Debates of Oct. 18th, 1995

Mining

[Gordon Kirkby, Liberal, Prince Albert—Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, as the member of Parliament for Prince Albert-Churchill River and the chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources, I extend my congratulations to the citizens and town council of Creighton, Saskatchewan today. They have passed an important resolution supporting the Keep Mining in Canada campaign and the industry's 10-point plan to create a healthy investment climate for mining in Canada.

Creighton is the 132nd community across Canada to adopt such a resolution to demonstrate its support for a continued, thriving mining industry in Canada. The health of these 132 local economies depends significantly on the health of the mining sector.

The 132 resolutions show that these towns care deeply about the future of the mining industry and I for one applaud the town of Creighton and all Canadians who care about working together to ensure a healthy mining sector.

Mining Industry

[Bernard Deshaies, Bloc, Abitibi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the campaign "mining, an industry to be supported" is moving today to Ottawa. I would like to salute the presence among us of mining industry representatives who have come to see the government in action. Or rather, I should say, in inaction.

The Liberal government had promised to streamline the regulatory maze facing the mining industry. Nothing has been done. The Liberals were committed to improving the flow through share system, but nothing has been done in that area either.

Despite the federal government's inaction, Toronto-based Falconbridge recently announced that $500 million would be invested in Northern Quebec, which will create hundreds of jobs.

The proposed investment shows that the prospect of a Yes vote does not scare investors from the rest of Canada. Better yet, it demonstrates the potential and vitality of the mining sector in Quebec.

Just imagine how this sector will grow once Quebec becomes sovereign.

The Late Eric Reilly

[Jim Hart, Reform, Okanagan—Similkameen—Merritt, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this past Monday I was saddened to learn of the death of a great Canadian and a constituent of Okanagan-Similkameen-Merritt.

Eric Reilly knew this country well. He was politically wise and his efforts are well known in my riding as a Reform pioneer, an organizer, a man who introduced scores of new members to the Reform Party of Canada. He did this for the love of his country and for the future of his children, his grandchildren and their children.

Eric was a fourth generation Canadian born in Dauphin, Manitoba, 82 years ago. He passed away peacefully on October 16, 1995. Eric Reilly is survived by his loving wife of over 50 years, Nora, four children and eight grandchildren.

During the last months of Eric's life he wrote his autobiography The Life of Reilly , tracing his early years. But his greatest memories were of his family. He wrote:

The only thing you have left, regardless of how much money you have accumulated, is your family. I will be leaving a fortune.

To Nora Reilly and the family the House offers our sincerest condolences.

Libraries

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

Mr. Speaker, local libraries across the country will suffer if the proposed privatization of the Canada Communication Group is put in place by the government. Libraries are concerned that the depository program operated by the Canada Communication Group may be in danger.

Relaying government information to the general public has always been a part of the public library's mandate. The partnership between government information services and the public library system has been successfully in place for over 100 years. It would be most unfortunate if communications between the government and the people of Canada should be endangered.

With the privatization of CCG, government documents will become expensive and difficult to obtain.

For the sake of providing information to Canadians, I ask the government to consider retaining the publishing function of CCG while giving up the responsibility for printing.

Mining

[Stan Dromisky, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Atikokan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to the Canadian mining industry. Canada is the third largest mining nation in the world and the world's largest producer of uranium, zinc and potash. Almost 80 per cent of Canada's mineral production is exported.

Mining is the mainstay of employment in over 115 communities in Canada. For every 10 jobs created in the mining industry, 8 more jobs are indirectly created. For every dollar spent on mining research and development, there is a $3 benefit to the Canadian economy.

Over the past two years the demand for nickel has jumped 20 per cent. Fortunately Canadians have the resource, the workforce and the expertise to meet this anticipated demand.

It is for these reasons that we must work together in a co-operative spirit to foster an environment in which the mining industry may continue to flourish in this great country of ours.

Quebec Referendum

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

Mr. Speaker, Canada is consistently rated as one of the best nations in the world in which to live. The United Nations ranked us number one twice in the last three years. A recent private sector ranking of cities around the world ranked four Canadian cities in the top twelve.

All around the globe are people who yearn for the rights and freedoms, not to mention the peace and personal security, we enjoy as Canadians. We are incredibly fortunate to live in a country founded on the principles of freedom and democracy.

As an immigrant to this great country I find it hard to believe anyone, let alone descendants of the first Fathers of Confederation, would ever consider leaving it.

Quebecers should take a good hard look at the state of other countries around the world before they decide to separate from this one.

Franco-Ontarians

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Algoma, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to attend the annual convention of the Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario (Rive-nord) and the 20th anniversary of "L'étoile d'or" seniors' club in Elliott Lake.

As always, the members, volunteers and directors did a good job of representing the Franco-Ontarians in our region. As always, they have shown that the French fact is still very strong throughout Northern Ontario because the francophones in our region have great love and esteem for the distinctive features and wealth of their culture and heritage.

