Debates of Sept. 29th, 1997

Culture

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, contrary to the statement made in this House by the Minister of Canadian Heritage, the film proposed by Pierre Falardeau depicting the death of Chevalier de Lorimier will not be funded by Telefilm Canada for political reasons.

In the light of this politicization of culture, a group of men and women has started a campaign to find popular funding to produce this film, which will revive an important moment of Quebecers' history.

The repression of 1837-38 led to the sacking of a half dozen villages, the hanging of a dozen patriots, the exile of thousands of people and the incarceration of 400 in a city of 60,000.

The Bloc Quebecois would today like to congratulate the men and women of Comité du 15 février 1839 on their initiative and calls on all members of this House, regardless of their political allegiance, to make a contribution as a show of their commitment to freedom of expression.

Police And Peace Officers

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday on Parliament Hill the 20th annual police and peace officers memorial service was held.

It was a solemn occasion to pay tribute to the men and women who have given their lives over the years to protect Canadians. It was an occasion for families and friends to remember their loved ones. It was an occasion for all of us to remember that part of the reason why we live in this secure and safe society is because of the dedication of professional police and peace officers who work across this country.

Unfortunately it is ceremonies such as the annual memorial service that make us realize our safety has come sometimes at the cost of those who are working, the best and the brightest that we have in these forces.

Being a peace officer is a very difficult job full of many challenges. In Canada we are fortunate to have police forces who carry out their daily work with honesty and integrity and dedication.

It is a time when we should all pause to reflect on the contribution of our police and peace officers, who they are and what they make as a contribution to our Canadian society.

Quebec Premier

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Quebecers are upset by the attitude of the separatists. The priority of all Quebecers is to get the economy moving once again. The Government of Canada is doing its share, but if the Bouchard government continues to represent the interests of the separatists only, Quebecers will never reap the benefits.

By continuing to represent only the interests of the separatists, Lucien Bouchard is showing that he does not care about all Quebecers. On his arrival in France for a so called economic mission, the first thing he did when he got out of the plane was to talk to the French about separation again. Now we have even the Conseil du Patronat français acknowledging that the temporary removal of the threat of referendum in Quebec has permitted a settling of interest rates, with all due respect to Mr. Bouchard.

It is high time that the separatists of Lucien Bouchard started working for the welfare of all Quebecers.

Justice

[Jim Hart, Reform, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of the people of Okanagan—Coquihalla to bring to the attention of the House another failure of the Canadian justice system.

On September 7 my hometown of Summerland was shocked by the news of a double homicide. Cecilia and Tammy Grono were shot to death in front of Tammy's 2 and 4-year old children. The prime suspect is the ex-husband of Tammy who was on day parole.

Kevin Machell failed to report to his halfway house in Calgary. Corrections Canada policy is for tardiness to be reported within 10 minutes to one hour but because of the solicitor general's lax guidelines, this violation was not acted upon until 24 hours later.

Tammy Grono had written Corrections Canada and requested that she be notified of any changes in his status. The Gronos would be alive today if the solicitor general's department had acted. Kevin Machell is still at large.

Canadians are demanding a parole system that is limited, earned and tightly monitored. The Liberal government has failed to ensure that Canadians are secure in their homes and on the streets of their communities.

University Of Toronto

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to the attention of the House the recent donation of $9.7 million to the University of Toronto chemistry department by Mrs. Edna Davenport and the estate of her late husband John Davenport.

The surprise announcement of this generous gift came at a dinner last night honouring six Nobel laureates from around the world, including our own John Polanyi of the University of Toronto.

Mrs. Davenport is originally from Owen Sound, Ontario and a graduate of the University of Toronto in 1929 and was represented at the dinner by her son Peter Davenport for the announcement.

The chair of the chemistry department at the University of Toronto, Dr. Martin Moscovits, has said that the gift will be used to build state of the art molecular science laboratories at the university's chemistry building and will ensure that the University of Toronto and Canada remain world leaders in research in chemistry.

Philanthropy of this type is rare and greatly appreciated. I hope one day it will lead to future Nobel laureates from the University of Toronto.

I know that I am joined by the University of Toronto community, members of this House and indeed all Canadians in thanking the Davenports for this spectacular act of generosity.

Canada Post

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring to light the current crisis concerning the negotiations between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. It is due to government interference that this situation has developed into the state it is in now.

I refer to a memo that describes a meeting between the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and the president of the Canadian Direct Marketing Association. According to the memo the minister suggested that the government might use conciliation to delay negotiations, blame the unions for a strike and then introduce back to work legislation within eight days of any strike action.

This strategy by the government and the management at Canada Post makes a mockery of the collective bargaining process. It suggests the conciliation process was never intended to resolve the major issues and is tantamount to denying the postal workers their legal right to strike.

I suggest to the minister that he remove the threat of back to work legislation and allow the union and management to seriously negotiate a collective agreement.

Quebec Premier

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval West, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Lucien Bouchard has barely started his sovereignist pilgrimage to France to find symbolic support for his separatist cause and already the truth he refuses to see is hitting him right in the face.

A document released at a press conference held by Lucien Bouchard and French business representatives states that the temporary removal of the referendum threat has resulted in lower short term interest rates in Canada.

French business people too recognize that the political uncertainty generated by the sovereignist threat is hurting Quebec's and Canada's economy.

What more does Lucien Bouchard need to hear to put an end to such a costly threat to our economy?

Search And Rescue Helicopters

[David Price, Progressive Conservative, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the need to replace our aging and unreliable search and rescue helicopters was established over four years ago. We hope the government's decision to postpone the replacement of these helicopters, at an enormous cost to Canadian taxpayers, will not have unfortunate consequences.

