Wayne Easter

[Points of Order, October 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I want to be absolutely clear on the record on the question from the member for Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough. I have been advised that all such operations of telemarketing have been suspended.

[Correctional Service Canada, October 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I basically answer the question the same way as I did the previous one. However I will say this. I have been in the position really less than 24 hours and I can tell Canadians, the public and members of the House this. In the brief time I have been in the Solicitor General's office, I really have been impressed about their work in terms of safety matters and security for this nation, and we all should be proud of their diligence in doing their jobs and protecting Canadian citizens.

[Correctional Service Canada, October 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank the Right Hon. Prime Minister for having the confidence to put me in this position. I also thank other members at the outset for their messages of congratulation.

With respect to the member's question, the member knows full well that the former solicitor general answered that question before. He did indicate that there was a review committee looking at it, that it dismissed the complaint and the complaint had no substance.

[Banking Institutions, October 11th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, in recognition of the contribution of co-operatives, credit unions and caisses populaires to the building of Canada's economic and social well-being, I rise to pay tribute to over 10 million Canadians, who are co-op members, as they celebrate National Co-op Week and Credit Union Day from October 13 to 19.

These unique and democratic organizations help to provide local solutions to local challenges in areas such as agriculture, financial services, day care, medical services and housing. Co-operatives promote economic and social development by enabling people to pool their resources, share risk and achieve common goals. Wherever citizens live, and particularly in rural and remote communities, co-operatives find ways to share the benefits of Canadian prosperity.

Co-ops play a major role in the Canadian economy and social fabric, employing over 150,000 people and accounting for over $167 billion in assets.

“Building Tomorrow's Communities” is the theme and I congratulate them on--

[Legacy Bike Tour, October 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Prince Edward Island Women's Institute on the success of the 2002 Legacy Bike Tour.

This week-long event attracted 135 cyclists from across Canada and beyond who cycled 60 kilometres a day, beginning at East Point and concluding at North Cape on September 13. That is tip to tip on Prince Edward Island.

This event raised $51,000 to help cover the cost of a videoscope machine for Prince County Hospital to assist in the early detection of colon cancer.

The Women's Institute has a long and proud history of working for island communities through fundraising efforts and promoting fitness and healthy living.

I offer congratulations to all the bikers, but especially so to the Tingley family, Rita Berrigan, Bertha Campbell and at age 84, Donald Deacon. Congratulations to the Women's Institute and the 135 cyclists for their efforts and a job well done.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, October 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to my colleague's remarks. I certainly know why the windmills are at the western end of the island. There is always more wind at that end.

I was most interested in the member's comments on the figures regarding equalization and CHST. He seemed to be indicating, and I agree with him on this point, that the federal government is putting more money into health care, equalization and the CHST. However that is a divergence from some of the ads we see in the press from some of the governments across the country. It is a particular divergence from some of the statements made by our premier in Prince Edward Island, which seem to attack the feds, as they often do, and try to leave the impression that we are only paying around 14¢ on the dollar.

Could the member expand a little further on what the federal government is doing for health care and how this throne speech and the government's direction will be of benefit to Prince Edward Island?

[Agriculture, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, like others, I too welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate. I certainly thank the Speaker for allowing it.

This discussion must be held. We have heard many points of view all evening. There is much grumbling, much criticism, but there has been very little put forward as an absolute solution.

I will say that I am concerned in these important debates that for some reason, and we are no better on this side than they are on the other side, but we get into a we are right and they are wrong discussion. At the end of the day sometimes we are no farther ahead than when we started. I am concerned about that.

I want to try to put a human face on the issue. It is very serious for those farmers, families, communities and small businesses that are affected very personally by the drought and some of the serious weather patterns that have happened over the last number of years. Lives and livelihoods are being jeopardized. Some people are losing their farms.

It is not easy to lose one's life work. I have seen this happen in the farm movement over many years. Generally, people who have not lived on a farm, raised livestock or grown a crop cannot understand how it affects a farmer and his family when a herd is lost, or even to sell a few of the herd that a life's work or even generations before have put their life's work in terms of building the genetics of the herd. The same can be said for crops.

Simply put, it is like losing a member of the family. Their blood, sweat and tears are in that herd and in that crop. Their ancestry and previous generations in many cases have their life's work in that farming endeavour.

This debate is not just about an income loss. We have talked a lot tonight about money, but this is much more serious than about a few bucks, whether it is the government's dollars or somebody else's. This has a very serious personal impact on operations, on families and on communities. It is a loss of a part of their life.

