Debates of Nov. 25th, 1997

Youth Crimes

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, tragically we just heard of the brutal fourth murder in my riding, the one of 14 year old Reena Virk. It is just the tip of the iceberg in youth crimes.

Youth crime has doubled since 1986. The majority of victims are youths and government efforts to try to deal with the problem have been all but impotent. Our usual response of detection, deterrence and detention is simply not working.

Head start programs in Moncton, Montreal, Michigan and Hawaii have demonstrated that dealing with the cognitive and social development of children in the first eight years of life have shown dramatic decreases in juvenile crime, teen pregnancies and drop-out rates. All show savings of $5 for every dollar invested.

The National Crime Prevention Council and the House of Commons justice committee have recommended that a program be started. I ask and demand that the Minister of Justice, when she meets with her provincial counterparts next month, develop a national head start program—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Cambridge.

Councillor Bill Struck

[Janko Peric, Liberal, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week Cambridge lost a very caring and committed councillor who served the community for almost 30 years.

Known as a champion of the average person, Councillor Bill Struck was first elected in 1964.

An air gunner in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Mr. Struck's Lancaster bomber was shot down over occupied Europe in 1944. He spent several days evading the Germans and reached allied lines with the help of the French underground.

Mr. Struck was instrumental in naming new streets after the city's war veterans and regularly spoke to students about the experiences of veterans.

Councillor Bill Struck established the standard for public service in Cambridge. He will be missed by the entire community.

I would personally like to extend my condolences to his friends and loved ones.

Drummondville

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform this House that the area of Drummondville, that I represent since 1993, is a huge economic success story.

Its industrial park contains 430 companies, including 26 new ones launched in 1996. For the last two years, investments have topped $100 million and they created almost 1,400 jobs per year. This is where the highest proportion of exporting companies in Quebec is. In 1996, the American magazine Site Selection ranked the two Drummondville industrial parks in the sixth place in the world for job growth.

The motivation of local business people has created a climate favourable to entrepreneurship. The local Société de développement économique, under the direction of Mayor Francine Ruest-Jutras, has been organizing for years Teams Drummondville to travel around the world.

Drummondville is viewed, and rightly so, as one of the engines of economic renewal in Quebec. Congratulations, Drummondville.

Hepatitis C Society Of Canada

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the important and outstanding work of the Hepatitis C Society of Canada. I had the honour of being asked to sit as a founding member of the society's board in 1994 and this past Sunday was pleased to participate in its Horizon of Hope Annual Conference in Toronto.

The Hepatitis C Society of Canada is a national organization with a network of more than 20 chapters and telephone support lines across the country. The society provides advocacy and acts as a strong support network for survivors and their families and provides valuable information sharing on such things as treatment and disability issues.

Approximately 300,000 Canadians have tested positive with hepatitis C. Many more have the virus and do not know it. Of those infected, some have not shown symptoms but in others chronic hepatitis C presents itself as serious liver disease.

I want to thank the Hepatitis C Society for the important work it does and for its commitment to increasing the quality of life for the many Canadians who live with hepatitis C.

Ray Smith

[John O'Reilly, Liberal, Victoria—Haliburton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the outstanding volunteer efforts of Mr. Ray Smith. Mr. Smith lives in Lindsay, Ontario which is located in my riding of Victoria—Haliburton.

Ray was part of the Canadian Volunteer Advisers to Business organization. This organization is part of Canada's effort to stimulate development in disadvantaged economies. Last year this association provided almost 23,000 days of service valued at $8 million.

Ray spent four weeks in Roseau, Dominica helping the owners of a property containing natural hot and cold sulphur springs develop a business plan for a spa resort. Ray recognized the potential for both health and tourism purposes and helped the owners achieve it.

Thanks to Ray Smith, disadvantaged countries can gain the tools needed to be successful. Great job, Ray.

Telemarketing

[Walt Lastewka, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

Mr. Speaker, total losses from telemarketing scams are estimated to be around $4 billion.

Telemarketing scams often target vulnerable people, especially the elderly. From January to September of this year, 56% of victims were over 60 years old and 85% of these victims lost more than $5,000.

This is a very serious crime that threatens the financial security of our parents, grandparents and all Canadians. Tough new measures have just been introduced to attack these telemarketing scams. Bill C-20 will crack down on criminals by amending the misleading advertising provisions of Canada's Competition Act.

I call on my colleagues in this House to take action against telemarketing crime. I ask them to inform their constituents about programs like PhoneBusters and SeniorBusters, arm them with information to guard against these scams, and support the new crime fighting legislation before the House.

Canada Post Strike

[Leon Benoit, Reform, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, evidence of the devastating effects of the Canada Post strike can be found by talking to two men in my riding, Randy and Rod Lorenz. They own a mail order business and sell Christian books and material across the country. The month leading up to Christmas is their busiest time of the year. This mail disruption has caused their business to drop by 80%.

