Bonnie Brown

[Astronaut Chris Hadfield, November 9th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday morning our Canadian astronaut, Major Chris Hadfield, who is a crew member of the space shuttle Atlantis, will launch into space for an eight day mission. This graduate of White Oaks Secondary School in Oakville will become the fourth Canadian to go into space.

Watching him there will be 13 excited White Oaks Secondary School students, six students from the Milton District High School and 28 air cadets from the Blue Thunder Squadron in Milton. They are travelling to NASA to witness in person this special shuttle launch.

Major Hadfield will be the first Canadian to fly aboard the shuttle and will be the first Canadian to use the Canadarm.

On behalf of all Canadians, please join me in wishing Major Hadfield a safe and successful mission.

[Controlled Drugs And Substances Act, October 30th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure today to speak on Bill C-7, the controlled drugs and substances bill. I would like to discuss for a few moments the rationale for this legislation, in effect why Canada needs this bill and why the government is appealing to members of this House to support it.

The current situation the world faces regarding illicit drugs is unsettling. The problem of addiction and those who profit by addiction troubles the nation. It troubles my constituents and speaking as one who is elected to represent those same constituents, it troubles me. The bill is a major contribution to effective law enforcement and prosecution of offenders as it consolidates, enhances and modernizes current drug legislation.

It is true in many communities that there has been some decline in drug abuse among the general population, but there are also some distressing trends. Some abusers are taking much more potent drugs and the results are very harmful. Others are using drugs in very dangerous combinations.

There has been continuing inclination by youngsters to adopt the dangerous practice of taking anabolic steroids to try to build up their bodies. Unfortunately, prompted by constant and uncritical coverage in the media, uninformed people have come to abuse the drug without thinking of the consequences and equally unfortunately dealers have responded to this new demand.

Abuse has now spread to gymnasiums and high schools, putting at risk the health of young men and women. As is common in drug dealing, the anabolic steroids may be adulterated, raising the risk even higher.

The bill is designed to provide the government with improved means to prosecute people who deal illegally in anabolic steroids. It furnishes a framework to target purveyors of poison, the drug dealers who are the instruments of destruction of too many young citizens.

Despite a gradual decline in the abuse of most drugs, there are several alarming trends emerging on the horizon. Many drugs which are abused today are extremely potent with more potentially damaging consequences. Abusers are consuming drugs by much more dangerous means and they are using drugs in more dangerous combinations.

There is a growing frustration among law enforcement officials, community leaders from across the nation and Canadians in general. They are calling on provincial governments and the Government of Canada to assign a higher priority to dealing with drug abuse and its costly impact. Demands are being made for more severe sentences, a streamlining of the judicial system and assignment of the proceeds of drug crimes to help finance education and enforcement programs.

Court delays and complexities of administering the law have only helped to fuel the public's growing concern. Some law enforcement agencies have declared that the costs of enforcing the law against drug dealers have become high.

The government recognizes that these concerns require deliberate and sustained action, including combating the evil of addiction on three fronts: education and prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, and enforcement and control.

Bill C-7 corrects the deficiencies of existing drug control legislation. It encompasses all listed substances and declares them illegal for other than legitimate medical, scientific or industrial use.

In conjunction with the proceeds of crime legislation adopted in 1988 and proclaimed on January 1, 1989, the bill will empower the courts with the right to confiscate all property and capital accumulated as a result of or used in the commission of drug related crimes. This will provide police forces and the judiciary with the tools they need in a manner consistent with the charter of rights.

With the bill Canada will fulfil its international obligations found under the 1961 single convention on narcotic drugs, the 1971 convention of psychotropic substances and an international treaty governing the trade of illicit drugs.

The proposed bill can become an effective instrument in enforcing the law and controlling the import, export, production, sale, distribution and possession of illegal drugs. The bill seeks to update, enhance and consolidate a section of the Food and Drug Act and the Narcotic Control Act, both passed long ago in the sixties.

