Debates of Oct. 25th, 1995

National Unity

[Paul Devillers, Liberal, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, October 25 marks the second anniversary of our government's election. Two years ago, Canadians across the country decided to elect a government that reflected them, one they trusted.

The popular support our government has enjoyed in these past 24 months demonstrates clearly our ability to identify the public's real needs. The challenges are considerable. We are working tirelessly to put the economy back on track and we are confident we will make good all of our campaign commitments by the end of our mandate.

Canadians want the changes we support, and we are sure that, if we continue to work together, Canada will long remain the best country in the world.

Reform Party Of Canada

[Ray Speaker, Reform, Lethbridge]

Mr. Speaker, two years ago today, on October 25, 1993, the people of Canada sent 52 Reform MPs to Ottawa. They did so because we as a party promised to put their interests as constituents first. Today my Reform colleagues and I thank our constituents for helping us to keep that promise.

A special thanks goes out to the people of Lethbridge constituency for participating in the first leg of my annual fall tour. In places like Diamond City, Picture Butte, Nobleford and Milk River they talked about issues that were important to them, things like jobs, pensions, agriculture and certainly the referendum.

They told me about their hopes and their fears. They reminded me what it meant to be their representative in Ottawa. The main streets and the coffee shops of southern Alberta are a long way from Parliament Hill.

Many of my constituents will never have the opportunity to visit the nation's capital, but the Reform Party believes that by effectively representing their interests in this House of Commons we will be able to bridge that distance.

[The Speaker]

I have not been able to say this for a long time but thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Quebec Referendum

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to appeal to all my fellow Canadians in Quebec who may be thinking of voting yes on October 30 as a way of protesting against the policies of this federal Liberal government, against this Prime Minister, against the corporate agenda, against the current constitutional impasse, whatever, to think again.

Governments and prime ministers come and go. What is in the interests of all of us and the world is that Canada remain and that progressive Canadians stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of social justice in the Canada we built together in the last 50 years.

We have been an example to the world. Let us not commit the sin of sowing despair when we should be sowing hope, for what hope is there for others who are not so richly blessed if Canadians cannot find a way to live together.

I have always believed that Canada has a mission to be a light to the nations and that Quebec in Canada was integral to that mission. The rest of Canada has not always nurtured that light but that light for the next few days is in the care and keeping of Quebecers alone. I appeal to them not to snuff it out.

Gasoline Additives

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

Mr. Speaker, MMT is the only available gasoline additive in Canada that can reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by as much as 20 per cent. These emissions cause urban smog.

A ban on MMT would have the effect of adding one million cars to Canadian roads by the year 2000. MMT lets Canadian refiners

use less intensive refining which also cuts down on other types of emissions that hurt the environment. In Saint John which has the biggest oil refinery in Canada this is important.

The environment minister with Bill C-94 wants to remove MMT from Canadian gas because she says it will harmonize Canada's standards with the U.S. where MMT is not used. She has also stated that automakers claim that MMT harms their onboard diagnostic systems. Independent studies and American courts have said that there is no such link. Within weeks MMT will be used in U.S. refineries.

I ask the minister to stop Bill C-94 as Canada's gasoline standards would no longer be-

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for York-Simcoe.

Quebec Referendum

[Karen Kraft Sloan, Liberal, York—Simcoe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the efforts of the no side during the referendum campaign.

The federalists have been responsible. We have presented a dream to Canadians. Our dream is of pluralism and tolerance. We want a Canada where our children learn to work together rather than build walls and become isolationists.

As of today we are witnessing a massive outpouring of love and support for the people of Quebec for a united Canada. People from all over Canada, including my riding of York-Simcoe, will be flocking by the thousands to Montreal on Friday to show their support for unity.

David Ducharm and Andrew Douris along with many other school children presented me with a petition calling for Quebec to remain part of Canada.

Better opportunity for our children and for the greater good of humanity is what federalism offers. For the sake of our children, for the love of our children, let us keep Canada together.

Bilingualism

[Anna Terrana, Liberal, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the number of Canadians learning French has increased enormously in the past fifteen years. Thanks to the policy on bilingualism, thousands of young people across Canada are learning French. At first, the debate was fierce, but, little by little, Canadians learned the importance of bilingualism and of the French language.

And so, immersion classes started throughout Canada, and, in British Columbia, 3,000 kilometres from Quebec, many anglophone parents decided their children would learn the second language of their country and join with francophones outside Quebec, who speak both English and French. We have come a long way. The policy on bilingualism has served our country well, and I would like to join the many Canadians who believe in a bilingual Canada and who continue to live together in harmony despite their race, colour and beliefs, and believe in a united Canada.

"Mon Canada inclut le Québec". My Canada includes Quebec.

