Debates of Nov. 15th, 1999

The Late Frank Faubert

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of one of Scarborough's great leaders, a former mayor who made landmark contributions to Scarborough and her people and who lost his battle against cancer in June.

Frank Faubert, fondly known as “Mr. Scarborough”, combined two loves in his long political career: a passion for politics and devotion to Scarborough, the city where he was born and raised. In his public life he served as an alderman, member of provincial parliament, mayor of the former city of Scarborough and as a councillor in the new city of Toronto.

Scarborough and Toronto share in the legacy of his public service and unique leadership style.

He was at the forefront in advancement of urban race relations and was a major contributor to the settlement and growth of Scarborough's multicultural and multireligious communities.

As mayor of Scarborough, Frank worked tirelessly to promote Scarborough's image and as a place for businesses to invest.

On behalf of my colleagues from Scarborough East, Scarborough Southwest, Scarborough Centre and Scarborough—Agincourt, we say thank you to his wife Marilyn and their children for sharing Frank with us.

We miss Frank and Scarborough will miss him too.

The Late Dan Rowan

[Mac Harb, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, November 12 a United Nations plane on a humanitarian mission to Kosovo went down killing all 24 people on board.

Among the victims was a Canadian from the national capital region, Dan Rowan, an employee of the Correctional Service of Canada. He was on his way of Kosovo as part of Canada's contribution to help rebuild this wartorn region.

Canadians were shocked and saddened, as were people in countries around, the world to hear of this tragedy.

While no words can lessen the pain and anguish felt by Mr. Rowan's family, friends and colleagues, I am sure I speak for all members of the House in extending our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to those who knew him.

Canada Elections Act

[Ted White, Reform, North Vancouver, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the government is once again trying to impose an election act gag law on the voters of Canada.

The House leader for the government says that he needs a gag law because the parties and candidates have limits on what they can spend. The real reason for the gag law though is to try to prevent organizations like the National Citizen's Coalition from bringing the voting records and performance of MPs to the attention of voters during election campaigns.

But third party advertising would simply vanish all by itself if parliament was a place of the people where MPs voted the way their constituents told them to. The minister could put a stop to third party advertising simply by working to reform our dysfunctional parliament so that it is no longer a place of the parties where the outcome of every vote is known before the debates begin.

The minister's efforts are misdirected against third party spending. He should stop trying to treat the symptom instead of the cause and abandon his ill-advised gag law before the courts do it for him yet again for the third time.

Anti-Smoking Movement

[Yvon Charbonneau, Liberal, Anjou—Rivière-Des-Prairies, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I congratulate two distinguished Canadians and Quebecers who, on behalf of the Coalition québécoise pour le contrôle du tabac, have just received awards from the World Health Organization and the Canadian Society for International Health in recognition of their involvement in and efforts to further the anti-smoking movement. I am speaking of Heidi Rathjen and Louis Gauvin.

It is worth pointing out that the contribution of these individuals has been recognized both nationally and internationally.

In 1994, Canada concluded that national efforts to combat smoking should be strengthened through international initiatives that would address widespread transnational problems such as contraband and transborder advertising.

Congratulations to our distinguished award winners, Heidi Rathjen and Louis Gauvin.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure that you too will find the following news both shocking and appalling.

As a result of inadequate financial support by the federal government for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the federal government has essentially declared that Canada now has an open season for unscrupulous types, swindlers, con artists and especially for white collar crooks.

On September 27, Staff Sergeant Montague wrote to constituents of mine who had been swindled out of $700,000 in a stock market scam saying, “You have a valid complaint. However, due to the shortage of resources in the RCM Police, we regret that we are unable to continue with your investigation”.

In other words, the police are unable to uphold and enforce the law. They lack funding to do the job that we expect them to do. Staff Sergeant Montague's letter was really a public cry to the solicitor general and to the government to provide the RCMP with the financial support they need to uphold Canada's laws.

With a budget surplus of at least $90 billion over the next five years, it means that the government has the money and not to adequately fund the RCMP would in itself be a crime.

Federal Public Servants Retirement Fund

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Liberal government is demonstrating its inability to govern responsibly.

After taking the pay equity question to the courts, government employees must once again turn to a court of law for recognition of their rights.

