Debates of Dec. 3rd, 1997

The Economy

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, we want to know how much debt reduction and tax relief Canadians can expect. In particular Canadians want to know when they can expect tax relief and how much they can expect.

The government is supposedly good at setting targets. The Prime Minister claims to have a target for CO2 emissions. In fact he had three of them in the last three weeks. If the government has a target for cutting CO2 emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2007, will it commit to reducing tax levels to 1990 levels by the year 2007?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, to finish my last answer, the government will not be helping the leader of the Reform Party to fix up Stornoway for his domain.

We have already given billions of dollars of tax relief through the last budget. I am sure we are very much in line with the interest of Canadians for a balanced approach to tax relief, debt reduction and living better lives, whether one is a poor Canadian or a Canadian wanting better health. I look forward to the next budget which will confirm how we are operating in the best interest of all Canadians.

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, as we learned in yesterday's brawl in cabinet over new spending initiatives not a cent of the debt has been paid down. There has not even been a hint of real tax relief.

Canadians are demanding debt reduction. They are demanding that their taxes be lowered.

Why are the ministers involved in a WWF spending match and ignoring the real demands of Canadians for debt reduction and tax relief?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, why is the Reform Party ignoring the desire of Canadians to help poor children, to have better health care, to have better innovation, and to have better research and development?

Why is the Reform Party thinking of nothing else but debt reduction, rather than our balanced approach, which will help Canadians live better lives and continue the success we have had, contrary to the suggestions of Reform for a better fiscal balance for our federal government and all Canadians?

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, when will the government figure out that raising taxes forever does not help impoverished children?

Yesterday the auditor general told us how the industry department spent a whopping $143,000 on its latest job creating scheme. That was $143,000 for a $30,000 a year job.

How many billions does the government plan on wasting before Canadians get real debt reduction and real tax relief? How long do they have to wait?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. friend forgets that the government has not raised tax rates and in fact has brought about a number of tax reductions. It has brought about millions of dollars of tax reductions since coming into office.

I do not know why the hon. member does not want to support this and continues to talk about something that is not accurate. He claims that we have been raising tax rates when we have not.

We are very conscious of the need to have a balanced approach. We are interested in tax reductions. We are interested in balancing our debt situation, but we want to help Canadians have better lives, unlike the Reform Party—

Canadian Francophonie

[Louis Plamondon, Bloc, Richelieu, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Statistics Canada's most recent figures show a net decline of the francophone population in Canada.

In light of this finding, the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne is calling for a firm and proactive commitment by the federal and provincial governments to ensure that French-speaking people can survive and flourish in this country.

What is the heritage minister's reaction to the appeal made by the federation?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, we must not mislead the House by saying that there is a net decline. Indeed, it is not a net decline but an increase.

But the increase in numbers is too small and this is why, in recent years, we have been working on a new policy. As members know, we have a five-year plan for the development of minority languages. The plan, due to end next year, will be extended, along with several new elements, not only to provide French education, but also to maintain French language institutions, which should please francophone communities all across Canada.

[Louis Plamondon, Bloc, Richelieu, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the lack of political will on the part of the provinces with English speaking majorities is a determining factor in the current decline of francophone communities in Canada.

What will the Minister of Heritage do to shake the apathy of the English speaking provinces, which has consequences such as the enormous problems experienced by the Montfort hospital, in Ontario?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member is saying that the English speaking provinces are responsible for the decline, I must tell him that the decline is even worse in Quebec. What does this say about the Quebec government?

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, whatever the minister may say, it is obvious that her department's budget for francophones outside Quebec has been reduced considerably.

It was $28 million in 1995 and it will be $21 million in 1999, a decrease of 20%. Funds for the ACFO have been reduced by 10% and those for francophones in Saskatchewan have been cut in half. Examples like this can be found across Canada.

Does the heritage minister believe that it is by cutting essential funds for the francophone and Acadian communities that she will help them solve their assimilation problem?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I am amazed, because once again, the numbers quoted by the member opposite are wrong.

Indeed, the five-year program we have implemented to support minority languages, that is the French language outside Quebec and the English language in Quebec, provides for $900 million over five years.

If the member wishes to talk about numbers, there is no doubt that these reveal a willingness to go forward. That is why my cabinet colleagues have assured me that there will be an increase in these numbers in the next five-year plan to be announced at the beginning of next year.

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is indeed unfortunate that the rules prevent me from showing a document, because we would see who is lying in this House.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker]

I would ask the member to be very careful in her choice of words.

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

Will the minister admit at least that it is certainly not by taking money that is supposed to be used to help francophones outside Quebec and by giving it instead to Option Canada that she is going to solve the assimilation problem?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite claims to be interested in French Canadians outside Quebec. I would like to quote what she said on September 30 about French Canadians.

She said “As a French Canadian, I am a second class citizen. As a Quebecker, I am a first class citizen.” That is the difference. If French Canadians want support, they should not go see the member for Rimouski who calls French Canadians second class citizens. This is outrageous.

Youth

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister responsible for Canada's youth.

There are 400,000 young people in Canada today with no job prospects. That is 400,000 youths facing squeegee futures.

In the U.K. leaders have put their political futures on the line with Target 2000, a program with specific targets and timetables that promises 250,000 new jobs, real jobs for young people.

Do the minister responsible for youth and her colleagues have the courage to do the same?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, it does not take very much courage on our part to actually have the kind of commitment that we as a government have had.

We have announced a youth employment strategy which is a very good program; youth internship Canada and youth services Canada. We are helping about 110,000 young Canadians a year with our present strategy.

When we look at the extraordinary results we are having with this strategy we realize that we have developed the right tools to help youth with the transition from school to work.

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, why does the minister not tell Canadians the truth, that there are 14,000 more youth unemployed since the day that youth strategy program was launched?

The prime minister meets in Ottawa next week with the provincial and territorial leaders. Will the minister ensure that the prime minister goes to that meeting and makes it into something more than a photo op? Will he push the prime minister to show genuine leadership by taking to the meeting a comprehensive youth employment strategy with precise targets and timetables and come away from the meeting with our own target 2000 plan for Canada's youth?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the NDP has her numbers completely wrong.

Youth employment has risen; 31,400 more youth employed in the last three months. That is as a result of our strategy.

I will not need to push the prime minister to do his job at the next conference. I know the prime minister is very preoccupied and concerned with the situation of youth unemployment and he wants to talk partnership with the provinces. This is an issue so important that we want to address it as partners with the provinces and the private sector because this is a national problem.

Charities

[Jean Charest, Progressive Conservative, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, earlier in the day I gave notice to the prime minister of a question I wanted to raise today in question period.

In the aftermath of this postal strike I know this will not interest the Reform Party but I will ask the question. The seasonal fund-raising—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

I ask the hon. member for Sherbrooke to put the question please.

[Jean Charest, Progressive Conservative, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, because of the postal strike, the seasonal fund-raising activities of many Canadian charities have been seriously jeopardized because of this dispute, charities that rely extensively on the year end campaigns to fund everything from meals on wheels to medical research.

I ask the Deputy Prime Minister today whether or not the government would consent to extending the period for credible charitable donations to the end of January—