Debates of May 9th, 1994

Rwanda

[Charles Caccia, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as we meet here today the massacre in Rwanda continues while waves of people cross the border into Tanzania's refugee camps.

It is impossible for the international community to remain unmoved at the sight of such human tragedy in Rwanda. The International Red Cross has just asked for United Nations intervention to secure and protect sources of water for the refugees. At the same time the Security Council needs to support the Secretary-General and provide the troops necessary to protect innocent civilians.

The Government of Canada could play a leading role in coming to the rescue of so many, relieving their misery and preventing further human suffering.

Hockey

[Albina Guarnieri, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Canada won the world hockey championships in Italy on the strength of a 2 to 1 victory over Finland.

It had been 33 years since Canada last won the gold medal in its national winter sport with the 1961 Trail Smoke Eaters.

Canada's team won the gold medal at the World Hockey Championships by winning 2 to 1 in the final game against Finland.

This completes an outstanding year for Canadian hockey with the Canadian team also winning the silver medal at the Olympics, while Canadian women and junior teams won gold medals at their respective world championships.

Our world championship teams should be congratulated for making Canada the first star in the world of hockey.

South Africa

[Maud Debien, Bloc, Laval East, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Canadian mission to monitor the election in South Africa, I found that the first democratic election was generally free and fair.

It is my pleasure to inform the House that all members of the monitoring mission felt that the results reflected the will of the people of South Africa, and I would like to congratulate South Africans on an extraordinary achievement which they were able to bring to fruition in such a short time. The opening today of the first session of the new multiracial parliament marks the beginning of a long process of rebuilding and national reconciliation.

In spite of the poverty in the black townships and the lack of elementary infrastructures, I remain convinced that South Africans of all races will be able to meet the challenge of rebuilding and giving hope to the people.

Hockey

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise today to pay tribute to a Canadian team for winning the world hockey championship. Thirty-three years is a long time to wait. However the excitement of yesterday's win made it all worth while.

In addition to the players there are many others who worked behind the benches over the years to achieve this goal. To them and on behalf of all Canadians I say how grateful we are for their contribution.

This victory proves what can be achieved by working together. Let us hope that the example of team spirit displayed by these outstanding young men will be an inspiration to all who sit in the House.

Today Canadians in every province and territory are sharing in the honour this outstanding victory has brought to Canada. It is my hope that this win will be a reminder to all our citizens what can be accomplished in a united Canada.

The Environment

[Paul Steckle, Liberal, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Environment Canada and the Ontario ministry of the environment and energy announced on April 26 the expansion of the Ontario air quality advisory program.

This summer Ontarians will get advance notice of high smog levels for centres ranging from Barrie and Goderich in the south to North Bay and Sudbury in the north.

The federal-provincial program informs people when high levels of ground level ozone, commonly known as summer smog, are forecast. Smog is a powerful and irritating pollutant which can affect the health of people and vegetation and can corrode various materials.

Short term exposure to smog can irritate the nose and throat and can produce symptoms such as coughing and difficult or painful breathing. The advisory program is therefore very important for the well-being of all citizens.

Smog advisories are issued the same way as weather forecasts through the media, Environment Canada, weather offices and weather radio. They focus on pollution prevention and recommend individual action to spare the air such as using public transit or car pooling and using fewer chemicals and solvents.

Ground level ozone is a serious problem in Canada. The federal government is taking serious measures to control it.

Hockey

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, to continue today's theme, we are world hockey champions once again. We are the best in the world. We are tops.

After 33 years Canada is number one when it comes to world hockey championships, having defeated Finland in a sudden death shootout.

Hockey is our sport and at the world championships we proved it. As silver medalists at the Olympics after a shootout we won the world junior crown in the Czech Republic and the women's world at Lake Placid, New York.

Playing and watching hockey is a Canadian cultural pastime. Who watching the Canadian flag being raised at the world hockey championships and watching our players belting out "O Canada" did not have tears in their eyes?

