Mr. Speaker, I would like, first of all, to thank or congratulate the hon. member for Timiskaming-French River for tabling this motion, and introducing it in the House on June 5 of this year. This motion reads as follows:
That, in the opinion of this House, the government should consider implementing a new program of mining incentives which would encourage exploration and development in Canada.
When he talked on his motion, the hon. member mentioned in this House that in the area of mining, there was a substantial increase in exploration throughout Canada in 1994. However, this is not the opinion expressed by the Association des prospecteurs du Québec in a letter dated March 30, addressed to the Minister of Finance.
The letter said in particular that the government does not seem to realize that there is presently in Canada a lack of exploration which is mortgaging the future of the whole Canadian mining industry. The letter also said that it was urgent to try to replenish our mineral reserves. If we neglect to do that it will have an impact on a whole economic activity which is directly or indirectly connected with the mining and smelting industry in Canada.
I would like to say that we should make a distinction between mining exploration itself, where there was substantial growth in 1994 compared to 1993, and activities dependant on mining exploration, which also grew in 1994. We should mention, however, that despite this strong growth, we are a long way from the levels which existed in the early 1980s.
This being said, we can realize the scope of what the hon. member for Timiskaming-French River was saying and I quote: "Despite this, major problems and impediments still exist to a sound and sustainable mining sector in this country." It is in this context that the hon. member was asking the House to press the government to implement a program of incentives which would encourage exploration and development in the mining sector in Canada.
Of course, there is no reason why we should oppose this motion, even though it seems to be nothing but an expression of intent. However, assuming that the House of Commons agrees to this motion at the time of the vote, what will it give us that we do not have already?
The problem is not that Motion M-292 is inappropriate, but that it is not sufficient to solve the mining problem in Canada. In its report on the Canadian mining industry that was tabled before Parliament in December 1994, the standing committee on natural resources made a series of recommendations that all committee members, whatever their party affiliation, agreed on.
Of these recommendations, there are two that I will now outline for you. First, recommendation No. 3 which says: "That the federal government introduce a mineral exploration incentive by modifying the Income Tax Act to incorporate a change in the adjusted cost base of flow-through shares from a value of zero to the actual cost of the shares".
Then, recommendation No. 4, which everybody agreed on: "That in order to enhance the effectiveness of exploration work financed by means of flow-through shares, the feral government enable the exploration activity funded through such shares to be carried out over a period of one full year after financing".
The problem with the motion of the member for Timiskaming-French River is that, as it stands currently, it would do nothing concrete to stimulate mining exploration. It would be insufficient in itself to ensure implementation of the recommendations of the standing committee on natural resources, that the hon. member moving this motion is a member of.
If I brought to the attention of the House the committee recommendations that deal with flow-through shares, it is because my colleague from Abitibi also moved before Parliament a motion, Motion M-247, that has the same objective as Motion M-292, but would have a more obvious impact on mining exploration.
I do not intend to deal at length with the motion moved by my hon. colleague from Abitibi, but rather on the one moved by the hon. member for Timiskaming-French River. However, since both motions are very similar, I think it is relevant to speak to both. I would like to indicate that members of the Bloc Quebecois will support motion M-292 inasmuch as it does not work at cross purposes with motion M-427 which we will also all support.
I will not dwell at length on the positive impact tax incentives could have on the mining industry, since my colleague from Abitibi covered that very well, but I would like to mention that this kind of incentive has proved to be useful in Quebec, and more particularly so with small mining companies, which have a positive impact on local economies through their exploration operations.
The hon. member for Timiskaming-French River has given lots of figures, which my colleague opposite repeated a moment ago, to demonstrate the importance of mining in Canada and describe the Canadian position in mining exploration throughout the world in several sectors.
Despite all those figures, the government does not seem to get the point that the mining industry is one of the strongest foundations of the Canadian economy and deserves more than lip service. If motion M-292 carries, it will have a positive impact because we will at least know which way the government is heading as regards the development of our mining industry. And if the motion of the hon. member for Abitibi is agreed to, the mining industry will be able to know how the government intends to reach its goal.
In the time remaining, I would like to comment on statements made by the hon. member for Fraser Valley East in reaction to remarks made by the hon. member for Abitibi on his motion. The hon. member for Fraser Valley East said among other things, and I quote:
"I am surprised and I might almost say astonished that this particular motion would come from the hon. member for Abitibi". Let me paraphrase what he says. He says that he wants the federal government to pour money into subsidies for industry in Canada and in Quebec.
My colleague did not seem to understand the difference that exists between a federalist in Quebec and a sovereignist. A federalist in Quebec effectively always asks for more power and money. Sovereignists in Quebec do not want that at all. They want all the power and no money. We fully understand that being a minority in a majority means that we will fight forever, day after day, for bits of power and morsels of rights. We do not want bits of power and morsels of rights. We want all the power and all the rights. However, as long as we are in Confederation we will ask for our fair share of the federal expenses.
I will quote again the hon. member for Fraser Valley East who said: "I am surprised because the hon. member for Abitibi is a member of the Bloc Quebecois which, as we all know, is a political party with only one purpose and that is to destroy Canada as we know it by taking Quebec out of Confederation". That is a very strange affirmation.
Most Canadians actually believe, concerning Quebec of course, that we are a bunch of troublemakers, that we receive much more money from Canada than we put in, and that if the economic situation in Canada goes bad it is partly due to the political instability in Quebec. If those three assumptions are right and if people really believe them, the sovereignty of Quebec should be seen by most Canadians as a good way to solve a problem once and for all and save money, providing that we assume our fair share of the Canadian debt. That is exactly what we intend to do.
We are not a problem; we are the solution to a problem. If the no vote wins in Quebec we are back to square one. It will be 15 years of political debate to the next referendum, and I am sure nobody wants that. We do not want to destroy Canada. We simply think that Canadians should be able to run their country the way they want, without having to please Quebec at each moment, and that Quebec should be allowed to do the same.
My friend from Fraser Valley East continued: "I hope the member understands that people from my riding are frustrated by this kind of behaviour". I am frustrated too. I fully understand
what frustration means, but the only way to put an end to that frustration is to support the sovereignty of Quebec.
A certain amount of Canadians believe that we are sovereignists because we hate Canadians. This is absolutely not true. We love Canadians but love has absolutely nothing to do with politics. I love my father very much; that is love. However I would never let my father run my business; that is politics.
Personally I have worked everywhere in Canada: Edmonton, Toronto, southern Ontario, Regina, Saskatchewan and Saint John, New Brunswick. I have also worked in the United States: Texas, Florida, West Point and New York. I fully agree with the Prime Minister of Canada. If I were an immigrant from anywhere in the world trying to find a new country in which to live, Canada would be my first choice. However I am not an immigrant trying to find a new country in which to live. I already have a country. My country is Quebec.