Debates of March 2nd, 1999

1999 Canada Winter Games

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

Mr. Speaker, I wish to take this opportunity to provide an update at the midpoint of the Canada Winter Games taking place in Corner Brook and nearby communities in Newfoundland.

Following the first week of competition, local volunteers did a masterful job. Despite difficult weather conditions they arranged transportation for over 1,600 athletes, coaches and officials to leave Corner Brook while a similar number were arriving for the second week of action.

After week one, Ontario leads the medal standings and the race for the Canada Games flag. Manitoba leads British Columbia for the Centennial Cup which is awarded to the province showing the greatest improvement in its results from the previous Canada Winter Games.

These games are a celebration shaped by the vision of the host community and animated by the thrill of competition and the pride of athletes striving to achieve their personal best. The experience changes the lives of thousands of young athletes and the life of the host city and surrounding region.

I know that all hon. members and Canadians everywhere join me in congratulating the participants and organizers in Corner Brook on their outstanding efforts—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Delta—South Richmond.

Nisga'A Treaty

[John Cummins, Reform, Delta—South Richmond, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Vancouver Island North residents gave the Nisga'a treaty an overwhelming thumbs down on the weekend, echoing the results of two previous grassroots plebiscites this year. More than 97% of the voters rejected the treaty as it now stands. Only two and one-half per cent of the voters, 76 people, supported the deal.

People are concerned about this treaty. Saturday's turnout represented 25% of the people who voted in the last provincial election in the North Island constituency.

British Columbians are fed up with the federal and provincial governments misrepresenting the terms of this treaty. They know that the real cost of the Nisga'a deal is almost three times what their governments claim the cost to be.

British Columbians know that because government underestimated the value of lands and resources the province is contributing to the deal, they will get stuck with 75% of the bill.

The people most affected by this deal have spoken. Is the Liberal travelling road show to the west listening? Is this government listening?

Hiv-Aids

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week I was honoured to attend the review of the draft handbook for legislators on HIV and AIDS, law and human rights in Geneva on behalf of the IPU Canadian group.

The conference was attended by legislators from France, Switzerland, Kenya, Botswana, Côte d'Ivoire, Guatemala, India, Russia and England, who were all dedicated to develop a handbook for parliamentarians with respect to AIDS legislation in a human rights context.

The handbook will share best practices and will be a resource for countries developing legislation so they will know and can use what works in other countries and emphasize the need for ongoing evaluation.

I would like to thank the hon. member for Mount Royal, Barbara Reynolds and Serge Pelletier from the IPU for making this experience possible.

I would like to thank Nina Arron of Health Canada, Elissa Lieff and Patricia Lindsay of the Department of Justice and Carol Vlassoff of CIDA for taking the time to share their insights and expertise with me prior to the meeting. They are inspirational and passionate examples of the best of our public service.

The meeting reinforced how proud I am to be a Canadian. Our AIDS strategy and our approach to human rights are respected throughout the world.

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Québec.

The Budget

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the last Liberal budget confirmed the inability of the technocrat who acts as Minister of Human Resources Development to protect the poor in our society.

A budget that provides an annual tax reduction of $2,123 to a person earning $250,000, compared to a measly $115 for someone earning $30,000 shows nothing but contempt for democracy and fairness, and is shameful.

How did the Minister of Finance manage to grant such reductions to his rich friends after having targeted for five years the poor, the students and those on welfare, and after shamelessly dipping into the employment insurance fund? Words are not strong enough to condemn the contempt shown by this government toward the poor.

The Bloc Quebecois demands that the Liberal government use the EI surpluses to improve a system that has reduced hundreds of thousands of honest workers to poverty.

Parti Quebecois

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

Mr. Speaker, the Parti Quebecois could not have found a worse ally to put the referendum issue back into the forefront.

Last week, the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste stated loud and clear that it intends to play a key role in the process to bring the issue of sovereignty back into the limelight.

With friends like the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste, the Parti Quebecois does not need enemies. And with former premier Jacques Parizeau, whose dogmatic position in favour of unconditional separation is well known, the next referendum campaign should be interesting to say the least.

Sovereignists do not realize that Quebeckers do not want to separate. They do not want Quebec to separate from the rest of Canada and they do not want a referendum on this issue.

Quebeckers deserve referendum peace. They deserve a government that looks after the economy, instead of thinking up referendum questions.

