Debates of Feb. 18th, 1999

The Budget

[The Speaker]

It is almost 2 p.m. There is still approximately three minutes in the questions and comments of the hon. member. We will take that up after question period, but right now we will hear statements. The hon. member for Cambridge.

Parkhill Dam Memorial

[Janko Peric, Liberal, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last August two tragedies at the Parkhill Dam on the Grand River in Cambridge shook our community.

Mark Gage, a vibrant 12 year old, drowned in the river when he was sucked into a hole at the base of the dam.

Waterloo Regional Police diver Constable Dave Nicholson, a husband and father of three children, died while battling the vicious currents in his efforts to pull Mark free.

Area resident Lynda Fritz, supported by Cambridge Mayor Jane Brewer and a special city task force initiated a drive to collect funds for a memorial garden to commemorate Mark and Constable Nicholson.

I call upon the people of Cambridge to show their community spirit and generosity by supporting this important memorial.

Poverty

[Darrel Stinson, Reform, Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last fall I wrote this government to complain on behalf of poor people, like the homeless who came here last week. They do not want handouts. Most just want the chance for a decent job, which can only come from the private sector now being strangled by high taxes. The minister responded, just as the new budget would make one fear, with a list of government programs.

One of the biggest flaws in programs cooked up by bureaucrats is that they do not work. For example, a couple of women in my riding heard about the budget's increase to the child tax benefit. They called to complain that their daughters received social assistance but have the whole amount of the child tax benefit deducted from their welfare cheques. The poor who need it most will not get a nickel.

The same is true for child support payments after divorce or separation. Fathers have called me to complain that they struggle to provide child support only to see provincial authorities deduct the amount from their wives' cheques.

I hope the lesson to be learned is clear. Not even the poor can rely on programs cooked up by the government.

Literacy

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, this is national literacy action day, a chance for us to reflect on what literacy means in Canada. Coming from the province of New Brunswick, a province on the vanguard of the information era and literacy in particular, I think of literacy as meaning more than just reading and writing.

In today's world, literacy is essential for surfing the web, using the bank machine or applying for a job. Reading is essential to our knowledge based economy. Now more than ever people need literacy skills if they are to be productive workers and responsible citizens. As such we must find ways to improve literacy skills for all Canadians.

My riding of Fredericton is home to Scovil House, the headquarters of National Adult Literacy Database Incorporated, or NALD. As the name suggests, NALD is a national database of literacy resources and activities.

I am pleased to salute NALD for the wonderful work it is carrying out on behalf of literacy across Fredericton, New Brunswick, and throughout Canada.

The Late Yvon Dufour

[Mark Assad, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to pay tribute to one of Quebec's great actors, Yvon Dufour, who passed away last week.

I had occasion to work with Yvon on a business project for a number of years, and I will always remember his sense of humour and how easy he was to get along with.

Many will remember him in Le Survenant , Le temps d'une paix , Les enquêtes Jobidon and La petite semaine . Yvon enjoyed life, and was a generous and fun-loving person.

He was very active in the community. He represented the Association des aphasiques de la ville de Québec for many years and was made honorary chair of the Semaine québécoise des personnes handicapées this past December.

To his wife Josette, and his children and family, we respectfully extend our heartfelt condolences.

Social Union

[Reg Alcock, Liberal, Winnipeg South, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the social union framework agreement is great news for all Canadians.

The first ministers agreed to improve a social union that is already among the best in the world. Better yet, co-operation was the watchword throughout the discussions.

Governments will work together to set national social policy objectives, but programming will be left up to the provinces so that they can meet specific needs.

This agreement represents an important step forward. It reflects our government's desire to modernize the federation and make it work better, while respecting provincial jurisdictions, for the greater benefit of all Canadians.

Foreign Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, Kurdish people are outraged in Canada and around the world after their leader, Abdullah Ocalan, was arrested. However this anger and fury is rooted in years of abuse by Turkish and Iraqi leaders who have murdered, tortured, driven into swamps and had chemical weapons dropped on innocent Kurdish people. Peaceful efforts to resolve this situation have failed.

Layla Zana, Turkish MP, mother of two and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, has been incarcerated since 1994 and for what? Speaking out on behalf of the Kurdish people. Enough is enough.

Now that we are on the security council, I implore the Minister of Foreign Affairs to bring this issue to the floor of the general assembly and the security council to ensure that Layla Zana will be released and to ensure that there will be a peaceful negotiated settlement to the Kurdish situation. If it does not occur, war will break out and thousands more innocent people will die.

Health Care

[Paddy Torsney, Liberal, Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have much to celebrate. The additional $11.5 billion increase over five years in transfers to the provinces delivers on the government's commitment to strengthen the health care system.