While the whims and wants of society have become more and more sophisticated since that time, unfortunately so has the network of drug producers and dealers.

The bill is designed to correct certain anomalies and shortcomings in our current law. In so doing it will enable law enforcement agencies to deal more effectively with a cunning, determined and resourceful adversary, the dealer in illicit drugs.

The new main provisions of the bill include controls on the import and export of precursor chemicals used by drug manufacturers. These chemicals include substances, usually not themselves psychoactive, which criminals can change easily into illicit drugs.

The bill also provides for provisions to control the production, sale, distribution, import and export of androgenic-anabolic steroids; provisions to control the possession, production, distribution, sale, import and export of designer drugs developed by dealers for the purpose of evading current laws; provisions to search, seize and have forfeited property used or intended for the purpose of committing drug offences, also known as offence related property including fortified drug houses.

The bill also includes a complete scheme for obtaining search and seizure warrants; the expansion of offences concepts relating to trafficking and production; the enhancement of control over disposal of controlled substances including forfeiture; new provisions to control the possession, production, distribution, sale, import and export of designer drugs; provisions which will facilitate Canada's commitments under the international conventions; and treatment by the courts of drug dealing in and around schools and other public places frequented by children and dealing drugs to minors as aggravating factors at the time of sentencing.

The principal purposes of the bill are to provide one comprehensive act for the drug control policy of the government and to provide for the enforcement and control aspects of Canada's drug strategy.

I will review briefly the seven principal parts of the bill as well as the introduction. Part I sets out the offences and punishment commensurate with breaking the proposed new law. The particular offences may include possession, trafficking, importing and exporting, production, possession of property obtained as a result of certain offences, and the laundering of proceeds obtained as a result of certain offences.

Part I also sets out specific aggravating factors to be considered by the court at the time of sentencing. These are directed particularly at drug dealers who target children, those who use weapons and violence, as well as those who have previous drug related convictions. This part also included a purpose clause dealing with sentences and, more particular, encouraging rehabilitation and treatment in appropriate circumstances.

Part II deals with enforcement of the proposed act by police. This includes provisions relating to search, seizure and detention of property or illegal substances, forfeiture of offence related

property, as well as a complete scheme for protecting innocent third party rights over such property and forfeiture of proceeds of drug related crimes.

Part III outlines procedures for disposal of controlled substances. Part IV covers administration and compliance.

There are seven parts to the bill and its most important provision is that it moves Canada 30 years in time from the sixties to the nineties. It codifies and empowers police while at the same time it protects citizens. It gives us a Controlled Drugs and Substances Act that has merit and is enforceable.

[Canada, October 2nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, school children from around the world love contests, and last June Canadian school children got their chance to enter one.

At the request of cartoonist Ben Wicks newspapers from across Canada and the Schoolnet asked our children to depict how they felt about their country. They could submit letters, poems, drawings or paintings.

The response was overwhelming. More than 50,000 replies were received and 300 were selected for a new book called Dear Canada/Cher Canada-A Love Letter to My Country .

Today Mr. Wicks and 20 children from across Canada are in Ottawa to launch this book. The proceeds from the sale will go to needy mothers and children in Haiti and to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada.

Through this book the children of Canada are telling us what the rest of the world already knows, that Canada is the best country in the world.

[The Environment, June 16th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment.

Last week was environment week and we asked Canadians as individuals and in business to focus on the environment and to assist with its clean up. Canadians expect us to lead by example.

What is our minister doing to clean up the operations of our own government?

[Health Care, June 5th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, a Canadian company that recently brought jobs and investment to Oakville is also bringing sensible cost savings to Canadian hospitals without harming patient care.

In May, Livingston Healthcare Services Inc., an Ontario based health products distributor, opened a new logistics facility in Oakville. This company has introduced to Canadian hospitals a cost saving innovation: just in time delivery. The result is that hospitals no longer need to keep large, expensive inventories.

Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto has saved over $200,000 in its first year using this system. While the Toronto hospital anticipates savings of over $1 million annually, these savings have no negative impact on patient care and in fact can allow money to be reallocated to improve it. The latest investment and expansion has the potential to benefit all Canadians.

Clearly this is welcome news for Canada's health care system.

[Child Poverty, May 12th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians who are concerned about the welfare of children will be interested in the initiative announced by Lyn McLeod in her Ontario Liberal election platform.

She has promised that if elected she will name a key cabinet minister to be responsible for children's services. This minister will be responsible for improving the co-ordination and delivery of children's services.

The number of children living in poverty and the number of those at risk or in crisis continues to rise in Ontario. More than 500,000 children in Ontario are dependent on the welfare system. One out of three children in metropolitan Toronto alone is on social assistance. This is unacceptable and Mrs. McLeod has recognized it. She knows that the current system is fragmented and confusing to deal with. She identified that involving local communities in the decisions about children's services is the key.

I applaud her foresight and proactive initiatives in the area of children's services. I must ask why the other parties in the Ontario election seem to be-

[Grandparents, May 9th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, last week when the House passed the motion by the member for Mission-Coquitlam, we together affirmed that we regard the opinions of grandparents regarding the welfare of their grandchildren as important. I hope we assign the same importance to their opinions when they speak on the issues of the day.

This morning a small group of grandparents gathered outside the Centre Block to express their views on gun control and Bill C-68. In costumes they sang humorous songs in support of gun registration which they see as an integral part of civic responsibility. It was the Ottawa chapter of the "Raging Grannies", a nationwide group of grandmothers advocating world peace. Its members see our legislation as a logical next step in their efforts to ensure a safer social environment for their grandchildren.

We all understand the special love and dedication grandparents have for their grandchildren. We recognized it last week. We would do well to heed their advice on all issues which affect the welfare of children.

As a mother and grandmother I welcome and support the participation of the "Raging Grannies"-

[Funding For Cultural Organizations, May 3rd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today in response to private member's Motion M-213 put forward by the hon. member for Richelieu, which proposes changing the funding practice with respect to cultural organizations to a multi-year schedule.

The need for multi-year planning is necessary for two very important reasons. First, it reflects a desire on the part of all Canadians to see the implementation of good business practices throughout government. Second, it ensures that our cultural organizations will remain vigorous and accountable.

Canada has many cultural organizations, covering the full range of all the activities that make our Canadian culture a vivid

and living experience. We have museums, theatres, symphony orchestras, art galleries, and dance companies, all there as a reflection of Canada's heart and soul and all striving to keep their heads above perilous waters.

Why? Because they have traditionally been funded on an annual basis, greatly impeding their ability to carry out plans for the long term. It is good business sense to plan ahead, but a virtual impossibility if there is no notion of the kind of income that will be forthcoming.

Government understands this dilemma. The government made its commitment to better business practices in the red book by promising multi-year funding to cultural organizations. This is part of the government's plan to help make Canada more fiscally responsible and economically sound.

The 1994 budget announced that a program review would be undertaken to "ensure that the government's diminished resources are directed to the highest priority requirements and to those areas where the federal government is best placed to deliver services".

The program review was a comprehensive and rigorous examination of all federal programs and activities, including those of a cultural nature. Its central objective was to identify the federal government's core roles and responsibilities and to provide modern, affordable government.

In the 1995 budget the government announced reductions based on the program review exercise, reductions to ensure that it meets its commitment to reduce the deficit to 3 per cent of gross domestic product in 1996-97. Cultural agencies in the Canadian heritage portfolio were part of this exercise. Agencies like the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the National Library, and the National Arts Centre, to name only a few, are now working to implement these reductions and set their courses for the future.

The current reductions have been a tough bullet to bite, but the cultural agencies, like other areas of government, are doing their best to contribute to the success of the government's fiscal strategy. Under these circumstances, it only makes sense to give cultural agencies as much assistance as possible through this difficult period by enabling them to plan their futures with a greater degree of confidence.

