Debates of April 16th, 1996

Canadian Armed Forces

[Gilles Bernier, Independent, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with new developments every day, our armed forces are in disarray. The disappearance or hiding of documents has aroused suspicion about the actions of senior officers in the Somalia affair. This situation, in addition to the degrading initiation ceremonies, is appalling.

On behalf of the people of the Beauce region, I demand that a thorough investigation be held so as to restore the public's right to know and that sanctions be imposed on the senior officers involved. We want greater transparency and tighter administration of defence budgets. A serious clean-up operation is in order.

We also hear that our armed forces have more officers than men; this system is costly and ineffective. Left, right, left, right; the time for action is now.

The Late Gerry Godsoe

[Mary Clancy, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it is said that no one is indispensable. Last week many of us in Canada learned that this is not so. Gerry Godsoe died in Halifax, leaving a huge gap that no one can fill.

He advised prime ministers and backbenchers, premiers and business leaders on all sides of the political spectrum. He helped the young and the old, the great and the lowly.

He practised law superbly. He practised politics superbly. He practised life superbly.

To Dale, his wife and other half, to their three daughters, Suzanne, Stacey and Laura, I express our sympathy in this, their sudden and tragic loss. Gerry was taken far too soon and it is not fair to any of us.

Gerry Godsoe, lawyer, thinker, caregiver, husband, father, son and brother, Canadian extraordinaire, friend, requiescat in pace.

Stanley Knowles

[Len Hopkins, Liberal, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to comment on the Hon. Stanley Knowles, whom I have known since long before I became a member of the House.

In my teaching days I brought 35 students to visit Parliament Hill and as we stood outside the doors of the Chamber, looking at all the seats inside, there was only one person sitting in the House of Commons, Stanley Knowles.

The constable explained to me that Mr. Knowles quite often did his office work in his seat in the Chamber because at that time individual members did not have an office of their own. Members had to share offices and staff and it was not a very peaceful exercise.

Stanley Knowles has always championed the cause of war veterans, senior citizens and medicare. I remember the teasing he got about his own pension on the day he became a senior citizen.

The Right Hon. Pierre Elliott Trudeau appointed him to a place of honour at the table in the Chamber.

It is fitting that this man be recognized by the academic community and remembered as a champion of social justice in Canada.

Lebanon

[Mark Assad, Liberal, Gatineau—La Lièvre, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in recent days, we have witnessed the most tragic events to occur in Lebanon since the Sabra and Shatilla massacre of 1983, and it is with great sadness and distress that we are following the situation.

Throughout their history, the people of Lebanon have never resorted to violence against others, and they have welcomed a large number of refugees. Lebanon has always been generous, and the deep values that guide it have made it a country of refuge.

Why is Lebanon suffering today? That country has often been used as a battle ground to settle conflicts in the Middle East. As a result of the attacks against Lebanese civilians and the destruction of electric facilities and public services, the people of Lebanon are still being made to suffer miserably.

The military attacks are so brutal that the peace process will be definitively diverted to animosity and violence. Israel has opted for the use of force and brutality-

[The Deputy Speaker]

I am sorry to have to interrupt the hon. member, but his time has expired.

Auto Leasing

[Hugh Hanrahan, Reform, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, greed is different from wealth and different from profit. Profit is gained. Greed is a longing for wealth. It is not an acceptable attribute, even in a capitalistic, free enterprise, often profit driven society. Auto leasing has become a core business for a majority of automobile dealers.

Bank entry into this market could therefore jeopardize the viability of the whole industry which could also adversely affect thousands of Canadian jobs. In particular, where banks are the main provider of credit to automobile dealers, the government must avoid creating an unfair marketplace and an environment in which credit deprivation by the banks would be possible.

How convenient to be both the supplier and the competitor to the automobile dealers of Canada.

Cape Breton Development Corporation

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

Mr. Speaker, this month the Liberals must make a choice that will determine the economic future of Cape Breton and the jobs of hundreds of coal miners and their families.

A delegation from Cape Breton has come to Ottawa in a last bid effort to stop the Liberals from adopting a plan that would see the Cape Breton Development Corporation, DEVCO, turn its back on growing export markets for coal, resulting in the privatization of DEVCO and the loss of 800 jobs. More labour management conflict will put at risk the long term future of the Cape Breton mining industry.

There are alternatives that will save jobs and rebuild management-labour relations while saving the government money. These alternatives have the support of the community and the unions.

