House of Commons Hansard #187 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was million.

Topics

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:25 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Jean Dubé Progressive Conservative Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I take them into account. I know about tax points. I would like to bring to the attention of the hon. member that the day after the budget presentation the Liberal finance minister of New Brunswick applauded the budget. After we reacted to it, a couple of days later the same finance minister said that there would be shortfalls in New Brunswick.

There are shortfalls in the budget for New Brunswick as far as transfers are concerned. There are shortfalls as far as health care is concerned. If we read the fine print in the budget, we see that in five years we will be back at the same place where we were in 1996.

The member may call this a good budget, but unfortunately there are people who are still waiting for a good budget.

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:25 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Charlie Power Progressive Conservative St. John's West, NL

Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues in congratulating the hon. member for Madawaska—Restigouche on his insightful remarks and thanking him for sharing his time with me.

I am pleased to participate today in the budget debate that pretends to repair some of the damages inflicted by the Liberal government on our health care system. In reality it only offers empty platitudes and grossly inadequate action to address the very serious problems in the Canadian health care system.

Some might find it convenient for their own partisan political reasons to characterize the budget as the health care budget, despite the fact that it represents only nominal measures to compensate for the savage cuts the government and the finance minister have made to transfers to the provinces for health, education and social assistance.

I would like to be able to stand here and praise a budget that actually does something for Newfoundland and Labrador. Instead, the budget is devastating to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Not only does it not transfer adequate money back to the health care and education systems, but it does not do anything for the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador. With its equalization changed to a per capita basis, the government has actually made it unbelievably difficult for Newfoundlanders to stay in Newfoundland and to expect reasonable levels of Canadian service.

In the brief time I have I will compare two budgets: the budget of last year which was the education budget and the budget of this year which is the health care budget. We were reminded by the Liberal fanfare of last year's budget that they had the education budget even though it accomplished precious little to actually improve the situation of students. Members opposite appear to be of the opinion that they have made the lives of students easier. Nothing could be further from the truth. If government members were actually listening to their constituents and listening to students they would know that every increase in tuition fees and student debt load makes it almost impossible for low income students to receive a higher education.

What did that higher education, post-secondary budget of last year do for education in Canada? Did it make education more accessible for students? The bottom line according to the Canadian Federation of Students is that the so-called education budget did very little to help students. Personal debts for graduating students are comparable to the size of mortgages and the money announced for the new millennium scholarship program will help only seven out of every one hundred students if and when it ever comes into place.

The reality is that the deep gouging in the federal transfers by the government have created a higher education system that is almost impossible for students to attain. These are the facts surrounding the budget which the Minister of Finance claimed would take important steps toward repairing the damage done in post-secondary education.

If his budget of last year for post-secondary education was such a failure in helping students, how can we expect the results of the health care budget of this year to perform? After years of Liberal cutbacks in transfers to the provinces, transfers they pay for health care, education and social assistance, many of the problems are of such a magnitude that they cannot be fixed by short term approaches.

There is a crisis in the emergency wards across Canada. There is probably not a member of the House of Commons, not a member of a provincial legislature, not a doctor, not a nurse, not a nursing assistant who does not have a terrible story to tell about the damage that has been done to our health care system.

When I was home the other day I met a lady who is now in her mid-eighties. I spoke with her husband for a while. He told me that she would have to wait nine to twelve months to get a simple cataract operation done in St. John's, Newfoundland. That might not sound bad to the Minister of Finance or to the Minister of Health, Mr. Speaker, but if your mother or your aunt or one of your family had to spend the next nine, ten or twelve months of their lives not being able to pour a cup of tea for themselves or not being able to walk across the kitchen, you would have to say that there is something seriously wrong with the Canadian health care system.

The Liberals claim in this budget that they will put back $11.5 billion in cash transfers to the provinces for health over the next five years. In other words, they are going to cap the transfers at $15 billion. Despite the Liberal fanfare about the would-be health care budget, health care spending at that point will only be back to 1996 levels, which we know were atrocious. After the five year financial commitment, which comes with no escalator clauses and does not take into account the fact that inflation and demographic changes are going to add about $3 billion a year to Canada's health care bill, on an accumulative basis the Liberals will have cut $17 billion from transfers to the provinces. They have put very little of that back with this budget.

