Debates of Oct. 9th, 1996

Employment Insurance

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, it is not $200 million but $800 million that will be injected over the next few years. That is a fairly large amount designed, as I said earlier, to provide assistance in the years to come to those previously not covered by the system.

The women of Papineau-Saint-Michel certainly appreciate it, because they were not covered under the old system , and they are very grateful to the government for it.

Ethics

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. I ask him to consider this carefully. I am not sure the Prime Minister realizes how this is playing out in the general public. I ask him to reconsider his position.

What is he afraid of? What is he trying to hide? Why will he not release the ethics guidelines for the ministers to the public?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the conduct of ministers is always the responsibility of the Prime Minister. It is for him to pass judgment and take all the consequences of his judgment. This is the way the system has operated for years.

Regarding communications within a government, it is very important that between the Prime Minister and the ministers there be some confidentiality. Of course members of the third party do not care much because they know they will never form a government. They are not preoccupied with the responsibility of a government that we are.

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister talks a lot about responsibility and how he wants to shoulder responsibility. I will take him at his word.

Will he assume responsibility now for those guidelines and release them to the public so that the public can have a look at them? What is he trying to hide? There is nothing to hide, surely. Release them to the public.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, there is nothing to hide. The actions of ministers become public and the Prime Minister takes responsibility. It is a very public process.

When a Prime Minister deals with members of his cabinet, he has the right and obligation to have some private conversations with them. Otherwise, there would be no government. The government is the Prime Minister assuming his responsibilities. Everybody knows I never run away when I have responsibilities to face.

Hog Producers

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Canadian hog producers have been under tremendous economic pressure for several years because the U.S. government has been charging countervailing duty on all Canadian hog imports to the U.S.

What is the minister doing to protect our hog producers from the damaging results of this United States action?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, the U.S. Department of Commerce has for quite some time now been reviewing the countervailability of a number of Canadian farm programs both federally and provincially, particularly in that period between 1991 and 1994.

I am happy to tell the hon. gentleman that as a result of the most recent DOC review of Canadian programs there are two very important pieces of good news. First, Canadian hog producers will be receiving a refund of $28.5 million on duty that they have already paid and that they will be getting back.

Second, in the course of its work the U.S. Department of Commerce has also taken a look at the Canadian net income stabilization account program, the NISA program, which is the

whole farm core of our safety net system in Canada, and the DOC has confirmed that the program is not countervailable. It is trade neutral, which verifies the policy position taken by this government.

Child Poverty

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance who, in a half hour from now, will likely dislocate his shoulder trying to pat his government on the back for its financial performance over the next little while.

On January 12 of this year in the Citizen the Minister of Finance was quoted as saying: ``As soon as I can, as soon as our financial situation allows, I will address the serious issue of child poverty in Canada''.

With 1,747,000 children living in poverty today, how soon will the Minister of Finance be able to act?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question strikes very much a resonant cord with the government. Indeed it is for that reason that over the course of the last 15 months we doubled the working income supplement for families with small children. The Minister of Justice brought in a comprehensive package dealing with guidelines on support payments for custodial parents.

There is no doubt that as a government we wish we could do a lot more and we intend to do so. The hon. member is quite right when he points out that while we are bettering the financial condition of the country we must also bear in mind the need to better the financial conditions of individual Canadians.

One of the greatest frustrations I think we have is the clean-up of the mess that somebody else created so that we can do precisely the job that the member wants us to do.

Presence In Gallery

[The Speaker]

Colleagues, I wish to draw to your attention the presence in the gallery of Mr. Antonio Graziani, member of the European Parliament.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Government Response To Petitions

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to two petitions.

Women's History Month

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism)(Status of Women)]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak to the House about Women's History Month.

Women's History Month was created in 1992 by the federal government to foster greater awareness of the historical contributions of women to our society.

The impetus for Women's History Month came from my home province of British Columbia but was soon supported by organizations across the country.

