House of Commons Hansard #63 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was workers.

Topics

Volunteer FirefightersStatements By Members

2 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Nunavut.

Winter OlympicsStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Nancy Karetak-Lindell Liberal Nunavut, NU

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate all of Canada's athletes at the winter Olympics in Nagano. I want to congratulate the women's hockey team for winning a silver medal for Canada.

Our men's hockey team will be playing for gold. Fifty years ago, the RCAF Flyers won the gold medal for Canada through sheer determination and perseverance. It has not been since 1952 that Canada has won the gold medal in our nation's favourite sport. Canadians from coast to coast to coast and from every territory and province will wait to learn of our great victory.

Canada's Olympians are a source of inspiration and pride for all Canadians, especially our youth. We can all take ownership in Canada's success at the winter Olympics knowing that it is our success that gives us even more reason to celebrate being Canadian.

The SenateStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Reform

Gurmant Grewal Reform Surrey Central, BC

Mr. Speaker, this year there will be at least eight seats vacant in the Senate. Canadians want an equal, effective and elected Senate.

The Liberal government has kept up the Tory tradition of using vacant Senate seats as a patronage appoint reward system to pay off Liberal political hacks. The Prime Minister has set a new pork barrel record by appointing 23 Liberal senators.

British Columbia is the most under represented province in the Senate, at least by five seats. B.C. has over 600,000 citizens per senator as compared to around 78,000 in New Brunswick, which has four more senators than B.C. The lack of equality in the Senate is outrageous.

The Calgary declaration calls for treating all citizens and provinces equally. The Liberals are denying the need for equality in the Senate. The Liberals are not allowing Canadians the right to choose their Senate representatives even though in 1990 the Prime Minister said the Liberal government—

The SenateStatements By Members

2 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Drummond.

Nancy DroletStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Bloc

Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, February 17, in Nagano, the Canadian women's hockey team won the silver medal in a hotly disputed match against the American team. A young woman from my riding was on this team: Nancy Drolet from Drummondville.

Nancy's record is impressive. She has played in 15 Canadian championships in nine years and twice at the Canada Games. At the international level, the teams she has been a member of have won five gold medals and one silver in six years. And today, Nancy has become an Olympic medalist, an honour we all share.

On behalf of my constituents, I congratulate you, Nancy. Your determination is something else. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

Annie PerreaultStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Bernard Patry Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

Mr. Speaker, the news has just broken that Annie Perreault is the first Quebec woman to win a gold medal in speedskating.

We wish to draw attention to this young woman's courage, as she has coped with a number of difficulties throughout her training. Yet she never gave up, and now has been rewarded with this wonderful win.

Representing Canada is in itself a source of pride to all of the athletes at the Nagano Games. Our thoughts are with them all, each and every minute of these competitions, and we are well aware of how much effort our athletes have put into doing their best for Canada.

In congratulating Annie for her well-deserved win, let us remember all of the other athletes who are over there representing us so worthily, and let us wish them all the best of luck.

Zoie GardnerStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Reform

Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB

Mr. Speaker, today I want to pay tribute to a very special Canadian and Edmontonian. Her name is Zoie Gardner. She recently received the Order of Canada in recognition of her volunteer work and for being a foster mother to 100 kids, as she calls them. She has been doing this labour of love for 60 years.

She began her calling at the age of 19, tending a six-day old infant. By the age of 21 she had 10 kids in her care. She is still mothering four disabled adults in their thirties and forties. Two of them were her kids since they were six days old.

At 79, Zoie keeps on mothering. She said “I like kids and I enjoy working with them. I have to be busy. I do not mind growing old, but I sure mind growing useless”.

The love of her kids keeps her going. It is nice to see that kind of generosity and kindness being honoured by the Order of Canada.

Zoie is not useless. She is terrific. Way to go.

National Literacy DayStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Rose-Marie Ur Liberal Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

Mr. Speaker, today is national literacy day and we are calling for continued support and highlighting the connection between prosperity and literacy.

Almost half of Canada's adult population score at the lowest literacy level. They are unable to reach their full potential as workers, parents and citizens.

Canadians are taking steps to meet this challenge. The national literacy secretariat, other levels of government, libraries and schools are making crucial contributions. But we need to intensify our collective effort. Opportunities to advance Canadian literacy are being missed. In many communities we have willing learners who cannot find programs, or lack of funding closes excellent literacy programs.

Together we must act on the challenges and opportunities ahead for effective literacy teaching and learning.

ScoutingStatements By Members

February 19th, 1998 / 2:05 p.m.

Bloc

Maud Debien Bloc Laval East, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Quebecois is pleased to draw attention to International Guides and Scouts Week.

Scouting, founded by Sir Robert Baden-Powell, offers its members practical lessons in life, in addition to what they receive in their school and family settings.

Thanks are due to the many volunteers, parents, leaders and former members involved in activities to help young people grow and develop. The thousands of people involved in Scouting and Guiding help boys and girls to develop knowledge of self and of others, along with respect for their fellow human beings.

Many of today's leaders came up through the ranks of Scouts and Guides. I am sure they all have indelible memories of those days.

I would like to send special greetings to all of the Scout and Guide groups of Laval, and the many volunteers who are helping our young people to develop to their full potential.

