Debates of March 8th, 1999

Division No. 327

[Dick Harris, Reform, Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I was very remiss in my presentation. The information given to me regarding the census forms and the fines that could be imposed if one wrote Canadian was given to me by the member for Okanagan—Shuswap.

[The Deputy Speaker]

I am afraid that is not a point of order.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to the observations of my colleagues opposite on this very important bill.

As they spoke, I realized that either they did not really understand what they were talking about or there was some ill will on the other side.

For example, when one of our colleagues opposite says that the United States, our neighbours to the south, would be entitled, if the bill passed, to—

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I regret interrupting my good friend's presentation, as I am looking forward to hearing it, but when he refers to the members across the way he mentions presumably a certain party across the way. I think he should clarify that in this crucial debate.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Kamloops, Thompson and Highland Valleys is absolutely correct. My comments were directed to the Reform Party members, not to the other parties in opposition. My apologies.

With the exception of the Reform Party, everyone understands the importance of this bill and is prepared to support it.

Getting back to the Reform members, who claim the Americans would be entitled to all sorts of reprisals against Canada, this is absolutely false. If they bothered to check, to read NAFTA or the agreements between us and the World Trade Organization, they would realize that the U.S. has no more right than any other country that is a party to these agreements to seek reprisals with impunity. They must adhere to certain prescribed standards.

If the Americans decide to go outside the rules they themselves have agreed to, that is a whole other story. Once again, this situation gives an insight into the mentality of the official opposition, for when the Americans bark, the Reform hides out, of fear for their bite.

We have heard a number of Reform members claim that there would be reprisals in the area of agriculture. Unfortunately, they tend to forget that, yes, it is true that agriculture is an essential sector of our economy, one that is vital to the well-being of our nation and its people. No one can deny that fact, but it is also true that culture is of equal importance. One provides food for the body and the other for the spirit. Unfortunately, they tend to neglect the second aspect all too often.

I realize—

[The Speaker]

I am sorry to have to interrupt the hon. parliamentary secretary. He will have seven minutes to finish his speech, after Oral Question Period.

I understand there is an agreement in the House that there will be statements about the Canada Games. We will begin with the hon. member for Malpeque.

Canada Winter Games

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to note that the closing ceremonies of the 1999 Canada Winter Games took place in Corner Brook, Newfoundland on Saturday, March 6, 1999.

Each games is a celebration shaped by the vision of the host community and animated by the thrill of competition and the pride of athletes seeking 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 want to take this opportunity to congratulate the 3,200 athletes and over 600 coaches and managers from all across Canada who participated in 21 sports at the games in Corner Brook. I would also like to congratulate the organizing committee and the 7,000 volunteers who made the 1999 Canada Winter Games a very special event and a tremendous success.

I know that all hon. members and Canadians everywhere join me in congratulating the host society, the community of Corner Brook, which had wonderful hospitality, and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador for one wonderful, fine time.

[Val Meredith, Reform, South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this weekend saw the conclusion of the 1999 Canada Winter Games in Corner Brook, Newfoundland.

The two week event saw 3,800 athletes from across the country competing in 21 different sports. It is a true pleasure to see young athletes come together in the name of sportsmanship and competition, and to have the opportunity to meet fellow athletes from different provinces and territories. The goodwill that is created by people from all parts of this vast nation coming together is immeasurable.

I would like to offer my congratulations to the athletes, organizers, volunteers and the people of Corner Brook, Newfoundland for a job well done.

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Quebecois congratulates the residents of Corner Brook, Newfoundland, on the warm and well-organized welcome they extended to the 350 athletes and those accompanying them who descended on their city for the Canada Games. One quarter of the city's 26,000 inhabitants served as volunteers. Bravo to all of them for their role in the games' success.

The Canada Games Council took the opportunity to pay tribute to the dedication of Claude Hardy, who has been working with young people for 30 years and who chairs Quebec's delegation to the Canada Games. An award was even named after him.

Ontario won the most medals, with 116, just eight more than Quebec. The Bloc Quebecois congratulates athletes from Quebec and from all of Canada on their performance.

