Debates of June 15th, 1994

Ukrainian Catholic Women's League Of Canada

[Walt Lastewka, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Welland-St. Catharines-Thorold joins me in extending warmest congratulations to the Ukrainian Catholic Women's League of Canada which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

The UCWLC has a membership of over 6,300 and takes a strong interest in today's social issues such as the family and child violence, to name only two. It has made a major contribution to many communities across Canada and today we wish to recognize its contribution to the well-being of our communities.

Association Québécoise Des Préretraités Et Des Retraités

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to announce that the Association québécoise des pré-retraités et des retraités is marking its 15th anniversary. Membership in this association is growing every year as more people join the attack on the federal government's unacceptable scheme to impose a graduated tax on individuals earning more than $25,000 a year.

Senior citizens can rest assured that the Bloc Quebecois will defend their dearly won rights and will oppose any measure designed to cut the deficit at their expense, given that so much administrative duplication between the federal and provincial governments could be eliminated.

The Bloc Quebecois also intends to keep a close watch on the government to ensure that it stops giving preferential treatment to this country's millionaires who can shelter their money from taxes using the loophole known as family trusts.

Justice

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, in August 1992, 73-year old William Dove was lured from his cabin near Whitewood, Saskatchewan and brutally beaten to death by two men and a teenager. Unbelievably, Hubert Acoose, one of the two men convicted of manslaughter, was granted a day parole last week. This is less than two years in jail for killing a person. This is the kind of decision that many Canadians find incomprehensible.

What guarantees can the Solicitor General give Canadians that Mr. Acoose is not a threat to public safety? Are the Solicitor General and the members of the Parole Board who released Mr. Acoose willing to accept personal responsibility and liability for any crimes Mr. Acoose may commit while on day parole?

Are parole members willing to be personally responsible for their bad decisions? The government is running a huge social experiment and Canadian people are assuming all the risks. Canadians are demanding that the government make public safety its number one priority, and the government's response is to let killers out on our streets.

Atlantic Canada

[Harold Culbert, Liberal, Carleton—Charlotte, NB]

Mr. Speaker, agriculture is extremely important to the economy of Atlantic Canada. In recognition of this fact the co-operative subagreements between the federal government and the Atlantic provinces have been extended for 1994-95.

However, to date only provincial contributions have been made to these agreements.

The funding of these subagreements is used for valuable projects such as land development in my home province of New Brunswick and in my Carleton-Charlotte constituency. They are extremely important in building the self-sustaining economy, a goal which we are all working toward.

I encourage the minister and the departments responsible to provide the federal funding required for these agreements as soon as possible so that we might continue to build our agricultural economy and the self-sufficiency of Atlantic Canada.

Financial Markets

[Gaston Leroux, Bloc, Richmond—Wolfe, QC]

Mr. Speaker, some individuals delight in insinuating that the political situation in Canada and Quebec is the cause of the instability affecting the Canadian bond market.

It is important to set the record straight and to say that nothing could be further from the truth. Japanese investors sold off large numbers of Canadian bonds which they owned in March, after the budget was tabled and well before the Leader of the Official Opposition made his trips abroad. The bond divestment was prompted by the negative reaction of financial markets to the Liberal government's budget.

Mr. Masakazu Mizutani, Vice President and Treasurer of the Bank of Tokyo in Toronto, confirms that investors have eased up considerably on their sales of Canadian bonds and that today, "they do not have many left to sell".

In short, the hike in interest rates and the massive divestment of Canadian bonds in March are the result of ill-conceived budgetary and monetary policies on the part of the Liberal government.

Referendum '94

[Bob Ringma, Reform, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the member for North Vancouver to remind the House that voting in North America's first electronic referendum started this morning.

Voting on the Young Offenders Act will continue 24 hours a day until Monday, June 20. This should give all members ample time to vote in the referendum using the secret PIN numbers they received earlier. The Hill phone system will not allow calls to 1-900 numbers, therefore members wishing to vote must do so from off the Hill and are therefore subject to the same user-pay principle as all other Canadians taking part in this historic event.

North Vancouver voters were also issued PIN numbers to ensure one person, one vote, but anyone in Canada can register their opinion on the Young Offenders Act by calling 1-900-451-5033 from their touch-tone phone.

I am confident all Canadians will look forward to assessing the results of Referendum `94.

St. Georges Anglican Church

[Mary Clancy, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, St. Georges Anglican Church opened its door to Haligonians in 1800. The church was built by Edward, Duke of Kent, father of Queen Victoria, then the commander of the Halifax garrison. It was architecturally a perfect circle and for almost two centuries a unique landmark in our city.

In 1917 the church was seriously damaged in the Halifax explosion. It survived and in 1983 the Prince and Princess of Wales attended the rededication ceremony which stood in testimony to the devotion of those who undertook the task of restoring it.

In 1990 it was designated a national historic site.