There is no need for Quebec to leave Canada in order to preserve the French culture. To the contrary, we believe that the French culture will have a better chance of surviving in a united Canada, as my friends from the ACFO and the seniors' club have demonstrated.

Referendum Campaign

[Roger Pomerleau, Bloc, Anjou—Rivière-Des-Prairies, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance contends that all the evils in the world will befall a sovereign Quebec and one million jobs will be lost.

We will recall that the minister himself, along with his present government colleagues, opposed the free trade agreement with the United States because, as reported in the June 21, 1988 Hansard , it would have ``-a negative impact on many industries and communities and because it will jeopardize the Canadian economic and social structure as well as Canada's political independence''.

In fact, as we know, the FTA created thousands of jobs in Canada and gave a tremendous boost to our exports.

The no side, and the Liberal Party of Canada in particular, have always used fear as an argument against progress. On October 30, Quebecers will oppose them by saying yes to sovereignty.

Government Contracts

[Randy White, Reform, Fraser Valley West, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this morning's headline reads: "Probe into contracts given to bureaucrat's relatives miffs Dingwall". Apparently the minister is unhap-

py with the lack of action taken against bureaucrats who were caught giving government work to friends and relatives.

The minister should know how internal probes feel by now. This summer he asked his employees to clear him of charges of steering lucrative contracts to a campaign contributor who just happened to be the golfing buddy of the Prime Minister.

The internal whitewash declared the minister clean even though a letter from the minister's office blatantly directed a government agency to do business with this sole bidder and then asked the agency to confirm progress.

We know how internal probes feel. Take two aspirins and call the ethics counsellor in the morning. We know how that feels too. It is not very satisfying over here.

Bill S-9

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, do we as members of Parliament and does the public generally have any idea what Bill S-9 is all about?

At a time when funding for Canadian colleges, universities and institutes is being reduced through cuts in transfer payments, the House is about to pass legislation today that will see Canadian taxpayers funding United States universities and colleges.

Yes, Canadian taxpayers will be able to support American colleges and universities. Bill S-9 will enable Canadians to donate funds to any college or university in the United States and then be able to deduct these contributions on their tax returns. Canadians will now be able to donate money to Harvard, Stanford, UCLA or Eastern Arkansas State College and then deduct these contributions on their Canadian tax returns.

Why are Canadians being asked to subsidize U.S. colleges and universities at the same time when support for Canadian post-secondary institutions are being seriously underfunded?

Francophone Communities

[Ronald J. Duhamel, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, I was very impressed by an ad placed by the francophone community of Alberta in the Wednesday edition of Le Soleil two weeks ago.

What it said reflected the concerns of French speaking communities across Canada. Canada is recognized around the world as a bilingual country where both English and French are spoken. The future of the French language in Canada would be seriously threatened in a divided country. It is obvious.

Francophones were among the founders of cities like Moncton, Winnipeg, Regina and Edmonton. The voyageurs who discovered new territories and the settlers who farmed this new land are but a few examples of this. We must not break the ties between Quebec and francophone communities in the other Canadian provinces. Together, we are stronger, much stronger.

I will conclude by quoting the French Canadian Association of Alberta and saying, on behalf of all francophone communities in Canada, that the French language has a place in Canada, and so does Quebec.

Referendum Campaign

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

Mr. Speaker, the Yes side has a real problem refraining from excluding various groups when it discusses who is a true Quebecer and who is not.

The recent controversial comments made by the Bloc Quebecois leader concerning the low birth rate among whites were echoed once again in the separatist camp.

Mr. Emmanuel Marcotte, president of the Yes committee for the Outaouais region, said: "It is a fact, it is a white race. I mean it is a fact. Let us call a spade a spade. We are white people. We are not yellow and we are not green. We are white. You do not like the word race, but that is the truth".

These comments follow a long series of discriminatory and racist statements made by the Yes side. On October 30, Quebec will say no to intolerance and to exclusion.

Francophones Outside Quebec

[Paul Devillers, Liberal, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, according to the Bloc Quebecois, French speaking people outside Quebec are all condemned to assimilation unless Quebec separates.

That reasoning is all the more insulting because it is unsound. Today, there are seven million French speaking people in Canada, out of a total population of 27 million, which means about 25 per cent of all Canadians. Should the Yes side win, there would be one million French speaking people in Canada out of a total population of 20 million, or five per cent of Canadians.

Separatists are prepared to jeopardize the remarkable progress that we have made over the last 30 years to protect and promote French in Canada. Separation would result in the worst geopolitical setback for French in North America since 1759.

French speaking people from all regions of the country, including Quebec, know very well that there is strength in numbers and

that a French speaking community which comprises Quebec is the best guarantee that French will blossom in this country.

Quebec Economy

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in his speech to Quebec industrial commissioners the Minister of Finance for Canada predicted apocalyptically that sovereignty would jeopardize a million Quebec jobs. Finding the estimates of the leader of the no committee not catastrophic enough for his taste, the finance minister padded them by multiplying Daniel Johnson's estimates by ten.

