Debates of June 7th, 1994

National Unity

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

Mr. Speaker, sometimes we Canadians are guilty of taking our history for granted. I too have been guilty of this.

This past weekend my wife and I attended two events which made me realize that we must take time to remember our past. The first was the D-Day services honouring our Canadians who died in combat to help preserve our future and our freedom.

The second event was the sound and light show here on Parliament Hill which brilliantly reflected Canada's history, heritage and culture. I was overwhelmed by this magical display radiating over Parliament Hill, our national symbol of democracy and patriotism. I believe that feeling of being Canadian radiates all across Canada, out to each and every little corner of the country. We are all united in our hearts. It is a deeply held feeling to be Canadian.

My wife and I got a very warm feeling as we sat and watched the story of how Canada developed. It touched our hearts and I know all Canadians share this spirit. We must dissolve any threats to our unity vision and put an end to the notion of being anything less than one united nation.

Trent University

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, to mark the 25th anniversary of native studies at Trent University, the oldest native studies program in Canada, three prominent aboriginal Canadians were awarded honorary degrees. One recipient was Mohawk elder Ernie Benedict, who helped found the North American Indian Travelling College which through teaching helped preserve cultural traditions of native peoples. The college is based on Cornwall Island, Ontario.

Douglas Cardinal, the architect for the Canadian Museum of Civilization and many other structures in Canada and abroad also received an honorary degree. He was born in Alberta and spent most of his life there before moving his business to Ottawa.

The third recipient was Rosemarie Kuptana, president of the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada, the voice of Canadian Inuit. Miss Kuptana worked with the CBC in the north and with the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation. She is a major figure in national and international aboriginal affairs.

We congratulate these distinguished Canadians. We also congratulate the native studies department of Trent University on 25 years of academic leadership.

I congratulate the member for Winnipeg South and his wife on the birth of their son.

Householder Poll

[Tony Valeri, Liberal, Lincoln, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise and report to the House of Commons that I have received hundreds of replies to my householder questionnaire. The views of the residents of Lincoln are important and I want my constituents to know that their representative is listening.

The residents of Lincoln have made it overwhelmingly clear that they want to see deficit reduction as one of the top priorities of government. They want the cost of government operations cut and they want reductions in crown corporation subsidies.

As the representative for Lincoln I too share their concerns and frustrations. I am encouraged by the course the government has charted in promoting fiscal responsibility and prudence.

The government will continue to improve efficiencies in government operations the residents of Lincoln demanded and I will do my part to help achieve our goal of good government. I will continue to solicit the views of my constituents of Lincoln and I look forward to sharing them with my colleagues in the House of Commons.

Environment Week

[Anna Terrana, Liberal, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like the opportunity to emphasize the fact that on the first day of Environment Week, Sunday, June 5, the federal government released its mid-term progress report on the Fraser River action plan.

The Fraser River is key to the present and future environmental, economic and social prosperity of Canadians in British Columbia. I am pleased to report that the action plan which focuses on sustaining this key ecosystem by cleaning up pollution, restoring productivity, and developing a government system that would ensure the long term environmental health of the Fraser basin is on track and demonstrating real progress in meeting its original objectives.

Nevertheless we must continue to strive for the realization of the goals laid out by the plan. This involves working with our stakeholders in the basin, including First Nations, provincial and local governments, industry and community groups.

Deputy Prime Minister

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Témiscouata, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Deputy Prime Minister was again unable to rise to her responsibilities. She said: "It hurts me to see Mr. Bouchard putting his wreath before the Cenotaph today".

I would first say to the Deputy Prime Minister that the wreath was laid by the member for Quebec whose father, Léon Gagnon, took part in the battle of Normandy and fought in Europe from 1939 to 1945 for freedom and democracy.

The most basic decency should have made the Deputy Prime Minister respect other people's sorrow. An hon. member should be able to honour her father's memory even if the Deputy Prime Minister does not share her political opinions.

The courage and sacrifice of our elders are a common heritage which no one can use for partisan purposes. The event commemorated yesterday belongs to the collective history of Quebecers and Canadians of all allegiances. Quebec will never deny this heritage, whatever the political choices it makes.

Bloc Quebecois

[Dick Harris, Reform, Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have listened to some members in the House who sound as if they have been co-opted by Bloc Quebecois strategy.

The Bloc appears to have successfully softened its separatist image in the eyes of some members. During debate, question period, and statements some members prefer to use the words sovereignty or sovereignist rather than the more appropriate words separation or separatist.

