Debates of Nov. 20th, 1995

Louis Riel

[Chris Axworthy, NDP, Saskatoon—Clark's Crossing, SK]

Mr. Speaker, last Thursday I had the honour to be invited by the Metis Nation of Saskatchewan to join them to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the hanging of Louis Riel, a most important date on the Metis calendar.

That the Metis community would come together to mark one of the gravest crimes ever committed by the Canadian government against one of its leaders says a lot about the determination and the patience of the Metis people.

To some degree history has put Riel's contributions to Canada into perspective. The House has pardoned him of the crime for which he was executed and now he is rightfully recognized as a Father of Confederation. While we have made some retribution to Riel's memory we have failed as a nation to properly recognize the role that the Metis have had in building this country and their rightful role in its future.

Riel was twice elected to sit as a member of this House and it is an honour to be in the same House as someone whose commitment to justice and to the west was so firm.

Last Thursday's ceremony was a reminder of the continuing struggle for justice that the Metis people are waging and the need on the part of Canada to redress the years of injustice. Each of us in this House has an important role to play in that struggle.

Striking Committees

[Gérard Asselin, Bloc, Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is becoming increasingly obvious to anyone listening to the conflicting remarks made by ministers of this government that they cannot honour the promises made in the final days of the referendum campaign.

Unable to develop a policy that meets the traditional demands of Quebecers-demands that they had been denying for years-the best that these ministers can think of is to disguise their failure to act by striking one committee after another.

First, they announced the establishment of a phoney committee on national unity, but the ministers who were to sit on this committee did not know that they were members of the committee. They did not even know what their mandate was.

Then, a shadow committee on economic growth and employment was established. Two years after taking office, the federal ministers have decided that the time has come to start tackling the problem of unemployment. More committees and still no action. This reeks of improvisation.

National Child Day

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton—York—Sunbury, NB]

Mr. Speaker, in March 1993 the Government of Canada designated November 20 as National Child Day.

The enactment of National Child Day was a culmination of efforts by Our Kids Foundation in Ottawa which convinced the government to designate a special day for children.

The adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and National Child Day reflects the growing recognition that children are important in their own right and valued members of our society. It also provides us with the opportunity to reflect on the special needs of children and the matters that concern them.

I have been collecting letters from children across the country who urge the Prime Minister to remember the promises made at the World Summit for Children in 1990 to reduce poverty and

illiteracy. I have received over 100 heartfelt letters from children of all ages.

We need to work together to improve the well-being of children from all nations as they are truly the future of the planet.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize in the House this country's greatest asset, our children.

In March 1993 the Government of Canada designated November 20 as National Child Day. To mark this occasion, communities across Canada are hosting a variety of activities and events to celebrate children and their families.

In the words of Dr. Benjamin Spock "children are made to love". Parents love children because they remember being loved so much by their own parents. And despite all the hard work, taking care of children and seeing them grow and develop into fine people gives most parents their greatest satisfaction in life. To reflect on children we see that this is creation, this is our visible immortality.

Today is National Child Day. It should serve to remind us all that every day is a good day to love our children.

The Senate

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, since the Liberal government took office two years ago, the Prime Minister has made 12 patronage appointments to the Senate. This is complicity in the degrading politics of an undemocratic, unaccountable institution.

The other place consumes over $40 million a year from hard pressed, taxpaying Canadians. Does it actually serve a purpose or is it just a rubber stamp for bad legislation?

In the last few days the justice minister has stated that he will not accept any amendments to Bill C-68 which might be proposed by the Senate. A few weeks ago he also said that Senators should get on with their function and pass the legislation. The government cannot have it both ways.

Either the gun control amendments will be coming back from a powerful, unelected body of partisan failures, flatterers and pleaders for special interests or it is a legitimate part of Canada's legislative process.

I ask again: Does the Senate serve a purpose or just act as a rubber stamp for bad legislation?

National Child Day

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to mention that November 20 is National Child Day. Today, and for the third consecutive year, we are taking the time to stop and recognize the rights of children from coast to coast.

To recognize that our children have rights is to recognize also that we have a responsibility to ensure that they are raised in an adequate environment conducive to proper growth and development.

In Canada, a country that calls itself the best in the world, more than one million children live in poverty. For a child, to be born poor also means facing higher risks of emotional and physical health problems because it clearly makes them more vulnerable to the consequences of poverty.

