Mr. Paul Crête (Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, BQ)

Mr. Speaker, after representations were made by Guy Chevrette and Henri Massé on behalf of the forest industry, the Minister of Industry indicated that he would at last start working on an aid package for the victims of the softwood lumber crisis. High time, too, since we have been calling for such a plan since the crisis began, and the government has done nothing ever since.

Can the minister confirm to us whether the loan guarantees the industry wants and the Bloc Québécois has been calling for since the crisis began will at last be part of his aid package?

Hon. Jacques Saada (Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and Minister responsible for the Francophonie, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, referring specifically to Quebec, the forest industry's problems go far beyond the softwood lumber issue. We are talking about the lumber supply, the Coulombe report, and a 20% reduction in access to softwoods. This is why we must help the communities affected according to their actual problems and not according to theories.

Mr. Paul Crête (Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, BQ)

Mr. Speaker, if the minister were aware of the reality of these businesses, he would never dare make such statements.

The forest producers' associations, which have been involved in the legal battle with the United States from the word go, are also complaining about the poor financial assistance forthcoming from the government.

Does the government intend to beef up its financial support in order to defray a portion of the huge legal costs incurred by the associations during this whole softwood lumber battle? That is reality.

Hon. Jim Peterson (Minister of International Trade, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, it is true that the court battles have been hugely expensive. That is why we have allocated $20 million to help the associations with their legal expenses.

Mr. Mark Warawa (Langley, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, last night the government had a chance to support my bill with real measures to deter and combat auto theft. However, once again the Liberals showed that they are not listening to Canadians. Auto theft has doubled in Canada. It is a billion dollar a year crisis and it is killing and injuring Canadians.

When will that soft on crime government take serious action on auto theft? When will the Prime Minister finally listen to Canadians and impose mandatory prison sentences for these serious and violent offences?

Hon. Paul Harold Macklin (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, we already have within the Criminal Code many tools that are helpful in dealing with auto theft, whether it be the general criminal statute, whether it be fraud, whether it be joyriding, or whether it be possession of a stolen vehicle.

The government introduced in the House yesterday a new piece of legislation dealing with vehicle identification numbers. It will have an adverse effect on organized crime which has been a very integral part of this process. This government is very much interested in dealing with auto theft and we are going to prove it.

Mr. Colin Carrie (Oshawa, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, after two years of this Liberal government, our per capita rate of auto theft has now surpassed the U.S. level. Last night, this government voted against a Conservative bill that would have given the courts the power to set mandatory jail sentences for car thieves.

When, then, will the Minister of Justice acknowledge that mandatory prison sentences are justified?

Hon. Paul Harold Macklin (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, last evening we did deal with Bill C-293, but I do not think that was an appropriate bill to go forward. One of the reasons it was not an appropriate bill to go forward is we do not believe this is the time to be reducing sentences on auto theft. That bill actually proposed to reduce the sentence from 10 years to five years and we do not agree with that principle.

Mrs. Nina Grewal (Fleetwood—Port Kells, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, yesterday members opposite chose to reject my motion to raise the age of consent, choosing instead to protect predators who prey on young teens. Parents and families need laws that protect children, not predators. Now predators are coming to Canada from around the world to take advantage of our weak Liberal laws. Police and family groups across Canada support this change.

Could the Minister of Justice explain why he is giving a pass to sexual predators instead of protecting young Canadians?

Hon. Paul Harold Macklin (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, clearly the Minister of Justice is doing no such thing in terms of encouraging that type of conduct. In fact, as Bill C-2 clearly stated and which passed through the House and is now becoming law, we want to deal not with the child but with the person who exploits the child. That is the key to getting this resolved.

Mr. Rick Casson (Lethbridge, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, it is statements like that from the government that cloud this issue and put our children at risk.

By refusing to raise the age of consent, the government has turned its back on the weakest of our society, our children. Why does the government continue to ignore the calls for action by parents and police? Why does it refuse to recognize that most countries have a higher standard than Canada?

By raising the age of consent to 16 with a close in age exemption for teenagers, our children can be protected from the adult creeps who prey on them. Just do the right thing. Protect our kids.

Hon. Paul Harold Macklin (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, no one can consent to being exploited. Whatever the age, that consent cannot be given.

The reality is what we are doing in the process with Bill C-2 is to deal with the cause of the problem. The cause is the person who exploits our young people. Those are the people we are going to get and bring to justice.

Ms. Yasmin Ratansi (Don Valley East, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry.

Recently the World Economic Forum released its annual report on global competitiveness. The report measures the competitiveness of 117 countries using a wide range of indicators, including both hard data and an opinion survey of nearly 11,000 business leaders.

Could the minister inform the House how Canada stacked up against the competition and what steps the government is taking to improve Canada's economic competitiveness?

Hon. David Emerson (Minister of Industry, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, it is very interesting that the World Economic Forum, at a time when members opposite are trashing one of our pre-eminent programs of innovation support, had this to say about the Government of Canada:

We have been well impressed by Canada's strong performance among her G-7 peers, particularly the cautious management of public finances.

It went on to say that more importantly, the country continues to nurture its capacity for innovation and there have been improvements with respect to company spending on R and D, the extent of absorption of new technologies and the level of business community and continued penetration—

The hon. member for Windsor West.

Mr. Brian Masse (Windsor West, NDP)

Mr. Speaker, another economist's report was tabled today that shows that Canadians are being ripped off at the pump. The fact of the matter is that prices should not be above $1 per litre. In fact, the sheer profiteering from hurricanes has been devastating to consumers. At the same time the industry itself has described its profits as spectacular.

The government has been sitting on a gas report tabled two years ago to bring accountability. Have enough Canadians been ripped off for the Liberals to act?

Will the Minister of Industry create a watchdog price monitoring agency now to protect Canadian consumers?

Hon. Ralph Goodale (Minister of Finance, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, the government has indicated that we are working on a variety of measures to deal with the concerns of Canadians with respect to transparency and competition in the marketplace, particularly the Minister of Industry and the Minister of Natural Resources. I have been very active on this file. It has been very helpful to have the advice of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the member for Pickering—Scarborough East, whose work on this file has been exemplary.

Mr. Nathan Cullen (Skeena—Bulkley Valley, NDP)

Mr. Speaker, the environment commissioner released a scathing report today confirming what 11 environmental groups have said all along, that the Liberal government has broken promise after promise to Canadians when it comes to our environment. New Democrats have long said what the auditor now confirms, that any credibility the Liberal government had when it comes to the environment is now gone.

Would the minister like to stand up today and make another promise that he is only going to break tomorrow?

Hon. Stéphane Dion (Minister of the Environment, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member would not be able to list one promise that I have not kept since I have been in Parliament.

We are committed to go ahead with our 10 year plan for clean air; to go ahead with our climate change plan, which is the most compelling one to be found on earth now; to go ahead in the next 15 years with our plan to decontaminate all federal sites. All those commitments will be fulfilled.

Mr. Monte Solberg (Medicine Hat, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, Doug and Kay from Oakville sent us an e-mail today saying that they lost $30,000 in their savings on September 19 because of the finance minister's inept management on the income trust issue. We understand that Liberals do not care about small investors and seniors like Doug and Kay, because according to them, they do not count politically.

The minister told us that he thought these stories were a bunch of exaggerations. Is he saying that Doug and Kay are lying?