Cheryl Gallant

[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, March 22nd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, in this era of rapid globalization, Canada's cultural institutions bind us together as a nation. As Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC has an obligation to be accessible to all Canadians.

The decision of the CBC to cut off service to the more than one million Canadians living primarily in rural and remote communities by discontinuing English language transmission of large dish C-band satellite signals is wrong.

At a time when the CBC is being watched by smaller and smaller audiences, it demonstrates just how out of touch CBC management is when it looks for ways to shrink its number of viewers. Canadian taxpayers have a right to service from their public broadcaster regardless of where they live.

It is time for the CBC to admit its mistake and restore service to the large C-band dish owners of this country.

[Agriculture, March 20th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, Ontario's vibrant culture begins with the family farm. The crisis in rural Ontario goes beyond agriculture. Our way of life is under assault.

The history of our province is steeped with stories of our attachment to the land. In my riding of Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke the extensive linkages that agriculture has in the local economy and the benefits provided go far beyond our farmers.

The government needs to look past the current economic crisis to the loss of our rural heritage with the demise of the family farm.

The government will subsidize books, films and television about Canadian culture because in the future if our children want to learn about the family farm, they will have to read about it in a book.

[Supply, March 20th, 2001]

Madam Speaker, I was not aware that my rifleman talents were known that widely. The Canadian Alliance will reduce subsidies only in conjunction with other countries. It is the Liberal government that unilaterally took away subsidies from Canadian farmers.

[Supply, March 20th, 2001]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to participate in the debate to support the motion to immediately authorize an additional $400 million in emergency assistance for Canadian farm families. It is clear that the concerns of Ontario farmers have been falling on deaf ears with the government. Farmers have been facing their worst income crisis since the great depression. It is also clear that only a Canadian Alliance government would listen to the problems facing rural Canada.

In my riding of Renfrew-Nipissing—Pembroke, farmers are experiencing the same income crisis that is being experienced elsewhere.

Considering that a large portion of the terrain in my riding is the Canadian Shield, which has poor, rocky soils where there is soil, production is substantial. Beef farms account for over 50% of all farms in Renfrew county. Dairy, field crop and miscellaneous specialty farms account for most of the remaining farms. Renfrew is a leader in hay, maple syrup and Christmas tree production.

However, the profile of farming in my riding is changing. The number of beef farms is steadily declining and field crop and miscellaneous operations are on the increase. That is happening because our farmers are searching for ways to make a living in light of the problem of low commodity prices. Here in Ontario the federal government has developed a reputation of being anti-farmer.

This past year Ontario farmers have been faced with bad weather, reduced yields and declining prices due to the international agreement the Liberals signed that created the World Trade Organization. Not only did the new agreement end the provision which protected supply management from imports, it exposed Canadian farmers to penalties which the Liberals claimed would not occur.

In September 1999 the WTO ruled that Canada was dumping milk on to the world market and it ordered Canada to change or to stop exporting. This exposed the lie told to farmers when they were advised that supply management would not be affected by the Mulroney-Liberal trade agreements, and that there would be no effect on domestic supply management.

The Liberals then tried to cover their tracks by incorrectly stating that a Canadian Alliance government would unilaterally end domestic supply management. That is false and the worst form of negative politics from a federal government that thrives on negative politics. The Canadian Alliance knows that farmers want straight talk from Ottawa about what is happening in agriculture here at home and abroad.

The Canadian Alliance believes it is in the best interest of farmers, Canada and agriculture that the industries under the protection of supply management remain viable. While the Canadian Alliance supports greater international trade, our farmers will only benefit from increased trade if it is rules based fair trade. We will continue to support supply managed farmers. Tariffs will only be reduced and my party and I will only consider changes to domestic policies if other countries match our existing commitments.

It is clear that a significant segment of the Ontario farming community did not support the Mulroney-Liberal trade agreements because it feared the deal would mean the end of the family farm. The Mulroney-Liberal trade agreements are a direct assault on rural Canada.

In Ontario since the current government took power, according to Statistics Canada the number of farmers for whom farming is their principle means of livelihood have declined from 121,200 to 88,200, or a loss of 33,000 farmers. Farmers' worst fears are being realized with the government.

