the position of the United States.

On our part, for the people of Canada, we stand by the Kyoto targets. We have announced $1.1 billion worth of initiatives that will get us at least one-third of the way toward those targets.

We are working constructively on energy efficiency, ethanol production, wind power, solar power, energy conservation, new petroleum technology, carbon dioxide capture and sequestration, and new generation vehicles. It is only the Alliance Party that is trapped in the 19th century.

[The Environment, June 11th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, obviously climate change is a very serious global issue and for there to be a solution it must be global in scope.

I am very pleased to note that in the various announcements we have made on behalf of the Government of Canada, including our action plan on climate change last year and the budget of February last year, we included very specific provisions to assist countries in the developing part of the world to catch up with new technologies and to apply those technologies so that they too may enjoy the benefits of clean air.

[Canadian Wheat Board, June 7th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the detailed explanation has been offered, not by the government, not by bureaucrats, but by the duly elected farmers who serve on the board of directors of the Canadian Wheat Board.

The party opposite has argued in the past for democracy in the administration of the Canadian Wheat Board. The legislation in the last parliament provided that democracy. Now the opposition wants to override that democracy by direct edicts by the Government of Canada.

[Canadian Wheat Board, June 7th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, in terms of other grains, specialty crops, pulse crops and so forth, the Canadian Wheat Board is not involved in that field of marketing activity whatsoever. Its jurisdiction extends only to wheat and barley in particular circumstances.

With respect to organic farmers, a number have expressed the views that have been represented in the House today. Others have expressed other opinions. Obviously both sides need to be weighed very carefully and the ultimate decision making should rest with the duly elected producer board of directors.