Debates of Nov. 8th, 1995

Take Our Kids To Work Day

[Jean Augustine, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize Wednesday, November 8, 1995 as Take Our Kids to Work Day.

Today over 153,000 Ontario students will accompany a friend, parent or volunteer sponsor to their workplace in an effort to learn about the demands and opportunities of the working world. The program is an initiative of The Learning Partnership which provides students with an interactive hands on work experience in a field of interest to them while emphasizing community responsibility for the future of our young people.

I would like to welcome Anne McGuire, a grade nine student from Bishop Allen Academy in my riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore. Anne is spending the day here in my office on Parliament Hill to further her interest in politics. Perhaps at some time in the future she will join us here as a colleague in the House of Commons.

Veterans

[Dale Johnston, Reform, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the week of November 4 to 12 has been set aside to honour those Canadians who fought and those who died in two world wars, in Korea and in peacekeeping missions.

When veterans returned home from Europe 50 years ago they were filled with hope, pride and optimism. They were ready to build a strong Canada. How disappointed these veterans must be today. The country they were willing to give their lives for is $567 billion in debt and is in danger of breaking apart.

If action is not taken immediately to solve the debt crisis, to build a new Canada within a new federalism, to reform health care, the Canada pension plan and unemployment insurance, if we do not put justice back in the justice system and make Canadians feel safe on their streets and in their homes again, the efforts of those valiant Canadians will have been in vain.

Reform Of Federalism

[Gilles Bernier, Independent, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if our political leaders in Canada have not grasped the very clear message sent by Quebecers on October 30, they will have to live with the consequences. Quebec wishes to regain its proper place within the Canadian context. Rather than being purely symbolic, the proposed changes should respond to the legitimate and traditional demands of Quebec.

People of Canada, the steps that are taken must be in harmony with what has been said in recent weeks. Let us put an end to double talk. Federalism as we know it must be reshaped; moreover, Quebec is not the only one calling for federal withdrawal from areas of provincial jurisdiction. More than ever, we must demonstrate a desire to make the changes necessary for national unity, while respecting our differences.

Take Our Kids To Work Day

[John Maloney, Liberal, Erie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to announce the addition of a high powered office consultant to my constituency staff for one day, Mr. Travis Dolinski, who is participating in the program called Take Our Kids to Work.

Today in Ontario over 153,000 grade nine students are at work with a parent, guardian, relative, friend or volunteer host. They are all experiencing possibly for the first time the challenges of the workplace. They will spend a day on farms, in hospitals, factories, offices, retail stores and many other places of work.

Often students do not fully understand the links between education and work and how important successful work is to their future. Through this exposure they will see the value of a good education in our rapidly changing workplace. They will begin to think about the choices they will have to make and the paths they must follow

to meet their career goals. They will also better appreciate what their parents do to provide them with the necessities of life.

With the co-operation of Erie riding's business and industry, our youth will have an informative, fascinating and stimulating experience. I encourage my colleagues to support this program or similar ones in their ridings.

Heart Research

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind colleagues of the leading role Canadian doctors play in the advancement of heart research.

In a report to be published in the European Heart Journal this November, Canada is cited as one of the top three research leaders in the field of cardiology despite ranking 13th in expenditure on research and development per capita.

This year, Canadian physicians again made an enormous contribution at the congress of the International Society for Heart Research, held in Prague.

I was especially delighted to note the achievement of Dr. Naranjan Dhalla of Winnipeg who has served as president of that body for the past 25 years. Dr. Dhalla was identified at the congress as "the person primarily responsible for the remarkable development of the International Society for Heart Research". In fact, with the assistance of others he was also able to bring the 17th congress of this prestigious association to Winnipeg for the year 2001.

Mr. Speaker, the impressive-

[The Speaker]

I am sorry, your time is up.