If there are any further accidents, injuries or losses due to the prime minister's callous partisanship in delaying this purchase, Canada will hold him personally accountable.

For the safety of the men and women who fly these helicopters, we sincerely hope we will never reach that point. Party politics have no place in the managing of our Canadian forces.

[The Speaker]

My colleagues, I want to thank you very much for last week. It seems that the question period is progressing very well thanks to you because you want it, not because I want it. I would encourage you in the name of the House to please continue to keep the questions right on time and the answers also. With this I am going to recognize the hon. Leader of the Opposition.

Calgary Declaration

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the papers are quoting opinion polls in Quebec in which Quebeckers were asked their opinion on the premiers' declaration from Calgary. However most Quebeckers have no way of knowing what is in that declaration, that it is primarily a commitment to consult the public and that what it is seeking to do is to balance acknowledgement of uniqueness with acknowledgement of equality as citizens and provinces. All Quebeckers have heard about this agreement is some negative attacks by the Premier of Quebec.

My question is for the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. What specific steps will he take to inform Quebeckers about the content of the Calgary declaration?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is very difficult to have the same kind of process in Quebec as in the other provinces since the Premier of Quebec is not interested in consulting the people of Quebec about the Calgary declaration.

We will continue to make the case for the Calgary declaration everywhere in the country including Quebec. I would say this about all the principles in the declaration, about the declaration as a whole.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, last week when the government indicated that it might consult ordinary Quebeckers with respect to the Calgary declaration, a hostile Premier Bouchard said “I dare you”.

Meanwhile Bouchard is off consulting the Government of France and Quebeckers are kept in the dark concerning what Canadians in other parts of the country are proposing to make the federation work for the benefit of all.

Will the minister mail a copy of the Calgary declaration to every household in Quebec, or will he be intimidated by the Premier of Quebec on this vital issue of consultation?

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

Mr. Speaker, I may have shortcomings, but being intimidated by the premier of Quebec is certainly not one of them.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, if the government is not to be intimidated by the Premier of Quebec and is not prepared to say exactly how it will consult with Quebeckers on the premiers' declaration, could the minister at least make the simple commitment to mail a copy of the Calgary declaration to every household in Quebec so Quebeckers will at least know what is being talked about in the rest of the country?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Calgary declaration has been released widely by the media in Quebec, but the suggestion of the Leader of the Opposition is welcome and we will study it.

British Columbia

[Val Meredith, Reform, South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the government professes to be concerned about the unity of federation, yet when a B.C. senator commented on the topic last week the minister responded with disdain.

Today the Vancouver Sun reports that almost 70 percent of respondents support Senator Carney's comments, including her suggestion that B.C. should not rule out separation.

Could the minister explain why he and his government are so insensitive to the concerns of British Columbia?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is a common practice of separatist leaders in Quebec to describe anyone who is fighting separation as someone who is fighting Quebec.

If the hon. member is now starting to put forth the same kind of argument, she will receive from the Government of Canada the same answer we have always given to the PQ Government of Quebec. Quebec and British Columbia, yes, yes and yes. Secession, no, no and no.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[Val Meredith, Reform, South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, neither British Columbians nor I are calling for secession. What we are calling for is a little respect from the government.

The government responds to foreign overfishing off the west coast by taking the B.C. government to court. It closes the only military base on mainland British Columbia. It withholds millions of dollars in transfer payments because it claims the B.C. NDP government is too hard on welfare recipients.

Would the minister agree it is because of the government's mishandling of west coast issues that so many British Columbians do not feel at home in Confederation?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member started by talking about the Pacific salmon treaty, as she did last week with the same preface to the question.

We wish to have a treaty with the Americans which guarantees proper management of west coast fish stocks, whether they be in Canadian rivers or in others.

The issue with the province of British Columbia is defence, the Nanoose base which we believe to be extraneous.

I would remind the hon. member when she talks about the closure of bases that bases have been closed in Quebec, in the maritimes, in Alberta and in Ontario.

Calgary Declaration

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last weekend, the leader of the official opposition, whom the Prime Minister himself views as a key player in the debate on Canadian unity, sent an ominous message inviting western Canada to get involved in the consultations on the Calgary declaration so that the notion of Quebec having a unique character does not lead to the constitutional recognition of Quebec as a distinct society.

I would like to know if the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs agrees with the leader of the official opposition, who—must I remind the hon. members—is considered by the Prime Minister to be a key player in the debate on Canadian unity.

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

It is a pity, Mr. Speaker, that the Bloc leader cannot put the question to the leader of the official opposition.

What I understand of the official opposition leader's position is that he wishes all principles, including the recognition of the unique character of the society in Quebec, to be discussed.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

It is a pity, Mr. Speaker, that the minister cannot answer the questions put to him. My question was quite clear. We want to know if he agrees with the leader of the official opposition, who is against any recognition of distinct society.

The leader of the official opposition was not the only one to comment on the Calgary declaration over the weekend, as Quebec Liberals stated that, as far as they were concerned, the Calgary declaration was not enough, that it needed to be fleshed out.

My question to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs is this: Does he not agree that Canada is headed in the same direction as with the Charlottetown accord, which the people of Quebec felt did not offer enough to Quebec, while the rest of Canada felt it gave too much to Quebec?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Calgary declaration was very well received in Quebec. I can see how this would concern the Bloc leader.

Quebecers regard it as a step in the right direction, but when asked if it is enough, of course they say it is not. Is the economic situation good enough right now? Is the social situation good enough?

The public wants improvements and one way to improve this federation would be through the principles set out in the Calgary declaration, including the recognition of the unique character of Quebec's society.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, one wonders whether the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs lives in Quebec. We read the papers and we see—