It is worrisome and unacceptable to see such irresponsible statements made by the person who manages the enormous federal debt. We hope that the minister does not use equally farfetched estimates for his economic and budget forecasts, something one might well wonder about since the Minister of Finance has deferred his economic and budget statement until after the referendum.

What is he afraid of? Is he afraid to report to Quebecers now on his administration?

Mining

[Darrel Stinson, Reform, Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Mr. Speaker, representatives of the mining industry and mining communities are in Ottawa as part of their Keep Mining in Canada campaign. I bid them welcome.

Although mining contributes greatly to the economy, the sad fact is that today the Canadian mining industry is in serious trouble. Domestic mining exploration expenditures for 1992 valued at $385 million were at their lowest levels since 1967. Even with the improvements in the past two years they are still only expected to reach $675 million this year, well below the $800 million level generally regarded as the threshold required to maintain reserves.

As a prospector and mining consultant, I want to assure the House that it is not easy to drive prospectors out of the bush. It has taken many years of wrong headed federal government policies to do that. Major changes must be made.

I ask my hon. colleagues to give a sympathetic ear to Keep Mining in Canada representatives, not just this week but all year round.

Francophones Outside Quebec

[Pierrette Ringuette-Maltais, Liberal, Madawaska—Victoria, NB]

Mr. Speaker, it was paradoxical, to say the least, to see the separatist member for Rimouski-Témiscouata trying to make political gains at the expense of francophones outside Quebec, when she has missed no opportunity to run them down and attack their credibility.

March 14, on the program Ontario 30 , she had the following to say about the Association des communautés francophones et acadienne: To my mind, it is very clear that the federation has been bought off''. The next day she told <em>Le Devoir</em>Our message to francophones outside Quebec is clear. Leave us alone to make our decision and mind your own business''.

Quebecers have the survival of French in Canada at heart and they will not allow the separatist agenda to threaten the existence of francophone communities outside Quebec. This coming October 30, Quebec will say no to the abandonment of francophones elsewhere in Canada.

[Raymond Bonin, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday certain Bloc members spoke in this House in an attempt to have us believe that francophones outside Quebec would be better protected by a sovereign Quebec. The hon. member for Rimouski-Témiscouata stated: "The status quo is untenable for the survival and development of the French fact in North America; only a sovereign Quebec can enable us to work toward this".

I feel it is appropriate to remind the official opposition, along with the hundreds of thousands of francophones outside Quebec, that one of the first decisions taken by the Parti Quebecois after its election was to close Quebec's office in Edmonton. According to the PQ minister the reason for this decision was financial. On October 30, Quebecers will not abandon francophones outside Quebec, and that is why they will vote no.

Referendum Campaign

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, in an apocalyptic speech to Quebec's industrial commissioners, the finance minister predicted one million jobs would be lost the day after a win by the Yes side, thus upsetting a number of people in the audience, who obviously felt uncomfortable with these outlandish claims. The minister added that according to him, it was a conservative estimate and that it might even be more than one million.

My question is directed to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. Would such farfetched statements not seriously compromise the credibility of the finance minister and are they not a definite indication that panic has struck the federal side?

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

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister was right. He said there are one million jobs in Quebec that are affected by export industries, including those that export to the rest of Canada, and that Quebec's separation would create considerable problems in this area.

What he said was perfectly true and is supported by the statistics. It is an indication of the extremely negative economic consequences of Quebec's separation.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, would the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs not agree that his colleague in the Finance Department has gone too far by taking such an irresponsible approach, since his responsibility and first duty as finance minister is to avoid any statements that might cause a negative reaction on the financial markets?

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

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister also has a duty to point out what would really happen if Quebec separates.

In his role as finance minister, he has an obligation to point out that separation will not only cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs, as the leader of the No committee said, but also that many jobs would be affected by changes occurring subsequent to separation, and particularly by the fact that, as the finance minister pointed out, Quebec would have to renegotiate its entry in NAFTA and the successor organization to GATT.

These are aspects that will create substantial economic problems in Quebec and, once again, the finance minister has a duty to point this out to Quebecers.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs not realize that the finance minister's apocalyptic speech, which was actually received with some scepticism by industrial development advisers, gets us nowhere and is in fact is oddly similar to the speeches they made on free trade a few years ago, and which subsequently turned out to be all wrong?

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

Mr. Speaker, the supporters of the Yes committee, which includes the Bloc

Quebecois, would have Quebecers believe that separation will take place without a hitch, without any negative economic consequences, without any impact on Quebec's relations with the rest of Canada, the United States and Mexico.

That is not true, and it is not enough to wave a magic wand and say "Poof! Let the problems vanish!" for them to vanish.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Marcel Massé, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

The truth is that separation will create tremendous problems, it will affect investment in Quebec, jobs and exports. Whatever the Bloc and the PQ say, it is important to get the truth out and that Quebecers know on October 30 what the real consequences will be of separation.