The $30 billion in the pension fund for public servants, and members of the armed forces and the RCMP, do not belong to the government. This money belongs to retired workers and to present employees of the government; grabbing it constitutes legalized theft. The Liberal government must stop treating its employees this way.

The Bloc Quebecois has fought hard against Bill C-78 and the usual indifference of the Liberals. Today, we wish to reaffirm our support for public service unions, so that another of their employer's injustices will finally be put right.

Francophones Outside Quebec

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

Mr. Speaker, on October 28, the Bloc Quebecois spoke against the arrival of Franco-Ontario television in Quebec.

However, at the 45th annual general meeting of the French Canadian association of Ontario on June 3, 1994, Lucien Bouchard said that the Bloc Quebecois served as the linkage between francophones from outside Quebec and the federal government.

He added at this June 3, 1994 meeting that the dynamism and vitality of Franco-Ontarians was a vital force in the Canadian francophone community.

Opportunistic sovereignists should show a little consistency.

Employment Insurance

[Angela Vautour, NDP, Beauséjour—Petitcodiac, NB]

Mr. Speaker, since elected in 1997, I have been continually defending the need for EI rezoning for the region of Albert County, Salisbury and Petitcodiac. The livelihood of many families are depending on it.

These rural communities with no economic similarities with Moncton have been included in their neighbouring urban zone. Seasonal workers will be finding themselves with no incomes starting in January because of the government's past decisions.

During my ongoing correspondence with the former minister of HRDC, I have succeeded in getting a commitment to move the rezoning date from July 2001 to July 2000. I have been assured that as an MP I would be involved in the process.

We are now just eight months away and the consultation process has yet to begin. I urge the HRDC minister to make the EI rezoning one of her priorities and to involve the MPs of the affected regions. It is time for the government to make the EI system work better for all Canadians.

Squeegee Kids

[Charles Caccia, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, squeegee kids are carving for themselves an economic niche at the margin of society but still within it. They do not conform to our model of dressing and behaving, but then, did we at their age?

Squeegee kids create their own jobs. They work in hot and cold weather. They are often left without remuneration when traffic lights turn green.

Believing in repression rather than accommodation, the Ontario government, showing again its ugly face, has decided to prosecute squeegee kids. This is not surprising from a government which wrenches $2.6 million from the budget for battered women.

Evidently the Ontario government needs money to build jails, presumably for incarcerated squeegee kids. The Reform Party most likely supports such a policy, but hopefully it will prove me wrong.

This message is brought to the House by the Coalition of Citizens for a Less Vicious Government in Ontario.

The Reform Party

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, today the Reform Party has released its foreign affairs policy paper. This paper was prepared in close consultation with many foreign policy experts. It is an approach to foreign policy that the Reform Party believes will take Canada into the 21st century with credibility and confidence.

Canada is sliding into an insignificant status in the world and all Canadians will suffer due to the loss of prestige, trade and influence.

Canada needs a vision for the 21st century, not knee-jerk reactions to world events. This policy promotes the pursuit of national interests to marshal Canada's assets to emphasize our sovereignty and political, economic and strategic interests in vital areas.

We propose investment in hard power with a military that has the tools to exercise effective influence. Canada cannot become the world's 911 number. It needs a revamped foreign affairs policy that will enable us to move into the 21st century.

The Reform Party is prepared for the challenges of the new millennium. It is too bad the Liberals are stuck—

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Winnipeg North Centre.

Banking

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians thought they had won a victory when they convinced the government to say no to monster banks and merger mania. They were sadly mistaken.

The big banks have just found another way to accomplish the same objective and Liberals just stand idly by and watch. In the interest of increasing already obscene profits they are closing branches, killing jobs and destroying the access of Canadians to reasonable banking services.

In my constituency alone, which is a community of inner city residents and older neighbourhoods, bank branch closures have become an annual affair. In fact, we have two more to come in just the next month.

People are fed up. They are fighting the CIBC's decision to close branches that seniors and low income residents depend on. They are dreading the impact of the announcement of the Bank of Montreal of more layoffs and closures. They feel abandoned by the banks and deserted by their federal government.

Why do Liberals stand idly by when the big banks sacrifice human needs and devastate already hard pressed communities? It is time for the government to say to the big banks that they have been charged with a public trust and they have the responsibility to reinvest in the very communities which gave them their success.

