Debates of Feb. 6th, 1998

Reform

Peter Goldring Reform Edmonton East, AB

Mr. Speaker,

Millions of lives lost in war. Soldiers fight, spill blood and lose life. They live or die in honourable service. Our veterans have our grateful thanks and respect beyond mere words. But others who die in camps of hell are victims of war as well. Unlike combatants, they have no swords to defend their souls. How we recall the horrors of war is a measure of our national conscience. We must remember all who die to reflect on the true carnage of war. The lessons to be learned are not only from the field of battle. Lessons too are learned from humanity's dark side. That's why two museums are of such importance. To properly display each face of war. Lest we forget.

Junior Women's CurlingStatements By Members

Progressive Conservative

Gilles Bernier Progressive Conservative Tobique—Mactaquac, NB

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to offer heartfelt congratulations to the new Canadian junior women's curling champions on behalf of all citizens of Tobique—Mactaquac

Last weekend the Grand Falls curling club rink of skip Melissa McClure, third Nancy Toner, second Brigette McClure, and lead Bethany Toner made all of New Brunswick proud when they beat the Ontario team in a close final.

The McClures and the Toners have proven what we in rural New Brunswick believe, that if you set your goals high and work very hard, you can accomplish almost anything.

Once again, congratulations and we wish them the best of luck when they represent Canada at the world junior women's curling finals this March in Thunder Bay.

BanksStatements By Members

NDP

John Solomon NDP Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK

Mr. Speaker, the close and cosy relationship between the Minister of Finance, the Liberal Party and the banks is a matter of very deep concern for all Canadians. The Liberals want to look like they are standing up for consumers and small business people but the Liberals' false bravado is severely undermined by those huge donations from the banks.

In 1996 the Liberals received a quarter of a million dollars from the Bank of Montreal and the Royal Bank. Now we learn that during the last federal election the Bank of Montreal through its subsidiary Nesbitt Burns gave $1,000 each to 14 of the 28 inner cabinet members, including the Minister of Finance; that is $14,000 to Liberal cabinet candidates. The finance minister's former leadership campaign co-chair is also involved with the banks. He is running the $20 million PR campaign for the Canadian Bankers Association.

The Reform Party is promoting the foreign banks too. Why is that? It takes donations from Goldman Sachs, a good U.S. corporation.

Canadians have all these reasons not to believe the Minister of Finance and the Reform Party when they act like they really care.

Film And TelevisionStatements By Members

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON

Mr. Speaker, thank you for your wonderful and thoughtful speech last evening to our friends from the Canadian Film and Television Production Association. Your impassioned challenge to them for continued leadership in helping to tell our Canadian stories was timely and obviously heartfelt.

I have been married to Peter O'Brian and the Canadian film industry for almost 19 years and I know firsthand their struggle. We are all grateful that people like our host from last night, Michael MacMillan from Atlantis Communications and my riding, and our minister of heritage are fighting to ensure that our Canadian values will always be reflected on our movie and television screens. They know the importance of reflecting our shared experiences as Canadians. Our culture, unity and understanding of what it is to be Canadian are strengthened and enhanced.

Yesterday the Department of Canadian Heritage released a discussion paper entitled “A Review of Canadian Feature Film Policy”. All Canadians are invited to make submissions on the discussion paper by March 20, and I encourage them to do so.

We must all continue the work of strengthening the film and television industry in Canada.

Winter Olympic GamesStatements By Members

Bloc

Jocelyne Girard-Bujold Bloc Jonquière, QC

Mr. Speaker, this evening will mark the opening of the 18th Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. For two weeks, the world's best athletes will inspire a wide range of emotions in millions of people.

Some 2,400 men and women from 80 countries will boldly and bravely compete for the gold, silver and bronze medals in 68 events.

The Bloc Quebecois members are proud of the 43 Quebeckers on the 155-member Canadian team. Myriam Bédard and Jean-Luc Brassard have made their mark in Olympic history. They are setting out along with other athletes, whose cherished and justified dream it is to mount the podium.

We wish all the athletes in the Canadian delegation good luck. May they return home satisfied and rewarded for the years of courage, perseverance and tenacity that propelled them to Nagano.

ResearchStatements By Members

Liberal

Peter Adams Liberal Peterborough, ON

Mr. Speaker, basic research is the starting point for applied research and commercialization activities and the fuel for innovation in Canada. It is of fundamental importance to the well-being of our economy, standard of living and quality of life.

In Canada our basic research system is founded on federal funding. The three federal granting councils, NRC, NSERC and SSHRC, are recipients of this funding. They have been charged with the responsibility of making Canada the leader in the knowledge based economy of the 21st century.

Contrary to the other G-7 nations, levels of funding for the councils have declined throughout this decade. This is having an immediate impact and does not bode well for the future. It is leading to a brain drain of our best and brightest researchers.

In light of the great importance of basic research in our economy, on behalf of my colleagues in the government caucus on post-secondary and research, I urge the Minister of Finance to address the situation in the upcoming budget. From his actions in the past and his desire to make Canada a leader—

ResearchStatements By Members

The Speaker

The hon. member for Surrey Central.

International Development WeekStatements By Members

Reform

Gurmant Grewal Reform Surrey Central, BC

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government should not be forcing Canadian taxpayers to cough up funding for international development week.

Private capital is flowing into developing nations. It is private capital that reduces poverty, not government aid. On the other hand, the Liberals have driven up our debt and taxes to record levels. This government has cut 23% from health and education spending for Canadians.

It is the private sector that should pay for international development week, if it wants to. The Liberal and Tory governments have already wasted $50 billion in aid and there is still lack of accountability.

The CIDA minister's failure should not be rewarded. International aid has failed the poor in developing nations. Private investment has proven itself to be the real answer to poverty, not aid.

