Mr. Tom McMillan (Hillsborough):

Madam Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of the Environment. Will he table in the House the report of the Arctic Waters Advisory Committee, and will he also table any previous drafts as well as an explanation of the discrepancies between earlier drafts of the same report and the final report?

Hon. John Roberts (Minister of State for Science and Technology and Minister of the Environment):

As I indicated in my earlier answers, there is some uncertainty in my mind as to the exact status of the document to which the Leader of the NDP has referred. Upon seeing newspaper reports which I think are part of the basis of the hon. member's question, I asked that some inquiries be made and information be provided to me.

As to the terms of the question of laying something before the House of Commons, I would much rather know exactly what it is we are referring to, what various stages it has gone through, and whether these are the views of one member of a panel or of the whole board. I need more information before I would consider taking the steps which the hon. member is suggesting.

Mr. McMillan:

Madam Speaker, in view of the confusion, at least in the minister's mind, surrounding this whole issue and his confusion about the various reports, if the minister will not table in this House the documents, consistent with the freedom of information principle, will the minister at least call before the relevant standing committee of Parliament on the environment, members of the Arctic Waters Advisory Committee so that members of Parliament can pose questions on this matter to these members and get the issue clarified in a way which the minister obviously cannot do himself?

Hear, hear!

Mr. Roberts:

Madam Speaker, it is quite clearly not my responsibility to have witnesses called before parliamentary committees. Parliamentary committees control their own work and it is not for me to direct them in that activity.

Miss Pat Carney (Vancouver Centre):

Madam Speaker, my question is addressed to the Minister of Transport and it deals with the issue of equity in allocating federal economic support programs.

In view of the recent $200 million loan by the federal government to Chrysler Canada, and also the fighter offset program, both of which benefit mainly the economy of central Canada, how can the minister justify the government's failure to accede to the request by Premier Bennett of British Columbia that the federal government provide 50 per cent of the $215 million required to build the rail line which will enable coal from northeast British Columbia to be shipped eventually to Japan, particularly since the federal government would recover all the money advanced back from its share of the surcharge that will be levied on the coal shipments?

Hon. Jean-Luc Pepin (Minister of Transport):

Madam Speaker, first to answer the question regarding Chrysler, it was not a loan; but the Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce might wish to explain it further.

On the question of the northeast coal development in British Columbia, we held extensive negotiations with a good number of members of the British Columbia government on this matter. Arguments were put forward from all sides, one of them to the effect that the federal government was not in the habit of contributing to railway development with regard to resources, but a compromise was reached and a good amount of money was indicated as the federal contribution. Details of that are now being further defined.

Miss Carney:

My supplementary question is also directed to the Minister of Transport, Madam Speaker. The Premier of British Columbia has made it very clear that he considers that the federal government is not in the habit of funding anything to do west of the lakehead.

Since the province of B.C. transferred the administration and control over the Ridley Island site, the port site-B.C. transferred the control to the federal government in order to facilitate the development of the port-and since no development by the National Harbours Board has taken place, could the minister explain his reluctance to give the control back to the province so that the proposed coal port site could be developed in time for coal shipments to Japan to proceed on schedule, which is in the third quarter of 1983?

Mr. Pepin:

Madam Speaker, my impression was that the land at Prince Rupert was federal land in the first place, that there was no transfer in this respect. But be that as it may, the negotiations between the National Harbours Board and the consortium have progressed to the point where an announcement will be made any moment now. All matters of discussion have been resolved and the project will go ahead as planned. So I do not understand the reason for the alarm because, as a matter of fact, everything is in line.

Mr. Stan J. Hovdebo (Prince Albert):

Madam Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Transport. I should like to call his attention to the crude blackmail tactics implicit in the announcement from Revelstoke this morning by the executive vice-president of CPR, that the corporation would not proceed

May 15, 1980

with the $322 million expansion project in the Rockies unless the federal government repudiates its statutory guarantee on freight rates to western farmers by reneging on the Crowsnest pass agreement. May I remind the minister that the Canadian Pacific Railway corporation-

Question.

Mr. Hovdebo:

-made $158 million more last year than the year before.

Order.

Mr. Hovdebo:

Would the Minister of Transport indicate what action he intends to take in the face of such crude corporate blackmail in determining the transportation policy of the Government of Canada?

Hon. Jean-Luc Pepin (Minister of Transport):

Mr. Hovdebo:

Madam Speaker, in view of the possibility of this freeze on the mountain expansion project, and in view of the fact that the Hall report has not been instituted as yet, would the minister assure this House that the Hall report on Crowsnest Pass rates will be implemented, to ensure that this kind of blackmail cannot take place?