Debates of Feb. 24th, 1995

French-Language School Boards

[Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, Bloc, Laval Centre, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Le Droit reports this morning that the Ontario education minister is about to announce the establishment of 15 new French-language school boards.

While this is certainly good news, one would hope that Franco-Ontarians will soon have not only all the school boards they need, but also adequate funding in order to end current discriminatory practices.

The group for the development of French Ontario pointed out rightly that the degree of illiteracy among Franco-Ontarians is shamefully high; at 31 per cent, it is comparable to that of third world countries. That is the practical result of a century of linguistic and educational oppression.

It is time for a change. This is a right, not a privilege.

Chemainus

[Bob Ringma, Reform, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in 1980 the little Vancouver Island town of Chemainus was suffering economic hardship. The community's major industry had suffered a severe blow with a slumping lumber trade and the plant closure of MacMillan-Bloedel's 120-year old sawmill.

However, since those dark days the town has become an inspiration for all Canadian communities because of its bootstrap tourism project. Chemainus is now known as the little town that did for its outdoor murals that have seen tourism become a multi-million industry. Four hundred thousand tourists from around the world flocked to Chemainus last year to see its 32 murals.

Recently the architect of the Chemainus murals, Karl Schutz, was in London where he accepted the prestigious British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Award for the America's, beating out 120 others.

I congratulate Mr. Schutz and all the enterprising citizens of Chemainus, which is now the mural capital of Canada if not the world.

Caribou

[Audrey McLaughlin, NDP, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, the governments of United States and Canada have for a number of years supported the protection of the Arctic national wildlife refuge in Alaska.

However, a recent Alaskan legislature motion to allow oil and gas exploration in what are often called the 1002 lands puts in

jeopardy that resolve. The Canadian government and the Prime Minister are on record as saying that they support the proposal to keep the Arctic national wildlife refuge safe from oil and gas exploration.

The wildlife refuge is a calving ground for the Porcupine Caribou herd which provides food for the people of northern Yukon and the U.S. The herd is an important national treasure. It is an international treasure. I have encouraged the Prime Minister to raise this issue with President Clinton during this visit to Ottawa.

Both the Prime Minister and the president are on record as saying they are in favour of no exploration on the 1002 lands. Again I encourage and urge the Prime Minister and the president to reconfirm this policy during this visit.

Health

[John Richardson, Liberal, Perth—Wellington—Waterloo, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to comment on the growing threat of infectious diseases and emerging infections.

Our civilization is at a crossroads where diseases once thought to be a menace of the past are once again becoming a health threat.

The emergence of diseases such as tuberculosis is creating concern on the public health front. The federal government along with its provincial counterparts must remain sufficiently prepared to combat this threat.

Although Canada is also at a debt and deficit crossroads, there is a great need to maintain the laboratory centre for disease control and encourage provinces to enhance public health surveillance.

To adequately evaluate and monitor vaccine issues such as new vaccine submissions, safety and efficiency, we must ensure that there is sufficient knowledgeable staff and physician expertise at the health protection branch of Health Canada.

The same problem exists for Canada's blood supply. We must be constantly alert in monitoring problems in the supply of this, our most precious resource.

I urge the federal government and its provincial counterparts to remain committed to the fight against infectious diseases and emerging infections.

Referendum On Quebec Sovereignty

[Raymond Lavigne, Liberal, Verdun—Saint-Paul, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the past few days, contradictions and divisions within the separatist camp in Quebec have increased at an alarming rate.

The only thing separatist mouthpieces seem to agree on is the fact that their strategy is not working. The clever referendum process which was supposed to drive Quebecers to mobilize and unite in favour of sovereignty is not producing the expected results.

Instead of continuing to look for gimmicks, Premier Parizeau should hold without further delay a referendum on an unequivocal question about Quebec separation and let the people decide.

John Oliver Secondary School

[Herb Dhaliwal, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I stand today to congratulate the students of John Oliver secondary school, a school I once attended, located in my riding.