There needs to be a comprehensive plan for the rehabilitation of the health care system. The lack of priorities shown by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance and the absence of any apparent long term plan led them to balance the budget on the backs of Canadian workers, the poor, the sick and the elderly. Now they are trying to use a band-aid to cure a health care system which they themselves have put on the critical list. We all hope it is not too late to undo the damage done to the health care system by the billions of dollars of cuts made by the Liberal government. The inadequate measures that this government is offering in place of any kind of serious long term plan do not give anyone much real hope, faith or confidence that this is about to be done.

The provincial reaction from the Liberal government of Newfoundland and Labrador is that there are some really important questions which the Minister of Finance has failed to answer satisfactorily. Some of these questions are of particular interest to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. Now we have two levels of Liberals, two levels of government telling us two different stories. One thing that has become clear is that the net effect on the transfers to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador will be substantially less than the finance minister indicated in his budget. His counterpart, the minister of finance for Newfoundland, calls the measures included in the federal budget laughable.

The numbers cited repeatedly by the Minister of Veterans Affairs, who represents Newfoundland in the federal cabinet, have been challenged by the media and by the Liberal government.

Specifically with regard to the impact of these transfers on health care, let us look at the reaction of the provincial minister of health, again a Liberal minister. I would like to remind my colleagues that she says the province is going to take a very hard hit, that this federal budget creates a two tier health care system and that it is not good enough. That is the Liberal minister of health for Newfoundland talking about a two tier health care system.

It is not the two tier health care system that so many speak of for the rich and poor. This is a two tier system in which for certain essential medical services people in Newfoundland and Labrador will have to go to Toronto or some other part of Canada. There will be two tiers of health care in Canada: one for the poorer provinces and one for the rich provinces. As the Liberal minister of health for Newfoundland says, that is simply not good enough.

Another factor in this budget is the changing of equalization to a per capita system. Is that going to help the poorer provinces of Canada? Nothing could be further from the truth. The change to an equalized system, pushed by the Ontario caucus of this Liberal government so that people in Ontario receive the same on a per capita basis as people in Newfoundland and Labrador, is not the idea of equalization. Equalization is one of the fundamental tenets on which Confederation is based. It says that money will be taken from the rich and well to do parts of Canada so there will be equal services in all parts of Canada. What really has happened here is that the poorer we are the less money we get and we are still supposed to supply a first class health care system. How can we do it without money?

This budget, if nothing else, has destroyed one of the fundamental principles of Confederation: the fact that the rich, the well off and the well to do are to help those in Canada who are not as rich or as well to do. What it means in Newfoundland on a per capita basis, because our economy has not been helped, because so many things in the province and in this country are not helping the regions of Canada, is that in the last three years it has lost 30,000 people. Those 30,000 people will not be on our rolls for the transfers from the Government of Canada to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

How will that benefit health care in Newfoundland? How will that give us a better system? We would love the Minister of Finance to visit Newfoundland, talk to his old colleague and friend Brian Tobin, and explain to him, the premier of the province, how this is supposed to be beneficial to us.

In Newfoundland we look at it in some ways as being another resettlement program which was created to resettle some of the smaller communities in Newfoundland during the sixties and seventies by a former Liberal government. In effect, this budget, with its equalization changes, will resettle a lot of Newfoundlanders to other parts of Canada.

I hope this budget is more successful at solving health care problems than the education budget of last year was at solving education problems. I can only say that our caucus and my colleagues on this side of the House are very skeptical. On behalf of the government and the people of Newfoundland, I say that we are downright suspicious that this will do anything for the health care system in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:35 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, the member referred to a two tier health care system. I am sure he will know that under the principles of the Canada Health Act we have a universal, accessible, affordable, comprehensive and publicly administered health system which means that every Canadian is entitled to a health care system which is the same no matter where they are in Canada.

The member seems to be talking about this raising or lifting of the ceiling for Ontario and B.C., because they have been getting less than their share, as somehow taking away from Newfoundland. It does not.

Does he not believe that each and every Canadian should get the same contribution to their health care? Is everybody not getting the same, equally?

The BudgetGovernment Orders

March 2nd, 1999 / 1:35 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Charlie Power Progressive Conservative St. John's West, NL

Mr. Speaker, obviously the member does not understand the function of equalization. The function of equalization is for the well to do provinces of Canada.

