Debates of June 6th, 1994

Tobacco Advertising

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, in terms of advertising to convince people not to take up smoking or to quit smoking, some campaigns work better than others. That is not to say they all fail.

In terms of our own anti-smoking campaigns in times of very tough money, we are working closely with all groups, the non-smokers groups and the provincial ministries, to make sure we work together to most effectively use those dollars, to most effectively convince young people especially not to take up smoking.

Barley Marketing

[Allan Kerpan, Reform, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister of agriculture. The minister has promised farmers that he will consider holding a plebiscite on the matter of barley marketing. He has said that representation should be made to him regarding ideas on how to organize such a plebiscite.

The minister has now had such representations. Could he inform the House of his assessment of those recommendations and if he will now support a plebiscite?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food]

Mr. Speaker, the matter has been before the government as we know for some time and before the previous government as well.

Some players and some stakeholders in the industry have responded to the six questions the minister put out with their answers and their suggestions. The minister is reviewing them at the present time in full consultation with the industry as he is doing so.

[Allan Kerpan, Reform, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Speaker, does the minister support the existing system of the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly on barley sales, or does he see merit in allowing individual farmers and grain companies to market barley and barley products directly?

In a simple yes or no I would ask: Should not farmers have the freedom to choose?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food]

Mr. Speaker, the government supports very strongly orderly marketing systems. We will work with the industry to continue the success of orderly marketing systems in the country for agricultural products so that farmers and Canadians can benefit from them in the future as they have in the past.

Human Rights

[Audrey McLaughlin, NDP, Yukon, YT]

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

Today we are all very much aware of the role that Canada has played in fostering democracy in the world and the price that Canada has paid.

Yesterday, June 5, was the fifth anniversary of the massacre in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. According to Amnesty International there continues to be very serious human rights violations in China. There were over 1,400 executions last year.

Does the Deputy Prime Minister's government have a specific plan to pursue the human rights abuses with China on either a national or a multilateral level?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, obviously the Government of Canada like other governments around the world is concerned about human rights violations wherever they occur, whether it be China, Haiti, Cuba or any other country around the world. We would hope national governments could be encouraged to respect democracy, something that unfortunately does not exist in any of the three nations I mentioned.

We are working with the Department of Foreign Affairs and with other parliamentarians to ensure that while we press for a strong position on human rights we keep the dialogue going. There must be a balanced approach in terms of keeping the doors and the lines of communication open while at the same time recognizing that to join the world community one should respect human rights.

I think that has been an integral part of our message on human rights in relation to foreign affairs.

[Audrey McLaughlin, NDP, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, I say to the Deputy Prime Minister that we all hope there will not be human rights violations in the world.

Does the Deputy Prime Minister's government have a specific plan at multilateral trade talks to raise human rights issues beyond simply hoping that it will change and to express positive views about that?

In the past, I remind the Deputy Prime Minister, Canada has taken action on boycotts or embargoes. Does her government have a specific plan on the issue?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, obviously any policy the government advocates is going to be striking the proper balance between normalization in keeping the lines of communication open and emphasizing our commitment to human rights.

I know her colleague, Premier Bob Rae, when he spoke out last week in concern of normalization, obviously reflected that same balance in foreign affairs.

I am sure the hon. member already knows, because she has a longstanding interest in the issue, that one of the reasons as a first act of government we launched the foreign policy review was specifically that we wanted to get the input of Canadians, Canadian premiers like Bob Rae and the views of ordinary Canadians, to make sure that when our final foreign policy review analysis was tabled in October it would reflect that proper balance.

Political Parties

[François Langlois, Bloc, Bellechasse, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister. A few days ago, some federal public servants received, at their place of work, a letter signed by the Prime Minister and the hon. member for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, asking them to contribute financially to the Liberal Party of Canada.

You will recall that the same member for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell complained about such a practice when used by the Conservatives in 1986. Could the Deputy Prime Minister tell us whether the government intends to ask Liberal members to apologize to civil servants who might have received, at their place of work, letters asking them to contribute to the Liberal Party of Canada?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I am confident that the hon. member accepts last week's statement by the Prime Minister's Office to the effect that these letters were sent by mistake. There was never any intention of putting pressure on public servants and that is why the Prime Minister's Office itself stated that these letters were sent by mistake.