Let us take this opportunity to reflect on the future we are preparing for our children, and particularly on the impact that the actions we take today will have on them tomorrow.

[Patrick Gagnon, Liberal, Bonaventure—Îles-De-La-Madeleine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, November 20 marks the third anniversary of the National Child Day. That date was chosen to recognize two historical events, namely the UN ratification of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

This convention is aimed at ensuring the survival, protection, development and participation of all children and was ratified by Canada in 1991.

We have a responsibility to preserve the well-being of those children who could be victims of criminal acts, abuse or neglect. By investing in child care from the early stages on, we will ensure that children do not have to go through some of the adjustment problems associated with the teenage years. This, in turn, will have the effect of reducing the financial burden associated with welfare, crime prevention and remedial education.

In conclusion, I invite all Canadians to join us in celebrating this day.

[Mac Harb, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today is National Child Day, a day when we celebrate our children, a day of happiness, a day when every child should wear a smile.

Children are our future. As a society we must do everything we can to ensure their happiness and their ability to lead full and productive lives. Childhood is a most critical stage of life. It is during this period that we must provide proper nutrition, good health care, complete education and above all encouragement and guidance to our children.

I invite my colleagues to join with me in celebrating our kids and our future at the Cherish the Children Gala tonight at 7 p.m. in Room 200, West Block, here on Parliament Hill.

Also, join with me in wishing all those who are born on this day a very happy birthday.

Democracy

[Réjean Lefebvre, Bloc, Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, people in Quebec and in Canada are not surprised by recent statements from the Prime Minister, who is experiencing a severe panic attack. We now know that if the yes side had won the referendum, the Prime Minister would have rejected the democratic choice made by Quebecers.

The Prime Minister also said that he would take all necessary means to ensure that Quebecers are no longer consulted through a referendum on the issue of sovereignty. These two statements alone confirm an absolute lack of political ethics on the part of the Prime Minister and his entourage. But the Prime Minister went even further when he said that CBC's information services do not comply with their mandate, which should be to actively promote Canadian unity.

The Prime Minister's lack of respect for the public consultation process and for those who hold different views clearly confirms that he turns his back on democracy when it takes a direction with which he does not agree.

Taxes

[John Williams, Reform, St. Albert, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has not cut spending by a single penny. In fact, spending is up by $2.8 billion this year over last.

The one thing that saved the Minister of Finance and allowed him to meet his deficit reduction target was that he squeezed Canadian taxpayers for another $7.3 billion; $2.8 billion of that was applied to the ever-rising cost of servicing our debt and $4.5 billion was used to reduce the deficit.

Is it the intention of the Liberal government to balance the budget on the backs of the taxpayers? If it is, taxpayers need to know the costs. Their taxes will double in the next 10 years in order to pay for the ever-rising cost of the debt while reducing the deficit to zero.

By that time, the government will have killed the goose that laid the golden egg and the rich will have joined the ranks of the poor.

National Child Day

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today, November 20, Canadians all over the country will be celebrating National Child Day.

The Government of Canada designated this special day to pay tribute to children and everything they offer us today and in the future.

November 20 also marks the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. That convention is important because it deals with every aspect of the life of children and youth. The convention provides a framework to value and respect children and youth as full-fledged human beings.

In this International Year of Tolerance, we encourage all partners to pay special attention to issues such as equality, integration, sharing and understanding, especially when these issues relate to children and youth.

Today I call on all members of the House to join in the celebration of National Child Day. We must listen to our children and youth and treat them with compassion and respect. In doing this we build stronger communities and a prosperous nation.

Remember, children are important because they are Canada's future.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the government, if there is still one over there.

Having already implied that he did not intend to respect the outcome of the referendum, the Prime Minister stated a second

time that he wanted to stop Quebecers from holding a second referendum on the future of Quebec if they wished to. In a repeat performance later, he criticized the CBC's lack of partisan involvement in the referendum campaign. The CBC was too impartial for the Prime Minister's taste during the referendum.

My question is directed to the Deputy Prime Minister or whoever might be so kind as to reply. Are we to understand that the Prime Minister wishes not only to stop Quebecers from deciding their future on another occasion they deem appropriate but also to control the information they will get from the CBC?

[Sheila Finestone, Liberal, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women)]

Mr. Speaker, I believe that we need to stress that the Prime Minister may perhaps be completely right in this, but with respect to the comment from my colleague, he is also aware that CBC President Perrin Beatty has set up a committee to examine our Prime Minister's comments, which I feel are clearly justified, and the response will be forthcoming in due course.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, since the hon. secretary of state does me the honour of a reply to my questions, I shall ask her another.