The students of John Oliver have shown exemplary initiative and leadership through their active participation in the greater Vancouver crime stoppers program. These students have found a responsible and constructive way to take a proactive approach to dealing with the intimidation and harassment that can occur in our schools. By taking preventative measures they are reducing the incidence of crime in their environment and making their schools a safer place.

I commend the students of John Oliver and encourage students across British Columbia to follow their lead. I believe we should learn from our youth. What better example than the leadership shown by these students on crime prevention?

Air Transportation

[Jean Landry, Bloc, Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today the U.S. President and the Prime Minister will sign the Open Sky Treaty. That agreement will significantly change the rules governing air transportation between Canada and the United States. It will open an important market for our air carriers. However, they will have to face increased competition.

Air Canada will face more competition in a market where it is currently the only Canadian carrier. The Open Sky Treaty will allow Canadian International to further consolidate its operations with American Airlines, and to provide stiff competition to Air Canada.

For reasons of fairness, the Minister of Transport must reconsider his decision and allow Air Canada to get full access to Hong Kong, the main landing point in Asia. The Bloc Quebecois will not put up with questionable political decisions which adversely affect the only world class carrier based in Quebec.

Hiram Walker

[Werner Schmidt, Reform, Okanagan Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I regret to inform the House of another casualty of excessive taxation. The Hiram Walker distillery in my riding which employs 137 people and has been in operation since 1970 will close its doors on June 16, nearly 24 years to the day since it opened.

The company cites the declining sales due to what it calls outrageously high and punitive taxes levied by both the federal and provincial governments. I could not agree more.

Hiram Walker is a producer and marketer of Canadian Club, the world's leading premium Canadian whiskey. Hiram Walker and Sons Ltd. is the Canadian business unit of the world's second largest beverage alcohol company. When companies are forced to close facilities as a result of excessive levels of taxation there is definitely a problem.

Our distillers are unable to compete with their American counterparts because of these tax levels. That means lost jobs. When is this-

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Lincoln.

The Budget

[Tony Valeri, Liberal, Lincoln, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this Monday our government will be tabling its second budget. It is an opportunity to restore fiscal soundness and integrity to the Canadian economy. However, it is equally important that this not to occur at the expense of the middle class who already pay a disproportionate share of taxes and on whose backs much of the Canadian debt rests.

Our party's history is one of providing Canadians with hope and opportunity. Unless we begin to reign in our debt and deficit, hope and opportunity will be lost. This must be unacceptable to all members of Parliament.

The ultimate goal is to eliminate the deficit entirely. Three per cent of GDP by 1996-97 is an interim target and a very important one. It is a red book commitment and it will be met. In restoring soundness to our economy we will be able to continue one of the proudest legacies of the Liberal Party, to preserve social security, a system that would be the envy of the world-

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Hamilton Mountain.

[Beth Phinney, Liberal, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as we approach budget day I would like to convey the concerns of the residents of Hamilton Mountain. While my constituents appreciate that this year's budget must be a tough one, they feel that it should not be at the expense of the most vulnerable members of our society.

Eliminating the deficit must not be done on the backs of seniors on fixed incomes, the unemployed and lower income Canadians. It is time that all Canadians paid their share.

On behalf of my constituents I would ask the Minister of Finance to close tax loopholes before cutting social programs. The residents of my riding are very aware of the pressing need to reduce and eventually eliminate the deficit. There must be fairness in accomplishing this goal. If all Canadians share fairly the burden of deficit reduction, I am sure there will be great support for our efforts to put the country's finances in order.

Riding Of Ottawa-Vanier

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this august House for the first time and I do so for two reasons.

First, I want to thank the Ottawa-Vanier constituents who gave me their support during the February 13 byelection, thus granting me the privilege of representing them in the House of Commons. I am very grateful to them for doing so and I will do my best to meet and even exceed their expectations.

The second reason is to encourage the ministry to consider an additional measure to assist communities throughout the land, particularly in the national capital region which will be seriously affected by the implementation of the program review.

