Debates of Oct. 21st, 1998

[The Speaker]

As is our practice on Wednesday we will now sing O Canada, and we will be led by the hon. member for Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam.

National Space Day

[Gurbax Malhi, Liberal, Bramalea—Gore—Malton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Space Agency has a walk-in type exhibit of the international space station on display on Parliament Hill until tomorrow.

It is part of Canada's ongoing celebration of National Space Day, held on October 16, which allows us to voice pride in our nation's achievements in space, as well as being a source of inspiration for our youth.

In 1996 the space industry employed 5,000 across Canada, contributed $1 billion in annual revenues and enjoyed a 30% export ratio, the highest in the world.

The Canadian space program provides countless opportunities for academic, economic and social growth. In fact this industry is both directly and indirectly responsible for many high paying jobs in my riding of Bramalea—Gore—Malton—Springdale.

I encourage all of my colleagues to visit NASA's educational and interactive display.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

[Werner Schmidt, Reform, Kelowna, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last Wednesday I rode along with an RCMP officer of the Kelowna detachment. First there was a security alarm at the superstore. Next he investigated a complaint from a woman who was being harassed by her ex-boyfriend. Then there was a domestic dispute. “Oh no, but let's go”, the officer said.

With gentle language yet firm authority and command of the situation the officers—we had backup—separated the disputing parties and restored peace at least for that night.

Next we picked up a man who was off his medication. Earlier that night he had tried to enter a stranger's house. We took him to the hospital.

We investigated a break and enter.

This was but a small sample of what our police officers do every night. Our streets are safe because of the dedication and actions of these men and women.

It is too bad that the government has cut funding for the RCMP. Instead the government is wasting money on a useless gun registration program.

The Late Frank Dowling

[Steve Mahoney, Liberal, Mississauga West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on September 29, at the age of 84, Frank Dowling died at Credit Valley Hospital of complications from heart disease and cancer.

Mr. Dowling was the first mayor of the town of Streetsville, a distinct community within my riding and the city of Mississauga. He lived in Streetsville all his life and served the community as an elected official and volunteer.

First elected to the village council in 1948, he became the first deputy reeve in 1956 and then reeve in 1958. When Streetsville became a town in 1962, Mr. Dowling was elected mayor. His efforts ensured that Streetsville maintained its unique character despite being amalgamated into the city of Mississauga in 1974.

Always the community activist, he served as president of the Streetsville Lion's Club and director of the Peel Children's Aid Society.

Mr. Dowling was a compassionate and dedicated person. He was an honest man who truly cared about others and his community. He will be missed by many.

National Co-Operatives

[Murray Calder, Liberal, Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week was National Co-op Week.

In recognition of this event I invite members of the House and all Canadians to celebrate the contributions of the men and women who have chosen co-operative enterprise as their way of promoting the social and economic well-being of Canadian communities.

Some 10,000 Canadian co-operatives are a powerful social and economic force in Canada today.

Co-operatives have proven themselves to be a major job creator. In 1996 they employed more than 151,000 Canadians and generated a combined business volume of $36.3 billion.

I wish to congratulate all those in the co-operative movement for their considerable achievements over the past year and I invite all Canadians to join in the celebration of co-ops in Canada.

Canadian Economy

[Guy St-Julien, Liberal, Abitibi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I announced some good news for the economy, and I will again today. This morning, Statistics Canada reported a 0.2% decrease in the consumer lending index for August-September, the biggest monthly drop in the past year.

Last Wednesday, the Minister of Finance announced that the Canadian Government had succeeded in having its first budget surplus in 28 years. Our government is managing public funds cautiously and efficiently. Solutions like the ones certain opposition parties are calling for are out of the question. They would put us all back into debt. We have no right to betray the trust of the Canadian people.

Foreign Fishing

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

Mr. Speaker, what is it about dealing with foreign fishing issues that makes our minister of oceans fold up like a deck of cards?

Whether foreigners are grabbing fish bound for Canadian waters on the west coast or engaging in a scorched earth policy on the east coast, the minister continues to put other fisheries ahead of our own.

Now we find that the minister has given the Makah natives a licence to hunt grey whale in Canada with an illegal high-powered 50 calibre weapon. In effect he is helping to destroy the international ban on whaling, licensing the use of an illegal 50 calibre weapon in Canada and putting Canadian lives in danger. Even the Humane Society is complaining.

Rather than extending a welcoming hand to Americans involved in this hunt the minister should be filing a formal protest to make sure the hunt never happens.