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:35 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

The CHST is not equalization. You don't understand.

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:35 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Charlie Power Progressive Conservative St. John's West, NL

The transfer payments are meant for health, education and social services.

As equalization is changed so that everyone gets treated fairly across the country on a per capita basis there will be regions of Canada which simply will not have the funds to deliver equal and adequate health care, or what the member refers to as universal, affordable and high quality health care. It is simply not going to happen in the poorer regions of this country. There is no way to do it without money.

This budget was supposed to put money back into the health care system, but in Newfoundland that simply will not happen. The Liberal minister of health for Newfoundland, as well as the Liberal premier, who has so much in common with the finance minister, knows that we will have a worse health care system rather than a better one in Newfoundland and Labrador as a result of this budget.

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:35 p.m.

Reform

Roy H. Bailey Reform Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

Mr. Speaker, I certainly have a great deal of sympathy with my colleague from Newfoundland in that he has outlined some distinct problems that province is having.

Those in my area were very disappointed with this budget. With our paved roads going back to dirt roads and with our railways being abandoned for hundreds of miles, the word transportation or roads was not mentioned. From a province which probably pays more money on a per capita basis in fuel tax, we got zip.

If it is true that there is a two tier system, how many tiers will there be if the present rate of funding continues?

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:35 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Charlie Power Progressive Conservative St. John's West, NL

Mr. Speaker, in reality what is happening in this country, and this budget has done nothing to alleviate it, is that many tiers of service are being created. The idea of Canada, the idea of Confederation, the idea of sharing, the idea that the rich can help the poorer provinces is simply no longer a part of this government's priorities. There is an Ontario dominated caucus with Ontario dominated priorities. All I can say is that we are going to have a two tier health care system in Newfoundland. We have a two tier system of job creation. We have a two tier system of highways in Newfoundland. All I can see with this government's philosophy is a continuation in the deterioration of the fairness that used to be a fundamental part of Canada.

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

Mr. Speaker, I have a quick question for my hon. colleague from the beautiful province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Would he not agree that if the government wanted to give tax breaks or tax concessions to the majority of Canadians that a 1% reduction in the GST-HST, as we have in our province, would be a great start to reducing the tax burden on average Canadians?

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Charlie Power Progressive Conservative St. John's West, NL

Mr. Speaker, it would be an excellent idea to reduce the GST or HST, but that is not going to happen as long as we have a Liberal government that is so enamoured with the GST-HST system.

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Liberal

Bryon Wilfert Liberal Oak Ridges, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to participate in this debate and to focus on health care. I would like to say to my friends from the fifth party who are dispensing advice on the budget that it is like learning fire prevention from an arsonist.

Given the fact that they left us with a $42 billion deficit, I cannot really believe that we can take some of their comments very seriously. I would point out to members of the fifth party when they talk about 1995 levels that we are talking not about borrowed money. This $11.5 billion is not borrowed money. I ask members to keep that in mind.

This government has continued to build on the strong fiscal foundation that was first started in 1993. Our economic house was in a serious state of disrepair. Our financial house was sinking with a $42 billion deficit, unemployment which had gone through the roof and investor confidence that was sluggish. The government rolled up its sleeves and presented to Canadians the state of our financial affairs. Canadians rallied to the cause. They understood that large deficits and astronomical debt would cripple Canada for generations to come.

Governing means that one has to establish priorities and has to work with all sectors of society to rebuild our economy. The 1999 budget continues to build on the sound and prudent fiscal management that the Minister of Finance has put into place over the past five years.

Canadians embraced the deficit reduction strategies of the government. Together we have been able to eliminate the deficit, bring in two balanced budgets and forecast two more balanced budgets. In 1998-99 Canada will balance the books or better. It is the first time since 1951-52 that the government has been deficit free for two consecutive years.

The Government of Canada has recorded four consecutive balanced budgets, which is only the third time since Confederation. Canada is the only G-7 nation to do so with a strong fiscal discipline to help Canada get into a position to focus again on the priorities that matter to Canadians.

Today I would like to focus on one of those priorities and that is health care. Investing in Canadians and in the future of health care is the cornerstone of this budget. Our publicly funded health care system is one of the key elements that defines our identity. Canadians point with pride to this particular social program. It is a policy that has helped to shape our quality of life as a nation.

Canadians have been increasingly worried about the future of health care. They are worried that this comprehensive program will not be there when they need it. Canadians told us that they want a health care system that will be able to meet the needs and the challenges of the 21st century.

The Canadian government, working in partnership with the provinces and territories and the volunteer sector, provides leadership in developing policies, enforcing health regulations, promoting disease prevention, enhancing healthy living and in strengthening and securing our health care system.

The government provides funding for provincial and territorial health systems throughout Canada through the health and social transfer, the CHST. This budget provided the largest single new investment in health care, $11.5 billion over five years for the health of Canadians. Again, it was not borrowed money.

In addition to these increased transfers this budget injected $1.4 billion over three years into a number of important health initiatives.

The recent federal, provincial and territorial health agreement reaffirmed all government support for the five principles of the Canada Health Act: universality, comprehensiveness, accessibility, portability and public administration.

This budget provides through future increases in the CHST $8 billion, an additional $3.5 billion as an immediate one time supplement that the provinces will have the flexibility to draw down on according to their needs, according to their own priorities.

For provinces like Ontario this budget proposes to eliminate provincial disparities of CHST allocation over the next three years. The provinces will then receive identical per capita CHST entitlements.

Further, investments in the health of Canadians this year and over the next three years include developing and improving health information systems to assist in establishing a more integrated, effective and appropriate system of health care.

In a round table I had in my riding last year on this with the Minister of Health, that was the very important issue that was brought to the fore. I am very pleased to see the minister responding in this way.

Areas of other investment include the Canadian institutes for health information, the Canadian health network, the Canadian healthy infoway and Health Canada information, improving accountability.

If we examine the Canadian health network as an example, this network will provide Canadians with one stop shopping for credible, current information on health promotion and disease, prevention, self-care and the performance of the health system.

In my riding of Oak Ridges hospitals such as York Central Hospital and Markham—Stouffville Hospital will benefit from these initiatives.

In fast growing communities like Richmond Hill, the tools have been given to address issues related to the ever increasing demands on our health care system.

York Central Hospital has told me that the federal budget is indeed good news, that it is a positive step that will help it relieve the increasing pressures to meet the growing health care needs of our rapidly growing community.

I point out, as did the member for Don Valley East, that the health care budget is a step in the right direction on a long term approach to working with our partners, the provincial and municipal governments, on one of the causes of homelessness.

Many people who live with mental illness are homeless because they were discharged from institutions like hospitals. By targeting health care in this budget, by providing the provinces with more money for health, we are dealing with this issue.

I congratulate the Minister of Finance for listening to Canadians and for providing the necessary dollars to make sure we continue to have the best health care system in the world.

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Reform

Monte Solberg Reform Medicine Hat, AB

Mr. Speaker, I listened to my colleague's speech with interest. It has a common theme. Liberal members always want to talk about what it will be like in the future. They never talk about their record.

Let us talk about their record for a second. Here is the Liberal record. Liberals cut $21 billion out of health care. Now they want us to give them credit for putting $11.5 billion back in over five years.

Fourteen hundred doctors left Canada in the last two years. Two hundred thousand people are on waiting lists and people in record numbers have to go to the United States for American health care because this government does not give Canadians proper health care. What does the member have to say about that abysmal record?

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Liberal

Bryon Wilfert Liberal Oak Ridges, ON

Mr. Speaker, I referred to members of the fifth party as taking advice on fire prevention from an arsonist. Listening to the official opposition, it is like asking a pyromaniac to hold the matches for safekeeping.

Our record speaks for itself. Very clearly we have done the job. That party would dismantle the health care system in this country. That party would take apart the very foundation that Canadians have in place.

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Liberal

Bryon Wilfert Liberal Oak Ridges, ON

I would point out facts to the opposition members if they would stop heckling over there and listen for a minute but unfortunately they are not very good listeners. They like to prevaricate the truth but they do not like to listen to the real facts.

We are doing the job. We are continuing to do the job. In terms of providing the necessary health care, we have given the provinces and the territories the tools to do the job.

I would defy members of the opposition to put their health proposals on the table in comparison to this government's.

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:50 p.m.

NDP

Gordon Earle NDP Halifax West, NS

Mr. Speaker, I ask the hon. member what his views are with respect to the money allocated in the budget to the military.

As members know, a very extensive report was done by the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs detailing quality of life issues for our military. Recently we have seen stories coming out in the media about the terrible experiences that many families have had with respect to inadequate housing and the effects of moving from one place to the other.

It kind of bothers me when I see that the amount that was allocated is $525 million over three years when the minister's own minimum estimate was $700 million. Then we see the government still giving out money for things like a company producing a dumb blonde joke book. That speaks for itself.

What is the member's view with respect to the help that has been given to the military in this budget?

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:50 p.m.

Liberal

Bryon Wilfert Liberal Oak Ridges, ON

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. I certainly applaud the government's moving in the right direction with regard to the money for our military.

Governments are elected usually from four to five years and they cannot do everything in one budget. It is a major step toward improving the quality of life for armed services personnel. It is clearly $525 million better than we had before this budget. It clearly addresses many of the issues that the standing committee reported on. The Minister of National Defence has done an excellent job in listening to those concerns, providing those concerns to the Minister of Finance and clearly we are on the right road.

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:50 p.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough East, ON

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the hon. member a question with respect to the impact on Ontario. In Ontario the impact of the budget is that first of all Ontario will receive its share of $3.5 billion. In addition there is a per capita amount that will affect both B.C., Alberta and Ontario. In addition there is a further $2 billion, of which Ontario's share is approximately 40%.

I would be interested in knowing the hon. member's response to all of that money that is to flow to Ontario and how it should impact on a variety of issues.

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:50 p.m.

Liberal

Bryon Wilfert Liberal Oak Ridges, ON

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question. It is clearly outlined that in the most populous province in the country there has obviously been provincial restructuring of hospitals, et cetera, and these dollars will be extremely important to making sure that residents who live in Ontario will be able to get the kind of health care they need.

Again, in conjunction with the provinces, there is no question that these dollars will obviously be used by the provinces effectively. The Ontario government, having signed the health accord, has committed to making sure that the issue of chronic care beds that are needed and reducing the waiting period for ER as an example will be dealt with.

We hear the Premier of Ontario telling us that this is a good budget and therefore he likes where these priorities are going.

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:50 p.m.

Liberal

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

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to speak on budget '99 which has as its theme building today for a better tomorrow; yes, a better tomorrow for our adults and youths of today and for our fellow citizens yet to be born in anticipation of the coming century of the new millennium.

In today's news Statistics Canada reported that the Canadian economy for the whole of 1998 grew at the rate of 3%, turning in one of its best quarters of the decade at 4.6%.

For individual Canadians today's news reports that the disposable income for the whole year, when adjusted for inflation, was up 1.5% from 1997, a real gain in real income.

It is this type of economic growth that the federal government is committed to sustain and surpass. Indeed it is a key goal of the government to create a strong economy that generates well paying jobs and ensures a higher standard of living for all Canadians.

That is why budget '99 will invest more than $1.8 billion over the remainder of this fiscal year and the next three years in advanced research, in innovation, in the information highway and in support of employment.

Before I focus on these budgetary items, let me at once say how extremely pleased my constituents of Winnipeg North—St. Paul received the news that among these other items, budget '99 is a health budget as well.

An additional $11.5 billion, $3.5 billion of which is an immediate one time supplement available this fiscal year, has been earmarked specifically to the health care system over the next five years, over and above the $12.5 billion cash floor presently in the Canada health and social transfers. This is a truly substantial amount that has been welcomed by provincial governments whether of the NDP or Tory banners.

This additional allocation translates to $425 million over five years for my home province of Manitoba. This health component of the budget reflects more than the amount itself. It reflects the common vision that all premiers and territorial leaders confirm as undertakings they had previously given in an exchange of correspondence with the Prime Minister at the first ministers meeting on February 4, 12 days before the budget was announced.

It reflects their undertakings that they remain committed to the five principles of medicare, universality, portability, accessibility, comprehensiveness and public administration. It reflects the common vision that they achieved in the framework for social union signed shortly before the budget was announced, that all levels of government, federal, provincial and territorial, would make themselves accountable to Canadians in an open and transparent manner.

