Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Suspension Act  We would end up wasting money on a commission with no specific criteria, and we would still have to look at the whole issue later on. Let us be clear with the public. They just voted in an election, they can wait a little for electoral reform to be completed. It may be that the definitions of RCMs were taken into account in establishing the criteria and that is interesting.

Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Suspension Act  They were going to have a say in what was going on in the country. They sent out that very clear message. That message can be ignored in the House at our peril. The former government ignored the message that was given to it by Meech Lake. The former government ignored the message that was relayed to it through the Spicer commission at a cost of some $27 million in taxpayers' dollars.

Official Languages Act  Mr. Speaker, I want to make it absolutely clear that I am not questioning the value of bilingualism but the practice and the cost of official bilingualism as mandated by the Official Languages Act. Government officials have told me that they are not allowed to report the true costs of conforming to the rules of official bilingualism.

Official Languages Act  Mr. Speaker, after listening to the hon. member's question, it is very clear that it continues to be business as usual for the Reform Party.

Government Contracts  Speaker, I am glad to hear that the matter is under active review, but I believe there are enough questions of integrity on the particular issue that I would ask the minister, in order to clear this rather confusing and muddling answer, if he would initiate a public inquiry into this advertising contract to see if there has been any improper or political interference in the wording of the particular contract.

Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Suspension Act  If the committee is to investigate redistribution and the reasons for redistribution it has to go in with a clear mandate. It cannot be something that is driven by politics. It has to be something that is driven by economics and the times we live in. It is not just the drawing of lines on maps that eliminate Brock township and add Ennismore.

Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Suspension Act  Certainly the president had a great deal of monetary policies to do with the incredible increase in the debt of the United States. Let us be very clear on that. The other point raised suggests that I cast aspersions that were demeaning to the Reformers. I get Quorum like everybody else and I see reference to their code of conduct. There is a member of Parliament who refuses to dine alone with a woman even on a professional basis.

Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Suspension Act  My constituents told me they want us to do more with less and to make the House operate more effectively. Let us be very clear we are talking about ramrodding a bill, and we are talking about that. If we did not use time allocation on the bill, we would not have the opportunity to change those costly hearings that are going to take so much time and energy on the part of Canadians.

Constitution Act, 1982  Speaker, I am truly outraged by the motion of the hon. member for Notre-Dame-De-Grâce. A brief overview of the events of 1982 will make it clear to him that Quebec has always been opposed to the unilateral patriation of the Constitution and to the passage of laws overseas by a foreign country for the purpose of muzzling Quebec and taking away from it the only powers it had left as far as language was concerned.

Privilege  So that your Speaker is absolutely clear, the hon. member wishes me to make a ruling on the information which has been put before me at an earlier time. If this is what the hon. member is asking me, then I will gladly do that.

Manufacturing Industry  Almost one job in four in my riding is in the highly vulnerable manufacturing sector. Over one-third of the industrial park in the city of St. Thomas is empty. It should be clear to this House that manufacturing jobs in Elgin-Norfolk are in deep decline. Elgin-Norfolk relies heavily for employment on the auto parts industry in which technology is key. Canadian workers need only the new tool of technology to add to their high productivity and education, two areas in which we hold an excellent advantage.

Income Tax Act  When we are struck by the appalling state of the current child tax laws we must ask ourselves why this issue has not been dealt with before. It is clear that the current tax laws have created inequities between the payers and the recipients of child support. The tax treatment of child support payments makes a very complicated issue out of one that should be as straightforward and simple as possible.

Vancouver Port Corporation  With respect to the decisions that are made by port authorities in various parts of the country, it is the intention of the government that local autonomy be an important part of any decision making process. Beyond that, and I want to make it very clear, at the port of Vancouver, the port of Montreal or any other of the facilities under the jurisdiction of the Government of Canada we always insist on people being appointed who have a national vision of their responsibilities.

Vancouver Port Corporation  Speaker, just to clarify a part of the questioner's premise in respect to the decision, I want to make it clear that the definition of what will be acceptable in any province with respect to gambling or casinos is within the purview of the provincial jurisdiction and that is what I meant in answer to that question earlier from the hon. member.

Government's Credit Rating  Speaker, the only inflation I hear about in this House is that party that wants to inflate the number of members of Parliament who are in this House. Let us be very clear. Prior to Christmas the Government of Canada and the Governor of the Bank of Canada arrived at a set of monetary targets which we did within the first month of taking office, something that it took the previous government two and a half years to arrive at.