Debates of March 10th, 1999

[The Speaker]

As is our practice on Wednesday we will now sing O Canada, and we will be led by the hon. member for St. John's East.

Nunavut

[Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the government-elect of Nunavut: Paul Okalik, the premier, and cabinet members Jack Anawak, James Arvaluk, Donald Havioyak, Peter Kilabuk, Kelvin Ng, Edward Picco, Manitok Thompson.

The eyes of the world are upon Nunavut and I know these dedicated people will serve their constituents and Canada with wisdom. I wish them every success.

Single Income Families

[Jim Pankiw, Reform, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians now see this Liberal government as the enforcer of a policy that continues to discriminate against families where one parent chooses to stay at home and raise the children.

Rather than reward parents for such a noble sacrifice, the Liberals have entrenched a policy of systemic discrimination against and declared a tax war on single income families.

Adding insult to injury, Liberal MPs could have voted yesterday to do something about the problem which they and the Progressive Conservatives created. Instead of supporting Reform's motion to end this unfair discrimination, the Prime Minister waved his magic wand and the the backbench flock of mindless Liberal MPs obeyed.

So single income families will continue to be cheated. Meanwhile, Liberal MPs continue to obey their master instead of focusing on families which are under an intense tax burden and having difficulty making ends meet.

At election time, families will not forget this Liberal injustice.

The Let's Grow Committee

[Ovid Jackson, Liberal, Bruce—Grey, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and encourage a group of dedicated people from my riding of Bruce Grey.

The Let's Grow Committee is a group made up of parents, educators, health care workers and program co-ordinators. They meet regularly to discuss better ways to support pregnant women and new families within the communities they serve.

Again this year, this group of dedicated people will form a work plan which will work toward the goals and objectives to establish better services to ensure the best outcomes for young children. They will work to find the funds to begin new programs and to continue those that have proven to be successful.

As an enthusiastic supporter of interventions to help young Canadians develop to their full potential, I support the Let's Grow organization and any organization like it across this great country.

2003 World Forestry Congress

[Claude Drouin, Liberal, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on March 4 Canada submitted its bid to host the largest forestry congress in the world in Quebec City in the year 2003.

The 2003 world forestry congress will provide some 175 FAO member countries and numerous international organizations with an unequalled opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences, with a view to improving all aspects of the practice of forestry. Worldwide, national and regional recommendations will also be formulated.

Quebec City was the unanimous choice of all of Canada. It was supported by the Canadian council of forest ministers and of the national forest strategy coalition. If Canada is selected, this will be the first time a world forestry congress will be held in our country.

Our best wishes to Quebec City in its bid to host this congress, a major event for Quebec and for all of Canada.

The Douglas Tavern

[Hec Clouthier, Liberal, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, beginning this weekend, for singing and dancing and all sorts of fun, the Douglas Tavern cannot be outdone. Drop into the Douglas Tavern, located in the hamlet of Douglas, in my great riding of Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke during the days leading up to St. Patrick's Day and you will have the experience of a lifetime. If you do not meet old friends, you will make new friends.

Affectionately known as The Diddly, it has become the designated destination for thousands of Ottawa Valley Irish and Irish rovers from across the country and around the world. Even if you are not Irish, you will still be warmly welcomed by owners Terry and Evelyn McHale.

March 17 is almost a statutory holiday in the valley. It is a day to celebrate the end of winter, the beginning of spring and the joy of music, laughter, life, love and fellowship.

It may be magnified in Douglas, but that exhilarating exuberance beats in the heart of every Canadian of every ethnicity.

Mr. Speaker, slainté.

Bill C-68

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I met with police officers from my home province of Saskatchewan. They were all members of the Canadian Police Association.

They expressed many concerns to me, the most alarming of which was that they felt people were losing faith in the criminal justice system. One of the reasons they cited was cutbacks in resources to fight real crime, while hundreds of millions of dollars are being wasted on gun registration. Seventy-six per cent of CPA members in Saskatchewan voted against Bill C-68.

Biker gangs, native gangs and organized crime are moving into Saskatchewan. Drug trafficking is on the increase. They said people want to feel safe or they do not want to be there.

They said crimes are not going down, there are just fewer police to detect them. They said people are so frustrated they are not bothering to report crimes any more.

When is the government going to start putting tax dollars where the police think they will do the most good?

Poland

[Sarmite Bulte, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, March 12 the Polish foreign minister will deliver the ratification of Poland's accession to NATO to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in Washington. This event marks one of the first steps in a truly historic process.

Our government was the first among allied nations to recognize the importance of the Polish people's desire to gain NATO membership. The government has heard the call of the Polish-Canadian community and has fully endorsed the principles behind NATO enlargement.

