Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest to the motion of our Bloc Quebecois colleague concerning the preservation of postal services in the regions.
I believe the government of Canada has reacted very well since the Liberals took office. It declared a moratorium on local post office closures. Of course, this applies to Quebec as well as to the rest of Canada.
What I found particularly interesting, in the motion as well as in the comments of the member for Kamouraska-Rivière-du-Loup, is that he seems to recognize the important role the federal government has to play in regional economic development. When listening to the speeches of these sovereignists, I felt that these unique centres of Canadian visibility had to be preserved in small communities all over the vast regions of Quebec. I thought it was a bit odd to hear these people say, on the one hand, that Canada does not work and that the only way Quebec can get whatever it deserves is by separating but then, on the other hand, that this House should maintain postal services as they are. This is very interesting. I feel it emphasizes how important the role of the federal government is and how much the Canadian government is welcome in what we call remote areas, in rural areas of Canada.
I think we are about to reach a turning point in our history, not on a political level, because Quebec still wants to be part of the Canadian federation, but on an administrative level, if you wish, for postal services in Canada.
During the last few years, we have seen the emergence of computers, modems, fax machines, and a whole new telecommunications technology. Thanks to all kinds of technologies, regions and above all the self-employed workers of these regions will be able to better communicate with the outside world.
Quebec does not need sovereignty, separation or independence to develop its rural regions. Services are in place, we have offices and the expertise necessary to meet the needs of the population, the business people and the students, to help them in their regional economic development rojects.
For the last 30 years, Quebecers, especially in the rural regions, where I come from, have always asked for further decentralization of federal government services and especially of provincial services.
Nevertheless, I must tell you this. Nothing prevents the province or the federal government, as things now stand, from decentralizing services. Obviously, 30 years ago, it was impossible to do that, for the simple reason that the new technologies did not exist in 1960.
Governments, businesses and social services in Quebec, particularly in remote areas, will be able to create some form of partnership and set up service points to serve local communities. If I understand the logic of the Bloc Quebecois, of the separatists, these service points designed to promote regional economy should naturally be located around the post offices of the Canadian government.
It is quite something to hear the opposition say that the regions have a future, provided that post offices remain open in small communities throughout Quebec and Canada.
We could do more. We have other departments. For example, the department responsible for science and technology recently announced a new service designed to make Internet more accessible to Canadians.
Last April, in Carleton-sur-Mer, in my riding of Bonaventure, I held an information session with officials of Science and Technology Canada, in co-operation with Québec Téléphone, as well as various other people involved in the region's socio-economic development. We came to the conclusion that, for example, the federal government has the means and the programs to establish this Internet network throughout Quebec.
Unfortunately, few municipalities and provincial organizations answered the call. This is sad. We have the tools and the moneys to create this new synergy and promote regional economic development.
Efforts are being made and we must forge ahead and find partners. Above all, we must convince school boards. We must convince CEGEPs, hospitals, as well as social services of all kinds, particularly those which fall under provincial jurisdiction, so as to ensure a better partnership and set up new ways of communicating with the rest of the world.
I believe that regions in Quebec and in Canada will prosper thanks to new technologies. It would certainly be possible to establish videoconference centres in those Canada Post buildings in order to give residents of those regions an opportunity to take courses or to communicate with people outside Canada.
I think that Canada Post has a new social role on top of its economic role. It must discover new technologies and encourage people to use those technologies in order to take care of their own economic development at the local level.
The Canadian postal service has quite a history. As mentioned by the parliamentary secretary a few moments ago, I think that the postal service has played a glorious role in Canada over the last 300 years. Now, because of the new technology and because of the reality of today's world, we have to find different markets for our products and different ways to provide our services. I think that our postal service is a bit like the PTT in France, which offers a wide range of services to its clients.
Today's clients are not necessarily in office buildings in Montreal or in other large cities. Teleworking is becoming more and more popular. For example, there is a new trend emerging in the
United States where people are leaving the cities and even the suburbs for small communities of 1,000 residents or less.
With today's technology, it is possible for, let us say, a translator-or an engineer, an architect, etc.-to work out of a small community somewhere in Quebec. If educated people, who often come from remote areas themselves, decide to go back to those regions, we have to ensure the presence of the federal government and its many services.
I see that we are running out of time, but I must tell you that I am very happy to hear the Bloc Quebecois say that this basic service provided by the government of Canada is still welcome in the regions and also that we must maintain this federal service to have an even more glorious future.