According to the Ontario Corn Producers Association, federal statistics on farm income data for all provinces show that the total net farm income was substantially lower in Ontario than in Saskatchewan in both 1998 and 1999, even though the scale of agricultural output was larger in Ontario. Total net farm income was $484 million in 1998 and $281 million in 1999 in Ontario. For Saskatchewan the figures were $603 million in 1998 and $531 million in 1999.

During the past federal election in rural Ontario, some elected politicians had big words of encouragement but the sad fact is that it was just another last minute vote ploy. With two days before an election call, when this cynical government thought it might need the votes from farmers, it promised bigger and more flexible AIDA program payments. The AIDA funding, offered two years ago, is for the most part still in Ottawa. Funding programs are meaningless unless they reach those who need them.

The Canadian Alliance believes Ontario's market revenue program must be maintained or it will be lost for good. We believe the program has served Ontario producers well. We will not allow the program to run out of money or be scrapped because if it does the Mulroney-Liberal trade agreements will not allow us to start it up again.

The Ontario farmer in rural Ontario is an endangered species. The Prime Minister and his contemptuous advisers knew that they did not have to make commitments to farmers but were quick to throw money at rich urbanites, including $500 million for the Toronto waterfront and $380 million for new four lane highways and bridges for Quebec.

Farmers in Ontario have long feared that the Liberal government policy of driving them off the land would mean a loss in political influence. That grim realization has come with the November 27 election results.

Ontario farmers are asking for a level playing field. Agriculture is important. I say that to all members of the House but I particularly direct my comments to the Liberal MPs in Ontario who have rural constituencies but cannot seem to convince their leader that agriculture is important.

This is not just a western Canada issue to ignore, as the Liberal Party tends to ignore the west.

As the only unbiased voice of rural Ontario since 1993, I can say that farmers are talking to me. Members opposite may think that four years is a long time and that they will forget how they have pushed away their concerns, but I am saying that they will not forget because as their voice on Parliament Hill I will remind them of how their trust was betrayed. Excuses can be made but the facts are there.

We in the official opposition are asking the government to support the needs of Canadian farmers so that they will be here tomorrow to put quality home grown food on the tables of consumers.

[Research And Development, March 1st, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, in April 1999 a proposal was presented to the government to build a Canadian neutron facility for advanced materials research at Chalk River laboratories.

This facility is critical for Canadian industries and universities in developing the advanced materials needed to compete in the global economy. If Canada is to maintain its economic independence, we need to stay ahead of the competition by developing new materials and new industries.

All innovations depend on the discovery and development of new materials, whether they be for medical, mining, aerospace, optical or energy industries.

Working at Chalk River, Canadian Bert Brockhouse developed the method now used around the world to view the movement of atoms. For this outstanding achievement he shared the 1994 Nobel prize for physics.

To continue to have Canadian success stories such as this one, we as a nation must invest in primary scientific research. I am calling on the government to act now and provide the funding necessary to build the Canadian neutron facility at Chalk River.

[Transportation Safety, February 16th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to draw attention to the continuing tragedies that are occurring on that portion of the Trans-Canada Highway No. 17 that runs through my riding of Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke.

Since the House has been in session no fewer than three needless deaths have occurred. Highway 17's reputation as a killer highway has been established over the years. How many deaths need to occur before some action is taken to fix the problem?

The people of Renfrew county have been waiting for over 30 years for highway 17 to be upgraded from two to four lanes. The recent decision of the federal government to spend hundreds of millions of dollars during the last election on highways east of the Ottawa River has those of us living west of the Ottawa River wondering how many deaths must occur before the government takes notice.

It is time to end the reputation of highway 17 as a killer highway. I appeal to the government to show fairness when it comes to the safety of Canadians.

[National Flag Of Canada Day, February 15th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise in the House to recognize National Flag of Canada Day and to draw attention to the song Our Great Canadian Flag . This song was written to honour the Canadian flag on this day.

The Canadian flag song was inspired by three very patriotic constituents of mine: Marjorie Ranger who wrote the lyrics and Ron and James Resmer who composed and recorded the music.

National Flag of Canada Day gives all Canadians the opportunity to celebrate the most visible and recognizable symbol of Canada. The Canadian flag song complements that recognition at a time when the burden of national unity and the need for symbols were never more pressing. The song eloquently states what we as Canadians believe:

Up in the Great Canadian Skies Our Flag soars High and Free As far to the East as to the West It flies with Dignity

Portrayed by the Maple Leaf Red and White combined It reminds me of our Heritage In this Noble Country of mine

[Agriculture, February 13th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to add to the sense of urgency that our party believes exists in regard to letting the government know that there is a crisis for the Canadian family farm.

