Debates of Oct. 13th, 1999

[The Speaker]

It is Wednesday and since it is also our first full sitting day, we will now begin by singing O Canada under the direction of the member for Wentworth—Burlington.

Gasoline Pricing

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

Mr. Speaker, in recent months, the people of Abitibi—Témiscamingue and I find the price of gasoline too high in Abitibi compared with other regions of Quebec.

Except in a national emergency, the federal government does not have jurisdiction to directly regulate the price of gasoline.

The Canadian Constitution gives the provinces the authority to regulate prices. Only Prince Edward Island and Quebec have taken any action in this regard, although Newfoundland announced recently that it would look at the statute provisions that would permit it to regulate the price of gas.

Other provinces preferred to rely on market forces as the most effective means of determining the appropriate prices, while retaining the incentives that contribute to innovation and cost reduction.

The Government of Quebec has no choice: it will have to rely on the market forces and provide incentives for the people of Abitibi—Témiscamingue.

The time for study is past. It is time to get down to business, Mr. Bouchard.

Mennonites

[Maurice Vellacott, Reform, Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize the 125th anniversary of Mennonites coming to Canada from Russia. One would be hard pressed to imagine what the province of Saskatchewan would be like if not for the hardworking, God-fearing Mennonites who chose to come to our country so many years ago.

Mennonites moved to the Saskatchewan River Valley from the east and west reserves of Manitoba in the 1890s. These pioneers have left us a rich heritage of faith and strong family values. The positive influence of these men and women remains with us today.

The contribution of the Mennonites to our present way of life is almost too difficult to enumerate. Agriculture, cuisine, churches, enterprise and innovation are all areas that were influenced as this group settled and took root in the valley area north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

It is a testimony to God's enduring goodness that these Mennonite farmers, teachers, preachers and entrepreneurs flourished in this new land with harsh climate extremes and political uncertainties.

I am pleased to be a descendant of the Neufeld clan and wish to extend my congratulations to all my constituents of Mennonite heritage on the occasion of this special anniversary.

Safe Communities Coalition

[Joe Jordan, Liberal, Leeds—Grenville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of the Safe Communities Coalition of Brockville and District.

In the past three years they have worked with community partners to spread the message to local businesses and throughout the community that 100% of accidents are preventable. In fact, last Tuesday I attended a luncheon where over 100 local businesses divided up $76,000 in rebates from the Worker Safety and Insurance Board under their Safe Communities Incentive Program.

Thanks to the coalition, Brockville is fast becoming one of the safest communities in Canada to live, work and play.

The program is currently operating in 12 other communities in Ontario and Alberta and I would like to challenge other areas to get involved in this extremely worthwhile endeavour.

Hockey

[Carmen Provenzano, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, hockey is our game and we play it best.

As we close the century it is fitting to acknowledge the game of the century, which took place 27 years ago on September 28, 1972. On that date the Canada-U.S.S.R. series, 480 minutes of nail-biting, heart-stopping hockey, was decided by only one goal with 30 seconds left in the game.

Everyone in my hometown of Sault Ste. Marie was riveted to their television sets to watch Team Canada and two of its favourite sons, Phil and Tony Esposito, who were instrumental in Team Canada's victory. In fact, it was Phil Esposito who set Henderson up for the winning goal.

Much has changed since that afternoon in 1972 but the people from my hometown will never forget this exciting series. There has not been one like it since.

These hockey legends live on. Both Esposito brothers are now hall of famers and I am proud to say that they were featured on CBC's Life and Times last evening.

The Sault is very proud of Phil and Tony Esposito.

World Population

[Jean Augustine, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on October 12 the Canadian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development celebrated its second anniversary with a forum in commemoration of the six billion mark of world population.

The day of six billion is a significant milestone in the history of population growth. In only 12 short years the world has realized an addition of one billion people, nearly half of whom are under 25 years of age.

Every year 78 million people are added to the planet and over 95% of this growth is in developing countries. This growing population of young people has yet to have the right and access to reproductive health services and information. They are without primary education and immunization. They are suffering from malnutrition and are afflicted with HIV-AIDS.

The international community can address these problems which seriously impair their quality of life.

I call upon Canada and all nations who are signatories to the Cairo Programme of Action to honour their commitment to put basic human needs of girls, men and women—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Calgary Northeast.