Canada Remembers

[Harold Culbert, Liberal, Carleton—Charlotte, NB]

Mr. Speaker, this Saturday, November 11, communities across Canada will be holding special commemorative ceremonies in honour of Canadian veterans to let them know Canada remembers their valiant deeds.

In this century alone, over 100,000 Canadians have given their lives in the service of their country. Some remember these Canadians as friends of their youth, as comrades in arms in the service, some as mothers and fathers, or brothers and sisters, or spouses.

It is also a time for all Canadians to remember and pay tribute to those who purchased peace and freedom for us through their sacrifices, their suffering and with their lives.

We are what we are today, we have what we have today because of the people we honour on Remembrance Day. Throughout Carleton-Charlotte and indeed across Canada we will always remember them and their deeds.

Minister Of National Defence

[Réjean Lefebvre, Bloc, Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in response to a question on the unacceptable actions of certain soldiers at Petawawa in celebrating, on at least two occasions, the terrible events at the Ecole Polytechnique, the minister of defence made remarks that were insulting, degrading and unworthy of his position.

Rather than condemning his soldiers' actions unequivocally, the minister unleashed his full contempt upon the Bloc, accusing its members and all sovereignists of racism.

In so doing the minister is insulting the half of the population of Quebec which voted yes in the referendum, continuing the mudslinging campaign begun by the Deputy Prime Minister last week. These statements are odious and demonstrate the minister's insensitivity toward the murder of young women in an incident which outraged all Canadians.

The minister must stop making statements which are unacceptable from a representative of the people, and must provide serious responses to the legitimate questions asked by the official opposition.

Justice

[Myron Thompson, Reform, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have continually asked how bad can it get. Now they are asking how much worse will it get. They are talking about violence and the fact this justice minister fiddles while Canadians burn.

Two teens club to death a retired senior couple. The justice minister cancels a meeting in their riding and continues to fiddle. A 10-year old girl is kidnapped and murdered by a known dangerous offender. The justice minister plays the same tune. Now in our nation's capital youth gangs with adult leaders are gathering. They use torture chambers to kill and maim our youth. Obviously the justice minister has not the will nor the courage to get with it and do his job.

Here are some suggestions. Scrap the Young Offenders Act. The act does not provide for proper correction for young offenders. Publish the names and pictures of violent youth, especially violent gang members. Let Canadians know whom they should protect themselves from. Scrap the politically appointed parole board. Let the frontline workers decide who is ready to return to society.

This Liberal minister and his justice system have failed. Now is the time for a new Canada with new-

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Beaches-Woodbine.

Denise Meehan

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of a constituent from the riding of Beaches-Woodbine.

In mid October Ms. Denise Meehan, the founder, president and sole shareholder of Lick's Ice Cream and Burger Shops won the quality plus award in the 1995 Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year awards. In winning the quality plus award Ms. Meehan has demonstrated the ability to develop and maintain excellence in every aspect of her company's offering to her customers, employees, the community and the environment.

Ms. Meehan has six Lick's locations in the Toronto area as well as six franchises in the cities of Sudbury, Ottawa and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Ms. Meehan constantly pays attention to staff development and customer concerns. She believes that instilling good work habits, life skills and a caring attitude toward customers and the community fosters creativity and self-confidence.

I commend Ms. Meehan for her outstanding contribution to small business development in Canada.

The Late Bernie Newman

[Shaughnessy Cohen, Liberal, Windsor—St. Clair, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Bernie Newman, a former Liberal MPP for Windsor-Walkerville, passed away on Monday night.

Bernie was a teacher, an Olympic gymnastics coach of some renown, a great family man as well as a tremendous advocate for the city of Windsor.

Bernie believed in what he called positive representation which he defined as follows: "Positive representation is standing up on the floor of the legislature and hammering at problems others would like to ignore. It is overcoming indifference and getting action. It is the proper combination of the enterprise and energy of youth together with the weapons of experience".