The minister has changed his mind four times on this hunt. Change it again, Mr. Minister. Do the right thing. Stop the hunting of grey whales.

Women's History Month

[John Harvard, Liberal, Charleswood—Assiniboine, MB]

Mr. Speaker, in honour of Women's History Month in Canada I would like to add my voice to those who support the initiative. I believe that it is important to the young women of our country. They need role models and mentors to meet the challenges of their adult lives with confidence. What better way to learn than through the stories of their foremothers?

As mathematicians, firefighters and astronauts, as lab technicians, architects and farmers, women are increasingly defying the stereotypes about what constitutes women's work.

These women are following in the footsteps of trailblazers like Harriet Brooks, Canada's first woman nuclear physicist.

By uncovering the often overlooked stories of women's diverse contributions to society we acknowledge women's role in history. We support a better understanding of what women do today. We open up the future for young women. More important than that, we change not only who but what goes into Canadian history books.

The Late Kenneth K. Carroll

[Joe Fontana, Liberal, London North Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, with the death of Kenneth K. Carroll on October 3, 1998, London, Ontario, Canada lost its premier nutrition biochemist.

Dr. Carroll was born in New Brunswick and came to the University of Western Ontario as a student. He received the first Ph.D. ever at the UWO.

Dr. Carroll performed a lifetime of pioneering work on the links between dietary components and disease and disease prevention, specifically with relation to breast cancer. He was the founding director of the Centre for Human Nutrition at the university. He trained numerous graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, technologists, research associates and visiting professors. His lab was an international training centre. He worked energetically every day, right up until shortly before his death.

Dr. Carroll was a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and received the lifetime achievement award of the American Oil Chemists Society in 1995.

Plans have been developed to establish the Ken Carroll chair in human nutrition at the UWO.

Dr. Carroll was a highly respected and internationally sought Canadian scientist who brought honour—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Selkirk—Interlake.

Agriculture

[Howard Hilstrom, Reform, Selkirk—Interlake, MB]

Mr. Speaker, many Canadian farmers are worried that they will not be able to feed their families or keep their farms. Farm commodity prices have collapsed and many farmers' 1998 income will only be 25% of what it was two years ago. Yet the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and this government continue to say “Don't worry”.

This government refuses to acknowledge that there is a problem. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food continues to state that the net income stabilization account will be sufficient to address producers' concerns. The minister must know that NISA accounts will not even cover farm expenses. We must begin to discuss solutions to this emergency today. We cannot afford to wait until producers are forced off the land.

I call on the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food to admit the problem and admit that his safety net program is inadequate to deal with this crisis. I call on this minister to sit down and discuss real solutions to the emergency. The minister can start tomorrow when we start considering international trade issues at the agriculture committee.

Madeleine Gagnon

[René Canuel, Bloc, Matapédia—Matane, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Madeleine Gagnon was elected to the Académie canadienne-française in 1987. She has been the recipient of numerous literary awards, including the Governor General's, the Arthur-Buies, and those given out by the Journal de Montréal and Aquimédia.

This prolific writer, teacher and speaker has frequently been invited as a keynote lecturer at a variety of Canadian and European universities.

A native of Amqui, Madeleine Gagnon returned there for the inspiration of her literary works. A superb role model, she is a source of great pride to the people of her birth place, which she has always depicted so masterfully in her books.

For all of these reasons, her excellent literary reputation in particular, Madeleine Gagnon is the ideal person to ensure that the Amqui municipal library develops to its full cultural potential.

Congratulations, Madeleine.

Com Dev International

[Janko Peric, Liberal, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week COM DEV International of my riding of Cambridge and National Defence signed an $8.6 million R and D contract to provide Canada's armed forces its own cutting edge military satellite communications system.

With its new Beam*Link processor technology, COM DEV Space Group's military satellite payload subsystem will be 30% more efficient and will boost the commercial export success of Canadian industry.

This is one of several projects DND and COM DEV have collaborated on since the early 1980s and will help to position COM DEV to secure future American military satellite contracts.

I applaud COM DEV, the Minister of National Defence and R and D for their activities.

Volvo

[Gordon Earle, NDP, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, at 5.30 this morning Volvo employees in my riding took over the plant. It should never have happened.

This Liberal government planted the bomb, lit the fuse and walked away. This government planted the bomb when it decided in the last round of world trade talks to lower auto tariffs. It lit the fuse by fostering NAFTA and now Volvo says “Goodbye Canada, hello Mexico”.

This government walked away, making no contingency plans for what happens next. These workers are afraid for their future and their families' future.