Since Perrin Beatty, in keeping with the operating provisions of the CBC, has set up a committee to assess the professional conduct of CBC and Radio-Canada journalists and the manner in which the news was presented, does she not think that the Prime Minister would have been wiser to wait before nailing the CBC?

[Sheila Finestone, Liberal, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women)]

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague must be aware, the mission of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Radio Canada International is, and I quote:"[-] to reflect major current events and contribute to the exercise of democracy"-something you and others need to learn about-"to the affirmation of the sovereignty of the country and to helping the various regions to come to know more about each other, and to more accurately reflect the national identity". This has not been denied by our Prime Minister and this is how we promote all of our undertakings.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. secretary of state is rather surprising. She indicates to the opposition that we ought to be learning what democracy is all about, while what is at issue here is the behaviour of the Prime Minister, who finds that the CBC was too impartial in the referendum. Amazing. Amazing.

Does the hon. secretary of state not consider, when a Prime Minister initially indicates his intention not to recognize the outcome of a democratic exercise, then tells us that he want to see no more democratic consultations in Quebec, and then again decides that the CBC ought to stop being impartial when broadcasting information, that these are three somewhat disquieting actions within a democracy?

[Sheila Finestone, Liberal, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women)]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to talking about democracy, when it comes to talking about how language should be understood or one's accent, when it comes to discussing who has the right to vote and the weight of that vote, I do not think there are any exercises in democracy that need to be taken by this side of the House.

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

Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Acting Prime Minister.

Last week, the Deputy Prime Minister clearly established a link between the funding received by Radio-Canada and its news coverage. She said it did not make sense for us to pay the cost of running the corporation when there was no commitment to Canadian unity.

Are we to understand that the government wants to tie Radio-Canada's budget to a partisan performance with respect to news coverage?

[Sheila Finestone, Liberal, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women)]

Mr. Speaker, it might be very helpful if my hon. colleague would recognize we are in a significantly changing environment with respect to telecommunications, broadcasting, film distribution, marketing, et cetera.

The government spends in excess of $1 billion for Radio-Canada, CBC, Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board. Perhaps that money could be spent more succinctly, more successfully and in a more focused way. It is for that reason that a committee was set up by the minister responsible for Canadian heritage. We should know its response very shortly.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would really like to know how the secretary of state can justify-since she used the word focus-the government's blackmailing Radio-Canada?

[Sheila Finestone, Liberal, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women)]

Mr. Speaker, CBC Radio-Canada's role is to reflect our society, the people within our society. It has journalistic freedom, which is within its mandate.

I suggest the impartiality and the responsibility journalistically speaking will be determined in the report to be submitted byMr. Perrin Beatty and that committee.

Air Canada

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Beaver River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Airbus scandal provides yet another example of what happens when a government buries its head in the sand. The most outrageous aspect of this Airbus scandal is not Brian Mulroney's $50 million lawsuit, nor is it the righteous indignation coming from his Sherbrooke sidekick.

The most outrageous aspect of this entire thing is that it took articles in a Swiss newspaper and a German magazine to convince this government to take action. None of these are new allegations. The RCMP was investigating this matter back in 1989. Paul Palango was naming names in 1994 and the CBC was uncovering new and damaging evidence as recently as this March.

My question is for the Minister of Justice. Why did it take the work of a German newspaper to get this government to act on the Airbus scandal?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the RCMP has been active for months, as it has confirmed, in looking into these allegations. It has been doing its job. I hope the hon. member in her questions will express support for the work of the RCMP rather than this unjustified scepticism.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Beaver River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I support the RCMP, especially in its guarding of 24 Sussex, part of its job.

Not all governments have been asleep at the switch in this scandal. According to the federal government and in contrast to it the American embassy has been hard at work, having already accumulated a fat file on this subject which includes actual names, timelines and Swiss bank account numbers.

It seems to me the Minister of Justice could save Canadian taxpayers a great deal of time and money by simply walking across Wellington Street and asking the Americans for a photocopy of their file.

In order to help get to the bottom of this matter will the Minister of Justice make a formal request to have the American government share all relevant information and material it has gathered on the Airbus deal?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the RCMP will do everything necessary to pursue its inquiries. I suggest the hon. member do more in constructing her questions than to base them on the Insider column of the Ottawa Sun .