In the 1995 budget it was announced that the government intends to implement a new expenditure management system. Its objectives are to take responsible spending decisions to deliver the programs and services Canadians need and can afford and to meet the required fiscal targets. Moreover, this system will foster a more open, responsive, and accountable budget process.

This is the criterion that Canadians are demanding we apply: greater accountability for the money we spend. In the face of fixed or declining budgets and the need to adjust to changing circumstances through reallocation, we need a more flexible system of expenditure management.

Cultural organizations, through the preparation of three-year business plans, can take a more strategic, multi-year perspective to their management. Cultural organizations can prepare outlook documents that will be available to the House standing committee. With such documents in hand, committee members will be better informed and better able to review and report on future expenditure priorities.

These multi-year outlooks will be based on resources allocated in the February budget and will set out the strategies to be pursued to adapt to the fiscal and policy environment. The outlook will explain significant resource shifts in terms of the priorities and associated initiatives of the organization over a three-year period. It will describe new directions, evolving priorities, and objectives for the period. It is good to reiterate that this outlook document will be developed by the cultural agency itself.

There is no question that working for the long term is a more feasible method of making the best use of scarce resources. If this is a better way to stretch our cultural dollars, then we should go ahead with it.

Our cultural organizations, whatever proportion of the population they serve, are too important to let die for lack of foresight. Our cultural organizations are a precious entity within the Canadian identity. They are the caretakers of our rich past, the caretakers of our creative efforts, the food that nourishes the mind and the heart and the soul.

Our cultural organizations allow us to see ourselves and let others see us and know us as Canadians. The motion we are discussing today speaks to our belief in the necessity of cultural organizations. It is an important one for all Canadians. By affirming the value of our cultural organizations, by keeping them living and viable institutions, we are affirming our belief in ourselves.

In my view we have no option but to encourage multi-year planning for our cultural organizations. We must ensure they can maintain their stability in an uncertain world and have the opportunity to become the best possible reflection of Canada's cultural identity.

[Eh-101 Helicopter, April 26th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Public Works and government services.

Since the cancellation of the EH-101 helicopter program, the minister has made a financial agreement and settlement with the main contractor, called Unisys. Many of the suppliers and subcontractors are small Canadian companies that require their share of the settlement if they are to survive. What assurances can the minister give these suppliers that they will indeed be able to secure a fair portion of the $166 million settlement?

[Supply, March 21st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I think from the committee my colleagues opposite know I am never going to be satisfied with a PBS style public broadcaster.

I find it appalling that at regular occasions what are probably fine upstanding citizens have to stand up with a tin cup and beg for donations. I find it appalling that our neighbour to the south does not value the PBS programs, which indeed many of us and many of its own citizens enjoy, sufficiently to fund it without having the tin cup approach. I would certainly fight against that to the death. You can count on it.

I cannot let the hon member's comments go unchallenged from the point of view of the identity issue. My colleague says there is no single Canadian identity but rather, there is a francophone one, an anglophone one, and an aboriginal one. She says that is why she wants to leave.

The thing is, the government does not want to allow that to happen because when my colleague says they want to leave, she is referring to those of her people with a francophone identity who live within the confines of the province of Quebec, which after all is only a geographic designation.

There are many other Canadians who see themselves with a francophone identity and live outside the borders of Quebec. I ask my colleague why she would want to abandon those who share her sense of identity by leaving them and creating a new country from which they would be excluded.

I have just one other point. The fact is that all identities and all nations evolve and emerge with time. While we all have the identity of our roots, there is such a wonderful opportunity here for me to try to understand my colleague's identity, the identity of her birth and for her to try to understand mine and for all of us together to try to understand the identity of the aboriginal people and indeed of our newcomers. It is as we understand each other that perhaps that search for understanding becomes the foundation of what is truly a Canadian identity for all of us.