[François Langlois, Bloc, Bellechasse, QC]

Supplementary, Mr. Speaker. Would the Deputy Prime Minister not agree that the government should introduce legislation limiting party financing to voter contributions, that is to say excluding corporate donations, the way it has been in Quebec for 17 years?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the question raised by the hon. member was a legitimate question. He asked whether there was any intent to force public servants into contributions that they should not be making.

The answer is no, clear and simple. There is no intent to twist anybody's arm or indeed to have any direct contact with public servants. It was a mistake made because we purchased a list from a private company.

I would hope the member would honour the fact that a mistake was made. We apologized for the mistake we made. We said to every public servant across the country: "Don't feel compelled to respond to this letter that was sent in error".

Agriculture

[Gary Pillitteri, Liberal, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is addressed to the parliamentary secretary to the minister of agriculture.

The tender fruit industry is presently experiencing trying times and it has asked the minister to recognize its plight and to come to its aid before we lose some of the best agricultural land in Ontario and indeed in Canada.

Is the parliamentary secretary ready to give some assurances to the tender fruit growers in the Niagara Peninsula?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food]

Mr. Speaker, the government recognizes full well the importance of the Ontario tender fruit industry. I emphasize the fact and stress that the industry has about $25 million in commercial sales a year.

The industry presented the government recently with a document entitled "Partnership for a Revitalized Ontario Tender Fruit Industry". That document is under review by the staff of the department.

As recently as this morning I met with a number of department personnel to discuss that. I can assure the hon. member and the industry that we will be meeting in the very near future with the industry participants to work together to strengthen and revitalize the industry.

Justice

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Beaver River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice regarding the FAC or firearms acquisition certificate. I have a question from members of my constituency wondering about training personnel to administer the courses.

Could the minister assure us that he does have personnel in place to teach the courses because the courses are mandatory?

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

Mr. Speaker, in each of the provinces there are people who have been trained to give the courses to ensure that those who make application for the FAC can be prepared for the course requirements.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Beaver River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it has come to my attention that there are factual errors in the handbook or the manual that has come out. I would ask the minister to check that out. Firearms experts in my constituency say there are factual errors in that.

I have a supplementary question for the minister. In terms of setting the fee for this particular course we have heard anywhere from $75 for the course up to $200 and $300. Is the actual amount of the fee for the course mandatory, or is it up to the trainers' jurisdiction or their personal preference?

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

Mr. Speaker, I have been assured that the contents of the course are complete and accurate, but in view of the statement made by the hon. member I will make further inquiries of the department to ensure that is so. I will let her know what I learn as a result of those inquiries.

So far as the fees are concerned, the fees are actually prescribed by the provinces on the basis of cost recovery. I can again research further detail on that and let the hon. member know in writing what the details are. However the principle is cost recovery and the amounts are set by the provinces.

Collège Militaire Royal In Saint-Jean

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the mistake the government made when it decided to close the Collège militaire royal in Saint-Jean and transfer the students to Kingston is obviously turning into a nightmare. The expected savings will not materialize and might even be offset by renovation costs.

My question is for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence. Can he confirm whether RMC officials in Kingston are planning major renovations to accommodate students from Saint-Jean and offer special courses which are available in Saint-Jean but not in Kingston?

[Marcel Massé, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as the Deputy Prime Minister mentioned, I personally checked today to see if the statements published this week-end in Le Devoir were correct.

According to National Defence officials they are incorrect and there is no plan to spend $50 or $75 million in Kingston. Furthermore, they indicated that the area where the cadets have their meals was being upgraded, but that the work had been approved by the previous government as part of a larger renovation project which had been planned before it was decided to close the Collège militaire royal in Saint-Jean.

Therefore, no new money has been allocated to transfer the cadets from Saint-Jean to Kingston.

Agriculture

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture. Last December, certain pessimists took delight in saying that the future of supply management in Canada was doomed. Obviously, the truth was quite another story.