I call on each and every member of the House who clearly opposes the destruction of Canada to demonstrate their clear understanding of the Bloc agenda by hereafter referring to the Bloc as separatists.

Let us send a clear message to the Bloc that their mushy terminology is not fooling anyone in this House or in Canada.

Canadian Medical Hall Of Fame

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the House that the inaugural induction of the first 10 laureates to the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame took place on Friday, May 27, 1994 in London, Ontario.

This is an opportunity to pay tribute to Dr. Charles Drake, a world renowned London neurosurgeon, and the nine other eminent recipients of these awards.

Their exceptional achievements in their respective fields and their contributions to medicine in general have culminated in their induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.

These Canadians reached the pinnacle of their professions and achieved breakthroughs in their fields of expertise thus contributing to the advancement of science. They have also contributed to the understanding of disease, leading to the improvement of the general health of people throughout the world. We thank and honour them for their work.

National Transportation Week

[Stan Keyes, Liberal, Hamilton West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is National Transportation Week. Privileged to be the chair of the Standing Committee on Transport, it is my pleasure to acknowledge the excellence of the hundreds of thousands of men and women who see the transportation industry in our country moving ever forward.

The challenges of change on a global scale are continuing to influence our transportation industry. To deal with these challenges, government and industry must look to the future and harmonize efforts to contribute to competitiveness and economic renewal.

It may please the House to know that last Friday in Thunder Bay the industry recognized excellence in transportation.

If time would permit, I would recognize all those who were honoured with awards of excellence and achievement, but among them I want particularly to mention those who received the awards of valour: Mr. Mervyn Peever of Prince George, B.C., a rail brakeman who risked his life to rescue a three-year old girl from the path of an oncoming freight train, and Mr. André Fréchette, a truck driver from Tracy, Quebec who rescued two people from a burning bus.

In keeping with National Transportation Week, I congratulate all those who keep Canada's transportation system running as it should be, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

D-Day

[Jag Bhaduria, Liberal, Markham—Whitchurch-Stouffville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to a dedicated and courageous group of veterans who participated in the D-Day remembrance events this past weekend.

As members of the International Association of Airborne Veterans' established Veterans Parachute Regiment, these veterans conducted a mass paradrop into the nation's capital and surrounding area. This was an exciting event to witness.

I am sure that veterans as well as all Canadians were touched by this spectacular tribute to the allied invasion of Normandy.

This paradrop operation was organized by Captain Glen Blumberg, a constituent of Markham. He is the director of the Canadian chapter of the International Association of Airborne Veterans.

Through his efforts, parachutists from the three principal nations involved in the invasion, namely Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, participated in the paradrop. Additionally, representatives from our other second world war allies also participated in this event.

On behalf of all my colleagues in Parliament, I congratulate Captain Blumberg, the veteran-

Social Program Reform

[Lucien Bouchard, Bloc, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, after cancelling last April's scheduled federal-provincial conference of income security ministers, the Minister of Human Resources Development has also postponed the tabling of his action plan on social program reform which was originally scheduled for late April. With the House slated to rise for the summer in about 15 days, the government has dug in its heels in the fact of the provinces' opposition and has yet to unveil its plans for social program reform.

Can the Deputy Prime Minister indicate to us whether the government intends to make its action plan on social program reform public before the adjournment of the House, or whether it is preparing instead to release it after the House rises, so as to avoid debating the matter here in the House?

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

Mr. Speaker, the work of the human resources minister is proceeding very, very well. This week in fact, he met in Europe with representatives of other countries that are reviewing their social systems and we expect that he will be releasing his report and action plan shortly.

[Lucien Bouchard, Bloc, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, that is quite a revelation! The minister has not even succeeded in getting together with his provincial counterparts in Canada, and now we learn that he is meeting with European ministers. Quite a revelation indeed!

Are we to understand that because of the provinces's opposition to the federal project, no new date has been set for the federal-provincial ministers' conference on social program reform originally scheduled for last April?

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

Mr. Speaker, I hope that the Leader of the Opposition is not trying to make the House believe that the Minister of Human Resources Development should not speak with his OECD counterparts.

I realize that the Leader of the Opposition has other plans in mind for his country. I also know that the minister received a much warmer welcome in Europe that did the Leader of the Opposition several weeks ago.

[Lucien Bouchard, Bloc, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, all Canadians and all taxpayers will, I am sure, be delighted to hear that the minister is in Europe to meet with his European counterparts. However, it is not in Europe that the plan will be drawn up and it is not in Europe that the minister will convince Canada's provincial premiers that the plan is acceptable. That work must be done here.