The suggestion is simply that the commercialization of any public service position be conditional on that position being retained in its community of origin for at least five years. This would allow the affected individual time to adjust to his or her new work environment without having to worry about being forced to move to another part of the country.

I am very pleased that the President of the Treasury Board has agreed to seriously consider this suggestion.

Free Trade Agreement

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, not so long ago the Liberals were adamantly opposed to the Free Trade Agreement with the United States.

"I think you sold us out!" said their leader to Prime Minister Mulroney, during the 1988 election campaign debate. Back then, the Liberals were capitalizing on their opposition to free trade to score points in the rest of the country.

The fact that the Liberal Prime Minister is now extolling the virtues of that agreement to the U.S. President is most hypocritical, particularly since he himself made a trip to Washington, in 1991, to beg our American neighbours to renegotiate the treaty.

Let us not forget that, while the Liberals were criticizing the Americans in the process, Quebecers, who, by contrast, are open to the world, played a major role in the outcome of the 1988 federal election, which would later result in the signing of the agreement.

It might be appropriate to remind President Clinton that if, today, we can all dream of a great common market from Tierra del Fuego to Baffin's Land, it is mainly thanks to Quebec and to Quebecers.

Indian Affairs

[John Duncan, Reform, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday in Question Period the minister of Indian affairs stated that the Nisga'a of northwest B.C. won a Supreme Court decision in 1973 awarding them aboriginal land title. This is incorrect. The Nisga'a lost their 1973 appeal.

The latest word is the Delgamuukw case of 1991. This aboriginal land title case was dismissed by the Supreme Court of B.C. and subsequently by the Court of Appeal. The minister's premise is wrong.

My question was whether the intent of Nisga'a offer was to treaty protect a commercial fishery. The public deserves an answer, which the minister did not provide.

Between March 3 and 13, B.C. Reform MPs are holding a series of town hall meetings across the province to raise public awareness and understanding of the implications of current B.C. treaty negotiations.

Richard Weber And Misha Malakhov

[Robert Bertrand, Liberal, Pontiac—Gatineau—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a few moments today to recognize two very courageous individuals: Mr. Richard Weber of Chelsea, Quebec, which is in my riding, and Mr. Misha Malakhov of Ryazan, Russia. These two courageous adventurers have been preparing for years for their return journey to conquer the 1,500 kilometres of the Arctic Ocean. They are attempting to ski to the North Pole and return without any outside assistance. They are carrying all the supplies necessary for their survival for four months.

These two explorers are presently in the freezing wilderness of the Arctic. The ongoing challenge of man to surpass himself is alive and well in these two fellows. I really envy their courage and quest for adventure.

The long journey that these two daring adventurers are accomplishing is also a great example of international collaboration. A Canadian and a Russian working together toward the same goal is a great event to witness.

Finally, I would like to extend my best wishes to Mr. Weber and Mr. Malakhov.

Atlantic Canada

[John Murphy, Liberal, Annapolis Valley—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes that the future of Atlantic Canada lies in its ability to diversify and expand its economic base. Our government continues to support this tradition through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

At ACOA the approach to local development lies in working with small businesses and communities to diversify and strengthen their economies. As a result 65,000 jobs have been created over the last seven years, and for every dollar put into small business through ACOA $4.20 comes back.

In my riding of Annapolis Valley-Hants, ACOA's commitment has produced many excellent examples of small business growth that has led to the creation of long term jobs.

Atlantic Canadians are not enslaved or bound by psychological depression as the Reform Party claims. Instead we are seizing new opportunities. Through ACOA our government is playing an important role in promoting regional economic growth.

Taxation

[Jan Brown, Reform, Calgary Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in readiness for the forthcoming federal budget angry Canadians have put forward a strong message of no new taxes and no tax increases. They mock a government that is proving incapable of making the necessary and difficult decisions associated with spending reductions.