Even if back to work legislation is implemented immediately, it may be too late for the Lorenzes. If they lose their business, Rod also loses his homestead which he mortgaged to finance the business.

This disastrous situation was avoidable. Reform has long proposed a solution which would have averted this and all future strikes and lockouts at Canada Post while still honouring the collective bargaining process.

This government has no long term solutions. Even if their business survives the current labour dispute, the Lorenzes can look forward to more labour disruptions in the future.

I challenge the labour minister or any member of the government to look the Lorenzes in the eye and tell them that they care.

Quebec Economy

[Caroline St-Hilaire, Bloc, Longueuil, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the finance minister said once again that if Quebec is lagging behind economically, it is because of the political uncertainty.

We would really like the minister to explain to us, if this is the case, why the maritimes are lagging even further behind than Quebec. Yet they do not spend their time wanting to separate from the so-called best country in the world. Could there be other explanations? Could it be that the federal petrochemistry, fisheries or transportation policies have hurt industrial development in Quebec and in the maritimes?

Of course not. What separatist heresy to dare think that the federal government could harm the economy of the provinces. We know full well it is the separatists' fault.

I ask the members opposite to get their heads out of the sand for two seconds, if they can, and listen up: sovereignty is not the problem, it is the solution for Quebec.

Global Vision

[Julian Reed, Liberal, Halton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the hon. member from Nipissing who is the parliamentary chairman for Global Vision, I am pleased to announce the completion of the Global Vision program for 1997 along with the report from junior team Canada.

Global Vision is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing young Canadians with an understanding of international trade and commerce. Following a series of regional seminars held throughout the country, 25 young leaders of junior team Canada representing 100 Canadian companies completed a successful trade mission to southeast Asia.

I would like to thank the following sponsors for helping to make this program a success: AGRA, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, CIDA, Corel, Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Drake Goodwin Corp., Industry Canada, Laidlaw, Lombard, Microtronix, Mitel, Nova, Remington Energy, Singapore Airlines, Toshiba Canada, Western Star Trucks—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Bourassa.

Quebec Government

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are told that separatists are playing with the idea of a referendum to ask Quebeckers if they consider themselves a people.

It really takes a separatist not to know that there are two founding peoples in Canada, a reality that is recognized everywhere in the country. For separatists to suggest another referendum on a question to which all Quebeckers already have the answer shows how out of touch they are with reality.

The last referendum cost Quebeckers more than $80 million, according to Le Soleil .

I say to Mr. Bouchard and his henchman of a representative in Ottawa, if you hold a referendum, ask the people if they think that these millions could be put to better use and that asking them silly questions is a good way to manage their money.

The Senate

[Deepak Obhrai, Reform, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, today I join a growing number of Albertans who want their next senator elected. Many residents in my riding have called saying they want the Prime Minister to allow the province of Alberta to elect its next senator. But the Prime Minister is not listening.

The poor attendance record of some of the senators, the partisan appointments of this government and the constitutional inability to “dis-appoint” delinquent senators all make the Senate increasingly irrelevant. It is time to change this institution now. The first step toward this move would be by ensuring there is an election in Alberta. This move is nothing new. Precedent has already been set with the election of Senator Stan Waters. So why the hesitation?

I stand before the House today as a representative of thousands of Albertans who want change. Let Albertans elect a senator who will represent them.

Violence Against Women

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, some 51% of all Canadian women have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual assault by age 16. November 25, the international day to end violence against women, has been set aside as a reminder that senseless acts of violence are committed every day against women in every corner of the world. And Canada is no exception.

This day helps to raise public awareness of the damaging consequences of violence against women and girls. Too many women have had their lives and their spirits broken by such violence and attempts to control them. In Canada the annual cost of sexual assault, psychological and physical abuse is estimated at between $1.5 billion and $4.2 billion.

We all have a collective responsibility to ensure that women and girls are not subjected to violence because of their gender.

This is a call to action. It is a rallying cry to Canadians to work together to bring an end to these crimes against women.

Apec

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, thanks to the People's Summit the issue of human rights and labour standards has not been able to be swept under the red carpet at APEC.

Thanks to the currency crisis in Asia, instead of being able to uncritically celebrate the ecstasies of the market, many at APEC lament the agonies of a global economy in which entire regions and national economies can be ruined by money speculators. Instead of down playing these concerns, the Prime Minister should join the call for a global regime to regulate and tax currency speculations. How many more bail outs will there have to be before we go after the major cause of why these various economies sink in the first place?

The fact is that the Asian miracle was largely built on exploitation of cheap labour. As workers in these countries demand a fair share, international investors and multinational corporations lose their fascination and look elsewhere for people to exploit. Such is the nature of unregulated global capitalism.