Taxation

[Leon Benoit, Reform, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Arthur Friedrich of Calgary and his family are carrying out a very effective tax revolt. They are packing up and moving to the United States. He was a Liberal supporter and worked on the heritage minister's election campaign but sadly, he is now giving up on Canada because of taxes.

He comments that if he were cynical he would say that the government's attitude is to punish success. Mr. Friedrich and his wife scrimped and saved to build professional careers and security for their family but found that they were bludgeoned with more taxes every time they got a pay raise.

He said “I see my investments and pension evaporating before my eyes and the government doesn't seem to care. As a former Liberal, the decline of Canada is a bitter pill to swallow. I deeply wish things were different. I like Canada and I had really wanted to stay, but I no longer see any future for my children in this land”.

Does that not say it all.

Canadian Economy

[Claude Drouin, Liberal, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Bank of Canada said that the Canadian economy had performed better than expected in 1998.

Yesterday, Statistics Canada said that Canada's GDP had gone up by 1.1% in the fourth quarter of 1998.

Such results are not mere chance. The good news delivered in the last federal budget and the good news delivered by Statistics Canada reflect the good economic and financial management of the country.

This is an encouraging sign from the economic sector that sends a message to sovereignists to quit pushing so hard for Quebec's separation from the rest of Canada.

The sovereignists' message undercuts the efforts of those doing everything they can to keep the country together and encourage investors and consumers to continue working for the betterment of this wonderful country called Canada.

Downtown East Side Community Revitalization

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, $5 million over five years for the downtown east side community revitalization program was recently announced by the federal government. It is critical that the downtown east side benefit from this announcement as there is a crisis in the lack of adequate housing, treatment facilities, income support and employment.

If the federal government is surprised by the skepticism from the local community, it is because we have witnessed the dire consequences of federal cuts, the elimination of federal funding for non-profit affordable housing and EI cutbacks.

We are told these funds will open an office and study ways to bring people together and solve safety concerns. Instead of jobs for social facilitators, we need to ensure that these funds are used for addiction treatment programs, improving social conditions and improved housing.

Will the government make a commitment to these basic needs? Will the federal government make it clear that the focus will be on programs and services that will directly benefit those in need who live in the downtown east side?

Karine Vanasse

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to a talented new actress from Drummondville, Karine Vanasse.

Karine plays Hanna in Léo Pool's film, Emporte-moi , which is entered in the Berlin film festival. In the film, which also features Pascale Bussières, Karine delivers a very mature performance and shows an impressive mastery of her art.

Upon completion of this film, the talented 15-year-old was chosen to co-host a television program for young people called Les Débrouillards with Grégory Charles, another actor from my riding.

I wish Karine many other experiences such as this one. She can now count herself among the artists helping to bring Quebec's culture to the world stage.

Bravo, Karine, and thank you.

United Alternative Convention

[John Cannis, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as I was flipping through the channels on my television this past Saturday, what did I see but Rodrique Biron as a prominent speaker at the united alternative love-in. Not only was he given a high profile job, that of introducing the leader of the Reform Party, but in his speech he emphasized strongly how he was a card-carrying member of the PQ and BQ, two movements committed to the breakup of our country. He was received, let me say, with a standing ovation. What hypocrisy. Not long ago, we must remember, the Reform Party said no more prime ministers from Quebec.

In my view the Reform Party has not yet realized that we have an electorate that is sophisticated and tuned in to government and specific party initiatives and policies. With the Reform Party's antics and outrageous statements it seems it certainly has the knack for underestimating the public's intelligence.

All I have to say, Mr. Speaker, is you can change the clothes, you can do the makeover, but you cannot change the person. Reform is Reform is Reform, otherwise known as the flat earth party.

1999 Canada Winter Games

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

Mr. Speaker, the 1999 Canada Winter Games are being hosted in the city of Corner Brook in my home province.

The Canada games see our nation's finest young athletes represent their respective provinces and territories as they test their abilities in sporting competition.

I am pleased to stand today in the House and acknowledge the extraordinary accomplishments of one Newfoundlander who has distinguished himself with an exceptional performance at these games. Twenty-one year old Lee Churchill, a native of Hodge's Cove, Trinity Bay, has become a hero in Newfoundland and Labrador for capturing an amazing three gold medals in cross-country skiing. Over four days of competition, Mr. Churchill has single-handedly exceeded the highest number of gold medals ever won by the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

I ask my colleagues in the House of Commons to join with me in congratulating Mr. Churchill and indeed all the athletes who are in Corner Brook.