Can the parliamentary secretary give this House some idea of the long-term projections for this industry? Can he also give us a status report on his department's review of supply management?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food]

Mr. Speaker, yes, I am able to report, as we know, that a task force was established in January to discuss with all stakeholders in the industry the future of supply management and orderly marketing in those sectors in Canada.

Those meetings have been taking place. The five commodity committees are meeting on a regular basis. I am proud and pleased to say that all stakeholders in the industry are taking part in those discussions. We will be reporting the very optimistic results of those discussions. The industry will be prepared to meet the challenges and the opportunities of the Uruguay round of GATT negotiations when they are implemented in 1995.

D-Day

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago today boys became men. Fifty years ago today men became heroes.

Mr. Speaker, I was there this morning with all other hon. members who felt an incredible pride when the national anthem O Canada was sung everywhere for those who worked for democracy in Canada 50 years ago.

D-Day began the Normandy campaign. The Normandy campaign began the liberation of Europe.

Today we honour the 14,000 young soldiers who landed on Juno Beach. We honour the 1,000 who were killed during that landing and we honour the combined efforts of millions of women and men who sacrificed terribly for five years to end the scourge of Nazism.

The Regina Rifle Regiment, the Canadian Scottish Regiment, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, le régiment de la Chaudière, the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, the Stormont Dundas Glengarry Highlanders, the North Nova Scotia Islanders, the Highland Light Infantry, the Cameron Islanders of Ottawa, the First Canadian Parachute Battalion, les Fusilliers de Sherbrooke, the Fort Garry Horse Regiment and the Sixth Armoured Division.

The names ring of history but the landing on the beach of Normandy was not the romance of history books. War is not romantic. Real human beings died on the beach. Real human beings died in the frigid channel. Real human beings died on the barbed wire. Real human beings lost husbands, fathers, brothers and friends. Real human beings lost their children.

Many of us alive today have no memories of D-Day and yet we must remember. To paraphrase the Prime Minister speaking this morning as he did so eloquently in Normandy: "They didn't ask us if we were Quebecers, Ontarians, westerners, easterners; they didn't ask us what language we spoke when they called us to the service of our country, and we responded literally by the hundreds of thousands".

Yes, I was proud this morning. I was proud to hear O Canada , which symbolizes democracy because of everyone who died 50 years ago. Very few of us will ever be called upon to display as much courage as our soldiers on the beaches of Normandy.

My great-grandfather, an Acadian whose name was Gaudreault and who died in the First World War, the Magdalen Islanders and people from all over rallied to the cause of democracy and represented Canada with incredible pride. Very few of us will have to choose to give our lives for others' freedom.

The liberty to speak out; the liberty to separate; the liberty to exercise democracy in a way that Canada has shown both at Dieppe and on D-Day and over the years that they did not die in vain.

As we celebrate the decisive battle for the liberation of Europe, we praise the survivors and we mourn the dead.

It would be wrong to imagine that victory was foreordained. The war was not a book or a movie in which the good guys were bound to win. Except for the bravery of our soldiers and our allies, we could be living under the swastika today. Our soldiers faced down a criminal regime which deliberately murdered millions of people.

The efforts of 50 years ago set the foundation for peace and unity in Europe and the democracy that we experience in our country today.

Our way of life, our prosperity, our pride in being Canadian, our being ranked first among all coutries in the world, our individual and collective freedom, our sense of international community were built on the determination of all those soldiers who had to land in the icy waters of the English Channel on June 6, 1944. Thanks to them, the Gaudreaults, the Baldwins and the Clancys, thanks to them, we have made tremendous strides in the past fifty years and forged solid ties of friendship with other peoples.

The great danger is the belief it could never happen again. The sad reality is that today in many places throughout the world forces of great evil are in control and are continuing to slaughter innocent people. Hundreds of millions of human beings on our earth remain deprived of the most basic human rights.

Hundreds of millions of human beings in this world are deprived of the most basic human rights. Hundreds of millions of our brothers and sisters live under tyrannical and murderous regimes.

The vigil for peace must be constant. We pay true honour to our heroes only if we use the lessons of the past to guide us into the future. We pay true honour to our heroes only if we understand that liberty and freedom can never be taken for granted.