This being international women's day, it is interesting to note that women outnumbered men in Quebec's delegation. We congratulate all the athletes and those accompanying them on their commitment, and the residents of Corner Brook on their hospitality.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of New Democrats in the House of Commons I would like to congratulate the people of Newfoundland, and especially the residents of Corner Brook with its 7,000 enthusiastic volunteers who dedicated their time, energy and talent to support the young athletes who came from coast to coast to coast representing Canada's very best, including young Patrick Snider who received a Bronze Medal for épée fencing.

Canadians are truly proud of these young athletes, their sportsmanship, their professionalism and their achievements. It was truly moving to see these young future Olympians in competition. We wish them all well.

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

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my colleagues in the Progressive Conservative caucus I am pleased to extend congratulations to the participants and organizers of the 1999 Canada Winter Games in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. We applaud and echo the declaration of the chairman of the Canada Games Council that these truly were the best games ever.

I am particularly proud of the record performances delivered by the young men and women of my home province. My province captured a total of 19 medals, far exceeding the previous record, and was awarded the Jack Pelech Award as the province displaying the most sportsmanship and spirit. All of our athletes and our teams performed well.

I would particularly thank Newfoundland's chef de mission at the games, a good friend of mine, Mr. Jimmy Tee, for his tremendous contribution and leadership.

The games in Corner Brook were such a huge success because of the hard work of the organizers and more than 7,000 volunteers.

We would also like to acknowledge the participation of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly the Premier and the Minister of Tourism, Recreation and Culture for their contributions and support. As well we want to commend the Government of Canada for being a major supporter of the Canada Winter Games.

To all the athletes, coaches, organizers, volunteers and the people of Corner Brook, we extend a very sincere thank you and congratulations on a job well done. They have made us all very proud.

Film Industry

[Robert Bertrand, Liberal, Pontiac—Gatineau—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday was an historic evening in Quebec. It marked the first “Cinéma d'ici” gala.

It was a unique and emotion-filled event at which tribute was paid to numerous writers, actors and actresses for the talent and unstinting commitment to quality that characterizes their work.

Film is very much a part of our culture. Without it, society has no soul and would be without a vital means of proclaiming its existence to other nations.

Quebec's film industry is active and draws on considerable talent. It is up to us, the public, to seek it out, to appreciate it and to challenge it so that it can more easily make the transition from within Quebec's borders to the international stage.

Once again, bravo to all the participants and best wishes for what promises to be an increasingly successful future for this cultural industry.

Africa

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

Mr. Speaker, increasing instability is affecting wide swathes of Africa, threatening thousands of innocent civilians.

In Angola a precarious peace has been shattered and the conflict is escalating daily. Land mines are being laid, UN planes shot down, and thousands face starvation as a result of cancelled peacekeeping operations. Despite UN sanctions, UNITA rebels are arming with the proceeds of millions of dollars of illegal diamonds. The federal government must work with our partners to stop the fuelling of this conflict.

In Zimbabwe, President Mugabe has been silencing all opposition. Journalists have been jailed and tortured. Zimbabwe support for the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo seeks to sink the country. Mr. Mugabe's is also poised to threaten to privatize 530 farms, which will severely compromise the ability of that country to earn revenues.

I implore the Minister of Foreign Affairs to work within the UN to stop Mr. Mugabe from engaging in disastrous economic policies.

Puvirnituq Co-Op Hotel

[Guy St-Julien, Liberal, Abitibi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the official opening, on March 6, 1999, of the hotel of the Puvirnituq co-op marked the beginning of a new era in tourism development for the community of Puvirnituq and Nunavik's Hudson Bay coastal region.

The convention centre, located in a warm environment, provides all the necessary services for business meetings, receptions or tourist activities.

Puvirnituq is located 1,1445 kilometres north of Montreal, along on the east coast of Canada's Hudson Bay. Air Inuit has regular weekday flights between Montreal and the community.

The co-chairs, Peter Ittukadlak, from Puvirnituq's co-op association, and Wellie Ittok, from the Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Québec, wish to thank Aboriginal Business Canada, Industry Canada and Tourisme Québec for their involvement in this new “Inuit Adventures” tourist project.

Together, we share the common goal of making Puvirnituq an increasingly popular international destination for tourism, culture and adventures.

Sudan

[Paul Steckle, Liberal, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the team of women and men led by Baroness Caroline Cox, president of Christian Solidarity Worldwide of the United Kingdom. Reverend Cal Bombay from Crossroads Christian Communications has travelled with these delegations in his tireless efforts to free the slaves of Sudan.