In Ontario we will receive $4.4 billion, or 38% of the total increase in transfers. The move to per capita entitlement for all provinces means that Ontario will see a further $900 million transferred for a total increase of $5.3 billion.

Burlington residents, in particular seniors, should get some much needed relief from their Conservative government who made bad decisions, like spending more than $85 million in partisan advertising while cutting annual hospital budgets and introducing millions of dollars in new user fees for seniors and the poor.

With investments in research, emerging priorities and a $25 million nurse fund we will meet the challenges ahead. Canadians can continue to count on their federal government and on an affordable and accessible health care system.

Black History Month

[Maud Debien, Bloc, Laval East, QC]

Mr. Speaker, February is Black History Month.

It gives us the opportunity to underline and appreciate the important contribution that people of African origin have made to Canada and to Quebec. Thousands of them worked to build a better Quebec, and they were not always able to enjoy the fruits of their labour.

Today, racial discrimination has regressed, but as Dan Philip, chairman of the Black Coalition of Quebec, pointed out: “We have to work hard and to work together within a Quebec that is open and friendly, a Quebec where all forms of discrimination would gradually disappear”.

I am proud to announce that, tomorrow, a young woman from my riding, Jennie Dorsaint, will receive the Mathieu Da Costa award in recognition of her efforts to bring together people from different cultural backgrounds.

Thank you, Jennie, for promoting mutual understanding and respect among Quebeckers of various origins.

Health Care

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, 80% of Canadians acknowledge our health care system as the best in the world and see the principles upon which it is based as a source of national pride.

Cynical parties, however, would have Canadians believe that evidence of the abuse known as queue jumping is reason for robbing Canadians of this pride. Worse still, the same parties that point to this abuse would correct the problem of queue jumping by institutionalizing it as a two tier wealth care. To these parties allow me to repeat the words of the hon. finance minister “Not now, not ever”.

Because of the Liberal government's initiatives in the 1999 budget Canadians will be proud of their universal health care in the 21st century, as proud as 80% of Canadians are today. We are all very proud of the $11.5 billion increase in the health care fund.

Winterlude

[Roy H. Bailey, Reform, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Speaker, back on the Hill after last year's great success the Canada snow sculpturing competition showcased 12 teams of professional carvers from every province and territory in Canada.

I ask all MPs in the House to join with me in applauding the participants for making Parliament Hill a highlight attraction of Ottawa's Winterlude with their works of art.

Today I make special mention of the sculpturing team of Bryan Lane, captain, Ian Jones and Darcy Baranosky for their creation of “The Legend of Qu'Appelle”. These three artists represented my home province of Saskatchewan and won this year's Winterlude snow sculpturing contest on Parliament Hill.

Congratulations to these three carvers and to all who came to share their artistic skills for the enjoyment of thousands.

Tax Relief

[Claude Drouin, Liberal, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government cut taxes in each of its previous budgets and, in 1999, we are starting to extend these cuts to the general population.

Our goal is clear: to provide tax relief to those who need it most, targeted tax relief, particularly in the area of personal income tax.

The 1999 budget provides for a $7.7 billion cumulative tax reduction over three fiscal years, which will benefit each and every taxpayer in Canada, especially low and middle income earners.

The budget also provides for the elimination of the 3% surtax, as well as $300 million in additional transfers for the child tax benefit, which will help low and middle income families.

That was a brief overview of the measures contained in this budget to improve the quality of life of Canadians.

The Late Kirk Miller

[Louise Hardy, NDP, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, the minister for EI prefers to dismiss anecdotes about his program, but today in Yukon there is a funeral for Kirk Miller, the father of three sons and a devoted husband to Leslie.

Last week he was killed in a mine accident in B.C. Last fall Kirk left Yukon to work in Alberta. He lived in his truck so he could send all his money home to his family. His wife begged him to return home and at Christmas he did, but he was denied EI benefits because he did not have sufficient grounds to quit his job.

In January he again left his family and went to B.C. to work. In his last phone calls home he told his wife the ground was bad and just days later he was dead in a mine cave-in.

Kirk had no choice. He could not and he would not leave his family without an income. He knew he would get no EI if he quit. Now there is no life for Kirk and only despair for his family.

This anecdote is the tragedy of a man who worked to his death for his family because the minister would not let Kirk live in the same territory as his family.

I ask the House to pay tribute to Kirk and his family.

Council For Canadian Unity

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what do the banks, Alliance Quebec, the Council for Canadian Unity and the Minister of Canadian Heritage have in common? All of them were on the no side in the last referendum.