We pause today for a few moments of reflection out of respect, but our obligations remain for a lifetime. Our duty is to pass on to coming generations the principles for which our armed forces fought on D-Day.

Throughout Canada today children prepare for their summer vacations and their trips to the beach without a care because 50 years ago soldiers, barely older than children, put their lives on the line on the beaches of Normandy. People gave up their youth to safeguard the future of young people.

We say prayers for those who lost their lives and we offer thanks to those who survived. However, we remember that the soldiers at Normandy did not fight just so that we could say a few words of thanks. They fought to give us a chance to build a better world. Our true thanks can only come through our actions in offering future generations the same opportunities that they gave to us.

We can best pay tribute for the sacrifices made 50 years ago if we keep faith with the ideals that inspired those sacrifices.

Sometimes democracy hurts.

Sometimes democracy and free speech hurt. Sometimes they hurt people who are concerned about the future of their country, but the reality is that what Normandy gave us 50 years ago is the opportunity to stand in this place and fight for the survival of our country or for its breakup. The reality of what those soldiers did on D-Day was to bring to Canada a real sense of liberation that says: "Whatever your views, whatever your opinions, whatever your agenda, we welcome them" because that is the democracy for which they fought.

[Lucien Bouchard, Bloc, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the ceremonies taking place here today and elsewhere are an expression of the gratitude we feel as well as an opportunity for us to reflect on the meaning of June 6, 1944, and on the lessons to be learned from that fateful day on which the largest military operation of all time unfolded.

The word gratitude does not begin to convey the full measure of the debt we owe to the 5,000 Canadians of all origins and to the tens of thousands of allied soldiers who selflessly made the supreme sacrifice during the battle of Normandy.

Words can never express the debt we owe to those lying silently in the cemeteries doting the coast along the landing beaches, their graves marked by white crosses and bearing inscriptions which tell the tale of 20-year-old boys who died in the name of democracy and freedom.

We also owe a debt of gratitude to their fellow soldiers who survived the fury of battle. They returned home to their families carrying with them the memory of their fallen comrades. How can we not think of the mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, widows and betrothed, and orphaned sons and daughters left to grieve for those buried on foreign soil? Their pain, sacrifices and selfless actions were made greater by the reasons that inspired them. On this day, we must also remember the nurses who worked in the hospitals on the front, as well as all those who toiled in the factories and plants.

The importance of the Allied landings in Normandy cannot be overstated. The invasion marked the beginning of the final assault by the Allied forces on Berlin. Forced to defend itself on two fronts, Hitler's army surrendered less than one year later, shortly after our troops linked up with Soviet divisions.

The success of the landing in France clearly demonstrated the combined industrial might of the United States, Great Britain and Canada. Above all, it was an expression of democratic solidarity. Hearts and minds were mobilized in the quest to

defend the principles of freedom that underlie all truly democratic societies.

At a time when the very principle of our collective allegiance was threatened, our citizens rallied to take up arms. The threat must have been perceived as great indeed for a people as fundamentally peaceful as we are to become involved as we did in the most devastating armed conflict in history.

The determination was also great to erase the threat of any future conflict. If there is one view shared by all veterans who are haunted by the terrible atrocities they witnessed, it is their condemnation of war.

We owe more than mere gratitude and admiration to those who lay down their life or endured terrible suffering. We have a duty to them to remember, because it is by remembering the horror of war that we will remain vigilant defenders of peace.

It is with gratitude and humility that I pay tribute to the Canadian men and women of every background, race, religion, language and political persuasion who laid down their lives in Europe, or lost their friends and comrades and returned to Canada, some maimed, and all forever marked by an experience of tragedy and a knowledge of bravery and sacrifice of a kind rarely encountered in our times.

In remembering the sacrifices made on D-Day, let us resolve once more to honour the memory of the men and women who fought against fascism by continuing in our day the struggle for democracy and human rights. In order that the spirit of democracy be allowed to flourish, and not simply its structures, I would wish for us all throughout the coming years the understanding and sensitivity that we perhaps experience in heightened degree on occasions such as this when we remember, above all, our shared values and common democratic goals.