Throughout eight successive victories and 28 years at Queen's Park, Bernie is best known for his commitment to and his love of his constituents. They kept sending him back to represent him over all those years. I do not know very many people living in Windsor-St. Clair during the years of Bernie's tenure at Queen's Park who did not receive cards or letters from him for anniversaries, birthdays and in sympathy.

I know all members of the House will join me in offering condolences to the Newman family and in honouring the memory of Bernie Newman.

National Spirit Of Peace Run

[Fred Mifflin, Liberal, Bonavista—Trinity—Conception, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to draw attention to the National Spirit of Peace Run which has been happening in cities across Canada and which will be concluded tomorrow by a commemorative ceremony here on Parliament Hill and at the peacekeeping memorial.

The peace run is an activity organized by the Canada Remembers program as part of veterans week. I am pleased to say that in every city the run has brought together Canadians of all ages in a tribute to those who served our country during wartime.

Peace torches were carried in each city. These torches have been transported to Ottawa where they will be carried by second world war veterans to the centennial flame during a very special ceremony tomorrow that will celebrate Canada's continuing commitment to peace.

The ceremony will represent the passing of responsibility for peace from the young men and women of 50 years ago who defended it to the young men and women of today who will continue to protect it in peacekeeping missions around the world.

Helicopter Purchase

[Richard Bélisle, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today the Minister of National Defence announced his plans to rent or purchase 15 new search and rescue helicopters at a cost of approximately $600 million.

The minister was unable to give any guarantees this morning that the new helicopters would be less expensive than those the Conservatives planned to buy.

Even worse, there will be no Canadian content requirement for bidders. When we know that the aerospace industry is based mainly

in the Montreal region and that barely two months ago, the same minister awarded, without tender, a $2 billion contract for armoured personnel carriers to Ontario, this is simply outrageous.

The minister announces his expenditures on military equipment in dribs and drabs. How much will the final bill be, including on board helicopters and submarines, the next items on his shopping list?

While this government makes savage cuts in social programs and unemployment insurance, the army gets the royal treatment. This says a lot about the priorities of this government.

Government Policies

[Herb Grubel, Reform, Capilano—Howe Sound, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last week in Vancouver the Deputy Prime Minister attacked my suggestion that the prompt and unconditional devolution of some government functions to provincial governments would meet the aspirations of Quebec and other provinces and therefore would keep the country together.

My constituents have been irate over this attack. They feel the minister's objections reflect her party's elitist attitudes and callous disregard for the wisdom of ordinary Canadians, which have led to a near break-up of the country.

What exactly does the federal government know that the provincial governments do not know better about manpower training, cultural, medical, language and other policies for the benefit of their citizens who hold them accountable at every election?

My constituents are happy to be Canadian and have Ottawa remain responsible for the policies it can carry out best, but they are tired of having distant politicians and bureaucrats run their affairs. Pay attention, Liberals, before it is too late.

Creation Of A Committee On Canadian Unity

[Philippe Paré, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the creation yesterday of a committee on Canadian unity is typical of the makeshift policies that are bogging down the government.

During the final days of the referendum campaign, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans invited Canadians and big business to violate Quebec's referendum act by spending millions of dollars in a last ditch effort to win a victory for the No side. He is a member of this new committee.

The Minister of Indian Affairs has on several times mentioned the possibility of dividing Quebec's territory. He is on this committee.

And last week, the Minister of Justice wanted to resort to some outdated legal tricks to prevent Quebecers from voting again on their future. He is on the committee as well.

Because the government cannot keep the Prime Minister's referendum promises, it creates a committee of ministers who openly took positions that were hostile to the aspirations of Quebecers. As a result, the committee's credibility will be almost nil.

1995 Grey Cup

[John Solomon, NDP, Regina—Lumsden, SK]

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, November 6 the leader of the NDP, Alexa McDonough, and I had the honour of touring the site of the 1995 Grey Cup, Canada's national football championship. The Grey Cup is being held at Taylor Field in my constituency of Regina-Lumsden on November 19. It is already a huge success with over 52,000 tickets sold.