For the past five years, the month of October has been designated Women's History Month in Canada. It is a time for all of us to recognize, discover and celebrate the accomplishments of women in Canada throughout all spheres of society.

October seemed the most appropriate month to acknowledge women's achievements because October 18 also marked an historical milestone in the struggle for women's equality. It was the day women legally gained the status of persons in Canada. On that day, a short 67 years ago, five Albertan women, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Emily Murphy, Irene Parlby and Henrietta Muir Edwards, finally won the long struggle to have women fully recognized as persons in their own right, no longer to be seen as chattel or second class citizens.

This is a time to recognize and celebrate Canadian women. So much of women's contributions to the economic and social development of this great nation has been overlooked by traditional historians, by the classroom and by the media.

We often have to dig deep to find the forgotten and the overlooked. But as we do we gain a greater appreciation of the vital role women have played in the shaping of Canadian society. The history of women is one of struggle, of courage and of heroism.

Women historically were denied education, barred from certain professions, denied the support they needed to enter public service and political decision making, and yet despite these tremendous barriers women managed to make important contributions to Canada's development.

Women's History Month is a time to tell women's stories and celebrate their impressive victories, to speak of their efforts in peace and in war, as pioneers and scientists and daily heroines who raised families despite poverty and deprivation, violence and exclusion.

This year, the fifth Women's History Month, we are honouring women in the arts. We are honouring our cultural legacy. Throughout history, women's artistic and cultural contributions have often been undervalued and ignored, largely because of women's unequal status in society.

Women have been active participants in the cultural evolution of our country, forging our identity within Canada and to the world; women such as Emily Carr, Mary Pickford, Gabrielle Roy. From the writings of early French Canadian novelist Adéle Bibaud to the turn of the century wilderness photographs of Geraldine Moore, each has a story to tell of struggle for recognition and victory.

It has been said that history is a work in progress. Women's History Month adds fuel to that progress. Remembering, discovering and celebrating women's history has a clear impact on Canadians. Canadian women have built an astonishing cultural legacy that expresses the diverse and changing experiences of women in Canada.

I encourage all my colleagues in the House to take the time to discover and celebrate the women who have played an important role in the cultural legacy of our country, to give them a place of honour as role models to future Canadians, men and women; and in doing so, to lay the groundwork for the future, a future in which men and women are viewed as equals and with respect.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, October is Women's History Month. Women's names do not appear in our history books as frequently as we would like, especially not to the extent of their involvement in society.

Many women remain in the shadow, and today I would like to pay tribute to them. History books are usually written by men who make decisions without consulting half the population and leave their names behind for posterity. This is not a criticism, but merely an observation.

I wish to thank the Secretary of State for the Status of Women and Multiculturalism for taking the initiative to mark Women's History Month by making a ministerial statement today. This House, which unfortunately has few female members, will hear a little about us today thanks to the initiative to draw attention to Women's History Month.

Thinking about women's history brings to mind some heroines who, despite the difficulties that existed in their day, marked the times in which they lived and moved women closer to equality.

Quebec recently lost one of its greatest feminists, Claire Bonenfant, who was president of the Fédération des femmes du Québec and gave Quebec its first integrated policy on the status of women, a feminist policy called Equality and Independence. Ms. Bonenfant was supported by a champion of women's rights, Lise Payette.

These contemporary women follow in the footsteps of the professional women and ordinary citizens who invested in the betterment of their communities. From Marie Guyart, better known as Marie-de-l'Incarnation, to Agnes McPhail, Marie Gérin-Lajoie, Carrie Derick, Thérèse Casgrain and Laure Gaudreault, they all shared the same goal: improving the lives of women and children, since the two are too often linked. They all helped make our society better without regard for their own situation.

Again, I want to pay homage to Claire Bonenfant and convey our sincere thanks for her dedication, warmth and honesty. She provided us with a model of feminism by remaining faithful to her convictions, even after she became a top public servant as president of the Council on the Status of Women.