On behalf of the delegation from Cape Breton and my colleagues in the NDP, I urge the Liberals to fulfil their pledge to create opportunity and employment and say yes to a strong and viable future for the Cape Breton mining community by working in partnership with the community, the union and management to prepare the next five year DEVCO plan.

Distinct Society

[Roger Pomerleau, Bloc, Anjou—Rivière-Des-Prairies, QC]

Mr. Speaker, without any debate, the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party of Canada replaced the notion of distinct society by the diluted phrase "principal homeland of the French language, culture and legal tradition in North America" to describe Quebec.

Painted into a corner by the rank-and-file of his own party, in the final days of the referendum campaign, the Prime Minister made one commitment after another to recognize Quebec as a distinct society. Now, he is only asking for the recognition of the French fact in Quebec.

What the Prime Minister and the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs are seeking above all is to increase the level of satisfaction in the rest of Canada at the expense of interests which are specific to Quebec. It would seem that the Prime Minister has not yet realized why the Bloc Quebecois is still the official opposition in this House.

Fisheries

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has told commercial fishermen in British Columbia that the salmon fleet must be cut in half.

He has put a gun to their heads, announcing an $80 million licence buy back program which fishermen must opt for prior to the end of June 1996.

What the minister has failed to do is set allocations guaranteeing salmon fishermen a set share of the resource. Fishermen are expected to make lifelong decisions with virtually no notice and no knowledge of what future allocations will be. The minister continues to reallocate the resource through aboriginal treaties without being forthright and admitting as much.

It is small wonder commercial fishermen in British Columbia are telling the minister his plan is totally unacceptable. The government must set allocation rules in advance of a buy back, not after the fact.

Pharmaceutical Industry

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw the attention of this House to a fine example of the co-operative attitude among the various business communities in Canada.

On March 19, the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal and the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Toronto took a common stance on enhancing drug patent protection.

In fact, this position was clearly set out in a document outlining the formula for success-supporting the economic growth of the Canadian pharmaceutical industry. We welcome the fact that the two main boards of trade in the country have joined forces on such important matters, which helps promote Canadian unity while at the same time helping to maintain jobs or create new ones.

Congratulations to the officers of both organizations for their remarkable open-mindedness and sense of initiative.

Riding Of Lac-Saint-Jean

[Stéphan Tremblay, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to make my maiden speech in this House and to thank

the constituents of Lac-Saint-Jean who, in putting their confidence in me, showed that they believe that young people can promote the interests of Quebec and sovereignty.

These people sent a clear message that young people have a say in Quebec's future, as long as they are prepared to do something about it.

My election shows that young people are not only an important part of Quebec's future, but that they are also an integral part of its present and that they must speak up and co-operate with all the stakeholders in our society.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Stanley Knowles

[John English, Liberal, Kitchener, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today Canadian parliamentarians honour one of the greatest of their own, Stanley Knowles.

Mr. Knowles, who takes his place in front of you, Mr. Speaker, represents the finest traditions of Canadian public life. First elected in a byelection in 1942, Mr. Knowles quickly demonstrated his extraordinary knowledge of and exceptional devotion to the rules and history of Parliament.

For 41 years he served his constituents of Winnipeg North Centre with careful attention to their needs while always recognizing his commitment to his faith, his party and his country.

Later we will gather to honour the creation of the Stanley Knowles Chair of Canadian Studies at St. Paul's College at the University of Waterloo, a college affiliated with the United Church, a church in which Mr. Knowles was an ordained minister.

At a time when university chairs tend to honour those who have large stock portfolios, it is so refreshing that St. Paul's College has chosen to create a chair in honour of Stanley Knowles, a man of most modest material means but one who has contributed so much to the richness of Canadian public and political life.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, let us honour one of our own, one who represents the best of what we are and can be.

[Andrew Telegdi, Liberal, Waterloo, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that today on Parliament Hill is the official launch of the campaign to establish the Stanley Knowles Visiting Professorship in Canadian Studies at the University of Waterloo.

Stanley Knowles is a living legend. He served continuously in the House from 1942 until his retirement in 1983. Over those 41 years he established an esteemed reputation among all political parties within the labour movement and in an ever widening constituency which ultimately extended to the international community.

One of the many honours Stanley Knowles has received was the appointment to honorary officer of the House by former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau.

By establishing the Stanley Knowles Visiting Professorship in Canadian Studies, the University of Waterloo is pleased to provide recognition of this Canadian's efforts to create a better society.

It is my pleasure to invite members of the House to join in celebrating the launch to take place today at 200 West Block at5.30 p.m.