Unfortunately two weeks ago this magnificent building was nearly ruined as a fire gutted its walls and destroyed a third of its structure. It is estimated that the total restoration cost will far exceed the $1 million in insurance.

To date congregation members have begun a nation-wide fundraising campaign to restore this historic landmark to its original beauty.

All Haligonians, all Nova Scotians and indeed all Canadians want to stand with them and hope that they will restore this great site.

Gun Control

[Gar Knutson, Liberal, Elgin—Norfolk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in my place today to briefly comment on the current debate over what shape the country's gun control legislation should take in the future.

Gun enthusiasts in my riding have told me that three initiatives would help greatly in solving Canada's gun problem. First, Canada's laws regarding the safe storage of firearms must be followed through. Two recent tragedies that have involved guns in my riding occurred when legally purchased firearms were stolen and used in criminal matters.

Second, I urge this government to look at the form of a picture ID for firearms acquisition certificates. This would enable gun sellers to be sure that the individuals possessing the firearms acquisition certificate are the ones who earned it.

Third, many individuals in my riding support the concept of needing to use a firearms acquisition certificate to purchase ammunition. The middle way must be tried.

I urge this House to aim for innovative and modest ideas.

The Stanley Cup

[Anna Terrana, Liberal, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, although we were saddened by the riots in Vancouver last night, I am very proud and very honoured, as the member of Parliament for Vancouver East, the home of the Vancouver Canucks, to congratulate the players, coaching staff and management on a remarkable play-off season and for nearly capturing the most coveted of all sporting prizes, the Stanley Cup.

Few predicted that the Vancouver Canucks would have reached the Stanley Cup finals. They demonstrated extraordinary maturity, talent and perseverance in overcoming numerous challenges, including stretching the finals to a seventh and deciding game.

I would also like to congratulate the New York Rangers. They were formidable opponents. On behalf of all Canadians, members of the House of Commons and especially the members from British Columbia and my constituents I would like to congratulate the Vancouver Canucks again for their outstanding performances.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Rwanda

[Philippe Paré, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are dismayed, repulsed and made to feel helpless by television pictures and reports out of Rwanda. The discovery of a mass grave where close to 20,000 men, women and children were murdered in a convent near the Tanzanian border has shocked people all over the world.

This lunacy must stop. The international community can no longer stand by and watch this venting of hatred, this systematic genocide that is increasing daily and reflects the worst aspects of human nature.

The Rwandan situation is critical, and political decision makers must take the necessary steps to put to an end this carnage, which historians in the next century will find difficult to explain. In the midst of all the vicissitudes facing the peoples of Africa, the killing of Rwandan citizens merely because they are who they are is quite simply shameful. It is time to do something about it.

Taxation

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, just as high government debt and deficits distort decisions in financial markets, so tax and spend policies distort family decisions.

Monday's CTV poll demonstrates that 3 million Canadian families would rather have one parent stay at home with the children but cannot afford to do it.

This year families will have to pay 48 per cent of their income in taxes and so their lifestyle decisions are effectively dictated by the state.

Unfortunately, governments are then forced to become more and more interventionist by giving selective tax breaks and running expensive national programs. What parents really want are the resources to do good parenting jobs themselves.

By easing tax burdens on all Canadians, Reformers would increase lifestyle options within all families. Reform would empower parents to make employment arrangements according to their preference; free to work outside their residence or free to work at home with their own children.

Saskatchewan

[Len Taylor, NDP, The Battlefords—Meadow Lake, SK]

Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago today the first socialist government in North America was elected in Saskatchewan.

On June 15, 1944 Tommy Douglas and his team of candidates from the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation came to office and with rolled up sleeves, a people first agenda and lots of hard work they set about the undaunting task of pulling Saskatchewan out of debt and improving the quality of life of its citizens.

In Saskatchewan the legacy of Tommy Douglas and his successors Woodrow Lloyd, who made hospitalization a reality, and Alan Blakeney, who presided over 11 consecutive balanced budgets, is is being taken up by current Premier Roy Romanow and a team of New Democrats who are successfully tackling and reducing what was the highest provincial per capital debt in Canada while at the same time establishing progressive health care reform.

A good future is based on remembering your past. Today we remember with respect and admiration Tommy Douglas and the Saskatchewan CCF.

Trade

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we should all recognize the importance of removing the internal trade barriers which are obstacles to economic competitiveness and growth in Canada.

Internal trade barriers raise the cost of doing business. There are over 500 internal trade barriers in Canada with a cost to Canadians of approximately $6.5 billion annually in lost income.

Negotiations under way between federal, provincial and territorial governments will lead to an agreement by June 30, 1994. The federal government is committed to working toward the agreement that will start the process of building open, efficient and stable domestic markets.

The agreements sought will put in place a framework that will lead to dismantling the barriers that have been erected by governments since Confederation 127 years ago. It is time to put an end to the trade restrictions that we would neither tolerate nor impose on international trade. We have for too long divided our country into many small restricted segments.

