Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate you on your appointment as one of our deputy speakers and I wish you well.
I would also like to thank my colleague from Barrie-Simcoe-Bradford for sharing her time this morning and I would like to thank my constituents for re-electing me to serve another term in the 36th Parliament.
In 1929 I was born in the Dominican Republic to British parents. After a short return to England my parents emigrated with our small family to Canada. Like millions of other immigrants who have built our great country, my parents came to Canada in search of a better life for themselves and their children. They watched as my brother became a successful lawyer in Vancouver, while I spent my career in education in Oxford Country, retired and was first elected to the House in 1993.
It is difficult to put into words my feelings as I was recently sworn in, for the second time, as a member of this esteemed Chamber. In addition to constituents, present at the ceremony was my father, age 94, who resides in a retirement home here in Ottawa. No matter how old we get we each want to gain the approval of our parents. My presence here as the member of Parliament for Oxford is an incredible honour for me but it has made my father, who came to this country so many years before with a wife an two young sons in tow, a very proud man.
Family ties are precious things, whether it be in our families at home where parents and children work together for the common good or in our Canadian family.
The Speech from the Throne talks of building a stronger Canada for all Canadians. It states that the overriding goal of our government is to strengthen and unite this country by joining in the common purpose of keeping Canada one of the best places in the world in which to live. I think this is a goal of most of here in the House on both sides. While we may disagree on the process we all want to effect change that will improve the lives of all Canadians.
In my first term as the member of Parliament for Oxford I asked myself what I could do to assist in unifying our nation. To me one of our biggest problems is a lack of understanding between various regions of our country. In other words, it seems that the “two solitudes” of Hugh McLellen are still evident. Our young people, the next generation of Canadian leaders, need to increase their knowledge of the different regions of Canada. This is especially true of our linguistic and cultural differences.
I felt that we could make a difference if our young people were given an opportunity to spend some time in Quebec improving their French and getting to know the people of Quebec. I approached the member for Brome—Missisquoi about beginning a student exchange in which five students from my riding of Oxford would spend their summer in Magog, Quebec in his riding, and Oxford would host five students in return.
I am happy to say that after two summer exchanges with the assistance of the Canada employment centres in both ridings, VIA Rail and Heritage Canada, this project can be termed a success. In fact, the member for Brome—Missisquoi took the initiative to organize exchanges between ridings from across Canada and towns and villages in his riding. Students from all regions of the country were able to visit Quebec, while Quebec students were able to increase their awareness of Canada outside Quebec.
This past summer the Department of Canadian Heritage was more heavily involved and over 200 students were able to take part in similar exchanges between Quebec and the rest of the country. It is my hope that young Canadians will be able to benefit from this type of program for many years to come.
Will this program alone solve our unity problems? No, it will not, but it can increase the understanding Canadians have for each other and work together with other initiatives at local, provincial and national levels to keep our country united. As the throne speech stated, we would all be forever diminished, forever changed, should we fail to maintain the example Canada provides to the world. Our future as a country is too precious for us to risk losing it through misunderstanding.
I was relieved to hear that the provincial premiers have agreed on certain principles to recognize the uniqueness of Quebec. I point out to my colleagues in the Bloc Quebecois that in English, unique and distinct are synonyms. It is a relief also to hear that the people of Quebec have shown in most recent polls they would rather accept the declaration worked out in Calgary than separate. It is now incumbent on us to work together as a Canadian family to build a better and stronger Canada for our children.
How else can the federal government bring Canadians together? It can ensure that future generations are not burdened by overzealous spending by our generation.
We have, of course, seen the Liberal government take firm action to ensure that the federal government spends within its means.
Sound economic management and the best federal finance minister in Canadian history are restoring balance to the nation's finances. In the very near future the government of Canada will not have to deal with a crushing deficit. With a common sense of purpose we as legislators can begin the process of paying off the national debt while making strategic investments in our children and our youth, our health, our communities and our knowledge and creativity. We must ensure that all Canadians can benefit from this economic success. We must not leave anyone behind.
This government must give all Canadians access to the tools of economic growth, as the Minister of Industry said earlier this morning in the House. We cannot allow rural regions of the country to suffer from a lack of technology while urban regions prosper.
As the member of Parliament for a rural country in southwestern Ontario, I have told my constituents that I will strive to ensure that the rural way of life is protected and that they will continue to have access to the tools they need to be competitive in this global economy.
The community access program, CAP, is connecting rural areas in this country to the information superhighway. By putting Internet access points in rural communities we are giving rural citizens the same opportunities to access information and resources that urban Canadians enjoy. We are also giving our students in places like Knowlton, Otterville or Cambridge Bay the same advantages provided by the computer age as students who may be studying in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver.
The people of Oxford are taking full advantage of the CAP program. When Industry Canada made its first round of approvals for this program, 15 of the 271 winning bids across Canada were in Oxford County. To understand the magnitude of this we must consider that the approvals within Oxford represented nearly 25 percent of the total approvals within the province of Ontario. This success is a testament to the commitment of Oxford's citizens to take advantage of the programs that can benefit them as we prepare to enter the new millennium.
I have also pledged to my constituents that I will fight for a strong, influential department of agriculture. Canadian farmers need to know that their interests are being considered when decisions are being made by the federal government. I am confident that our new minister of agriculture from Ontario will serve Canadian agriculture with the same level of distinction as did his predecessor.
Oxford County has been my home for over 40 years. It is where I worked as a teacher, principal and superintendent of education. It is where I helped raise a family and where my heart is. You cannot visit Oxford without being struck by the beauty of its farmland and the generous hospitality of its citizens.
When I was re-elected this past June 2, I was mindful of the responsibility that the people of Oxford had once again given me. Each day I serve on Parliament Hill and in this magnificent Chamber I seek to ensure that their voices are heard, that their views are known and that their values are represented. The people of Oxford have sent me here as their representative, a responsibility I do not take lightly. I will do my best to ensure their trust in me has been well placed.
Our work in this place over the next four years will be difficult. At times tempers will flare but we must always remember that together we are representatives of the Canadian family. Canadians, regardless of their political persuasion, want us to work constructively and co-operatively to solve the problems of our nation. Let us get on with the business at hand so that we can enter the 21st century confident and united.