This demonstration of support can only increase stability in the region and strengthen the emerging democracies.

Poland's accession into NATO symbolizes the progress it has made in past years in transforming its society.

This accession also proves that Poland has now reclaimed its rightful place in the western world.

I would also take this opportunity to salute Dr. Andrzej Garlicki, the former president of the Canadian-Polish Congress, Mr. Lucien Konrad, the current president, as well as countless others who, for over half a century, have worked to attain a goal that will come to fruition within a matter of days.

McGill University

[Sheila Finestone, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Montreal is the home of McGill University, an outstanding national and international world-renowned educational institution.

Sunday on Parliament Hill I had the honour of hosting members of the Ottawa Alumni Chapter, highlighting the achievements of the McGill Middle East Program in Civil Society and Peace Building.

This program is partially funded by the Canadian International Development Agency and was designed by Dr. Jim Torczyner in conjunction with the McGill Consortium for Human Rights Advocacy Training.

Four fellows of the master student program, Jordanians, Israelis and Palestinians, described how their studies enable them to work together on their communities' common problems of human development. Their shared goal is to create a better social infrastructure and democratic institutions in their region.

The people to people program advances the cause of peace by promoting civil society. It is an undertaking in collaboration with universities in Jordan, Israel and Palestine by McGill and CIDA, enhancing the security of the Middle East.

Single Income Families

[Eric C. Lowther, Reform, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, let the record show that the Prime Minister, the finance minister and the governing Liberals do not value equitable treatment of parents. They do not allow parents to make equitable choices about the care of their children.

Last night's motion called for equity. It called for fairness. It called for an end to a tax policy which penalizes most parents and rewards other parental choices.

Every Liberal voted against the motion. What did the motion say? It simply stated that in the opinion of this House the federal tax system should be reformed to end discrimination against single income families with children.

The finance minister admitted that the tax code discriminates against families by saying that the finance committee should study the matter. But rather than allowing the House to give that committee a mandate to end tax discrimination, the order from the PMO came down to oppose the motion and every single Liberal MP complied.

How can anyone expect anything—

Quebec Finance Minister's Budget

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

Mr. Speaker, as was only to be expected, yesterday's budget of the Quebec Minister of Finance was a highly partisan affair.

In particular, he claimed not to need the federal government's money. However, did anyone notice how quickly our cheque was cashed?

We are pleased that the $1.4 billion in equalization payments from the Canadian government will be put into such vital areas as health and education, both priorities for Quebeckers.

I would remind the sovereignists that Quebeckers are sick of the quarrels being stirred up artificially by the Parti Quebecois government. Quebeckers are calling on their government to work in close collaboration, so that they may gain maximum benefit from their share.

So, sovereignists, stop playing these prereferendum games. Quebeckers are calling you to order.

Judique Creignish Consolidated School

[Michelle Dockrill, NDP, Bras D'Or, NS]

Mr. Speaker, today, after one week, parents ended their occupation of the Judique Creignish Consolidated School, but the issues that drove them to the desperate act of staging the occupation remain unresolved.

Judique is not alone. Last weekend students and parents in Inverness formed a one kilometre human chain to express concern about the future of their schools. In Richmond County parents and students are worried about the site of a new high school.

Once again the federal government has created a budget squeeze with its cuts to transfer payments. This is combined with a shiftless provincial government more interested in lining its friends' pockets.

It is another example of the government cutting off an arm and then telling the person to be grateful when it gives them back their hand. It is typical of the contempt with which the Liberals in Halifax and Ottawa treat rural areas, areas most affected by the cuts to education and other services.

In this case the provincial government is trying to tell us that the school whose graduates include Natalie MacMaster and Ashley MacIsaac is to be closed so students get a better music program. The Grammy count for the graduating class must be down this year. I take this opportunity to express my support—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Matapédia—Matane.

Jean-Marie Nadeau

[René Canuel, Bloc, Matapédia—Matane, QC]

Mr. Speaker, no man is a prophet in his own country. Today, Jean-Marie Nadeau, a resident of Moncton, will receive the Ordre des francophones d'Amérique from the Government of Quebec. This award from the Conseil de la langue française is being presented to Mr. Nadeau in recognition of his remarkable contribution to the development of Acadia.

Jean-Marie Nadeau has worked all his life for the advancement of Acadians and for the labour movement. He has served as a member of the Parti acadien, the NDP, the Société nationale de l'Acadie, and the Société des Acadiens et Acadiennes du Nouveau-Brunswick, as well as numerous community groups and labour organizations.

This man of principle lost his job as an editorial writer for L'Acadie nouvelle for his support of striking newspaper staff.

A staunch nationalist, Jean-Marie Nadeau is also one of the all too few francophones outside Quebec who are not afraid of sovereignty, who have understood that a stronger Quebec—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Toronto Centre—Rosedale.