In my home province of Ontario, the agricultural sector in rural Ontario remains an important engine for economic growth. Projected farm gate sales of $8.84 billion for 1999 tell us that agriculture in Ontario continues to grow. Additionally, the simultaneous increase in farm gate sales and the decline in farm jobs tells us that farmers continue to become more productive with a trend toward more capital intensive operations.

Agriculture is big business in my riding of Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke. A recent study that also includes our fellow Alliance members in the county of Lanark shows that there are 7,021 jobs tied to the agricultural sector and over $240 million per annum in sales from farms and businesses that buy and sell to farms.

The study also states that for every on farm job in Renfrew and Lanark counties, there are an additional 1.3 jobs off the farm in the economy serving the needs of local farm operators. The sales expenditure multiplier shows that for every dollar spent by a farmer there is an additional $1.45 in sales by businesses that deal with farmers.

During the past federal election, I was able to hear firsthand the plight of our local farmers. There has been a loss of small farms through consolidation. It is getting harder to find processing plants and markets to take their produce. Government services are actually being withdrawn from farmers and the gap is not always filled by the private sector. There is a shortage of skilled trades workers due to higher wages that are available elsewhere. Our most tragic problem is the exodus of our youth from the rural areas and the family farms because it is felt by some producers that there is no future on the family farm.

Most significantly, many of the farmers I spoke to believe that the problems facing farmers today are tied to one thing: low commodity prices. Much of the frustration my constituents had with the former member and the current government was that when they tried to draw attention to the farm crisis they were pushed off and told that the problem was the weather.

We in the Canadian Alliance know better. Farmers are being driven off the land by a Liberal government that has had its head in the sand when it comes to the practices of our trading partners.

Farmers are not asking for special treatment but for a level playing field when it comes to heavily subsidized foreign produce being dumped into our markets. Even though U.S. farmers are paid 10 times the amount of government dollars that the Canadian government pays to our farmers, Canadians enjoy some of the lowest food prices in the developed world. Where European consumers spend 30% of their incomes on food and Americans spend 11%, Canadians spend just 9.5% of their incomes on food.

Canadian farmers need a government that is on their side. It saddened me to learn that in the last parliament, Liberal, PC and NDP members on the Standing Committee for Agriculture and Agri-Food voted twice against allowing the committee to travel in Ontario to hear from farmers directly.

As an Alliance member from Ontario I am not afraid to hear about the plight of farmers in my home province, and they have my commitment that they will have a voice through me in this parliament, where they have not had one since at least 1993.

What farmers in Ontario and Renfrew county need is an immediate cash injection to safeguard the spring crop. They need a cost of production farm support program, one for all of Canada, and a government that will protect the independent farmer and the consumer from big business, which is buying up all the competition.

Once big business has driven the independent producers out of business, wait for prices to climb out of control. All we are asking is that the government support the needs of Canadian farmers so they can continue to put quality homegrown food on the tables of consumers.

[Parks Canada, February 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, on January 31, HRDC directed Parks Canada to take immediate measures to protect park wardens from danger while they are engaged in law enforcement activity. The Minister of Canadian Heritage has had three reports since 1993 stating that park wardens are at risk.

Since that time Parks Canada has been engaged in an ad campaign featuring a park warden with the suggestion that all is well in the national parks. Despite the multimillion dollar smokescreen, all is not well in Canada's wilderness. Wildlife is being slaughtered while the minister funds false images.

The minister should know that 60 grievances have been filed over job conditions in the last six months alone and that the January 31 labour board ruling means wardens are out of uniform and off the job.

The ad campaign is a gross misuse of public funds. It is sad that the minister responsible has millions of dollars to spend on ads to mislead the public but no money to ensure the safety of our park wardens as they protect wildlife in our national parks.

Actions speak louder than words. It is time to equip our wardens to do the job they were trained to do.

[National Parks, February 5th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, further to the heritage minister's response that the RCMP will pick up the slack in our parks, how many more RCMP officers have been trained and outfitted for their extra workload?