Health Care

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this past week Reform members have had the unbelievable gall to suggest in the House that the government is less than fully committed to Canada's publicly funded health care system. Reform must be thinking of its own pathetic history when it comes to health care.

Let us examine for a quick moment the record to see which party has been demanding that Canada adopt the two tier American style commercialized health care system. Which party's most recent policy book calls for “the complete rearrangement of the costs of health care insurance, such as basic deductibles, medisave accounts, choice of insurance coverage, and complete coverage for catastrophic illness”? Reform of course. Which party's leader has said that “we want to remove those sections of the Canada Health Act that deny provinces the flexibility to require some Canadians to pay at least a portion of their health costs”? Reform.

Prostate Cancer Research

[Ted White, Reform, North Vancouver, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in the past year, thousands of men and women wrote letters to the Minister of Health asking for more funding for prostate cancer research. Unfortunately instead of acknowledging the efforts of those dedicated people, the minister told a media conference in Vancouver last week that the four Liberal MPs in attendance deserved the credit for the increase in prostate cancer research funding.

The people who worked so hard to make this funding a reality do not appreciate being told that a bunch of Liberal trained seal party hacks made it happen. So I am doing what the minister should have done. I am acknowledging the dedication and resolve of those who successfully lobbied the minister to loosen the purse strings.

To the members of prostate cancer support groups across Canada and on behalf of every Canadian family affected by prostate cancer, I extend a sincere thank you to you for your efforts. It was because of you that more prostate cancer research funding was made available.

Taxation

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Statistics Canada restated the obvious that taxes are up yet again thanks to the Liberal government. The Prime Minister cranked up income taxes and payroll taxes by a whopping 6% in one year so that even when the economy grows it is the government's income that grows faster than the taxpayers' income.

Why did the Prime Minister tax away most of the income increases that Canadians managed to earn last year?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, because the economy is performing very well we are having the benefit of having an economy that is well managed and the revenues are coming accordingly. That gave the government the opportunity over the last two budgets to reduce income taxes by $16 billion over a period of three years. There have been major tax cuts since we have been here.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian economy did not grow by 6% last year. The disposable income of Canadians did not grow by 6% last year. The average Canadian did not get a 6% increase in income last year. Yet the government takes 6% more in income and payroll taxes from those Canadians.

Why did the Prime Minister insist on a 6% higher tax collection last year with even higher taxes to follow in 1999?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, since we have been the government we have managed the economy in a way that we have managed to reduce the deficit from $42 billion to zero. Now the big problem is that this government has managed the economy so well that people are worried that we might have more money in the coffers than predicted.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the record of this government is collecting $42 billion more in taxes this year than it collected when it came to office. The worst part of it is who is being hit the hardest. It is not the high income Canadians. It is the poorer families.

In British Columbia a family with two children and earning only $25,000 will pay a 70% tax on every extra dollar of income it earns. If the Prime Minister is not embarrassed by the highest taxes ever charged in Canada, is he not embarrassed by the fact that he is taking those taxes for the most part from the poorest Canadians?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have managed the economy in a way that, for example, this year the spending of the government will be 12% of GDP. That is the lowest in 50 years. We have managed to have more revenues because we have 1.6 million more Canadians who are working who did not have jobs when we were elected in 1993.

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this year the government went $7.6 billion over budget in its spending. StatsCan has confirmed it. Canadians are now paying the highest taxes that they have ever paid in history. Out of all those people who are paying extraordinarily high taxes it is single income families that are paying the most proportionately.

Why do the Prime Minister and his government discriminate against single income families?

[Jim Peterson, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, since we took office, even though we were running a huge deficit, reducing taxes has been one of our priorities. Even when we were in deficit we started by selective tax cuts for Canadians with disabilities, for the charitable and voluntary sector, for students. The most massive tax cut of all for lower income Canadians was the child tax benefit going to low income working families, $2 billion with this budget.

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, earth to the minister. If they are cutting taxes, why does StatsCan say that they are now at record high levels? Why is the minister running away from the question?

Why is this government discriminating against single income families? Why is a family making $50,000 paying $4,000 more in taxes than a dual income family?

[Jim Peterson, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, the facts are that from day one personal income tax reductions have been an important part of our government's fiscal plan. With this budget a two income family earning $50,000 with two children gets a 15% decrease in its income taxes. The same family with a $30,000 income pays zero federal income taxes. The same family with a $20,000 income gets a federal tax credit of $3,600. This is our commitment to the Canadian middle class.