Hon. Jean Corbeil (Minister of TVansport):

Madam Speaker, the hon. member knows that in addition to the Standing Committee on Transport that is examining this situation we have had a report from the review commission of the NTA. We also have a report from the Royal Commission on Passenger Transportation. The Department of Transport with the Transport Association of Canada has been examining this. At the same time the NTA is reviewing the applications from both railways.

At the end of the day these will all come to a conclusion and we will address the question at that time. At the present time there is no fire in the house.

Mr. Iain Angus (Thunder Bay-Atikokan):

Madam Speaker, my final supplementary is for the same minister. The minister knows full well that CN and CP are currently examining the future of the rail industry east of Winnipeg. It is entirely likely that this summer they will announce their intention to abandon one of the main lines connecting Winnipeg through Thunder Bay, through northwestern Ontario to eastern Canada.

We are not just talking about the railways' bottom line. We are talking about hundreds, if not thousands of communities. We are talking about tens of thousands of workers. In fact we are talking about whether regions of this country will be connected to the rest of Canada.

Will the minister finally show some leadership and instruct the NTA not to accept any further applications until this mess can be sorted out by the national government, not by the railways?

Hon. Jean Corbeil (Minister of TVansport):

Madam Speaker, I repeat again that there are a number of courses that are being followed at the present time. The process is going through properly and at the end of the

June 15, 1993

day when we have all these reports we will be able to determine what is in the best interest of the transportation industry in Canada.

Hon. Lloyd Axworthy (Winnipeg South Centre):

Madam Speaker, my question is directed to the Secretary of State for External Affairs.

Yesterday, the UN Secretary-General tabled a report requesting more troops and equipment for Bosnia. The Minister of National Defence said two weeks ago that Canada did not have enough soldiers. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said exactly the opposite. Now that the minister has had a chance to examine all the options, I would like to ask whether she is going to send more forces to Bosnia. Are we going to change the mandate of the troops that are over there? What concrete steps have been taken to properly equip our soldiers to guarantee their safety under this new UN mandate?

Hon. Barbara McDougall (Secretary of State for External Affairs):

First of all, Madam Speaker, there is no difference between what was said by the Minister of National Defence, the Prime Minister or myself. We are examining our military and financial resources so that we can make our contribution in Yugoslavia as we have done since the beginning of the war.

Yesterday, the Secretary-General's report was put before the Security Council. I have not yet seen the report, but I will examine it as soon as I get it. Meanwhile we have made a decision concerning the feasibility of sending more soldiers or other Canadian military forces. I talked to my international colleagues last week in Luxembourg and we are still looking at the possibilities.

Hon. Lloyd Axworthy (Winnipeg South Centre):

Madam Speaker, a supplementary. For months now we have heard from the Minister of National Defence and the Secretary of States for External Affairs that Canada does not have enough resources to provide more contributions than the peacekeeping.

Oral Questions

This morning the minister of defence authorized the expenditure of $60 million for anti-tank missiles, even though the United Nations Secretary-General in his list of equipment that was put forward as requested for Bosnia does not include any of that kind of equipment.

When are we going to stop making these ad hoc decisions in defence policy? When will we have a clear cut rationale on how our scarce resources will be used? Why is there not a clear definition of how Canada will undertake a new peacemaking role to meet the crisis the United Nations faces today around the world?

Hon. Harvie Andre (Minister of State and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons):

Madam Speaker, reading from a press release: "The Minister of National Defence today announced the awarding of a $5.4 million contract to the French firm Aerospatiale in respect to the anti-armour missile system".

This is dated July 6, 1992. It is hardly today. It is a year ago. It is in the defence policy and if the hon. member thinks about it a little bit, anti-armour weapons are precisely the kind of things peacekeepers need to protect themselves.

Mr. Brian Tobin (Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte):

Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

When the minister of fisheries announced a compensation program for those affected by the northern cod moratorium, the government moved quickly to put assistance into the hands of those who needed it. Yet a similar assistance program for fishermen and for fish plant workers along the Gulf of St. Lawrence appears to be stillborn. In the seven weeks since the minister announced the gulf program, not a single fish plant or a single fisherperson on the great northern peninsula has been designated for assistance.