National Unity

[Pat O'Brien, Liberal, London—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on October 30, Quebecers will make a very important choice: saying Yes to separation and to Canada's break-up or saying No to separation and to Canada's break-up. Canadians from all the other provinces hope that when the people of Quebec make their democratic decision, they will choose to remain in Canada.

The people in my riding of London-Middlesex feel that a majority of Quebecers will want to remain an integral part of this country we have built together. We think that they will vote No.

Referendum Campaign

[Jean H. Leroux, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, at the No side rally in Verdun last night, the Prime Minister of Canada confirmed that he had nothing to offer Quebecers who are calling for change.

The Prime Minister of Canada is asking the people to trust him and says that he will never agree to any constitutional change without Quebec's consent. But how can we trust this man who, in 1982, agreed to the unilateral patriation of the constitution without Quebec's consent?

As Lysiane Gagnon wrote in today's La Presse : ``It is too little, too late. Weeks and years too late''.

In the past few days, the No side has begged Canada to help it out, but its appeals have been in vain. At the very last minute, a panicky Prime Minister of Canada has entered the referendum campaign with empty hands. It is too little, too late. Quebecers will not be fooled; they will vote Yes next Monday.

Quebec Referendum

[John Cummins, Reform, Delta, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian historian Desmond Morton maintains that a nation is a people who

have done things together in the past. It is not bound by language or by a common culture but by a shared experience.

We are a prosperous, peaceful and tolerant society. Most significantly in the words of Jacques Hébert: "Quebec and its differences have been accepted since 1867 within a federation that is the most decentralized in the world, precisely to accommodate Quebec's differences, its distinctive language and education systems, its civil code".

Nevertheless, the separatists would diminish what our forefathers have built, a nation which is the envy of the world, a nation which because it is what it is, continues to be a country of choice for many of the world's less fortunate.

Last June, the leader of the Reform Party cautioned that we cannot stand by passively and allow Quebec voters to make a decision without a vigorous defence of Canada, including a positive federalist alternative to the status quo.

It is time we trumpeted the virtues of this land in which we have been blessed to live.

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

Mr. Speaker, on October 30 the people of Quebec will be called upon to make the most important decision in the history of their province and this country, that being should Quebec separate, yes or no?

Canadians from coast to coast want Quebec to remain an integral part of Canada.

The last thing francophones across this great country want is for their nation to disintegrate. Many francophones from my riding of Thunder Bay-Atikokan have communicated to me the sadness they would feel should Quebec separate.

The constituents of my riding plead to all Quebecers to reflect on the virtues of Canada and to preserve our national unity. I am confident that as Quebecers look back on their lives as Canadians, they will see mostly benefits and positive experiences.

Our country was born of two cultures who share a sense of family. We may all be different from one another but, at the end of the day, we are still one big family.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—Woodbine, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and commend the hard work of two young men from my riding of Beaches-Woodbine.

Sean Lee Popham and Jesse Moore, two students from Malvern Collegiate, have circulated a petition to over 100 schools across Canada. This petition supports a united Canada and rejects any attempt to separate Quebec from the rest of Canada. Sean and Jesse's petition now has over 3,000 signatures from student leaders in both territories and all of Canada's 10 provinces, including Quebec.

Student Councils for a United Canada was created at the Canadian Student Leadership Conference in Bathurst, New Brunswick in 1995. Now more than ever it is important that their message be heard.

The young people of Canada do not want to see this country broken up. They want a secure and prosperous future for themselves and for the young people of tomorrow. Their message to Quebec is this: Say no to the break up of our nation and say yes to a strong, united Canada.

Partnership

[Bernard St-Laurent, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Quebec is at a crossroads. To ensure their future, the people of Quebec must take their destiny back into their own hands. In this context, the mandate for sovereignty that Quebecers will be giving their government next Monday must not be construed as a rejection of Canada, but rather as the will to assume responsibility for themselves. Over the years, the people of Quebec and Canada have developed strong bonds of friendship, and they have many interests in common.

A partnership would be in everyone's best interests, since more than 300,000 jobs on each side are at stake. Partnerships are clearly the way of the future.

On October 30, Quebecers will not only take their destiny into their own hands but also hold out a friendly hand to their Canadian partners.

Franco-Ontarians

[Eugène Bellemare, Liberal, Carleton—Gloucester, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after being insulted last week, when the Bloc member for Rimouski-Témiscouata said: "The francophones-poof!", we, Franco-Ontarians, have decided to speak up. After countless press

conferences and all kinds of protests, the French speaking community of Ontario is now mobilizing and organizing a rally to be held tomorrow at La Cité collégiale, in Ottawa. This rally will be an opportunity to proudly show that the French language is alive and well in Ontario and that La Francophonie wants Quebec to remain in Canada.

Tomorrow, it will be our turn, as francophones living in Ontario, to say "Poof!" to everyone who wants us gone for the sake of justifying Quebec's separation.

