John Harvard

[Supply, March 22nd, 1994]

Madam Speaker, the hon. member for Skeena talked about small business in a way as though Liberals in the country had never heard of small business. I can assure the gentleman that thousands of Liberals are business people and that thousands of businesses support the Liberal Party.

We know some of the problems faced by small business. If the gentleman from Skeena would have read the budget a little more closely, he would have noticed that small business plays a big part in the budget. We are attempting to do many things to make its life a little easier.

For example, we will be developing what we call a lending code for banks, because small businesses have been complaining vociferously for years about the way they are treated by banks. We will be establishing a venture capital fund. We are expanding information centres across the country because we know how important information is to small businesses that are not wealthy, as he pointed out, and do not have the resources to get information on their own hook.

We will be expanding the technology network because technology is important to small business. We will be expanding the parameters of the Export Development Corporation because exports are important to the country and important to small business. Small business can do a lot more in the way of exports. Right now only 8 per cent of our business community exports.

We have recognized some of the problems facing the small business community. It is recognized in the budget. I think the Reform Party does not do a service to this institution when it, it appears, deliberately ignores what was stated in the budget.

[Supply, March 22nd, 1994]

Madam Speaker, I have a couple of comments and a question for the hon. member from Vancouver.

I do not think we Liberals need to take any lessons from the Reform Party when it comes to small business. We realize how important small and medium sized businesses are to the economy. It has been said many times and I will repeat it here. Small and medium sized companies have produced about 85 per cent of the new jobs in this country in the past few years. They are an important segment of the economy.

I would warn the hon. member from Vancouver to be careful in his simplicity about reducing taxation. I know that taxation is sensitive and one can take taxation too far with respect to business. In many cases we have taken it too far. When he uses the Hong Kong example, I can come back with the example of the United States of America which has an unemployment rate of about 6.5 per cent. It sounds good at the surface but there is an enormous price to pay for that because of their inability to distribute wealth in any reasonable way. The United States of America has an enormous problem when it comes to poverty. Poverty turns into disaster. There is the matter of crime in the United States. It is directly attributable to poverty.

When the hon. member talks about taxation he should also be very mindful about distribution of wealth or does he not care about the distribution of wealth? Would he just leave it to the marketplace and all of its inherent injustices?

[Canada Pension Plan, March 17th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I am concerned about the distribution of survivors' benefits under the Canada Pension Plan.

A surviving spouse can be either a legal or a common law spouse to qualify for the survivor's benefit. A common law spouse must have been living in a conjugal relationship for at least one year. This is controversial because often a common law spouse gets all the survivor's benefits after a brief relationship. Meanwhile the legal spouse who was part of perhaps a much longer relationship gets absolutely nothing. This is just not fair. The government has already established the principle of dividing pension credits.

In 1978 provisions were introduced into the CPP providing for the division of pension credit on divorce or annulment. In 1987 this was extended to marriage breakdown resulting from separation.

I urge the government to apply this principle to split survivors' benefits for legal spouses. Surely if this principle is sound for one, it is sound for another.

[Bristol Aerospace, February 25th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Defence.

Bristol Aerospace is one of the largest employers in my riding. It employs hundreds of well trained men and women. After this week's budget, however, fears were raised that severe job losses would occur at Bristol as a result of possible changes to the CF-5 repair program for the military. This is of great concern to Bristol employees, it is of concern to me and I know it is of great concern to the minister of defence.

Can the minister tell the House what discussions he has had concerning this matter and can he offer some encouraging news for Bristol employees this morning?

[The Budget, February 24th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I have one question to put to my hon. friend, the hon. member for Wetaskiwin.

The hon. member went on a bit about the UI program. As opposition members are wont to do, the member focused on what he thinks are some of the more negative aspects of what we have done or not done with UI.

One thing that he did not point out is the reduction in premium rates that will come about from $3.07 to $3.00. According to the government, and I have no reason to disbelieve the calculation put forward by the hon. Minister of Human Resources Development, that premium reduction alone could translate into as many as 40,000 jobs. That reduction does put an additional $300

million into the hands of business. Most of that is small and medium size business.

I would like to know from the hon. member for Wetaskiwin how he feels about that particular reduction and whether he would support putting that kind of money into the hands of business which might use it to increase jobs.

[Veterans Affairs, February 24th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of a special war medal for Dieppe veterans.

For 30 years or more the issue has been in the hands of the federal government. Almost everyone seems to support the idea of special recognition for these very deserving war veterans. Politicians make positive statements, officials meet and promises are made, but nothing really happens. If the country waits much longer all these men will be dead.

I am given to understand that the federal government is now studying proposals on how special recognition might best be provided and that when that is done the government will have several concrete options for veterans' groups to review. Moreover the secretary of state says he sees merit in a war medal for these courageous men.

Let us hope we are near the end of this saga. The gallant veterans of Dieppe have waited long enough. I urge the government to act and act now for a group of fine men.

[Aerospace Industry, February 18th, 1994]

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

A vibrant aerospace industry exists in my riding of Winnipeg St. James. Companies such as Bristol, Standard Aero, Boeing and Paramax have benefited a lot from government and private contracts. However, the industry suffered setbacks when, a few years back, the CF-18 contract was not awarded to Bristol and more recently with the cancellation of the EH-101 helicopter contract.

Can the minister inform the House what his department is planning to do to maintain a strong aerospace industry in my riding of Winnipeg St. James and in fact in the whole city of Winnipeg?

[Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements And Federal Post-Secondary Education And Health Contributions Act, February 9th, 1994]

What about Ontario?

[Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements And Federal Post-Secondary Education And Health Contributions Act, February 9th, 1994]

You would not make a very good historian.

[Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements And Federal Post-Secondary Education And Health Contributions Act, February 9th, 1994]

Get on the subject, Nelson.