Names like Robitaille, Ranford, Sakic, Blake, Sydor, Thomas, Emerson, Sanderson, Brind'Amour and others will be remembered for once again placing hocking on the world hockey map.

The players said they were proud to represent Canada and we are proud of them. I thank the players for bringing the gold medal home where there is pride in hockey and where the gold medal belongs.

Human Rights

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Saint-Denis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw the attention of all members of this House to the human rights abuses suffered regularly by the Greek minority of southern Albania.

The persecution and oppressive policies of the past still continue despite the new government in Albania. Leaders of the Greek minority continue to be harassed, intimidated and charged unjustly. Freedom of religion, right to security of the person and the freedom of movement are effectively being denied to them.

I call on the foreign minister to conduct an inquiry of the human rights climate in Albania with particular focus on the status of the ethnic Greek minority. This inquiry should be viewed as a preventive measure against further destabilization in the Balkans.

Canada has always favoured peaceful and diplomatic solutions to resolve international conflicts. This government has an opportunity to play a major role by encouraging Albania to meet its international commitments and obligations.

Unemployment

[Lucien Bouchard, Bloc, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. Last Friday, Statistics Canada reported that the national unemployment rate rose to 11 per cent in April, while the rate in Quebec increased from 11.7 per cent to 12.6 per cent. According to this latest report, 65,000 more people have joined the ranks of the unemployed. These figures which are, to say the least, disconcerting, contradict the optimistic news that we have been hearing from the Prime Minister for the past month about lower unemployment and job creation.

Will the Prime Minister acknowledge that six months into his mandate, the unemployment rate continues to increase and his government has reneged on its promises, given that 65,000 more people have joined the 1.5 million who are already out of work?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, since our government was elected, unemployment has not decreased as much as we would have liked. Just last month the situation had markedly improved, statistically speaking, but it has now changed. According to the reports, 60,000 people who had all but given up looking for work re-entered the job market.

These were not people who had lost their jobs, but rather people who started looking again, believing they could find employment. It is a positive sign when people regain some confidence and get back into the labour force. We will continue to do our best. Our policies reflect this government's priority, which is job creation.

[Lucien Bouchard, Bloc, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, there is nothing encouraging about this response in that it does not reflect any willingness on the government's part to change the situation. The government seems to find these statistics positive, whereas the fact of the matter is-and these are not merely statistics but the reality of the situation-that if we compare the unemployment rate in November when this government came to power with the rate today, we see that there are 15,000 more people out of work.

On the other hand, the government's only initiative, the infrastructure program, is clearly inadequate in terms of creating lasting jobs. Instead of taking it out on the unemployed, is the Prime Minister prepared to commit this time to implementing a real job creation strategy for the high-tech sector based on concrete initiatives?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, 115,000 new jobs have been created in Canada since February. That is a fact. I have just explained to the Leader of the Opposition that some people who had likely given up looking for work quite some time ago had re-entered the job market. This is a positive sign that the job situation is rebounding. This morning's Toronto Star reported that the number of people on welfare in Toronto had declined considerably, while a significant number of persons had found jobs.

This is an indication that our strategy, which is to focus on jobs, is working. There are those in Canada who believe that the economy is recovering. Economic indicators nationwide show that the growth rate will be greater than that forecast by the Minister of Finance. We must therefore stay the course set out in the budget.

[Lucien Bouchard, Bloc, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister would have us believe that economic indicators are positive. He claims it is a positive sign that people are returning to the job market, that they are regaining some confidence.

However, there are those who are able to work and cannot find a job. They are called the unemployed, and their numbers are increasing because of the policies of this government.

How can the Prime Minister, who says he is concerned, justify his government's decision to renege on its red book commitment to put forward a strategy for converting defence industries from military to civilian purposes when it is a known fact that this is the only strategy that would give dignity and hope back to people, as the Prime Minister said during the election campaign?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

This policy of helping some of the defence industry to work in new fields has been a policy of this government. We are looking at all the proposals. When there is a good one, we are happy to help.

