Mr. Speaker, what do the federal Liberals and the Alberta Tories have in common? They are able to take large groups of workers and band them together into civil disobedience. The health care workers of Alberta had to use civil disobedience to get a fair contract from the Alberta government. The Cape Breton coal miners, who had to go underground in the coldest part of the year, suffered indignities by this government through the riot goons that it brought forward. Instead of consultation, it brought pepper spraying RCMP officers to stamp them out. It did not work. With the courage and dignity that only Cape Bretoners have, they forced this government into binding arbitration. We saw the agreement that was made the other day.
This binding arbitration is a slap in the face to the government, especially to the Minister of Natural Resources who said that under no circumstances would this package be reopened. Again, he was wrong and the Liberal party was wrong. All the government had to do was deal in good, open and transparent faith and it would never have gone this far.
Before I was politely interrupted by my colleague from Cape Breton, I wanted to say that the government's economic policies are dividing people ever so greatly. The government looks after its friends in the Liberal Party. I encourage everyone in the Liberal Party to take a trip to Cape Breton and see the famous Ding Wall. I do not mean David Dingwall. I mean the Ding Wall itself. He spent a lot of money to build a rock wall in the middle of a town. It is an absolute fiasco. It is an embarrassment to all Nova Scotians that this person, who was the Minister of Health at that time, could advocate spending a million taxpayers' dollars for a rock wall in Cape Breton. I know there are a lot of rocks in Cape Breton, but most of them were in that minister's head for that kind of expenditure.
What should have happened to that money and what should happen to the rest of the funding is that it go toward the care and fair treatment of Cape Breton coal miners and their families for long term economic growth in that beautiful part of the province.
The government calls for change. We all call for change. What I ask all members of the opposition parties and the government to do is to remind themselves of the people who are looking for small change on the streets. There are more and more people doing that on a daily basis. They are turning to charities looking for more and more help. I cannot help but say how proud I am, as an Atlantic Canadian, that Atlantic Canadians throughout the four provinces banded together and raised over $3.6 million for the IWK Grace Telethon, again showing the generosity and spirit of Atlantic Canadians when it comes to people in need.
On behalf of two of the finest people I have ever met in Cape Breton, two miners, one former miner and a current miner, Mr. Jose Pimentel and Mr. Vic Tomiczek, I want to say how hard they have struggled to keep their families going and how hard they have fought for the common workers and their common man.
It is not just the federal Liberals who are pounding away at Cape Breton coal miners, it is also what the provincial Tory Party is doing. In fact in the recent Nova Scotia election, Jane Purves, the minister of education for Nova Scotia, had a postcard campaign that very wrongly suggested that because SYSCO was open, that hospital beds in Nova Scotia would be closed. She very effectively and very meanly split and divided the mainland Nova Scotians with that of Cape Breton. I found it absolutely despicable that a woman of her talents could use such a low ball and low road campaign in order to get herself elected. I can assure the House that from this moment on we will be going after her in the next election to ensure her defeat.
The current minister of health for Nova Scotia also said, and I quote, “Possibly children with disabilities who need access to the IWK could rely on groups like the Lions Club or the Kiwanis or other service clubs to find their transportation needs to the Halifax Centre”.
This is from the so-called passionate, progressive Conservatives. There is nothing passionate and there is nothing conservative about it. It is meanspirited to balance their books on the backs of the disabled and on the backs of the needy. They are even recommending a program where they take away formula from children who require a special formula in order to digest their food. It is absolutely mean.
The Liberals have done the same. They refuse to negotiate in a fair, open and transparent manner with Cape Breton coal miners and their families or even to show respect for the two members of parliament from Cape Breton who stand in the House on an almost daily basis, who were in committee, and who brought forth very comparable amendments to adjust the reasonable debate that should be happening.
Canadian Airlines in its pension outfit has an employee trustee on the board. All Cape Breton is asking for is that we have the same. That is not a very unreasonable request. I am very proud to say that the federal Conservatives, the Bloc and the Canadian Alliance support the New Democrats in that initiative.
I can only hope that backbench Liberals can put pressure on the Minister of Natural Resources to say that a representative from Cape Breton absolutely should be on the board of trustees when it comes to pension liabilities. It only makes sense.
The distribution of the funds will be in Cape Breton. Would it not make sense to have people from Cape Breton on the board administering the fund? Why would we want someone from Toronto, Ontario, Saskatchewan or B.C., or anywhere else for that matter, administering a fund that is solely meant for Cape Bretoners?
Besides the pensions and the unfairness of the Liberals, Cape Breton miners in their heart of hearts would tell them: “Stick the pensions where the sun don't shine. Just give us work. We want to work and be able to look after our families”. Most Canadians from coast to coast to coast want the opportunity for gainful employment.
There is no reason in the world why there could not be gainful employment in Cape Breton for the miners, the SYSCO workers, and everyone else on that beautiful island. On that note I encourage members of the Liberal Party who have never visited Cape Breton to do so. If they did, their government would not be so meanspirited toward the pensioners, the miners and their families. By the way, some of the women will be coming to Ottawa to demand more fairness and justice for their husbands and families.
It is a sin that I as a member from Nova Scotia and a member of the great NDP caucus have to stand in the House to state the obvious to the government. The actions of the so-called newfound left leaning Liberals, as their Prime Minister is saying in Berlin, with their new Canadian way are talking about compassion, fairness, openness and transparency, speak louder than words.
When the Minister of Natural Resources is asked a question about Devco he almost looks like he is bothered by the question and wonders what he is doing answering these pesky question from the NDP on Devco? looks around with absolutely no interest at all and thinks that the issue has already been settled. That is a sin.
What should happen is exactly what happened with the pay equity debate. We had a minister, Marcel Masse, who showed complete ignorance toward the pay equity debate. He stood in the House time and time again and said that they would not deal with it. He was removed. We had another minister and within two months the pay equity issue was settled.
What should happen is the Minister of Natural Resources should step aside on the Devco issue. We should bring in a minister who is at least willing to listen, at least willing to understand the issues of Cape Breton, at least willing to sit down and talk with the two federal representatives from Cape Breton, not an unelected Senator Boudreau or unelected other people who are appointed by the government. The new minister could sit down and talk with the people of Cape Breton and the communities of Cape Breton to find out what the long term objectives should be for that beautiful island in the beautiful province of Nova Scotia.
In conclusion, I only hope and pray that the Liberal government will listen to the amendments brought forth by the two members from Cape Breton and that we move forward with a very positive resolution for the people of Cape Breton, especially its coal miners.