It comes as no surprise, therefore, that millions of dollars are being passed back and forth between these fine people, to stop Quebec from achieving sovereignty. But they will not get off lightly.

While it is subsidized through Heritage Canada's official languages envelope, the Council for Canadian Unity also received $5 million from the same source to finance its political arm, Option Canada. The same council receives hundreds of thousands of dollars from banking institutions, including the Bank of Montreal, the Royal Bank, CIBC, Toronto Dominion and the Bank of Nova Scotia. Together with Heritage Canada, banks also finance Alliance Quebec to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Tell me whom you finance and I will tell you against whom you are.

Mayor Of Montreal

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval West, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the reaction of the Quebec intergovernmental affairs minister, last Friday, to a speech by the Mayor of Montreal was disgraceful.

The mayor had been explaining to a group of young entrepreneurs that another referendum on Quebec's separation would be inappropriate.

He held the view that the public had realized that we are better off living together, a remark that the sovereignists obviously did not like.

What a fine example of tolerance on the part of the sovereignists.

Jean Mandé Sigogne

[Mark Muise, Progressive Conservative, West Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 200th anniversary of the arrival in Canada of a great personage in Acadian history in the Clare and Argyle regions.

Jean Mandé Sigogne arrived in Nova Scotia to provide religious services to the Acadians returning from exile and taking refuge in one of the province's most inhospitable areas.

Despite many difficulties, he earned the respect and admiration of the entire population. According to Gérald Boudreau, who, in my opinion, is an expert in the matter: “He served Acadians devotedly and faithfully for 45 years as providential pastor, as builder of churches and schools, as educator and as defender of their civil rights”.

Jean Mandé Sigogne died in 1884 in the vestry of his church, at Pointe-de-l'Église, at the age of 81. I ask the hon. members to join all Acadians in my riding in celebrating the arrival of this great man who left his mark among the Acadians.

Literacy

[Albina Guarnieri, Liberal, Mississauga East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today is literacy action day and parliamentarians of all parties are welcoming activists and adult learners into their offices to discuss the daunting challenge we face of improving literacy in the country.

Sadly some 22% of adult Canadians have difficulty reading ordinary material and another 26% have limited reading skills. For thousands of Canadians the smallest, most ordinary activity from ordering a meal, to opening a bank account, to getting to work, to buying groceries, to following their prescription and to reading to a child can be difficult if not impossible.

As in so many things just realizing the problem is the first step toward a solution. I urge all my colleagues to take an active role in helping to promote the cause of literacy in parliament and in their own constituencies.

I encourage all Canadians to learn more about this issue and to learn more about how they can help to build a Canada where every Canadian can—

[The Speaker]

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

Health Care

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday a senior minister of the government attacked the premier of the largest province in Canada.

The President of the Treasury Board said that he and many Liberals were reluctant to increase health care transfers to Ontario because fixing health care in Ontario might make Premier Harris look good.

Was the Prime Minister actually prepared to sacrifice the health care needs of Ontarians just because he dislikes the politics of Premier Harris?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition should know that we always do the right thing.

Perhaps I can quote to the Leader of the Opposition what his guest speaker of tomorrow night had to say yesterday. Ralph Klein said “Sometimes politics is a bloody sport and you hate it when someone does something right but you have to live with it. The feds did the right thing in the budget and I have got to admit that”.

[Some hon. members]

More, more.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, if members want more, here is what Premier Klein really said. They should read the rest of Premier Klein's quote: “There are many in that caucus who scare me including the foreign affairs minister and the heritage minister”.

I will quote what this minister said: “The last thing we wanted to do was to give Premier Harris a gift that would help him get re-elected”.

Does the Prime Minister stand by the statement made by the President of the Treasury Board, or will he order him to apologize for that disparaging remark?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I guess that on this side of the House it is pretty normal that the members would prefer the provincial Liberals to form the next government in Alberta.

I will quote again from Mr. Klein who said there is no rush to have an alternative in Ottawa because as long as the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister are there, there is no worry at all. Everybody knows that I am in very good health and the Minister of Finance will be around me as long as I am around.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is prepared to put his political animosity for the Premier of Ontario ahead of the health care needs of the people of Ontario.

The real reason he is envious is because Premier Harris spends three times more on health care than this government spends on the entire health care of the people of Canada.

Would the Prime Minister tell us what he would do to a minister who made those disparaging remarks about Premier Bouchard in Quebec instead of the Premier of Ontario?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I think he should learn from Mr. Klein who said that when a government does something right it should be able to recognize it. This is the man who got elected promising to everybody that there was to be new politics.

We have balanced the books. The economy is in good shape. Unemployment is down. The people are happy. Only the Reform Party is having problems these days.