On February 15, 1999, on a six day mission they successfully assisted in securing the freedom of another 325 slaves and facilitated arrangements for the return and redemption of 309 others, making this a total of 634. This group, the majority of them children, ranged in age from two to forty-two, some having been taken as slaves since 1994. A previous trip in 1998 enabled them to purchase the freedom of approximately 500 more slaves.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide calls on the international community to step up pressure on the NIF regime to desist from military offensives against innocent civilians and from its policies of abduction of women and children into slavery, looting, and the destruction of means of subsistence.

Commonwealth Day

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

Mr. Speaker, today is Commonwealth Day, a day set aside by over one-quarter of the world's population to celebrate the values of co-operation, human rights, democracy and development. The theme for this year's Commonwealth Day is music, the universal language to help us foster international learning and understanding.

The Commonwealth is a dynamic association of thousands of Commonwealth citizens active in international voluntary, professional, developmental and service organizations which constitute an important force in building international co-operation and understanding.

This Commonwealth Day is special as it marks the golden jubilee of the creation of the Commonwealth. As we look back over the past 50 years Canadians can take pride in our collective accomplishments. During the past year Canada continued to play an active role in Commonwealth fora, discussing and responding to urgent issues ranging from Nigeria and Sierra Leon to a global financial crisis.

The Commonwealth has proven itself an effective defender and promoter of democracy, human rights and sustainable development. Let us all work to protect this legacy throughout the world.

[Jean Augustine, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today is Commonwealth Day. In 1949, the second Monday in March was chosen to be the day when member countries around the world observe their association as Commonwealth members.

This year's theme for Commonwealth Day is music. Music is a unifying force that binds us together as citizens of the global community. The rich variety of music is as diverse as the Commonwealth itself. The Commonwealth includes over a quarter of the world's population, spanning differences in race, creed and language in 54 countries.

Yesterday I was privileged to attend the Royal Commonwealth Society celebration in Toronto and was impressed by the musical performances of our young people and their ability to communicate through music.

Our future is assured as young people around the world participate in musical activities and share in these international fora. Happy Commonwealth Day to all.

The Late Joe Dimaggio

[Steve Mahoney, Liberal, Mississauga West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, from time to time an individual comes along who people admire all around the world, a person who embodies class, hard work, dignity and dedication, a person who is a role model for millions.

Such a person was Joe DiMaggio who died this morning at age 84. Joltin Joe led his beloved Yankees to nine world series titles in 13 years.

Canadians can see a similarity to some of our own heroes like Jean Béliveau and Gordie Howe. The Yankee Clipper, like Howe and Belliveau, starred in another era but his name and reputation are legendary.

Long before the Blue Jays or the Expos, the Yankees and Joe DiMaggio were loved by millions of Americans and Canadians. America has lost a true hero and we finally know the answer to that musical question “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio”. He has gone to rest. May he rest in peace.

Young Offenders Act

[John Reynolds, Reform, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast, BC]

Mr. Speaker, since 1996 the government has been posturing on changes to the toothless 15 year old Young Offenders Act, the act that allows youth who commit violent crimes including murder and aggravated assault to get away with it.

Last May the justice minister released a discussion paper, a strategy for renewal of youth justice, and at the same time promised Canadians a new youth criminal justice act by the fall of 1998.

Fall came and went and now we are two months short of the first anniversary of the minister's discussion paper. Lo and behold we hear that a new youth criminal justice act will be tabled on Thursday.

In typical Liberal orchestration the new act will not be a universal code of conduct. Rather, it will allow opting out by those provinces that feel these darling young offenders are simply misunderstood. Those provinces and indeed most Canadians that wanted to lower the minimum age of young offenders from 10 to 12 will also be disappointed.

It is regrettable that after a decade of debate we will not get a universal code. On Thursday the window of opportunity closes for another decade. The government is afraid to stigmatize young offenders at the expense and safety of our communities.

Women Parliamentarians

[Pierrette Venne, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on December 6, 1921, Agnes Campbell MacPhail became the first woman elected to the House of Commons. She was the only woman in the House; the 234 other members were men.