I urge members to support our Minister of Industry and his counterparts from the provinces and territories in their challenging and very important task.

The Vancouver Canucks

[Herb Dhaliwal, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to congratulate the Vancouver Canucks on an absolutely outstanding season and a brilliant performance in the Stanley Cup play-offs.

The Canucks exceeded our wildest expectations. They attained a goal that most teams can only dream about and they did so by virtue of their great skill and spirit. They have made all Vancouverites, British Columbians and Canadians proud.

On behalf of the constituents of Vancouver South I congratulate a hockey team with heart, drive and charisma. In our eyes you are all winners.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Royal Canadian Legion

[Gurbax Malhi, Liberal, Bramalea—Gore—Malton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the ban on religious headgear in some Legions across Canada is a divisive action.

On behalf of all Canadians who believe in equality I want to thank my hon colleague from Calgary Southeast who cancelled her Legion membership over this issue.

I hope that all members who are Legion members also make their views known.

Understanding each other's religions and cultures is the only way to put an end to intolerance.

Some members of this House have offered to invite me to speak at Legion halls in their ridings. I would offer all members my assistance in this regard to talk to them about the significance of the turban.

Together we can put an end to intolerance.

Bosnia

[Ted McWhinney, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we welcome the joint declaration by the religious leaders of different faiths, Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch, Pavle, Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch, Alexei, and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Zagreb, Croatia, Cardinal Kuharic, calling for an immediate peace in Bosnia-Hercegovina.

This ecumenical initiative could fill the tragic vacuum in political leadership and at last end the bloodshed in the region.

Atlantic Freight Rate Subsidy

[Elsie Wayne, Progressive Conservative, Saint John, NB]

Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Transport announced cuts to the freight subsidy on shipping western grain. As well, the minister indicated that the government will be rethinking the overall subsidy program in general, including Atlantic Canada's freight rate subsidy program.

I have been aware for some time now that the Department of Transport has embarked on a closed door internal study and review of the Atlantic freight rate subsidy program. This study contrasts the open consultative process that the government promised.

If Atlantic Canadians are to suffer further cutbacks in a program such as the freight rate subsidy, I would ask that the minister open up these discussions so that the stakeholders involved in this program can have full consultation, participation and input into this very important program which places 12,000 maritime jobs in jeopardy.

National Action Committee On The Status Of Women

[John Bryden, Liberal, Hamilton—Wentworth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in defence of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women. It was the subject yesterday of a churlish attack by a member of the party opposite who suggested, incredibly, that this women's group does not really represent

hundreds of women's organizations and millions of Canadian women. Indeed, it has been suggested that it is merely a special interest group with its hand out for government cash.

I call on the National Action Committee on the Status of Women to put these accusations to the lie by immediately rejecting all government funding, by immediately raising all the money it needs from its own supporters. I know it can do it. I know millions of Canadian women will show their support by their dollars. That way the government will save hundreds of thousands of dollars which can then be spent directly on the many women in this country who truly desperately are in need.

Policy On Lobbyists

[Lucien Bouchard, Bloc, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, today's Ottawa Citizen outlines the policy on lobbyists to be announced tomorrow by the Prime Minister. In its red book, the Liberal Party promised to tighten controls on lobbyists by implementing the June 1993 recommendations of the House of Commons standing committee.

I ask the Prime Minister, on the basis of the information made public in this morning's Ottawa Citizen , whether we are to understand that, in fact, the government policy on lobbyists proposes nothing more than a more or less improved status quo.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock we will table the bill and answer questions after the bill has been made public.

[Lucien Bouchard, Bloc, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, after all the time we have been waiting to see where the government stood on its election campaign promises, we now have in a respected newspaper an undisputed report on the contents of the policy. We want to question him today on this issue.

In particular, I want to ask the Prime Minister how he can argue that his policy will reinforce controls on lobbyists, when it allows them not to disclose their dealings related to government contracts or bills and even to hide the identity of the ministers they are directly trying to influence.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we had the courtesy to consult the Leader of the Opposition and the leader of the Reform Party on this issue; the Government House Leader and Mr. Pelletier from my office have met with them, told them whom we wanted to appoint as ethics counsellor and given them an outline of the bill.

The leader of the Reform Party had the courtesy to respond, while the Leader of the Opposition did not even respond to our consultations with him.

[Lucien Bouchard, Bloc, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I am a little surprised by the Prime Minister's behaviour, when he knows that this meeting only led to a general exchange of views without anything specific on the contents of the lobbyists bill. Since the Prime Minister is getting ready to answer our questions tomorrow, I would like to give him some food for thought and ask him if he wants his commitment to impose greater transparency on lobbyists to be taken seriously, if he is ready today, or tomorrow if he wants, to make a priority of having the new ethics counsellor really investigate the actions of the lobbyists implicated in the questionable Pearson Airport contract.