House of Commons Hansard #275 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was quebec.
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:25 p.m.
Liberal
Peter Milliken Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
Madam Speaker, the hon. member forgets that under Standing Order 81, supply days are granted to the opposition. We have just had five supply days which finished on Friday. Those were five days of debate on subjects chosen by the opposition on this very bill.
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:25 p.m.
The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:25 p.m.
Some hon. members
Agreed.
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:25 p.m.
Some hon. members
On division.
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:25 p.m.
The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)
I declare the motion carried.
(Motion agreed to.)
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:25 p.m.
The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)
When shall the bill be read the third time? By leave, now?
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:25 p.m.
Some hon. members
Agreed.
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:25 p.m.
Hull—Aylmer Québec
Liberal
Marcel Massé Liberalfor the President of the Treasury Board
moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:30 p.m.
Liberal
Don Boudria Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Madam Speaker, I wonder if there is consent to apply the vote taken on government Motion No. 26, the main motion, to the motion now before the House.
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:30 p.m.
The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)
Is it agreed?
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:30 p.m.
Some hon. members
Agreed.
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:30 p.m.
Some hon. members
No.
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:30 p.m.
The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)
There is not unanimous consent.
All those in favour the motion will please say yea.
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:30 p.m.
Some hon. members
Yea.
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:30 p.m.
The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)
All those opposed will please say nay.
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:30 p.m.
Some hon. members
Nay.
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:30 p.m.
The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)
In my opinion the yeas have it.
And more than five members having risen:
(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)
SupplyGovernment Orders
7:35 p.m.
The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)
I declare the motion carried.
(Bill read the third time and passed.)
The House resumed consideration of the motion that Bill C-111, an act respecting employment insurance in Canada, be referred to a committee.
Employment Insurance ActGovernment Orders
7:35 p.m.
The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)
Pursuant to Standing Order 45, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred division on the motion for reference to a committee, before second
reading, of Bill C-111, an act respecting employment insurance in Canada.
Employment Insurance ActGovernment Orders
7:35 p.m.
Liberal
Don Boudria Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Madam Speaker, I believe if you were to seek it you would find unanimous consent for the result taken on the previous vote to be applied to the vote now before the House.
Employment Insurance ActGovernment Orders
7:35 p.m.
The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)
Is there unanimous consent?
Employment Insurance ActGovernment Orders
7:35 p.m.
Some hon. members
Agreed.
Employment Insurance ActGovernment Orders
7:35 p.m.
The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)
I declare the motion carried.
(Motion agreed to.)
A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.
Employment Insurance ActAdjournment Proceedings
7:40 p.m.
NDP
Chris Axworthy NDP Saskatoon—Clark's Crossing, SK
Madam Speaker, some time ago I asked the Deputy Prime Minister some questions about health care and post-secondary education social program cuts.
I pointed out that Liberal members were in opposition to similar but not so deep Conservative government cuts, but once they moved to the government side there had been a change of heart. I asked whether or not tearing down the institutions of health care, post-secondary education and social programs was a way of building a unified country. The answer was no, yet the cuts continue.
The reports and analyses we have show that the government's cuts to health care, post-secondary education and social programs are the deepest we have seen in the last 50 years.
The race is on to decentralize the federal government and to slash social spending, so say the slashers, to save Canada. Unfortunately the decentralizers and social program blood-letters may well destroy the country before they save it.
In the wake of the rather narrow no vote in the referendum the government feels compelled to carve up pieces of Ottawa's powers as a show of good faith to Quebec and provincial politicians are champing at the bit for more power.
How can the country achieve unity when the government continues to destroy our safety net? We do not have to be experts to realize that we cannot save Canada if its very foundations are being undermined.
What about the interests of Canadians, particularly the interests of vulnerable Canadians? Lest we forget, social programs helped create a compassionate society and support the robust economy that now seems almost a nostalgic memory. Lest we forget, social programs greatly reduced the glaring inequities between rich and poor Canadians and between have and have not provinces. As we have seen those greater cuts, we have seen the inequities between rich and poor grow larger. Above all, lest we forget, Canada's health care and social system would never have come to be without federal leadership and federal dollars.
Alas, Conservative and Liberal governments have forgotten that between 1984 and 1993 the Mulroney government killed universal old age pensions and family allowances. It also made two deep cuts to unemployment insurance and reduced the social housing budget. The government of the hon. member for Saint-Maurice has continued down the path of cuts and devolution. It has made unprecedented cuts to unemployment insurance and has announced dismantlement of the Canada assistance plan. The government has clearly forgotten the path which took us to unity.
Throughout these changes Canadians have had no say in reshaping their social policy. As a result, allow me to voice the views of millions of Canadians who are trying to remind the government which path to take. Canadians are saying whenever they are asked that social programs played a major role in building Canada's society, economic system and political system over the last 50 years. Canadians are saying that social programs make Canada a distinct society and play an essential part in rebuilding Canada.
Canadians are screaming that we need strong and efficient social programs for a strong economy and a strong Canada. The most effective social policy is an effective economic policy that invests in job creation, community economic development and skills development.
Canada will not achieve unity under the government because it refuses to listen to what Canadians are saying. In the difficult months and years to come, the government must remember how social programs have helped to define the country. Social programs such as unemployment insurance embody the values of a civil society, one in which people care for and care about each other.
Most important, in these unstable political times and insecure economic times it is crucial to remember how much social programs have contributed to Canadian unity. If Canada is to survive, Ottawa must provide courageous and effective leadership
along the path to rebuilding Confederation. It must stop slashing social programs.