Raw Milk Cheeses

[Paul Mercier, Bloc, Blainville—Deux-Montagnes, QC]

Mr. Speaker,

A minister rather naive, Oh, could you so truly believe, Cries, "Death waits in the heart of all bries",

So, must we banish from table all cheese, That from raw milk be made Or 'tis a great price to be paid.

But unlike the cheeses he pleases to Chase from our meals, The minister himself is not raw.

Quite the contrary, he's well overcooked. His death-to-cheese plan in Quebec is not brooked.

Our society distinct, Will put up a stink,

Against this project most sinister, Unless you withdraw it, oh minister. Let hear it whomever it pleases, We cry, "We'll not go without our raw milk cheeses".

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Fisheries

[Diane Ablonczy, Reform, Calgary North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, once again we see the ill conceived, grossly mismanaged TAGS program is spinning out of control.

The latest example is the admission by the Liberals that they have no money left for the latest round of licence buy backs. This means that at the end of the program all the same problems will still exist for Atlantic Canadians. There will still be 50 per cent overcapacity.

According to the Liberals their TAGS program was to be the saviour of Atlantic Canadians. It was to fix everything, but that was an empty promise. The TAGS program has failed them miserably.

The people of Atlantic Canada need stable economic options for the future. They need jobs and they need hope, both of which are desperately in short supply thanks to the government.

In Newfoundland alone 11,000 jobs have disappeared this year; this in an era of billion dollar make work programs. Atlantic Canadians do not need make work projects that keep them from prospering. They need long term solutions that only-

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Markham-Whitchurch-Stouffville.

Gasoline Prices

[Jag Bhaduria, Liberal, Markham—Whitchurch-Stouffville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, one of the sure signs that spring has finally arrived occurred in the past week. The sign was not an increase in the temperature but a huge increase in the price of gasoline. Canadians are once again being gouged by the major oil companies as prices in metro Toronto rose from 54.5 cents to 59 cents per litre on average.

Many oil companies and dealers are blaming the steep increase on high crude oil prices while others blame a shortage of gasoline supplies for putting more upward pressure on prices.

Oil companies always seem to have an excuse for holding Canadians at ransom. If we do not pay their inflated prices we can walk. They have to be held accountable for the blatant and shameful practices they use on honest hardworking Canadians. The federal government must enact legislation to control price fixing within the gasoline industry.

These are the voices of 30 million Canadians I am raising in the House.

Distinct Society

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, now there is no doubt about it. Editorial writers, political cartoonists, commentators, federalist and sovereignist politicians, everyone is totally opposed to the Liberal Party of Canada's new constitutional position.

While the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs is currently on a big cross-country tour seeking a solution to Canada's constitutional impasse and finds that all of Quebec has joined forces within 24 hours to tell him no, does he intend to work toward getting the government to backtrack from this dead end path on which it has embarked?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, what is this backtracking the Leader of the Opposition is referring to? It is very clear that Quebec is a distinct society within Canada. It is very clear that the Government of Canada intends to recognize that reality by all necessary means.

The Government of Canada will make every effort to convince Canadians to reconcile, for there is indeed an element in this English speaking North America, in this bilingual Canada, that is called Quebec, an admirable society which is able to affirm itself as a great reality, a reality which Canadians wish to keep as part of their country.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, we are well aware of the Prime Minister of Canada's strategy, which has always involved dumping on Quebec to gain votes in the rest of Canada. At the time of the Liberal Party leadership convention, he trampled roughshod over the Meech Lake accord in order to gain votes in the rest of Canada. During the 1993 elections, he presented himself as the man who could put Quebec in its place, in order to gain votes in the rest of Canada.

Is the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs not in the process of adopting his leader's strategy as his own, that is to say bringing together all of Canada against Quebec, with this proposition he is defending?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, to take more of an overview, for 30 years now Canada has been trying to survive the threat of secession. We are the only democracy that has been faced with this problem for 30 years, yet the same values are shared by Canadians in all provinces and in Quebec; they share a desire to live together. Those in Quebec do not want to have to choose between their Quebec identity and their Canadian identity. They want to remain both Quebecers and Canadians, and that is what they will do.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, is the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs not embarrassed to associate his name with a proposal that is already doomed to failure, and which is most certainly the biggest piece of meaningless nonsense concocted by a federal government in the past 30 years in the area of federal-provincial relations?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, what is this I hear? Acknowledging Quebec's difference would be meaningless? What the opposition fears is that we might manage to reconcile Quebecers and Canadians so that they

may join together in the same country to face the formidable challenges of the 21st century.