Sixty-seven years later, in 1988, when I was elected for the first time, there were 39 women out of 295 members of parliament, or a measly 13% of the overall membership.

Today, there are 60 women out of 301 parliamentarians, which means 20% of this House's membership. This is definitely an improvement, but we still have a long way to go.

According to an inter-parliamentary union study, Canada ranks 20th in the world when it comes to women's representation in parliaments. Compared to Scandinavian countries, this is a disaster.

I wonder when the House of Commons will be representative of the overall population, that is when men will make up 49% of its membership and women 51%.

International Women's Day

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval West, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today, March 8, is International Women's Day, and the first day of International Women's Week.

Moreover, this year's theme “Going Strong—Celebrating Older Women” dovetails very nicely with the International Year of Older Persons.

Often older women find themselves alone in the world as they approach the end of their lives, and require an increasing proportion of health care.

Our government has announced the investment of over $13 billion in health services, prevention and research. That is thirteen billion dollars.

The Liberal government clearly has the health of women, and of all Canadians, at heart, and is prepared to prove this with concrete actions.

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

Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate International Women's Day, women in the public service are still fighting for the federal government to keep its promise on pay equity.

Women after 20 years of service with an average pension of $9,600 are fighting the Liberal government's plan to raid their pension fund. Women on low incomes live in substandard housing as the federal government abandons any responsibility for social housing. Instead of receiving home care many women who need it are subsidizing the government by providing care for other family members.

On this International Women's Day Liberal members talk about “Growing Older: Celebrating Older Women”, but when the Liberal government puts its slogan into action it means going wrong: robbing older women.

Women are tired of this double standard. Instead of empty platitudes it is time for action to ensure that yet another generation of older women is not condemned to live in poverty.

Taxation

[Jason Kenney, Reform, Calgary Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, last week's gaffe by the junior finance minister who said that stay at home parents really do not work was just an honest reflection of the government's tax policy which treats at home parents like second class citizens and which, in the words of the C. D. Howe Institute, accords to children the same value as disposable consumer items.

His comments were all too reminiscent of statements made by other Liberal MPs such as the MP for Vancouver Kingsway who said that stay at home parents were “taking the easy way out”, or the member for St. Paul's who said that full time moms were “just elite white women”, or the last Liberal candidate for Calgary West who characterized stay at home parents as “barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen”.

These hurtful stereotypes would not be so cruel if they were not reflective of a tax code which penalizes parents that make real economic sacrifices to do what they believe is best for their kids.

Tomorrow we will get a chance to end this discrimination against single income families whose tax bills are 60% to 100% higher than their dual income counterparts. Tomorrow all those Liberal members who profess a commitment to the family will have an opportunity to put themselves on the record.

Will they bend to the whip or will they do what is right? Canadians are watching.

International Women's Day

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, International Women's Day is an unique opportunity for looking at our progress as far as the status of women is concerned.

In the past few decades, women have definitely made considerable advances, but the battle is far from over, as an examination of their socio-economic situation will show.

In last Saturday's Le Devoir , an article by Claire Harvey offered a clear picture of just how precarious women's employment is. According to her, close to 70% of women are part time workers.

She confirms the Bloc Quebecois' contention that women rarely qualify for the maternity leave available in the employment insurance program. She also indicates that current labour market conditions have increased poverty among women.

Yet in its latest budget, the Liberal government thumbed its nose at the difficult situation of women, by refusing to make any improvements to an employment insurance program which excludes 7 out of 10 of them.

This speaks volumes about the government's true intentions, and shows just how far down the grocery list of priorities women rank.

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

Mr. Speaker, today women throughout the world are being recognized for the enormous contributions they have made and continue to make toward improving humanity.

International Women's Day gives all citizens an opportunity to reflect upon the great strides women have made over the years to help improve their economic and social condition.

It is thanks to their courage and tenacity that they gained personal rights that men have always taken for granted.

Not so long women were not entitled to own property. The right to vote was only granted to women in 1918 after the famous five fought successfully to have women declared as persons under the law.

Women are still struggling for equality. The President of the Treasury Board would deny their rights by appealing pay equity. Under Canadian tax laws the Liberal government discriminates against women who stay home caring for their children versus those who work in the workplace.

I hope we can commit ourselves today to working together to help improve the lives of all women within Canada and abroad.