From November 15 to November 19 the citizens of Regina welcome all Canadians to the best Grey Cup celebration the country has ever seen. Thanks to thousands of volunteers, Grey Cup 1995 is expected to be a tremendous success. Special thanks go to the Saskatchewan Roughriders football club, the Grey Cup committee and its executive director, Ken Thomas, along with the Grey Cup board of directors and executive committee members.

The theme of this year's Grey Cup is "Huddle up in Saskatchewan". I invite all members of Parliament and all Canadians to catch the spirit of Saskatchewan and experience our famous western prairie hospitality. Join us in the huddle for one terrific celebration in Regina. If they cannot make it to the celebrations-

The Member For Frontenac

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, my friend the Bloc member for Frontenac again demonstrated his complete ignorance of Canada and its people.

The hon. member implied that the National Citizens Coalition speaks for the real English Canada that came to demonstrate at a rally in Montreal a few days before the referendum.

This statement shows how far removed separatists are from the real Canada. First of all, he ought to know that the vast majority of the 150,000 participants in this rally were from Quebec.

Second, unlike the separatists, the participants in this rally will not renege on their commitment to recognize Quebec as a distinct society.

There was no Jacques Parizeau in the crowd to say: "I could not care less about your distinct society".

The Constitution

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, whereas many people, strangely enough, joined together prior to October 30 to promise Quebec constitutional changes that would satisfy it, all attempts to fulfill these promises have failed one after the other, in the days following the referendum. In desperation, the government yesterday announced the creation of a mysterious committee, but nobody yesterday knew its make-up, its mandate or its time frame.

My question is for the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. Was the hasty set up of a committee to study the question of constitutional and administrative changes to the federation not the result of the government's inability to find a way out of the dead end it found itself in because of the commitments made by the Prime Minister and the fierce opposition by the provinces, certain ministers and certain members?

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

Mr. Speaker, the promises the Prime Minister made regarding changes in connection with the distinct society, in particular, are promises the Prime Minister will keep.

Obviously, the Bloc Quebecois has no interest in these promises being kept, since their aim is to destroy the country. However, if we look objectively at events in recent years, we will see there have been significant changes in the federal government. We also know that the Leader of the Opposition has said he is not interested in discussing change of any sort until after a yes vote in the referendum.

Therefore, the opponents of change benefitting Quebecers are the Bloc Quebecois and the Parti Quebecois.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we do not need to look too far back in the course of events to discover that those who oppose the Prime Minister's commitments are those sitting on that side-in the caucus and in cabinet-and the provincial premiers.

Should I also remind the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs that the job of the Bloc Quebecois at the moment is to ensure that Quebec is not cheated again, as it has so often been in the past?

The Deputy Prime Minister said yesterday that the federal government could move without necessarily seeking provincial approval, because, in any case, Quebec could block any initiative. Are we to understand from her remarks that the federal government has once again decided to work secretly to come up with a proposal it will then try to impose on Quebec?

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

Mr. Speaker, the allegations by the member for Roberval are clearly in error.

With regard to the distinct society, it was the leader of the Parti Quebecois himself who said: "Stop bothering me with this idea of a distinct society". This is a matter of public record and contradicts what the member for Roberval has just said. So, he is the one opposed to a distinct society and not our Prime Minister.

Furthermore, in talking about negotiating the best for Quebec, let me read you, Mr. Speaker, what Lucien Bouchard himself said-

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

My dear minister, I would ask you to give this man's title.

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

Mr. Speaker, on the subject of negotiations, the Leader of the Opposition said the day they would be at a table would be the day after Quebec had voted yes in a referendum, which he hoped would be held in the very near future. This reveals very clearly that the Leader of the Opposition does not agree with 73 per cent of Quebecers, who indicated they wanted negotiations on Canada's future.