Gulf War Veterans

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is time for the government to acknowledge the existence of gulf war syndrome. Watching from the visitors' gallery today are gulf war veterans Louise Richard, Maurice Binard and Susan Roirdon, wife of Terry Roirdon, whose death this April was officially caused by gulf war syndrome. Captain Roirdon died in the prime of his life.

They represent over 2,000 more infected soldiers. These veterans came to the Hill today to ask the government for answers. They deserve that much. They also deserve treatment.

The Liberal government has been unwilling to acknowledge or treat gulf war illness. Veterans are frustrated, sick and dying. They are tired of getting no response from the government. Canadian forces personnel are misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, untreated, then released from the service.

It is the minister's moral responsibility and his obligation to determine the following: Was the anthrax vaccine involved? Was exposure to depleted uranium to blame? Was it some other toxin?

These veterans have waged—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Vancouver Quadra.

Dr. Robert Mundell

[Ted McWhinney, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian economist Robert Mundell has won the Nobel Prize for economic sciences for his analysis of exchange rates and their effect on monetary policies.

Professor Mundell graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1953 and received his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1956. He has taught at Stanford, Johns Hopkins, McGill and Waterloo. In the 1960s he published a pioneering study on the short term effects of monetary and fiscal policy in an open economy. His theoretical constructs were studied by the European Union's leaders and were influential in developing plans for a single Eurocurrency. They should also be influential in future discussions on currency relations under the North American—Canada-U.S.-Mexico—Free Trade Agreement.

Geneviève Jeanson

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

Mr. Speaker, never before have the Espoirs de Laval so lived up to the hope expressed in their name.

Last week, one of the club members, Geneviève Jeanson, made the news with a marvelous accomplishment: two junior cycling championships within the same week. This is a first in road cycling in Quebec and in Canada. Geneviève's exceptional success is already being lauded as the sporting event of the year.

Geneviève has already set her sights high for the future. Starting next year, she will move up to the senior ranks and she has hopes of earning a spot on the Canadian team.

This 18-year old athlete's maturity, tenacity and discipline have made her a model for an entire generation of young people. Her comment on this was “If I can serve as an example to other young people, that's fine, but they need to know there are no shortcuts. It takes a huge amount of determination and hard work”.

Geneviève, has every right to those high hopes. The Sydney Olympics await her. We of the Bloc Quebecois tip our hats to her, and it is with the greatest of pride that we offer our congratulations and best wishes for continued success.

Jean-Louis Millette

[Nick Discepola, Liberal, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, to quote Edgar Fruitier, Jean-Louis Millette, man of the theatre, relentless perfectionist and actor extraordinaire, let his audience down for the first time in his career when he made his final exit on September 29.

Jean-Louis Millette the actor also left his mark on the culture of Quebec, through Quebec television. He also enjoyed a career in film where he often played seedy, disturbed or downright fiendish characters.

When interviewed last year, Millette himself said the best way to keep death at bay was to work passionately for as long as one's strength and time permitted.

We offer him this richly deserved tribute, along with our sincere condolences to his family members. Thanks so much for all the memories, Jean-Louis Millette.

Pakistan

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the democratic government of Pakistan was overthrown by a military coup. There have been months of internal strife in that country, with complaints of corruption, repression and growing Islamic fundamentalism. In this context we must remember that Pakistan has had several military governments in the past and that its political culture is complex.

The official opposition supports the restoration of the democratic government in Pakistan. The stability of Pakistan, a nuclear power since last year, is crucial to this region.

We understand the concerns of Canadians of Pakistani descent. That said, Canada should not make any rash decision to impose sanctions or talk about suspending anyone from the Commonwealth. The blustering we heard from the foreign affairs ministers yesterday was a typical overreaction.

We oppose sanctions and threats. Instead, why does the government not encourage Pakistan's Asian neighbours, the IMF and the World Bank to put pressure on this military regime?

Speech From The Throne

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval West, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the opposition apparently did not appreciate the throne speech, which sets out the broad priorities of our government, nor did it take kindly to the government's interest in the quality of life of the Canadian public.

The opposition did not like it that our government wants to give priority to maintaining a strong Canadian economy that will create jobs.

And it was not at all pleased that our government is interested in our children.