Given there is little or no cod in many communities, given that lobster landings are down by 50 per cent, given that there is no capelin and, therefore, no income for thousands of fishermen and plant workers, what is this minister going to do to kick start this gulf compensation program and get assistance into the hands of those who desperately need it?

June 15, 1993

Oral Questions

Hon. John C. Crosbie (Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency):

Madam Speaker, the program that was announced for Atlantic fisheries assistance is well under way.

To date there have been 458 applications received from fisherpersons. There have been 1,199 applications received from plant workers. There are 397 applications approved for plant workers, 161 approved for fishermen throughout the area and more coming in every day. I think 43 plants have been designated.

The nature of this program is such that it can only commence when some plant worker who cannot get a job this year is no longer receiving UI and cannot get their job back or a fisherman or fisherwoman discovers that there are no fish for them to catch. They should then put in an application and if they are qualified, they go on a job creation project. Job creation projects have started.

Contrary to a report from the questioner's colleague, the application forms have not had to be changed. The application forms have been improved. There has been no gap in the availability of them.

Mr. Peterson:

Time.

Mr. Crosbie What is the hon. gentleman calling time for? Why do they ask these questions if they do not want to hear the answers?

Mr. Brian Tobin (Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte):

Madam Speaker, the minister says the program is well under way, but not a single fish plant or a single fisherman on the great northern peninsula has been designated.

Members of the House should know that as of May 15 there has been absolutely no income by way of fishery, no income from UI, no income from welfare and no income from federal assistance available to any fish plant worker or fisherman on the great northern peninsula. The situation is becoming desperate for many families.

What will the minister do to kick start this program, to get people moving in the department of fisheries and the department of employment and to get assistance into the hands of those who are in desperate need of help right now.

Hon. John C. Crosbie (Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency):

Mr. Speaker, apparently the hon. gentleman is not listening.

On the great northern peninsula there are a number of people already found eligible to receive assistance under the northern cod program. They are receiving assistance.

A fisherman could not receive assistance until after May 15 because that is when the period for UI runs out. They can only be found eligible for assistance now if they cannot find any fish during this fishing season, at which time they will be found eligible for job projects.

The same is true of workers. We have 44 plants designated, a total of 3,840 workers eligible, including Eric King Fisheries Ltd., Compak Seafoods, Long Range Seafood, Burnt Islands, Rose Blanche and Isle aux Morts, all at the bottom part of the west coast of Newfoundland.

The great northern peninsula will be handled as the need arises. I can assure the hon. gentleman that as the need arises they will be served now that he has indicated his approval.

Mr. Steve Butland (Sault Ste. Marie):

Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Public Works. It is the issue of the Sault Ste. Marie canal and its lock. It was once an international navigational link but has not been operational for six years.

I appreciate the minister's involvement to this point in his ongoing discussions to rehabilitate the lock, including a visit to the site. But this Parliament's time is running out and the project remains in limbo.

Can the minister give any indication whether the project is any closer to completion?

Hon. Elmer M. MacKay (Minister of Public Works):

Mr. Speaker, the member is quite right. About six years ago Fenco Engineers Inc. indicated the serious nature of the repairs that were required to fix this historic part of Canada's infrastructure.

The member and I share a common interest in trying to do something to rehabilitate this historic canal. As he knows, public works is supportive and I am supportive but we require some assistance from other ministries. I

June 15, 1993

will give him my undertaking to continue to explore this. As he said, we do not have a lot of time left in this Parliament but perhaps we can accomplish something in the next little while. I will do my best.

Mr. Steve Butland (Sault Ste. Marie):

Madam Speaker, it is a good answer.

Oh, oh.

Mr. Butland:

My supplemental is for the Minister of Public Works.

I have some indication from the office of the Minister of the Environment that he is in favour of the project. I have received a letter from the Minister of State (Small Businesses and Tourism) that he supports the project. The Ontario government has committed $5.9 million to a federal project. The city of Sault Ste. Marie will maintain the site after the repair of the lock.

Will the minister continue to work with the Minister of the Environment in order that a federal proposal for the repair of the lock can finally be brought forward before this government's mandate runs completely out?

Hon. Elmer M. MacKay (Minister of Public Works):

Madam Speaker, I will give my colleague my undertaking that this multi-purpose, multi-faceted, multi-dimensional project will continue to the best of my ability, working with my colleagues. We will do the best we can.