Quebec Referendum

[Ian McClelland, Reform, Edmonton Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in a speech to thousands of supporters of the no side, the Prime Minister told Quebecers that he is not opposed to future change in Canada if they vote no.

The Reform Party has long called for renewed federalism without constitutional change. To this end it has put forward a 20-point plan to modernize and decentralize Canada.

By adopting the Reform Party policy paper on a new confederation, all of the provinces of Canada would benefit from a decentralization of powers. Furthermore, the 20-point plan would allow for reform of our institutions and could be made, bringing greater representation to the people and the regions of Canada.

Most important, by adopting the plan, the changes could be made without comprehensive federal-provincial negotiations, such as the Meech Lake or the Charlottetown accords.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all Canadians, I want to point out that voting No does not mean voting for the status quo.

The Constitution

[Ronald J. Duhamel, Liberal, St. Boniface, MB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister said: "Voting No means rejecting separation. It does not mean that we give up anything regarding the Canadian constitution. We will keep open all the other paths for change, including the administrative and constitutional ones".

On Monday, Quebecers will decide not only the future of Quebec, but also, indirectly, the future of Canada.

Quebec's claims are increasingly echoed by a number of other provinces.

The changes that many of our fellow citizens have been hoping for can only be achieved by voting No. We are confident that, on October 30, Quebecers will say no to the breakup of Canada and that they will choose to continue to work to improve our great country.

[Laurent Lavigne, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this week, the Prime Minister's cynicism has reached new heights. After claiming that he always supported the distinct society concept, when in fact he fought against its inclusion in the Meech Lake accord, the Prime Minister said yesterday, in a speech in Verdun, that any constitutional change affecting Quebec would only be made with the consent of Quebecers.

This absurd statement from the very person who imposed the Canadian constitution on Quebecers, when the Quebec Liberal Party and the Parti Quebecois were jointly opposed to it, shows that the No side is panic stricken.

Quebecers will no longer be taken in by such equivocation. On October 30, they will vote Yes to denounce the patriation of the constitution imposed to them in 1982 by the current Prime Minister of Canada. Quebecers will vote Yes to be on an equal footing to negotiate from a unified platform. On October 30, they will vote Yes to give themselves a country.

National Unity

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the No side held a very important rally in Verdun. A large number of people came to hear the leaders of the No side talk about Canada's future after the referendum.

These thousands of Quebecers were elated to hear their leaders reaffirm their profound attachment to Canada, as well as their confidence regarding our country's future.

Canada is in constant evolution. Voting No in the referendum will allow that evolution to continue in light of what Quebec and the other provinces are calling for. However, voting Yes would mean the breakup and the end of Canada. But Quebecers do not want that and they will vote No.

Referendum Campaign

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in a speech to his supporters in the referendum campaign, the

Prime Minister made an about-face and promised Quebecers change as an incentive to vote No in the upcoming referendum.

My question is directed to the Minister of Labour. Would she agree that these last minute promises, made in a panic by the Prime Minister a week from the referendum, sound very familiar to Quebecers who remember the referendum in 1980?

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister of Canada explained his point of view to all those who believe in the No side, saying how serious the situation and the choice made on October 30 were for the future of our country, and that this was a choice Quebecers had never had to make before in their entire history, because just one vote would mean the break up of Canada.

So the Prime Minister urged all Quebecers to think carefully before they voted, to think carefully about what Canada is today, what Quebecers are today, before they go and vote. That was basically the Prime Minister's message last night.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are discussing the complete about-face made by the Prime Minister.

I therefore want to ask the Minister of Labour why Quebecers should trust someone who made promises to them last night, when only last Sunday in New York, he bluntly rejected the demands of Daniel Johnson, the chair of the No committee? Why should we trust the man who betrayed Quebec in 1982?

[The Speaker]

Once again, my dear colleagues, I would ask you to be very careful about your choice of words used in both questions and answers.

This is a question and answer period, so I hope we can keep reasonably calm.

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the hon. member for Roberval, the Prime Minister of Canada is aware of the gravity of the situation and does not take the destruction of this country lightly.

This country is not just any country. It is the best country in the world. And the Prime Minister of Canada has always been a proud francophone, a proud Quebecer and a proud Canadian. In this, he is like the majority of Quebecers who are proud to be Quebecers but are also attached to their country, Canada. That is where the Bloc Quebecois is wrong.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the editorial writer for the Daily Gleaner in Fredericton wrote the following on Monday, and this is a translation: ``At the beginning of the referendum, the rest of Canada was asked to remain silent''. In return for that silence, assurances were given that there would be no promise of constitutional change for Quebec.

Does the Minister of Labour agree that this revelation of an agreement between the Prime Minister of Canada and people in the other provinces outside Quebec is strangely similar to what happened that night in 1980, when Quebec was betrayed by the same man, the same-