Montreal Economy

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we had good news today. Recent data compiled by the development service of the City of Montreal show that job creation for professionals is increasing since the beginning of the year.

The level of employment in services to businesses was 18% higher in the first three quarters of 1996. There is another encouraging sign: the vacancy rate for downtown offices has decreased in a promising fashion. It was 17.7% in the beginning of fall 1997, down from 19.7% at the beginning of the year.

Therefore, I am asking all stakeholders of Montreal's business sector to ensure that consultation and cooperation between all levels of government are maintained to achieve sustainable economic growth.

The Canadian government will continue to be an important ally for all economic partners in all regions of Quebec.

Atlantic Groundfish Strategy

[Charlie Power, Progressive Conservative, St. John's West, NL]

Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Human Resources Development defended in the House a $350,000 training program to help his employees deal with “life threatening, explosive, dangerous situations after the end of the TAGS review”.

Does the minister really believe that he is dealing with terrorists or criminals? These fishers and plant workers are honest, law-abiding citizens. These are people who due to no fault of their own have been cut off prematurely from their primary source of income.

Why are there no programs to train fisheries and oceans employees on the west coast to deal with the Pacific salmon demonstrators? The Government of Canada has not proposed similar measures for Canada Post management.

Does the minister believe that fishers and plant workers are more prone to violence? This call for extra security is an insult to all people of Atlantic Canada. As a Newfoundlander I am offended by the proposal. As a federal member of Parliament I am ashamed of the minister's plan.

I call upon all my colleagues in the House to urge the minister to withdraw his proposal and apologize to all Atlantic Canadians.

Remembrance Day

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month I attended Remembrance Day parades, services and dinners with the legions of Peterborough riding and with members of the Hastings-Prince Edward Regiment.

This year I met only one World War I veteran who was brought by his family to the Norwood Cenotaph ceremony. There was another at the Peterborough Cenotaph.

During World War I there were only eight million people in Canada. However an incredible 620,000 men and women served in the Canadian forces in that war. Of these, 67,000 died and 173,000 were wounded. Thus more than a third of our troops were wounded or killed. Nearly one in every ten Canadians who fought in that war did not return. Such statistics are almost unimaginable today.

Those who served and died in World War I ranged from First Nations people to immigrants who had only been in Canada for a few weeks.

There is a saying that the character of a person or a society has to be forged by fire. World War I was Canada's fire. Let us—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for York South—Weston.

Airbus

[John Nunziata, Independent, York South—Weston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, every Canadian, including Brian Mulroney, has the right to due process, which is to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. My constituents are asking why the investigation is ongoing when the Government of Canada approved a settlement a few months ago. For an investigation to be ongoing, it would suggest there is substance to the allegations. Canadians across the country are asking why settle if there is some substance to the allegations?

It seems that investigation is frivolous, vexatious and grounded in politics more than in due process of law. It seems the only fair and just thing to do is to terminate the investigation immediately.

Canada Post

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the postal strike has gone on for a full week now. Even if the government were to legislate the workers back today, it would still take five more days until this legislation could be enacted.

The Canadian public will not put up with this much longer. The minister of public works has gone on record publicly as saying that he would legislate these post office workers back to their jobs. My question for him now is when will he do it. How much longer will this nonsense go on?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that my hon. colleague wants to talk about legislation on a full time basis. I appointed a mediator yesterday named Mr. Edmondson who is one of the best mediators in the country. Let him demand the opportunity to bring the parties together and come up with a collective agreement.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this government has just gone through its third conciliator and mediator. There have been three of them in the past seven months which is hardly a great success that they should be raving about.

The radical union hierarchy is taking charge of this whole thing. Just yesterday the postal union boss said “sisters, brothers, comrades, postal workers will resist”. He threatened to shut down airports and close highways and bridges. This is nothing to brag about. This is a tragedy to this country. I want to know who is in charge here. I ask this minister again. When in the world is he going to get these people back to work and show that he is in charge—

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed at my hon. colleague's silly rhetoric. As I indicated previously, we have appointed a mediator who is quite capable. Let us give the man an opportunity. There is a process to go through. We are following the process. Let us support the process and give the mediator an opportunity to come up with a collective agreement and not continually talk about something that hurts the negotiations.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed that this government thinks process is going to solve the problem. We have had four strikes in the last 10 years. It has not worked and we need to keep moving. We will never know how many businesses go bankrupt because of this strike. We will never know how many people will be thrown out of work and we will never know how many dreams have been ruined by people. All we will know for sure is that this government had a chance to act and do something and it let the Canadian public down.

My question is for whichever of these two ministers is going to take responsibility for this mess. Why are they taking direction and allowing Darrel Tingley to say these kinds of things? Why do they not move ahead, get cracking and get the postal workers back?