But history is a continuing process. Unfortunately, we still often talk about the first woman appointed to this or that position. For example, the hon. member for Rimouski-Témiscouata recently mentioned the appointment of Lyse Lemieux, the first woman to become chief justice of the Quebec superior court.

These women are making history, and we hope that the increasing number of such appointments will bring us closer to the day when we have a tradition of appointing women to positions of leadership and authority.

In this month of October 1996, the more specific objective is to stress the presence of women in the fields of arts and culture. We cannot help but remember the cuts imposed by the Liberal government on major cultural institutions, in spite of firm commitments made in the red book. Studio D, at the National Film Board, is unquestionably the service most affected by these cuts, as far as women and culture are concerned. Since 1974, the year it was established, Studio D, whose mandate was to produce films on the status of women, made over 120 films and won more than 75 international awards, including one Genie and two Oscars. This is a big loss for women and for the cultural world.

But the government did not stop there. Year after year and, again, in spite of the promises made in the red book, it makes cuts in the cultural sector. These cuts result in the loss of jobs and, consequently, in fewer cultural products.

According to the latest survey on the labour force in the cultural sector, women outnumber men in the visual arts and the dance and choreography sectors. It just so happens that these are the two sectors where the average income is the lowest: $8,800 for painters, sculptors and those involved in related activities, and $12,800 for

dancers and choreographers. It is no surprise that visual arts are the cultural activity sector getting the least federal funding. So, the cuts imposed on culture primarily affect women.

In conclusion, I remind the government that, while ministerial statements may be encouraging for women, they do not put bread and butter on the table. Since it came to office, the government has abolished the sub-committee that reviewed issues relating to the status of women, and also the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women.

Similarly, the federal government, which made firm promises concerning child care during the election campaign, today, like a spoiled child, angry because the provinces are unwilling to go through the hoops it is holding out, is taking back its child care program and sulking. But the money for child care services belongs to women and families, and the federal government must return it to them without delay.

And what can we say about the new criteria in the Employment Insurance Act, with its new rules that penalize women because of the temporary and precarious nature of their employment?

I understand that it is women's month and that this needs to be underscored, but politics is politics, and I think that the government's new policies with respect to women penalize them.

There are also the cuts made by this government to community groups in Canada, which are not only working to make the public aware of women's issues, such as domestic violence, but which also provide services in a number of other fields of activity. There as well, there have been cuts that hurt women.

To date, the actions of the federal Liberal government show how little importance it accords to the status of women.

To these criticisms, the federal government will reply that it has developed an equal opportunity program. But everyone knows that it has not yet produced any results. This is not surprising, because there was no financial envelope for it.

In conclusion, I would like to remind members that the history of women in Quebec and in Canada contains many acts of courage and tenacity. The work of achieving equality for women goes on daily. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to all the women working today in the women's movement. It is not easy, when the focus is on the deficit and downsizing, to generate interest in social and legal rights-

[The Deputy Speaker]

I am sorry, but the hon. member's time is up.

[Sharon Hayes, Reform, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to have the opportunity to speak about Women's History Month.

Women have worked alongside men from the beginning of time in making history and have accomplished great things, sometimes independently and sometimes in partnership with others.

I do not accept the assertion of the minister responsible for the status of women that women's contributions to history and civilization have gone largely ignored. Great women have been recognized for their greatness in every generation. Political leaders from ancient civilizations through modern times such as India's Indira Ghandi, Israel's Golda Meir, Britain's Margaret Thatcher, have all been esteemed for their unique contributions.

Many other non-political examples also exist, including Florence Nightingale, Mother Theresa and Canada's own Laura Secord whose actions saved Upper Canada from Americans invading from the south.

The primary focus of this year's Women's History Month is culture and arts but it is important to recognize the significance of women in the whole of history and recognize the extent of their success even before any affirmative action movement for women's rights came into existence. In terms of this year's particular focus, women have in fact been the most significant contributors to culture throughout history.