Mr. Speaker, will the Deputy Prime Minister admit that Ottawa and the provinces have reached an impasse on the question of social program reform, given that in such fields as health, the provinces refuse to bear the burden for the federal government's financial decision to off-load its deficit onto their shoulders, while at the same time, the federal government wants to force the provinces to comply with national standards?

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

Mr. Speaker, this is another unfortunate example of the Leader of the Opposition's policy of always operating according to a double standard. He sees nothing illogical in the fact that two weeks ago, he went to Paris to discuss Quebec's separation. It is completely logical, on the other hand, that the Minister of Human Resources Development is in Europe to discuss social reform. Furthermore, we have already stated that the action plan will be released to the Canadian public shortly.

Experimental Drugs

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we learned from a report on French CBC TV that two children had life-threatening reactions to an experimental drug, ALG, that was approved by Health Canada and administered to them at Sainte-Justine Hospital. However, this experimental drug was never approved or authorized for export by the U.S. authorities. This

drug is the subject of a criminal investigation after two people died from it in the United States.

How can the Minister of Health justify her department's decision to authorize the use of ALG when this high-risk experimental drug was never approved and authorized for export by the United States since it was developed in the early 1970s?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, of course, I will have to find out about the case in question. I was not given details. If you want, I am prepared to give you all the necessary information which I might obtain. If you have information to give me, please let me have it.

[The Speaker]

Before giving the floor to the hon. member for Roberval, I would ask hon. members to always address the Chair.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, gladly, as I usually do anyway.

Mr. Speaker, through you, let me suggest that the minister listen to the CBC news where this case was reported today. At the same time, I would like to ask her if she could investigate the circumstances surrounding her department's decision to authorize the use of this dangerous drug in eleven Canadian hospitals. Does she admit that the present system for authorizing medication is very seriously deficient since Health Canada exercises no control over or follow-up on the effects of experimental drugs after authorizing them?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I would like the opportunity to look into the particular case since I have no information at this point.

Let me advise this House that the scientists and people in Health Canada are extremely concerned with any new experimental drug. I am sure they will do everything in their power to ensure the safety of any product that is distributed here in Canada.

Trade

[Preston Manning, Reform, Calgary Southwest, AB]

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

As the minister knows Canada's trade ministers have been meeting to discuss ways and means of securing freer trade within Canada. Various trade associations have suggested there are over 500 barriers to trade, they cost us $6 billion and, of course, they kill jobs.

Is the federal government considering more proactive measures, federal initiatives, to dismantle interprovincial trade barriers if the provincial ministers fail to do more than just scratch the surface?

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

Mr. Speaker, I think the comprehensive approach that has been taken by the minister responsible for industry who has been leading the federal discussion on these issues is indeed far more than scratching the surface. He is getting an excellent response from his provincial counterparts in areas ranging from environmental protection to breaking down a number of the other 500-plus barriers that prevent interprovincial free trade.

We have every expectation that at the end of June, the deadline that the minister has imposed for himself and his provincial colleagues, we will have another success story to speak of for the Liberal government.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Calgary Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the track record of these discussions is that the trade ministers come up with a list of exemptions as long as your arm.

The Constitution empowers the federal government to regulate trade and commerce and provide some capacity for the federal government itself to act on internal barriers to trade. Section 121 of the Constitution states: "All articles of the growth, produce, or manufacture of any one of the provinces shall, from and after the union, be admitted free into each of the other provinces".

My question for the Deputy Prime Minister is this: What is the federal government doing to exercise its current constitutional powers, including the application of section 121, to facilitate freer trade in Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member's question is a good example of why he had better go back to the constitutional drawing board.

This morning we heard the same member stand in the House and complain that the federal government was too directive in a number of areas. He wanted us to divest our responsibility to the provinces. This afternoon he is telling us that we are not doing enough.

In fact the Minister of Industry has a negotiated approach. He has brought all the parties to the table. He expects to have a full and comprehensive free trade agreement reached by the end of June.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Calgary Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have one further supplementary question.

Internal barriers to trade are created by provincial governments and inflict injury on businesses and consumers. The federal government's approach to dealing with these barriers has been to get the provinces, the creators of the problem, together and ask them to solve it.

Has the government considered bringing together businesses and consumers that are injured by internal barriers to trade and giving them the tools to fight these barriers, for example

providing a domestic trade dispute settling mechanism in Canada like we have in the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement?