Mr. Speaker, prior to question period, on the debate on the alienation of all Canadians I was quoting what municipal leaders in Manitoba were saying about regional alienation and how their constituents perceived Ottawa. I will continue.
Reeve Maxine Plesiuk of the rural municipality of Ethelbert said:
We do feel alienated from Ottawa. Look at the distance. We are or appear to be out of reach of Ottawa. What made my blood boil was when I heard that the Liberal government task force on western alienation would meet with only Liberals by invitation. We sure were not contacted by them.
Mayor Gary Hopper from the town of The Pas:
You're never really part of the system if you're west of the Ontario border. The provinces do the same thing. They tend to alienate communities if they're located too far from Winnipeg. Distance doesn't help feeling you're a part of something. The solution is that the federal government needs to demonstrate a willingness to work with the provinces on all fronts. The feds can surely do something about levelling the playing field so that aboriginal businesses don't have the upper hand over non-aboriginal businesses. We need more free votes in the House of Commons so that local issues can be brought to the House for debate.
Mayor Bud Oliver from the city of Selkirk:
The perception, whether true or not, is that decisions are made in the best interest of the population base of the east, and not the west. People have not forgotten the CF-18 decision made by eastern politicians.
Mayor Bill Comaskey from the city of Thompson:
Alienation by Ottawa is evident by the frustration municipalities have in dealing with the federal bureaucracies. Case in point, Ottawa has broken off negotiations with Thompson in dealing with the transfer of the regional airport. The federal system has little credibility. Look at the GST promise, the Airbus scandal, the cancelling of the helicopter deal, the cancellation of the Pearson airport deal. The federal system needs fixing.
Mayor Reg Atkinson from the city of Brandon, which was one of the stops of the task force:
My solution for the federal government on the issue of alienation is that Ottawa needs to treat all parts of the country equally. We all know that discrimination causes only conflicts within our country.
Reeve Dwayne Lawless from the rural municipality of Rossburn:
Ottawa is far removed from here. They don't listen to our concerns. Case in point, with the reorganization and cutback of the local RCMP, why is it always that the locals are at the receiving end of the cutbacks? I'll bet that the RCMP in Ottawa isn't reduced. They should be cutting at the top, not the bottom where real policing needs to take place. We've lost control over government. They do as they want. Another case in point, the gun control Bill C-68. They keep pouring good money after bad. It would be better to put that money into the pockets of farmers who are about to go broke instead of into registering long guns, which will do nothing to reduce crime. People feel alienated from big government and are not happy.
I have received numerous calls on the farm aid package. These calls were very negative. These farmers, the likes of Richard Cleland and Ken Caldwell of Rossburn and John Puchailo of Gilbert Plains, are very disillusioned about the AIDA program. The method of calculation will ensure that very few, if any, farmers will receive assistance at all.
Farmers are smart businessmen. They write off most of their earnings into future business capital needs. Farmers are frustrated with the AIDA program. Farmers are being informed that it will cost them between $500 and $800 to get the applications filled out.
The task force of the Prime Minister started on the wrong foot. When the task force was first announced in Manitoba in January, the chairman, the member for Charleswood St. James—Assiniboia, indicated to the Winnipeg press that the Liberal task force would not consider any recommendations for change to the Firearms Act. How ironic. On the one hand the task force was to listen to Manitobans and on the other hand the task force would not listen to any concerns about the gun control Bill C-68.
No one objects to consulting Canadians. It is the process we object to.
Governments at all levels are elected to serve all their constituents. We are all Canadians and want to be treated equally. Manitobans have said to me that Ottawa does not treat them in an equal manner. This of course creates the feeling of alienation. I believe the only solution is for Ottawa to start listening to all members of parliament in this House and to start treating all parts of this country equally irrespective of political parties. All Canadians deserve good government.