Dianne Brushett

[Merchant Navy, May 24th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, as a member from Atlantic Canada I am very proud and very pleased that my government, the Government of Canada, has recognized the 12,000 Canadians who voluntarily served in the merchant navies of Canada and other allied countries during the second world war. Many of those merchant mariners came from Atlantic Canada and one out of ten died on the high seas.

Yesterday, after 51 years, this government represented by the hon. Secretary of State for Veterans and the hon. Minister of National Revenue in twin ceremonies in Halifax and in Vancouver presented the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal to veterans of the Canadian Merchant Navy. With the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings on the Normandy beaches just a few days away, it is very appropriate and timely that this government acknowledge the success of the allied war effort vested in large measure in the considerable sacrifices made by allied merchant seamen.

Today Canada salutes the veterans of the merchant navy and we thank them for their ultimate sacrifice.

[Supply, May 3rd, 1994]

Madam Speaker, I truly enjoyed the hon. member's remarks, particularly the humour. When there is humour and wit in a taxation debate it does make it a lot more enjoyable.

One comment is in terms of the Rogers report on taxation revolt out of Halifax. My riding of Cumberland-Colchester is in Nova Scotia, that beautiful province. Just yesterday I attended a ribbon cutting and sod turning ceremony at a factory. It

is a manufacturing plant of Intertape Polymer Group. This factory has been in existence in Truro for close to 20 years. About every five years it has been able to expand with a little bit of Atlantic Canada opportunities or ACOA funding.

Yesterday we presented it with a grant of $1.5 million. Seventy per cent of that was federal funds and 30 per cent was a provincial co-operative sharing financial grant. The amount we presented as government of $1.5 million was matched with $9.8 million from the plant. This was to expand into new products that would go on the international marketplace. It already employs close to 400 people and will take on an additional 45 people. These are long term sustainable jobs.

The point I wish to make is that the manager of this plant had to compete with his other plants. One in Florida, one in North Carolina, one in Ontario, one in England, and the one in Nova Scotia: five manufacturing plants that manufacture a plastic tape that goes on the back of carpets, that makes polysacs for carrying all kinds of large bulk products. This fibre is made, competed with and sold internationally.

This plant in Truro was able to get the $9.8 million from the conglomerate because we were able to assist a little bit with an ACOA grant in the Atlantic region.

That is the benefit of cost sharing, stimulating, promoting those jobs. As the hon. member will know, in our red book we did advocate jobs for this country. If he has read the recent reports the economy today is at the highest it has been in the past five years. It is growing. It is growing slowly but it is growing and he must agree that we have taken some appropriate measures by reducing those taxes, the 3 per cent in the UI premiums. That was a constructive, positive measure to increase jobs and to increase job potential for this country.

I wanted to point out to the hon. member the fact that when we do cost share as a government, if the owner or manufacturer puts in a substantial amount and there are long term jobs, long term sustainability in manufacturing for the export market, I must remind him of the tremendous products, then it is a good investment and we are on the right track.

[Goods And Services Tax, April 29th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in my place today to thank the members of our Standing Committee on Finance for the sterling work they did on behalf of this House on the issue of replacement measures for the GST.

I commend them for the many long hours and the many thousands of miles they travelled on our behalf, listening to the suggestions of Canadians as to how we can replace this detested and very damaging tax.

This week I was privileged to testify before this committee here in Ottawa to discuss my proposal for a tax on gross business output at a rate of 2 per cent to replace the GST at 7 per cent.

Our government pledged in the famous red book to look at options through public consultation to replace the GST. I believe this committee deserves our sincere thanks for its diligent efforts to consult seriously with Canadians to provide a real alternative to the GST.

[Supply, April 28th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I did appreciate the hon. member's comments because I come from a rural-urban riding mix as well and have a great support for the agriculture sector, in particular dairy agriculture.

I remind the hon. member of two points that this government has done. In the SEED program, which is summer employment for students, a program that has just recently been introduced, approximately one-quarter of my student applicants have applied for jobs in the farm sector. I would challenge the hon. member that the farm sector is still a vibrant sector in this country, that our young people are returning to the farms and that a nation that cannot feed itself is not a strong nation. I believe Canada is going in the right direction.

The second point I would remind the hon. member of is that with our budget in February of this year we retained the $500,000 capital gains exemption for small business and farms. Therefore farms could be passed on to the second generation or provide a strength of security for the farm family in the older days of their lives.

We have not done everything that we may, but we are going in the direction to preserve the family farm and to maintain a source of strong, excellent and healthy food supply for this country.

[Lobster Fishery, April 25th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the ice is gone from the Northumberland Strait. The lobster traps are neatly lined on every small wharf from Barachois to North Port and the fishermen are ready to begin the lobster season in Nova Scotia.

The fishermen look forward to a good season and have voluntarily agreed to increase the size of the lobster carapace to two and three-quarter inches, that is, a larger lobster. They will toss back the smaller lobster to grow to a more desirable size. What this means is better conservation of the lobster fishery and a long term sustainable lobster fishery.

For many years researchers and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans have recommended the increased carapace size. Now that our fishermen have voluntarily agreed to comply I implore the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to legislate the increased size in lobster carapace to ensure conservation in the lobster fishery.

[Canadian Citizenship, April 20th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the hon. member for Don Valley North on his initiative in organizing the first citizenship day for members of Parliament and senators to publicly reaffirm their allegiance to Canada.

Yesterday the hon. member for Don Valley North brought us together in the Hall of Honour because of his appreciation as an immigrant to hold Canadian citizenship and because of his love and commitment to this great country.

It was a moving experience and for many of us it was the first time we experienced the joy of enunciating the words aloud, declaring our allegiance for Canada. At a time when many nations are being torn apart by civil insurrection and war, it is imperative that we Canadians show the world through our leadership and policy how people with many diversities live in harmony as one nation.

Let this ceremony be the beginning for all members in the House to publicly serve and pledge allegiance to one great country, one Canada, our beloved country.

[Old Age Security, April 15th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development.

The government recently announced the preparation of a broad discussion paper on Canada's programs for seniors. The minister clearly stated that the objective was to define a set of efficient and compassionate programs to meet our future needs.

Could the minister clarify whether this means that the review of seniors' programs is part of social security reform? Could the minister give his assurance that old age security pensions will be protected?

[Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Suspension Act, 1994, April 12th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the intervention is to share the sentiments of the hon. member for Matapédia-Matane and his values for the rural communities of Gaspé. Rural New Brunswick and rural Nova Scotia have the same values, needs and long distances between small communities. We too know that representation must come from each geographic region and not necessarily from statistics.

It is important to bring forward ideas. Somehow the hon. member is presenting ideals that we all share and want, yet at the same time he feels they will not be here for the next election. That is entirely contradictory in spirit and thought.

[Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Suspension Act, 1994, April 12th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I have a comment for the hon. member for Matapédia-Matane. I grew up in rural New Brunswick-

[Curling, April 12th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago my home town of Truro, Nova Scotia proudly hosted the `94 Pepsi junior curling championships. At that prestigious national event curling was showcased at its best

as we saw the men's team from Alberta and the women's team from Manitoba emerge as the Canadian junior champions.

From the Truro Nationals, the Alberta men's team led by Colin Davison went directly to Bulgaria for the world championships. Under the women's rules last year's Canadian champions competed in this year's international championships.

In Bulgaria this past week both the Kim Gellard junior women's team from Toronto and the Colin Davison's junior men's rink from Alberta won their respective world junior curling championships.

As a member of Parliament, I am very proud of our young Canadian athletes and congratulate our young men and women as they return home from Bulgaria as world champions of junior curling.