Most in this House are probably well acquainted with the saying: "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world". This reflects once again the truth that the transmission of culture and tradition takes place primarily in the home. In this respect women have left an indelible mark on the lives of history makers throughout time.

Women's History Month is a celebration of women's unique and diverse accomplishments. This year the fifth Women's History Month honours women in the arts and their contribution to culture. I recognize and applaud the contribution women have made to the artistic and cultural development of our country.

In addition to the many individuals who have been mentioned today, I assert that equal recognition is well deserved for the role that women have played and continue to play in the preservation and protection of the family, a role that requires creativity, inspiration and compassion.

I salute the women who daily meet the realities of day to day living in their homes, striving to create order and harmony in an increasingly complex society. Women have a unique place in society as strategic partners in the future economic, social and cultural direction of our country. As key players in our families, they enhance this important and fundamental building block of our

society. They play a key role in the transfer of our nation's values and cultures.

Women both inside and outside the home deserve our recognition as pivotal players in the growth of our nation.

Committees Of The House

[Raymond Bonin, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two reports.

I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.

Pursuant to order of reference made Monday, June 17, 1996 your committee has considered Bill C-39, an act respecting the York Factory First Nation and the settlement of matters arising from an agreement relating to the flooding of lands and has agreed to report it with an amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.

Pursuant to the order of reference of Monday, June 17, 1996 your committee has considered Bill C-40, an act respecting the Nelson House First Nation and the settlement of matters arising from an agreement relating to the flooding of land and has agreed to report it with an amendment.

[John O'Reilly, Liberal, Victoria—Haliburton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Health.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), your committee has agreed to the first report of the subcommittee on HIV AIDS on compassionate access to investigational therapy.

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 36th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, in relation to the liaison committee's quorum.

If the House gives its consent, I move that the 36th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to.)

Petitions

[Elsie Wayne, Progressive Conservative, Saint John, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise pursuant to Standing Order 36 to present a petition signed by 81 people in my riding.

The petitioners pray and request that Parliament not amend the Canadian Human Rights Act or the charter of rights and freedoms in any way which would tend to indicate societal approval of same sex relationships or of homosexuality, including amending the Canadian Human Rights Act to include in the prohibited grounds of discrimination the undefined phrase sexual orientation.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions and I have grouped them into four separate areas.

The first group of petition is signed by residents of Saskatchewan who address the House of Commons requesting that Parliament not amend the Constitution as requested by the Government of Newfoundland and that it refer the problem of educational reform back to the Government of Newfoundland for resolution by some other constitutional procedures.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the second group of petitions that I present are signed by Canadian citizens from the province of Saskatchewan.

They request that Parliament amend the Criminal Code to ensure that sentences given to anyone convicted of driving while impaired or causing injury or death while impaired reflects both the severity of the crime and zero tolerance by Canada toward this crime.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the third group of petitions I am pleased to present are signed by 227 concerned citizens from British Columbia to Nova Scotia who oppose the inclusion of the phrase sexual orientation in the human rights act or any other federal legislation.

These Canadian believe freedom from discrimination is already protected in the human rights act and by Canadian law.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the fourth group of petitions I am pleased to present are 14 petitions signed by 300 concerned Canadians from the provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. They wish to draw to the attention of Parliament that over 100,000 therapeutic

abortions are performed each year in Canada at a cost of over $50 million per year.

These petitioners and all Canadians deserve to have a voice in how their health care dollars are spent and which health care procedures they consider essential.

The petitioners call on Parliament to support a binding national referendum to be held at the time of the next general election to determine whether or not Canadians are in favour of federal government funding for abortion on demand.

[Raymond Bonin, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the pleasure to present a petition on behalf of members of the Nickel Centre Seniors Club in Falconbridge, Ontario.

The petitioners draw to the attention of the House and request that Parliament regulate the longstanding Canadian practice of marketing generic drugs in a size, shape and colour which is similar to that of its brand name equivalent.