No matter. Let the opposition go on with its search for identity and its in-fighting. In the meantime, the Liberal government will pursue its objective of improving the quality of life of all Canadians.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the empty promises, hollow rhetoric and vague commitments in yesterday's throne speech were sweet nothings that Canadians have come to expect from the Liberals. What really cried out in this throne speech were the appalling gaps.

We heard about a children's agenda that does not include children or child care.

We heard a passing reference to homelessness, but nothing about providing affordable housing.

We heard about the knowledge based economy, but nothing about ensuring that all Canadians have access to high quality education.

I would like to say that we at least heard the words “family farm”, but the biggest crisis to hit the prairies since the 1930s was not even mentioned.

If the Liberal government would for one moment stop the din and clatter of vague, meaningless pronouncements about nothing, what would it hear? In the deafening silence that remains it might hear the real priorities of Canadians.

Social Union

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Liberal government announced how it was going to go about implementing the social union framework agreement: absolute spending authority in just about every sector, from early childhood to education, health, culture, and a host of other jurisdictions exclusive to Quebec.

From now on, two instruments will underpin this increasingly unitary Canada: the Constitution, 1982, and the social union agreement, neither of which has been approved by the National Assembly and both of which have been denounced by every premier of Quebec.

Yesterday's throne speech mentioned Quebec only once and then only to give it a clear warning. The provinces are being reduced to the level of municipalities and community groups. There is the federal government, which was referred to as national yesterday, and the rest.

What part of this vision is still federal? What has become of flexibility? In the eyes of this government, Quebec no longer exists. Will things be taken to their logical conclusion and the abolition, pure and simple, of the provinces proposed?

Parliamentary Committees

[Bill Casey, Progressive Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, although parliamentary Standing Order 106(2) states that the chair of all parliamentary committees will be selected by the members of that committee, the Globe and Mail reports that the transport minister has already chosen the MP from Hamilton West to chair the new transport committee.

As well, the transport minister has established the agenda, which will include presentations by himself and Mr. Gerald Schwartz.

The minister has instructed his Liberal MPs on the committee on how to vote for the chair before the committee has even met. This violates the spirit and the process described in Standing Order 106(2).

Will the minister stop interfering and just allow the transport committee to function as defined in the standing orders?

National Hockey League

[John Nunziata, Independent, York South—Weston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last Saturday I was watching the Leaf game with my seven year old son, Patrick, who plays tyke hockey in Toronto. When a fight broke out on the ice my reaction was to change the channel. This is not behaviour my son nor his teammates are being taught.

How do I explain to my children that violence and in particular fighting, both on and off the ice, is wrong when they see professional hockey players fighting on the ice?

Fighting is illegal in Canada. It is a criminal offence whether it is taking place on a street corner or on an NHL rink. Why is it then that we seem to have two standards of justice? Why is the NHL above the law? The NHL has an obligation to put a stop to fighting. What kind of role models are we putting forward to the millions of Canadian boys and girls who watch and play hockey? If the NHL does not step in, then the government should insist that the police and prosecutors lay criminal charges.

Fighting in the NHL is disgraceful and it has to stop for the sake of our children.

Canada

[Sophia Leung, Liberal, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is one of the great success stories of the 20th century and British Columbia is a very important part of that success.

Our government has restored the nation's finances and modernized programs paving the way for sustained economic growth and job creation to build the future for Canadians.

It is through this government's vision of working together that has made Canada the best place to live in the world and will continue to be in the 21st century.

Speech From The Throne

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be back for the fall session after a rather unusual summer. We had Tories joining the Liberals. We had NDP joining the Tories. We had Joe Clark united with Joe Clark, and Reformers were fighting each other.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Calgary Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Reformers were fighting each other, so maybe it was not that unusual after all.

In any event, we are back and the throne speech has been been presented. Lo and behold, it contains some vague expressions of tax relief.

My question is for the Prime Minister. Why should Canadians believe any of the promises of tax relief in the throne speech after six straight years of Liberal tax grabs?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are very happy to be back too.

There was some movement. We are sorry that the Reform Party might disappear or end up as some type of not very united alternative.

Canadians are very happy with the performance of the government. All Liberal members who have been in their ridings have reported to the caucus this morning that the people are extremely happy that we have no more deficit and that we have already started to reduce taxes.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.