Volvo told the workers that if they uttered a bad word about the plant closing they would lose their severance.

Now I understand Volvo plans to deny severance to compensate for years of work if an employee is lucky enough to find another job.

Now we have an occupied plant and police involvement.

In September I asked the industry minister to get involved in finding solutions to the Volvo mess. I and the people involved in this crisis are still waiting.

Women's History Month

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

Mr. Speaker, October being Women's History Month and this year's theme “The Business of Women: An Evolving Story”, I would like to acknowledge the courage and imagination of all the women who made it into our history books, these repositories of our collective memory, as well as the many other women who did not.

Longueuil has a rich tradition of women who made their mark, including Simone Monet-Chartrand in the fields of human rights and literature, Jeanine Lavoix-Picard, the first woman elected municipal councillor, and the famous hat marker Yvette Brillon in the entrepreneurship category, to name but a few.

Women in business are nothing new, but today we can say they have become leaders in terms of job creation and economic growth. The “business of women” means entrepreneurship, of course, but also all the work done by women in their own homes and communities.

October is the month to remember all the women who have contributed to our evolution.

[The Speaker]

It is not often that one of our members has a baby. Congratulations, Caroline.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Youth Centres

[Raymond Lavigne, Liberal, Verdun—Saint-Henri, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, October 19, I attended the opening of a new workshop run by the Montreal youth centres, in my beautiful riding of Verdun—Saint-Henri, at Pointe-Saint-Charles to be precise. These youth centres have decided to work together to help young people who are not properly prepared for the labour market.

Indeed, young people between the ages of 18 and 24 living in low-income neighbourhoods have one of the highest unemployment rates on the island of Montreal. According to Statistics Canada, it was close to 21.2% in 1996. From March 1998 to March 1999, Human Resources Development will be funding the project to the tune of $147,156, or 58% of the project cost.

Our young people must be well prepared because, the youth unemployment rate being what it is, they are facing a major challenge—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Shefford.

Child Poverty

[Diane St-Jacques, Progressive Conservative, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, November 24, 1989 saw this House unite in a rare gesture of solidarity around a matter of national urgency and unanimously pass a resolution expressing its common desire to eliminate child poverty by the year 2000.

Despite this clear and, I repeat, unanimous resolution, Canada now has 500,000 more poor children than it did in 1989. In fact, the child poverty rate has increased from 14.5% to 21%, meaning that one child in five now lives in a poor family.

I find these statistics alarming and once again urge the Minister of Finance to give priority to children in the next federal budget by indexing the national child benefit, among other things.

Accueil Bonneau

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

Mr. Speaker, there are some occasions where agreement among all political parties is readily forthcoming, one example being the rebuilding of Accueil Bonneau.

Every year, the extraordinary team of volunteers at Accueil Bonneau serves 250,000 meals and snacks. Accueil Bonneau is a wonderful example of people working together in the fight against poverty right here in our community.

The solidarity and almost superhuman effort of those who rolled up their sleeves last June and have now rebuilt this welcoming shelter deserves our admiration.

Bravo to the many volunteers and to all politicians in Montreal. We thank them, and mention in passing that our government was also involved in this profoundly humane gesture of solidarity.

Apec Inquiry

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, 60% of Canadians think that the APEC clamp down is a matter worth investigating because it deals with the issue of human rights and a potential cover up in the Prime Minister's Office. However he responds with jokes and attacks on students, the media, the opposition and anyone else who even dares question him.

Since he refuses to voluntarily appear before the inquiry, how will Canadians ever know the extent of the Prime Minister's involvement in the APEC deal?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, there is an inquiry going on under the laws of parliament. It is in process at this moment. We want the commission to do its work. It has started to hear witnesses. It has asked to have documents from my office and everything that was available.

Everything has been made available, and my chief of staff and other persons are available to the commission. Let the commission do its work. It is the way that we will get at the truth for the benefit of all Canadians.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is fine to talk about the conduct of the RCMP and what is going on at the investigation, but the Prime Minister's involvement is what Canadians want to know about.

The Prime Minister is not going to be able to just “little guy” his way out of this. Canadians want to know about his conduct and his involvement.

Will the Prime Minister stand and talk about his conduct in the affair? How is the big guy going to talk his way out of this one?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is very simple; we are not afraid of the truth at all. On the contrary, we want Canadians to know exactly what happened there. That is why we want the commission to do its work.

I know when opposition members see the commission making progress they are afraid to know the truth. We are not afraid of the truth at all because we know that if the police have done something wrong we will be informed.