Madam Speaker, I am pleased to take part in the debate today on the alienation of most of this country or, better put, how Canadians perceive Ottawa.
The Prime Minister's task force was to seek out information from Manitobans on the future of Manitoba. Manitobans know about their future and they also have a vision for their future. What we want from this government and all federal governments is more transparency and accountability.
Manitobans speak daily to their members of parliament. Hopefully their members of parliament echo their concerns in the House. Does the government listen to the concerns that are raised in the House?
Let me do a quick review of some of the concerns that are raised by Manitobans: Bill C-68, the wheat board monopoly, unfair justice appointments, the use of federal spending powers to interfere in areas of provincial jurisdiction, the giveaway of our rail assets to CNR, the rail abandonment issue, little return of $5 billion in fuel tax paid by consumers, waste and mismanagement of Indian affairs, and repayment of the flood compensation given to Manitobans. Most of these issues have been debated in the House over the course of the last two years. If only the government would listen.
Here is what the municipal leaders of Manitoba are saying about regional alienation and how their constituents perceive Ottawa.
Mayor Bill Schneider of the village of Benito said:
They don't worry one way or another. We are too far away. The people of Benito don't have too much say. The power is eastern based. The reality is that the population is in the east. They have the votes, which means that they have the seats.
Mayor Lorne Boguski of the town of Roblin said:
I think the further away you are from Ottawa, the less input one has. The decisions are made without the interests of the people from that region. The solution to reducing alienation would be to have more members of parliament interacting with the municipal leaders on a regular basis, from all parties. This would develop rapport. One would feel that they were becoming part of the total team, rather than feeling isolated as we are today from Ottawa.
I am also dissatisfied that the Minister of Natural Resources, a westerner, is not echoing the needs of farmers.
Mayor Michael Spence of the town of Churchill said:
I applaud the Minister of Foreign Affairs' intervention and assistance in privatizing the rail line in the port of Churchill. This gives Churchill the opportunity to look after its own future. Ottawa is too far away. Currently Churchill has embarked on a tripartite partnership with the Winnipeg Airport Authority and Omnitrax to develop future business for the rail line, the airport and the port of Churchill.
The federal government, when it comes to airports, lacks vision for the future. It can only think of saving money for the present. It bewilders me that the port is not utilized to its potential. The Canadian Wheat Board must ship more grain through the port of Churchill instead of east-west. We are up against the big business of east and west coast terminals.
Reeve George Richardson of the rural municipality of Dauphin said:
They don't know that we exist. It has always been, being in the hinterland, that we are the resource base for the east. That is the real attitude of the rural municipality of Dauphin. The east has had all the power and still does today. The only way to resolve this is to get rid of the Senate as it operates today or make it equal.
Take a look at the present farm aid program and you will see why we feel alienated.
Mayor Wally Yanchycki of the village of Erickson said:
We don't get our fair share. When I fill out my income tax, I know where our money is going; right into the big pockets of Ottawa. I don't think we get our fair share on transfer payments. Being far away doesn't help the feeling that we are alienated from Ottawa. We feel that Ontario and Quebec get preferential treatment over everyone else in this country.