Canadians want the Liberals to let private capital lead business—

International Development WeekStatements By Members

The Speaker

The hon. member for Winnipeg—St. Paul.

Liberal GovernmentStatements By Members

Liberal

Rey D. Pagtakhan Liberal Winnipeg North—St. Paul, MB

Mr. Speaker, a wise man once said above all else be prepared.

This government has done just that. It has restored the fiscal strength of the nation. It has begun to modernize our valued social programs and to lay the foundation for the new economy. It has endeavoured to strengthen higher education, research and development to meet the challenges of the present as we continue to prepare for the future where knowledge will continue to play its pre-eminent role.

Canada has had its share of Nobel laureates for excellence in creativity and ingenuity. I am confident that our commitment to higher education, research and development in medicine, engineering and the humanities, measured in enhanced funding, will continue to be part of this government's knowledge agenda, thereby keeping the best and brightest of our citizens in the country and propelling us to greater heights in the new millennium.

Victoria Bridge RestorationStatements By Members

Liberal

Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC

Mr. Speaker, there is good news about the Victoria bridge. This morning, the Government of Canada and Canadian National jointly announced a $46 million agreement in principle to share the costs of repairing this infrastructure, which is essential to Montreal's south shore and to the whole island of Montreal.

All stakeholders are quite rightly pleased at this outcome, which is the result of the extraordinary mobilization of the communities concerned and the willingness of the Canadian government to find a solution in this matter of importance to Quebec.

I would like to pay tribute to the excellent work done by Liberal members. Particular praise is due the members for Brossard—La Prairie and Saint-Lambert for their extraordinary contribution.

While the Bloc Quebecois looks for a raison d'être, and spends its time tarnishing the government's reputation and serving as nothing more than a mouthpiece for the pre-election strategy of its head office in Quebec City, the Liberal government and its members have once again delivered the goods and worked for Quebec's best interests.

Congratulations!

Ice StormStatements By Members

Progressive Conservative

Jean Dubé Progressive Conservative Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

Mr. Speaker, I would like to convey my sincere appreciation to the people of Madawaska—Restigouche who rallied together in support of our friends in Quebec during the recent ice storm.

Countless truckers and volunteers from throughout the riding set aside their daily business to give their unconditional support.

I personally travelled with a caravan of trucks carrying food, firewood and local Red Cross blankets from Restigouche and Madawaska to Quebec.

I saw firsthand the devastation encountered by the victims and I can only imagine the pain and suffering they have endured under these cold winter conditions.

I also saw the warm smiles on their faces as we pulled up and began to load their vehicles with supplies. It is acts of kindness such as these that should make every one of us proud to be Canadian.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

Reform

Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB

Mr. Speaker, the minister for Indian affairs asked natives to write to her about problems on their reserves, whether financial or democratic irregularities.

She promised that those letters would be kept confidential, but a clear and disturbing pattern has emerged here. As soon as these confidential letters come into the minister's department, they get stamped and promptly leaked back to the chief whom they are complaining about. There is a big problem here.

Why does the minister of Indian affairs think she and the officials in her department are above the law of the Privacy Act?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, first of all, the premise, as far as I am aware, of the hon. member's question is wrong. We are aware of only one incident where a letter was leaked. That is the matter of the Starlight letter.

This is being thoroughly investigated by an experienced investigator from outside the department. The minister does not consider herself above the law. She takes the Privacy Act very seriously, as does the government, and the hon. member's premise, therefore, is totally unfounded.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

Reform

Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB

Mr. Speaker, it is nice for the minister to talk about it, but it is certainly more than one isolated case.

Yesterday we talked about Stephen Constant and I am sure there will be more coming because these people are feeling betrayed.

A section in the Privacy Act says that letters that are to be taken in confidence possibly creates a breach. That is in the Privacy Act.

I do not think the minister could just toss this off. These are serious accusations by people who live in grassroots aboriginal reserves. The privacy commissioner has become involved now because he has had a request to look into it.

I would like the government to stand up now and say that it is now not only announcing that this investigator who is looking into it already is looking in but that the RCMP will be called in to make sure—

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

The Speaker

The hon. Deputy Prime Minister.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I think the minister of Indian affairs has already said publicly that the allegations in the Starlight letter are not only being looked into by her department but that a copy of that letter has gone to the RCMP.

I further want to say that the hon. member must be asking her question without having listened to my previous answer. I said the minister and her officials take the Privacy Act very seriously.

They are not trying to condone any breaches of the Privacy Act. They want to see it enforced and that is why there is an investigation under way now by an experienced—

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

The Speaker

The hon. member for Edmonton North.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

Reform

Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB

Mr. Speaker, the problem is there is a more disturbing pattern developing here.

The minister said there was only one case when he knows full well that there are at least two that have been documented on the floor of the House of Commons. Rita Galloway, the president of the first nations coalition for accountability, says this kind of thing happens all the time.

It is not good enough for a government to just sit there and say we are looking into it, we hope this one isolated case goes away. It will not go away. Aboriginals are feeling betrayed by the government, by Indian affairs and by the minister himself.

Are these betrayals that grassroots Indians feel part of this new partnership the department is bragging about?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I would like the hon. member to bring forward the evidence she has, if any, about this alleged pattern.

She has not done so so far. I challenge her to bring forward the evidence of a pattern because this is a very serious allegation. It deserves to be looked into very thoroughly.

We are looking into any cases brought to our attention, as I have said, but I ask the hon. member—I challenge her—to bring forward the evidence of a pattern. This will be taken into account in the investigation.

We take any possible breaches of the Privacy Act very seriously. As I said the other day, we intend to pursue this to the utmost to make sure the Privacy Act is being obeyed.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period