Hon. Allan Rock

May I quote a letter from the Quebec Public Health Branch, which says that the bill “is a positive element to protect public health”.

Mr. Michel Gauthier (Roberval, BQ)

Mr. Speaker, let's be serious. We are in this House and we are speaking to the government. The Minister of Health has no right to falsely interpret statements, as he is doing.

How can the Minister of Health claim to have the agreement of the Government of Quebec when his letter not only comes from the Department of Health but also states that it is up to the wildlife ministry—

Oh, oh!

Dear colleagues, I would ask that you refrain from showing letters. Letters may be quoted, but you are asked not to display them like that.

I would ask the hon. member from Roberval to pose his question.

Mr. Michel Gauthier

Mr. Speaker, my question is very simple. Is the minister aware of the letter signed by the present Deputy Minister of Health and sent to his environment colleague in Quebec, and of the denial by the Quebec Minister of the Environment of what the minister has just said in this House?

Hon. Allan Rock (Minister of Health, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, this is really strange. I simply read what Quebec government officials wrote about this bill.

Oh, oh!

Hon. Allan Rock

The simple fact is that the provinces have jurisdiction over the quality of drinking water and that the federal government has the power to make laws concerning the materials used to transport water. Our bill deals with this and it is an area of federal jurisdiction.

Mr. John Reynolds (West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast, Ref.)

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Yesterday, former ambassador Joe Bissett issued his report into a Los Angeles visa office with regard to the issuing of a visa to a known triad gang leader. The report contained 11 recommendations.

Can the minister advise the House and all Canadians if she agrees with those recommendations? When will she enact those recommendations not only in Los Angeles but in all visa offices around the world?

Hon. Lucienne Robillard (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, following a problem in the Los Angeles office, I personally asked the deputy minister to prepare a detailed report on the situation.

The deputy minister asked an outside consultant to review the processing procedures in our Los Angeles office. We just received Mr. Bissett's report. It includes some very interesting recommendations and we intend to follow up on them.

Mr. John Reynolds (West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast, Ref.)

Mr. Speaker, my supplementary question is for the same minister. Does the minister know today where the triad gang leader is? Has her department issued a deportation order against the triad leader and his family?

Hon. Lucienne Robillard (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, the Reform member is well aware that the Privacy Act precludes me from providing details on the private lives of those involved in any departmental matter.

Mr. Bernard Bigras (Rosemont, BQ)

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

Yesterday evening, CBC National News announced that the federal government intends to fund the sale of two CANDU reactors to Turkey, to the tune of $1.5 billion, without conducting environmental impact studies.

Can the Prime Minister explain why his government is prepared to circumvent its own legislation for the sole purpose of selling nuclear reactors to Turkey, while here in Ontario, nuclear reactors are being closed down because of the risks to the environment?

Hon. Ralph E. Goodale (Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman should be careful of the aspersions he may cast with respect to the Candu technology around the world. That technology has proven to be efficient and safe and is respected.

The problems he refers to in Ontario were problems related to management and processes within Ontario Hydro. They had nothing to do with the Candu technology.

Mr. Bernard Bigras (Rosemont, BQ)

Mr. Speaker, are we to understand that the federal government is prepared to do anything for money, including violating its own laws?

Hon. Ralph E. Goodale (Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, as I have already said, if and when AECL is successful in its bid and if and when it is successful in negotiating a contract subsequent to that bid, it will of course comply with all applicable Canadian standards and all applicable Turkish laws. Environmental specifications were a part of the bidding process imposed by Turkey.

In addition to that, AECL, as a matter of policy, has an environmental examination process that is built into every one of its projects.

Mr. Bill Gilmour (Nanaimo—Alberni, Ref.)

Mr. Speaker, Albertans mourn the untimely death of Senator Walter Twinn. I know that members from both sides of the House conveyed their condolences at his funeral. Since then both Ralph Klein and Alberta Liberal leader Grant Mitchell have called on the Prime Minister to let Albertans elect their next senator.

May I remind the Prime Minister that he said in 1990 “I pledge to work for a Senate that is elected”. Will the Prime Minister keep his word and allow Albertans to elect their next senator?

Right Hon. Jean Chrétien (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, we were for an elected Senate. It was a proposition in the Charlottetown accord that the Reform Party campaigned against.

Reformers want to have it both ways. They did not want to make any compromises and they voted down an elected Senate. I will name the next senator the same way as the father of the Leader of the Opposition was named.

Mr. Bill Gilmour (Nanaimo—Alberni, Ref.)

Mr. Speaker, this does not require constitutional change. May I remind the Prime Minister that in Alberta the precedent has already been set. The late Stan Waters was elected as senator to the Senate in 1989. Now we have members of all sides of the Alberta legislature, including provincial Liberals, asking for an elected senator.

I ask again. Will the Prime Minister let Albertans elect their next senator?

Right Hon. Jean Chrétien (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister of the land is obliged to respect the Constitution for Alberta and the provinces of Canada.