New Democratic PartyStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Mac Harb Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, while on the topic of globalization, the leader of the NDP is quoted in today's Toronto Star as saying there really is a revolution going on.

Does this mean that the NDP has finally woken up? The NDP leader delayed this conversion to what we have been saying for generations, that we live in a global economy. I am not surprised to see the NDP leader speaking on both sides of the issue. On the one hand her party wants to nationalize banks and hire every unemployed person on the government payroll. On the other hand she wants others to do what her own party is not willing to do, embrace the global free economy.

I invite the leader of the NDP to stand up in the House today and admit that her party policies are and have been completely bankrupt.

I can see Karl Marx rolling in his grave over the loss of yet another devoted socialist.

Aboriginal AffairsStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

NDP

Gordon Earle NDP Halifax West, NS

Mr. Speaker, to be or not to be, a surplus or a deficit? That is the question to be answered next Tuesday with the release of the federal budget.

Whether there will be a financial surplus or not, the fact remains that there is in this country a human deficit evidenced by high unemployment, high student debtload, high cost of health care, environmental problems and high rates of suicide and other problems among youth, and the crisis around national unity.

While these human deficit problems impact on all communities, they impact most severely on aboriginal communities. Whereas national unity and a deficit free Canada require strong partnerships and whereas the government has recognized aboriginal peoples' right to self-government and has expressed a willingness to work in partnership, will the Prime Minister guarantee that aboriginal peoples will have their rightful place at future first ministers conferences and constitutional discussions?

Such is a must to have a truly unified and deficit free country.

Annie PerreaultStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Diane St-Jacques Progressive Conservative Shefford, QC

Mr. Speaker, this morning in Nagano another athlete climbed up onto the top step of the podium. Speed skater Annie Perreault won the 500 metre short track.

I feel very proud when the medals are given out and our national anthem is heard around the world. I am moved even more when the flag is raised for one of our own athletes. The people of the Eastern Townships are eager to see their champion.

This medal combines with our 13 others to make Canadians' performance in these Olympic winter games one of our best.

I thank all our athletes for giving us such exciting moments and for representing us so well.

And congratulations to you, Annie, on your gold medal. We are very proud of you.

The SenateStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Reform

Eric C. Lowther Reform Calgary Centre, AB

Mr. Speaker, today the Senate will vote on whether to suspend Andrew Thompson for his lamentable attendance record. Of late, Alberta Senator Ron Ghitter has been championing Senate reform. This is most ironic coming from a Tory patronage appointee who shows up only 50% of the time.

Could Senator Ghitter's sudden conversion be an attempt to shift the focus away from his own sorry attendance record? And whatever could Senator Ghitter mean when he talks of Senate reform? For him it surely could not mean Senate elections. Why? This is the same Ron Ghitter who was first appointed in 1993 to replace Canada's first and only elected Senator, Reform's Stan Waters.

Note to Mr. Ghitter. Perhaps a first step to reforming the Senate should start with your own cushy seat. How about stepping down and giving Albertans the chance to tell you what they think of a tardy Tory Senate appointee who refers to his home province as a “backwater”.

The SenateStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

The Speaker

Colleagues, I try to give as much latitude as I can in these statements we make every day, but I think we are getting closer and closer to the line where it is becoming a little more unacceptable. So I would ask hon. members to look over their statements before they make them here in the House.

Pro-Démocratie CoalitionStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Parti Quebecois government has just given a $300,000 subsidy to Pro-Démocratie, a group of individuals of various political stripes opposing the reference to the Supreme Court.

Pro-Démocratie CoalitionStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear.

Pro-Démocratie CoalitionStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC

The cat is out of the bag. Now we can clearly link these people with a particular persuasion, that of the separatist government.

Pro-Démocratie CoalitionStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear.

Pro-Démocratie CoalitionStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC

Pro-Démocratie has nothing democratic about it, since its source of funding advocates separating Quebec from the rest of Canada.

Pro-Démocratie CoalitionStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear.

Pro-Démocratie CoalitionStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC

We must call a spade a spade. Let us hope that the group's members have the courage to reveal whom they are working for. I am keen to see how the Conservative leader is going to handle that.

Pro-Démocratie CoalitionStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear.

Pro-Démocratie CoalitionStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

The Speaker

Colleagues, I am always loathe to intervene when people are applauding for another member. I would hope you would permit me and the other members to hear hon. members' statements in the future.

The EconomyOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Reform

Preston Manning ReformLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, during the last election campaign the Prime Minister went on TV and said he would spend 50% of any budget surplus on debt reduction and tax relief. He said relief would come “once the budget has been balanced”. There is nothing here about down the road, nothing here about over the mandate. Now the finance minister says he is not constrained by that promise.

Why is the Prime Minister allowing this election promise to be broken by the finance minister?

The EconomyOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I have the red book here. To make sure it is well understood, on page 28 it says: “We will allocate our budget surpluses so that over the course of our mandate one half will be spent to improve our programs and one half will go to tax cuts and reduction of the debt”.

There is not a big difference between that and what the Minister of Finance said. He said that the 50:50 formula will be applied over the course of the mandate. It is exactly the same thing.

The Reformers are afraid of the next—