I would point out to the Leader of the Opposition that a lot of housing units were created last month and that the confidence of the people of Canada has increased by 13 per cent. It is a sign that we are on the right track. This development is not as fast as everyone in this House would like to see, but everybody recognizes that for 1994 Canada will outperform virtually every nation of the western world.

Conversion Of Defence Industries

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last Saturday, the daily Le Devoir was reporting that Bell Helicopter had decided not to go ahead with its $40 million investment plan to develop a new helicopter. You probably realize that this decision follows the about-turn of the federal government which now reneges on its commitment to set up a conversion program for defence industries.

Does the Prime Minister realize that the cancellation of this expansion program at Bell Helicopter, which would have created 100 new jobs, is the direct result of the decision of his government not to participate in conversion activities through DIPP? Is the Prime Minister aware of the catastrophic consequences of that decision?

[Dennis Mills, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Industry]

I would like to say to the hon. member, through you, Mr. Speaker, that even though the province of Quebec has given partial approval on the Bell Helicopter project there has not been a final and formal position taken by the board of Bell Helicopter right now. There will be no decision forthcoming until we hear that formal presentation.

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC]

Mr. Speaker, does the minister not recognize that the decision not to proceed with a conversion strategy for defence industries will, in effect, threaten and jeopardize the activities in this important industrial sector which has already lost 10,000 jobs in Quebec since 1988? Will the Prime Minister tell the Minister of Industry to review his policy while it is still possible?

[Dennis Mills, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I again repeat to the hon. member that we did discuss this issue in debate last week and in fact we do have a strategy.

Mind you, because of the very tight fiscal framework that we are involved with here it is not the old strategy where we just sort of write cheques. Right now we are using very creative approaches. We are giving advice and counsel and marketing assistance. In fact many companies under the previous DIPP program are now converting with assistance and guidance in new marketing techniques. There are many success stories. That will be the way that we will approach it.

Justice

[Ian McClelland, Reform, Edmonton Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister will know that on the weekend thousands of Albertans held a massive Mother's Day rally to draw attention to deficiencies in our criminal justice system.

The Prime Minister may remember being in this House on October 7, 1971 when his colleague, Jean-Pierre Goyer, the Liberal Solicitor General of the day, uttered these infamous words, and I quote: "We have decided from now on to stress the rehabilitation of individuals rather than the protection of society".

[Some hon. members]

Shame.

[Ian McClelland, Reform, Edmonton Southwest, AB]

Is Canada a safer place today as a result of that Liberal government policy?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I watched with interest the reports of the rallies both in Calgary and in Edmonton on the weekend. Those rallies were attended by people who have genuine concerns that I respect. I read the reports of some of the things they were concerned about, including the Young Offenders Act.

As I have said to the House before, within weeks I am going to have a bill before this House to make changes to the Young Offenders Act that I think will fulfil commitments we made during the campaign and that I think will improve the statute.

In so far as the safety of Canada is concerned we ran for election on a platform that I think is a balanced one which was intended very much to secure the safety of our communities across the country, in Alberta and everywhere else in this country.

[Leon Benoit, Reform, Vegreville, AB]

Do you agree with the '71 change?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

In terms of the '71 change, I do not think that statement can fairly be applied to all legislation that has been through this House over the last 23 years.

I think the answer to achieve safer communities in this country is to follow through on our election commitments which we intend to do, a balance between making the laws more effective and coming to grips with the root causes of crime and that is exactly what we intend to do.

[Ian McClelland, Reform, Edmonton Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, what we are endeavouring to try to do is find out when our government policy fell off the rails and we started to put the rights of the criminal ahead of the rights of the victim. When was that particular moment?

Today, 23 years after that infamous decision, what comes first to this Liberal government? I again ask the Prime Minister, is it the protection of society or the rehabilitation of individuals?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the Young Offenders Act contains in its statement of principles the primacy of the protection of society as an objective of that act.

We in government believe that the protection of society is best achieved by a combination of laws that are effective and effectively enforced and social programs and government policies that are intended to get at not just harsher penalties and longer jail terms but the underlying causes of crime in society. Those are the objectives of this government in its mandate.