Taxpayers rightfully point the finger at government excesses: bloated MPs' pensions; waste, fraud and abuse in the bureaucracy; continued funding of special interest groups; and, the holy of holies, the CBC gorging itself annually on a $1.1 billion subsidy.

Canadians across the country are demanding that our spend crazy government get its act together to bring some sense to our

overtaxed economy. Canadian taxpayers believe it is time they were given a break considering they now spend more in taxes than they do for lodging and food.

What are we getting in return? No one is sure. Our taxes keep going up; government services are in decline; and our debt is doubling every 10 years.

Heaven help the faint-hearted politicians who are not listening and believe that Canadians are much too passive to roll up their sleeves and take to the streets. There is nothing more in their faces than thousands of Canadians sending Liberal tax spenders a message: We have had enough. We have nothing more left to give.

Federal Public Service

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board acted with extreme arrogance in his dealings with the largest public service union, which represents more than 70 per cent of federal government employees, when he rejected out of hand a counterproposal for downsizing the number of federal employees on a mutually acceptable basis.

How does the President of the Treasury Board justify rejecting union proposals only a few hours after they were received, unless his mind was already made up and he never really intended to co-operate with the union to achieve his downsizing objectives?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, we have been in discussion and negotiation with the unions for several months. Various propositions including the ones that the Public Service Alliance has now formalized in writing have been considered over that period of time.

Quite simply they are not a way of achieving our goal. In terms of being able to get our deficit down to 3 per cent and the downsizing that is required from that, we need to target the different positions based on the programs and services we would be reducing.

Their proposition would not work in that regard and that is why I was not able to accept it.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, usually, there is room for negotiating when one's approach is not predetermined.

Although the public service must be downsized and everyone agrees on the principle, would the minister agree that his unilateral decision will result in savage job cuts and that, as a result, he will be directly responsible for the inevitable disruption of services to the public that will ensue as a result of his unspeakable strategy?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, I do not accept that there will be disruption to the public. I believe we will provide good quality services. We have good professional public servants who will continue to provide those services.

However we have to shrink the size of government. We have to downsize to live within our means. We cannot afford to have all these positions.

When we were discussing with the unions there was a great deal of acceptance of what we put forward. Fifteen of the sixteen unions agreed to the proposition that we put on the table. It was one; it was the alliance that did not agree with it.

I think the proposition is a good one because it treats our employees fairly and reasonably. It says at the same time that if we do not have work for them we obviously cannot pay them.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government has failed to reach an agreement with the largest public service union, which represents over 70 per cent of all government employees. The government has come down on the side of confrontation, by rejecting the union's proposal out of hand, without bothering to negotiate, which is particularly offensive. This will lead to a showdown between the government and its employees.

I would ask the President of the Treasury Board whether he agrees that this showdown, a direct consequence of his refusal to negotiate, may well turn into a major confrontation in which all parties stand to lose: public servants will lose their jobs, the public its services and the government its credibility with its employees and the public?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, I do not accept the proposition that there will be a major confrontation.

I think the employees of the federal government, as indeed all people across the country, understand that the government has to get its fiscal house in order and that we have to cut government spending to do that.

Our employees expect it and we will treat them fairly and reasonably. We have gone through months and months of negotiations with the unions and examined all these propositions. It had wide acceptance from their bargaining agents except for the alliance.

We will continue to work with them in this downsizing effort to ensure that it is carried out in an efficient, effective manner and that we are fair both to the people who are leaving and to the people who will stay and continue to provide good services to the people of Canada.

Program For Older Worker Adjustment

[Michel Bellehumeur, Bloc, Berthier—Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Labour.

The minister will no doubt recall that her former provincial Liberal colleague, André Bourbeau, had repeatedly asked the federal government to ease the criteria of the program for older worker adjustment in order to reduce the number of older Montreal workers unfairly excluded from this program.

Does the minister acknowledge, as her former colleague did, that the rules of the POWA are too restrictive and that the program fails to satisfactorily meet the needs of older workers who have been laid off?