Bilingualism

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Toronto Centre—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the recent row over bilingualism policy in Reform Party ranks illustrates both the inability of Reform to accept the reality of Canada and the heavy handedness of the party leadership when one of its own steps out of line.

The Reform Party's official spokesperson for bilingualism welcomed the government's policy on bilingualism, only to be jumped on by the party whip and the member for Yellowhead who stated that “we aren't a bilingual country” and that bilingual policies in Toronto do not make sense.

We, the Liberal members from Toronto, are very proud of Toronto's multicultural character. But we are also determined to help the French language flourish in our city. This language is part of our heritage and is spoken by our fellow Franco-Ontarians as well as many of us, and its existence in Toronto's schools, theatres and homes enriches us all.

Canadian Olympic Association

[Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, Bloc, Laval Centre, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian olympic association is exceeding its mandate by including in its information guide for parliamentarians a full section promoting the national identity, in which it says:

While there are linguistic differences and multiple cultures in Canada, the 300 Canadian athletes that march in the Olympic stadium form a single people.

This negation of the existence of the people of Quebec shows the true colour of Canadian federalism. How could anyone think that Quebec athletes, who are unfairly treated in terms of the national support they are getting for their training needs and whose rights are so often trampled, will believe such a statement?

Quebec athletes are perfectly capable of determining how the unitary national identity being promoted by the federal government reflects their own values.

The very predominantly anglophone Canadian olympic association should limit its activities to contributing effectively and fairly to the training of the best athletes.

Canadian Police

[Elsie Wayne, Progressive Conservative, Saint John, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to police forces across Canada. Yesterday, and again today, I met with policemen from coast to coast who are in Ottawa raising their concerns with members of parliament.

In my home city of Saint John, New Brunswick, this year is the 150th anniversary of our municipal police force. The force is currently 175 members strong and it, like so many police forces across Canada, is doing a fabulous job. This police force is involved in over 100 community initiatives that range in everything from fundraising for community projects to proactive educational crime prevention.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot tell you how proud I am of these brave police officers and officers all across Canada who every day risk so much to maintain our safety. I say thank you to all police forces throughout our nation and I congratulate the Saint John police force on its 150th anniversary.

College Royal

[Brenda Chamberlain, Liberal, Guelph—Wellington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this month the University of Guelph celebrates the 75th anniversary of its world renowned College Royal, and what a celebration it has planned. This year from March 3 to March 14 College Royal will attract over 20,000 visitors to the University of Guelph's beautiful campus. They will enjoy various events, displays and demonstrations designed by the talented students from within many of the colleges and departments at the university.

The University of Guelph is a world class institution well known for its dedication to excellence in education and research, and College Royal is a chance to showcase what I believe is the number one university in Canada. This being its 75th anniversary, organizers have promised the biggest and best College Royal yet.

I encourage everyone to take a trip to Guelph this weekend to enjoy the College Royal open house. They will not be disappointed.

Families

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, today at the United Nations representatives of this government are arguing that tax discrimination against single income families is a good thing. In fact, these Liberal lawyers are saying that if the government ended this tax discrimination, stay at home parents would never want to leave the house to get a real job. That is what they are saying.

Would the Prime Minister care to explain why his lawyers are at the United Nations today arguing in favour of tax discrimination?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the government's position is very clear. We believe in individual taxation. We do not believe, for instance, that when a lower income spouse joins the workforce he or she should be taxed at the rate of the family or the higher income. We believe in progressive taxation. That is our position. At the same time we believe in bringing in measures that will help families raise their children.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, we wanted to hear from the real Prime Minister, not the would-be prime minister. No one believes the Prime Minister cares about tax fairness for families. He has brought in six budgets that discriminate against them. He ordered his backbenchers last night to vote against tax fairness for families. Today he has his lawyers at the United Nations arguing in favour of tax discrimination. Why does the Prime Minister not just admit that his policy is to discriminate against single income families?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is a priority of the Minister of Finance to have a progressive system of taxation and a policy to help families, single mothers and so on. Whenever we introduce a measure of that nature in the House of Commons, that party, which is trying to get a new name to hide what it is, votes against it.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister evades my question. His lawyers are at the United Nations today arguing in favour of tax discrimination against single income families. They are arguing that stay at home parents would not want to leave the home if they got the tax fairness of the type we are advocating. Does the Prime Minister agree with his lawyers or not? Is he or is he not in favour of tax discrimination against single income families?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have a system of fair taxation. We have a system that can help a family member join the labour force if the family needs that. We do not want a system that penalizes those who are obliged to go to work. We do not want the family member who joins the workforce when the spouse is working to be taxed at the higher level.