House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 55% of the vote.
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency May 30th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member thinks he has made a hole in one with this one he has double bogeyed again. ACOA does not fund golf courses. How many times do we have to repeat that?
It did under the Conservative government that was in power prior to the Liberals, but under the Liberals ACOA does not fund golf courses at all, not one penny from the ACOA fund.
The Unknown Soldier May 18th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring to the attention of the House important events that will be taking place in France and Canada next week, events that will mark a singular tribute to Canada's veterans of the past, to our serving men and women of today and to those who may, in the future, be called upon to defend our country and to stand on guard for peace and freedom.
Next Tuesday, it will be my privilege, in the company of representative veterans and other Canadian witnesses, to fly to Vimy, France, to receive the remains of an unidentified Canadian soldier from World War I.
Canadian veterans, military from Canada and France, diplomats, along with French government and community leaders will all witness the event. Honorary pallbearers from our wartime allies will bear the casket which our delegation from Canada will officially receive from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
The casket will contain the remains of a young soldier who made the supreme sacrifice in the area of Vimy. We do not know his name, we do not know his age, we do not know his unit but we do know that he was one of our brave Canadian soldiers.
After the ceremony at Vimy Ridge, the remains of the unknown soldier will be flown to Ottawa on the afternoon of May 25. In Ottawa there will be a procession to Parliament Hill where the unknown soldier will lie in state for three days in the Hall of Honour. The casket will be under constant vigil of serving members of the Canadian Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Members of the public will be invited to pay their respects.
On May 28 the casket will be taken on a gun carriage to the National War Memorial accompanied by a military escort, Her Excellency the Governor General of Canada, the Prime Minister, members of the diplomatic corps, veterans and the RCMP. There the casket will be placed on a specially designed memorial tomb, after which a committal service will be conducted with military honours.
Soil from each province and the territories will be mixed with the soil taken from his resting place in France and placed in the tomb. After completion of the service the tomb will be sealed forever.
This will be a unique occasion of commemoration as we honour the unknown soldier. I want to express, on behalf of all members of the House, our deep appreciation for the great efforts of the Royal Canadian Legion and others who have worked so hard to bring the unknown soldier home.
Acoa May 10th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, they also claim that 58% of the money from ACOA goes to big business.
Statistics Canada did a study in 1997. It examined over 6,000 ACOA clients. It found that 92% of the money goes to small and medium size businesses. Who do we believe, the reform alliance or Statistics Canada?
Acoa May 10th, 2000
I am answering the question. They gave an example as Bombardier ACOA grant unknown and then they said Mirabel, Quebec. That was a loan. It has been paid back. It set up a business in Fredericton, New Brunswick. It employs over 30 people. The only unknown thing here is where the opposition is getting this terrible information.
Acoa May 10th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, members of the official opposition gave an example yesterday of this unknown category—
Acoa May 10th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member said improve his line. I think that was what she said.
To clear up the confusion in case the hon. member's research bureau cannot do it, one can get grants, non-repayable contributions, if one is transferring money to the provincial government to do something that is a provincial government priority in these agreements, or under infrastructure, or if one is a non-profit organization, but there are no forgivable loans for businesses. On these lines, if these lines keep up, they—
Acoa May 10th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, what I have said consistently is the truth, that one cannot walk into an ACOA office anywhere in Canada as a business person and ask for a grant. They will say “We only have loans and they must be paid back”.
The information that the official opposition has is zero based on facts and 100% based on fiction, pulp fiction.
Acoa May 10th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, members of the official opposition stood in the Chamber two days ago and for 15 minutes blamed ACOA for giving money to the Clarenville sportsplex, only to discover that they were wrong, that it was an infrastructure program that did it.
Before that they blamed ACOA for spending all this money in 1997, only to discover that they were wrong and that it was fisheries money. Yesterday they claimed we gave out grants to businesses. They are wrong because they are only loans. I ask the leader: What does it feel like to be wrong 100% of the time?
Acoa May 9th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member claims that this government has spent money under the ACOA business program and under ACOA assistance on golf courses.
We have had a policy for years that not only are there no loans given for the capital costs of golf courses, neither are there loans or grants. There has been assistance for golf courses under the infrastructure program and under federal-provincial programs. The hon. gentleman has bogeyed again.
Acoa May 9th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, it is correct that we did give a grant of $15,000 to the Friends of Hank Snow Society because it is an non-profit organization promoting tourism in Liverpool, Nova Scotia.
Mr. Speaker, you will notice that the Alliance is not criticizing any assistance to orchestras or operas. I want to remind the member that in Atlantic Canada Hank Snow and the Grand Ole Opry have more followers than the grand opera.