To put it into perspective, I will use the example of a dairy herd. It may be four generations ago that some individual in a family decided to improve the genetics for milk production, for body type or whatever. That whole individual's life would have been spent trying to get the breeding right, improving it slowly generation after generation of cattle, and then generation after generation in the family. Then there is no feed and no money to buy feed. The banker calls and there is no option left but to sell the herd. Then it is not just an animal that is being sold, it is something that generations of the family put there. It is not just a simple sale. There is a tremendous human cost which cannot be measured in dollars.

Let us take a moment to look at the drought itself. Statistics Canada noted in a publication:

Crop receipts dropped to a seven year low, while livestock receipts fell after three consecutive years of increase.

This finding was released by Statistics Canada on August 26 this year. The report states that the findings released do not take into account the “extreme weather seen on farms during the 2002 growing season”. It is very serious in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and the impact has been devastating.

For the 2001 season the Canadian Federation of Agriculture indicated that the impact of the drought was felt across the country. In my home province of P.E.I., potato yields were down between 20% and 60%. That was last year. In Ontario soybean yields were 50% to 60% of normal. In Alberta grain harvests were down from 20% to 80%.

The impact of the drought in 2002 on livestock producers has been estimated by the NFU. A farmer without access to hay will have to buy up to three tonnes of feed per cow. At an estimated cost of $150 per tonne, the cost per cow could over the coming year reach $450 or even higher. That figure does not include additional costs for water and other losses incurred from the selling of cattle in a depressed market.

The drought is certainly having a very serious impact. Yes, the Government of Canada, through the minister, spoke earlier. I believe the minister has been trying to do all that he can in the situation.

The Government of Canada has made some major strides in assisting agriculture: the $5.2 billion over six years announced in the spring; the NISA accounts; the agricultural policy framework; and crop insurance. The community, eventually assisted by the government, has come in with what has become known as the Hay West campaign. I think members from both sides of the House have worked very hard to try to get hay from surplus areas to areas where it is needed. I know there has been quite an effort in my home province in that regard. Certainly that has been helpful but it does not solve the problem.

The bottom line is does more need to be done? Absolutely. Certainly. We have to seriously look at a special disaster program or maybe change the methods of the current relief programs available. I heard some members speak tonight about the ice storm and the Red River floods. Yes, they received disaster relief out of the regular disaster relief fund. As I understand it, what happens in agriculture does not trigger that fund so perhaps we need to look at that definition. In any event, I really believe we have to look at a special disaster relief fund for these kinds of situations. The regular kind of programming just does not deal with the issue.

I want to very quickly look at what is happening south of the border. We have to understand where our neighbours are coming from. On September 19 the United States agriculture secretary, Ann Veneman, announced an assistance package of $752 million for livestock producers suffering from the current drought in the western states. The United States has several programs: a conservation reserve program; an emergency conservation program; emergency disaster loans; an environmental quality program; a wildlife habitat program; a non-insured assistance program; and a cattle feed assistance program. Certainly it is putting money into its industry and we have to recognize that.

The bottom line is that it is a very serious situation. The Government of Canada, the country as a whole and the citizens of the country have to take the issue seriously. We seriously have to look at a special disaster program that would accommodate these kinds of weather situations that the other programs do not look after.

[Agriculture, October 7th, 2002]

Did they break the law? They did. They tried to undermine the Wheat Board.

[Citizenship, October 4th, 2002]

Madam Speaker, on September 26 a citizenship ceremony was held in Mill Cove, Nova Scotia. Forty-seven people, who originally came from 20 different countries, took the oath of citizenship at Apostogan Consolidated Elementary School. They did so in the presence of the school's 100 students who greeted them wearing the red and white of the Canadian flag.

Every year Canada welcomes more that 150,000 new citizens in ceremonies that provide a source of precious memories for all who attend. For Canadian children these ceremonies are an excellent opportunity for them to open themselves to the world and to be introduced to the importance of citizenship. Children discover, in a way that cannot be taught by books or by television, the profound sense of belonging that real people of different backgrounds feel with regard to our country.

I wish to congratulate the school and the young people for having organized that type of educational activity.

[Speech from the Throne, October 2nd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, in terms of the funding, the fisheries committee has been doing pretty strenuous work in terms of looking at the Fraser River and the aquaculture. Those two reports are in draft form and no doubt will come forward, and the minister and the government will have time in which to respond.

Previously today, the minister answered the question related to the divers and I think we will have to go to the record to see that.

I want to point out that the throne speech lays out basically the general road map. It does not get into the specifics. That is basically what the throne speech did. As I said earlier, we do have a good, strong fiscal foundation and we do have the ability to move forward. It is as a result of the Liberal values that we are now moving forward with. We will have a better economic and social agenda and a stronger country as a result of what the government, under Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, is doing.