This common vision includes the belief that research is at the core of a quality health care system, a system that will improve care and treatment, prevention certainly and hopefully a cure. It is about our hope as Canadians that a woman will overcome the tragedy of breast cancer and a man the tragedy of prostrate malignancies, that a grandfather and a grandmother will be spared premature loss of memory and that a son and daughter will regain nerve functions following a devastating accident or injury.

Hence, budget `99 has also earmarked a substantial amount for health research, $25 million to create a new research fund henceforth to be called the nurses using research and service evaluations, or NURSE fund for short.

This new initiative is to enhance the leadership role that nurses deserve to play in the health care system now and in the future. Also there is $35 million to the Canada health services research foundation.

In each of the next three years the Medical Research Council and Health Canada's national health research and development program will see an increase of $27.5 million and $2.5 million, respectively, to their annual budgets. This new allocation is to provide immediate support for advanced health research.

The BudgetGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

The Speaker

The member still has five and a half minutes but it is almost 2 o'clock.

We must now proceed to Statements by Members, but you will have the floor when we resume debate.

Onward WillowStatements By Members

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

Brenda Chamberlain Liberal Guelph—Wellington, ON

Mr. Speaker, Onward Willow Better Beginnings is an excellent example of neighbours working together to build a better community.

Onward Willow offers a number of services to help recent immigrants adjust to life in Canada. Its dedicated volunteers help new Canadians to learn English as well as locate proper clothes and furnishings. Onward Willow also helps low income families with its coat exchange and breakfast programs for children in area schools.

Most important, Onward Willow helps our newest residents to really become a part of the community because it creates an opportunity for them to meet their neighbours. It has greatly contributed to Guelph—Wellington's sense of civic and national pride by teaching its participants that they are welcome and that they do belong.

I congratulate Onward Willow Better Beginnings for its success as a community organization and to thank its volunteers for giving so much of themselves. Together there is no end to what we can accomplish.

United AlternativeStatements By Members

1:55 p.m.

Reform

Cliff Breitkreuz Reform Yellowhead, AB

Mr. Speaker, the united alternative conference was a smashing success and if we want proof, look at all the howling yesterday from worried Ontario Liberal MPs.

Fifteen hundred delegates from every province have risen up and returned to their ridings to begin the work of saving our country from big government and judicial activism.

Unfortunately every noble revolution has its martyrs. Paul Barnes, the president of Nova Scotia's PC youth, has been expelled from the PC party because he chose to come to the UA with an open mind.

Two other bright young Atlantic Canadians, Kevin Lacey and Clinton Deveaux, have felt the heat too. Barnes, Lacey and Deveaux were among 300 young people from coast to coast attending the conference.

Young Canadians need a government that will lower their taxes. They need a criminal justice system that will protect them, not the criminals.

I salute Paul Barnes, Clinton Desveaux and Kevin Lacey for having the courage and the conviction to help build a better Canada.

Sheridan CollegeStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Bonnie Brown Liberal Oakville, ON

Mr. Speaker, job creation and training have been a central part of the government's agenda since 1993. The latest employment figures speak to our ability as a government to create the proper framework for Canadians to experience the dignity of work.

In Oakville, co-operation between government and the private sector has led to the creation of an innovative partnership among Sheridan College, the Gross Machinery Group and the Government of Canada.

Designed to meet the needs of the 21st century, Sheridan's computer numerical control centre offers industry based training for programmers, setters, operators and technical staff. This program is a highly efficient way to prepare individuals to meet the skills level required by today's job market. The college's new centre of excellence demonstrates our government's willingness to help Canadian manufacturing companies in their quest to compete on international markets.

By doing so, we also contribute to the creation of a dynamic and productive future for all Canadians.

Lakefield HeritageStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Peter Adams Liberal Peterborough, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize publications like Lakefield a look at its history , published by Lakefield Heritage, co-ordinating editor Gordon Young.

This is a comprehensive book documenting life in the village of Lakefield from 10,000 years ago to the present day. This is a village known for its literary traditions.

The book was supported by local individuals and families and by many businesses, including Lakefield Research and Trentway-Wagar.

We should do all we can to encourage communities to document their heritage like this. History at this level is the history of those very individuals who built this nation. Books like this cement our sense of being Canadian.

Congratulations and thanks to Gordon Young and his colleagues, and to grassroots authors and publishers across Canada.