Petitcodiac River

[John Herron, Progressive Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the future of the Petitcodiac River has been the cause of much concern in the province of New Brunswick. Since the construction of the causeway in 1968 the natural state of the waterway has been significantly altered and the result has been the near death of a river.

I recently wrote to the federal Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, as well as the political minister for the province, urging them to initiate a jointly funded federal-provincial comprehensive scientific assessment of the causeway and its effects on the entire ecosystem of the waterway.

There may be some questions that need to be answered. We need to study the impact the opening will have on the lobster fishery in Alma and the landfill site in Moncton. The answers may only be found by opening the causeway gates for a significant trial period so that scientists can determine the best way for long term action.

We need to take the politics out of this issue and let science decide what is the best way to save the Petitcodiac River.

Port Of Vancouver

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the lockout at the port of Vancouver has cost Canadians millions and millions of dollars again.

In three of the past four years labour-management disputes have brought this port to a grinding halt. Unless something substantial is done it will happen again next year.

Why will the government not introduce legislation for binding arbitration of these disputes and remove even the possibility of future lockouts and work stoppages?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are taking decisive action to bring work back to the port. I think we have to thank opposition parties for their co-operation in this regard.

With respect to the hon. member's specific question, this is something we can take a look at and perhaps the labour committee of the House of Commons can do so as well. We would welcome the suggestions of all members from both sides of the House on how to avoid this situation from being repeated in the future.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Calgary Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are tired of temporary ad hoc solutions to this problem. Canadians want confidence in their port system and they do not have it now.

This has become a yearly ritual. Labour-management talks break down, work stops, and the government fumbles around looking for a temporary solution that does not work even through the year. Meanwhile Canadians are left paying the bills, in this case up to $100 million a day.

Why will the government not end next year's strike or lockout before it starts by introducing legislation to provide for binding arbitration in these cases?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the legislation before the House will provide for stability with respect to the particular group of employers and employees in question for several years.

It certainly will give us time to examine the situation and to take decisions on how to deal with this in a manner that respects the collective bargaining concept and at the same time ensures that the port operates in the interest of all Canadians, particularly the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia where key commodities depend on the port of Vancouver.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Calgary Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister avoids the question. These are temporary ad hoc solutions that solve nothing in the long run.

Every time one of Canada's ports shuts down because of these reasons both foreign and domestic shippers go to American ports to move their products.

Each time that happens there is no guarantee that the Canadian ports will get their business back. It is not only the daily cost of these lockouts and strikes. It is the long term cost to Canadians and Canadian business.

Again, why will the government not introduce some permanent solution to this problem by providing for binding arbitration in the case of these disputes?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. friend for his expression of confidence in the ability of the government to deal with this matter effectively. We appreciate that very much and we will take his views into consideration because we do intend to go further into this issue to make sure that this does not happen every year.

I suggest that all members of the House have a role to play in working out the best ways to do this in the interest of the people of British Columbia and the rest of the country.

I again thank my hon. friend for recognizing, in calling on the government to do this, that we know what to do in the interest of all Canadians.

Taxation

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Holly lives in a small town in British Columbia. She is a single mother of five and three of her kids still live at home. She went back to school and after years of hard work managed to graduate from university and become a teacher. She wrote:

—the hard work was worth it because I love what I do—but I can't survive monetarily. Yes I make a good wage, but after deductions I still can't buy my 10 year old son a pair of winter boots.

What does the finance minister have to say to Holly about the pickpocketing of her paystubs?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, there is a number of things. First, we raised the child tax benefit last year. In addition, we increased the threshold above which people have to pay taxes.

In Holly's specific case, in the Canada opportunities strategy we brought in a system whereby single parents will get a $3,000 a year grant to go back to university. That is specifically what we have done for Holly.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, that is cold comfort. Holly is already a teacher. She wrote:

My only option seems to be to leave this country because I need to support my kids. I love this country because there is so much good in it, but how can I see the good when the burden of taxation is blinding me?

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

It is great to just laugh and chuckle across the way here, but our Prime Minister told Canadians that they could just head south—

[The Deputy Speaker]

Order, please. I am sorry. Since I was able to hear the hon. member for Edmonton North I did not realize there was such disorder.