Mr. Speaker, I think the motion submitted by my colleague, the member for Kamouraska-Rivière-du-Loup, should be rejected.
However, I will not criticize it too harshly because I would not want to curtail the new enthusiasm of the member for the renewal of our federation. I would like to tell the member that, even tough I cannot approve the substance of the motion, I agree wholeheartedly with the intention behind it.
I can easily understand why my colleague from the official opposition believes it is worthwhile to renew the country. I am happy that he would make such efforts to represent the majority of Quebecers who support the renewal of our federation.
A poll conducted last March for CBC and Radio-Canada showed that 60 per cent of Quebecers believe that premier Bouchard should work hand in hand with the federal government and the other provinces towards renewing the federation.
Why is it that a majority of Quebecers believe that Canada is worth renewing? Because, year after year, the United Nations rank Canada as the first country in the world as far as quality of life is concerned and fifth among advanced countries for per capita income.
For the past 30 years, from 1960 to 1990, Canada has been second among the G-7 countries in the area of economic growth.
For three years now, Canada has had the second lowest inflation rate among the G-7 countries. Our inflation rate is lower than those of France, Germany and the United States.
Since the election of the Liberal government in 1993, the overall unemployment rate has decreased and at least 650,000 new jobs have been created.
The GDP shows that Canada's financial situation is improving more rapidly than that of other G-7 countries. In 1997, Canada will have the lowest total deficit to GDP ratio of all the G-7 countries. It will be lower than the one in France, in the United States and in Germany.
Canada has the reputation internationally of being a tolerant and open country, which makes all of us very proud. Canadians are recognized all over the world for their commitment toward the values of justice, compassion and solidarity.
As the French Minister of Culture indicated last May: "Canada is an example of successful answers to questions that are being asked in each of our societies".
However, I do not mean by that that we should be complacent, far from it. In response to the desire expressed by Quebecers and other Canadians for the renewal and modernization of the federation, the Government of Canada has undertaken a wide series of initiatives. These initiatives will ensure us that the federal system will operate at its full capacity, thus allowing us to face the future challenges with much confidence.
We have a firm renewal plan for the country and we are on the right track regarding our plans.
Within the Liberal plan for the renewal of the federation, we are working toward a more effective balance of roles and responsibilities between the federal government and the provinces. At the premiers' meeting last June, our initiatives were well received by the great majority of provincial premiers and, in some cases, they were approved unanimously. Provincial premiers took action to follow up on these initiatives during the annual conference of provincial premiers in Jasper.
We proposed to transfer the responsibility of all active employment measures funded by the employment insurance fund to the provinces, which, in many cases, want a greater control over manpower development. This provides the provinces the opportunity to manage the some $2 billion that the federal government spends each year on employment assistance measures. This means that, if they so wish, the provinces will be free to implement their own programs in areas such as wage subsidies, job counselling and placement.
Our government is also willing to withdraw from mining and forestry development, thus allowing the provinces to develop their own programs in these sectors of activity, according to their priorities and to local needs. We also propose to transfer the administrative authority over social housing to the provinces, as well as the $1.9 billion used to fund this sector.
Last May, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, including the Quebec Minister, decided to work toward a detailed multilateral umbrella agreement between the government of Canada and the provincial ministers of the environment. That agreement was to ensure a healthier environment for Canadians. A better clarification of the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved would help to reduce the operational costs of the private sector. Lower costs for the companies would not only ensure better protection for our environment, but would also mean more money for these companies to create jobs.
We are not only focusing on national issues. We are also trying to meet the specific needs of each and every one of the provinces.
For instance, in the weeks following the conference of the first ministers, the federal government and the government of British Columbia signed an agreement on a very important issue for many residents of that province. Both governments agreed to a detailed bilateral review of the roles and responsibilities of the federal and provincial governments in the management of the Pacific salmon fishery. Recently, the premier of British Columbia said that significant progress had been made and that the Prime Minister of Canada was to be praised for his contribution to this issue.
All the initiatives I mentioned stem from our willingness to build a much more efficient federation. However, efficiency cannot in itself renew our federation. A modern federation needs to be flexible. And I am glad to say that we have also made progress in that direction.
The Canada health and social transfer is a good example. Provinces used to receive federal transfers for social assistance under the Canada Assistance Plan and funding for health and post-secondary education under Established Programs Financing. These programs were subject to complex rules that determined, for example, which expenditures were eligible to a share of public assistance. In summary, the whole system was quite cumbersome.
This is why, last April, the federal government replaced these two different types of transfer by a block fund called the Canada health and social transfer.
This fund will give more leeway to provinces in the design and implementation of their social programs.
Moreover, we have made a commitment to provide stable and predictable financing into the next century. The new transfer will help provinces plan health, welfare, and post-secondary education in an orderly fashion.
We are making these moves to renew the Canadian federation in order to meet the expectations of the vast majority of Quebecers and other Canadians who want their federal, provincial and local governments to work in a spirit of co-operation to meet the challenges of the next century.
With these comments, I congratulate the hon. member for Kamouraska-Rivière-du-Loup on his efforts to renew our federation. I hope his attitude will prove contagious with his colleagues in the official opposition.