Debates of April 30th, 2001

Farm Credit Corporation Act

[Rick Borotsik, Progressive Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to the comments from the previous speaker. We have gone off in a different direction with respect to the bill before us right now, the bill dealing with the Farm Credit Corporation. However I will touch on that other direction just for a moment.

As members are well aware, I am the Progressive Conservative Party critic for agriculture. I have obviously had a lot of dealings not only with members on this side but with members on the government side as well as producers. In my constituency, agriculture is the backbone of our economy and therefore I deal with this issue on a daily basis.

As for the dollars that were earmarked for the agricultural economy, dollars that were to go back to producers, the $500 million, different provinces are providing those dollars in different fashions. In Manitoba we call it CMAP 2, the second program. With provincial and federal contributions, it will come to about $92 million. That has been capped at about $11,000 for each producer. To the member for Toronto—Danforth, $11,000 might sound like an awful lot. However, currently it is costing the average producer somewhere in the neighbourhood of $120,000 to $150,000 to put a crop in the ground. Input costs such as those for fertilizer, gas and pesticides are included. Therefore the $11,000 is not a substantial amount of money.

The member for Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore was right when he indicated that there was an additional requirement for $400 million. That would have brought it up to what we consider to be a reasonable limit of $900 million at that time.

I do not want to get into a debate, but every member on that side of the House stood and voted against an additional $400 million. It was not a non-confidence motion. It was just not meant to be. The amount of dollars that were necessary at the time were not forthcoming.

For producers who will receive their portion of the $500 million, it is not sufficient to keep most of them on the land, on the farms this year. A long term well thought out safety net policy is necessary and must come forward, a policy that would allow farmers some glimmer of hope they can produce crops that pay a fair price for a commodity and that they can continue farming not only in their lifetimes but hopefully into the lifetimes of their children and their grandchildren.

We are here not only to talk about agriculture but a component of agriculture, the Farm Credit Corporation. As we have seen in the debate, agriculture has changed over the last number of years. It has changed effectively from last year. The Farm Credit Corporation has to maintain its ability to compete in that world of change in agriculture.

The Farm Credit Corporation was created on October 5, 1959 by the Diefenbaker Conservative government when the Farm Credit Act was proclaimed into Canadian law to provide a consistent source of lending services that farmers could rely on through all economic cycles. At that time the corporation was mandated to provide one product at a fixed rate, that is first mortgage loans to farmers to a maximum $20,000.

I mention that because we have come a long way from 1959 to today, and the Farm Credit Corporation has to move with that change within the agricultural industry.

During the first 34 years the Farm Credit Corporation and the Farm Credit Act went through many evolutions to keep step with the agriculture industry. In 1968 farming corporations became eligible for FCC loans. Loan limits increased to $150,000 in 1975. In 1982 amendments to the act led to the introduction of more loan products and the FCC made its debut on the capital markets.

In 1993 the Farm Credit Act was replaced with the Farm Credit Corporation Act, which expanded the mandate of the FCC to better respond to the needs of the agricultural sector. The FCC could now offer products such as financing to purchase or improve farmland and buildings, buying personal property for farming purposes and consolidating debts. It enabled the corporation to support value added production by providing financing for diversified enterprises on or off the farm.

The act has helped bring the FCC in sync with the changing marketplace. The Farm Credit Corporation loan portfolio has grown from $3.4 billion in 1993 when the act was introduced to $6 billion today. At present the crown corporation serves 44,000 customers with 900 employees in 100 offices across Canada.

The Farm Credit Corporation is a good corporate citizen. It is there for a purpose. Back in 1959 the purpose was identified, the need was identified and the Farm Credit Corporation was born. It is a good crown corporation that provides a very valuable service to many farm customers across the country.

It is a bank. Let us make no mistake about that. I can go out and find people anywhere who do not like dealing with banks of any sort.

Sometimes people who borrow money do not like paying it back and therefore the bank is at fault. The FCC is a good bank. It does its business properly. It puts money into the agricultural sector. It gets the money back from producers and puts it back into the sector again. It is self-sufficient and self-supporting.

Last year the FCC put record amounts of dollars back into the farm economy. A record amount of $1.7 billion was lent to agriculture producers. We recognize that there are some difficulties in the farm economy right now. Why is it that banks are lending a record amount of $1.7 billion? Is most of it rewriting old notes and old loans? The answer I was given was no.

About $200 million of it was rewriting old notes, but $1.5 billion was new money going back to people to expand their farm operations, to put in different types of operations, agriculture operating practices and value added processing units. It is good money and good business.

The bank must expand its abilities to be able to compete in a world where agriculture needs new and innovative measures and programs. It has done that since 1959 when it started with a maximum $20,000 mortgage loan at one rate. It has gone the whole gambit now. The act would allow the Farm Credit Corporation to put forward new products to producers that would help them continue their operations.

The Progressive Conservative government improved the way FCC was managed. We brought in the FCC equity building plan in 1990 to allow farmers to extend their leases and buy back land once they were on firmer financial ground.

The Progressive Conservatives moved the head office of FCC to Regina so that it could be closer to those who it serviced the most, namely the majority of customers in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta.

We passed a bill to expand the role of FCC allowing it to make loans to farmers who wanted to diversify their operations. The bank was able to and allowed to put more dollars into the pockets of farmers who wanted to diversify their operations and become better at what they did.

There are a number of components in Bill C-25 that I would like to speak to and in some cases I wish to question. In every legislation one wants to hear from the people whom it will affect. We also want to hear the ups and downs or the pros and cons of amendments to the bill.

I would like to mention another point. The president of the FCC appeared before the agriculture committee last week. I stood in the House about a week ago on a piece of private member's business and suggested having crown corporations including the Canadian Wheat Board open to access to information guidelines.

Members of the government argued against me quite vehemently. They suggested it was my backdoor way of trying to get at the Canadian Wheat Board, which in fact it was not. It was simply a matter of trying to have transparency and accountability in a crown corporation.

The FCC is a crown corporation. I asked the president if the FCC was eligible under the Access to Information Act and he said that it was. I can file an access to information request with respect to the FCC and I would then have access to that information.

I asked the president if it was a real deterrent in a very competitive business like banking. He explained to us that it was not the case, that he did have the ability under the act to withhold some very sensitive information that would be a detriment to the competitiveness of the business, but he said in general terms that having to deal under the Access to Information Act was not an impediment to its operation. I say to the government side that here is one crown corporation, which is in a very competitive business with banks, credit unions and other financial lending institutions, that can work under those circumstances and still have access to information available in its crown corporation.

The bill is a step in the right direction. The PC Party will be supporting reference of the bill to committee after second reading. We look forward to asking specific questions of stakeholders who will come before the committee to give their impressions of the legislation.

The first thing the bill would do is change the name from Farm Credit Corporation, the name which I grew up with and know very well, to Farm Credit Canada. There is not much differentiation between Farm Credit Canada and the Farm Credit Corporation.

We all recognize FCC as a federal institution. I am told that the only reason this is to happen is so that more credit can be given to the federal government. When customers go to farm credit Canada as a crown corporation, they will recognize it as a Canadian federal institution as opposed to a provincial institution.

To me there is much in a name. Perhaps there are reasons that can be explained to me as to why this is absolutely necessary. I would also like to know what the costs are in changing the name from Farm Credit Corporation to Farm Credit Canada. Changes in the letterhead, operating tools, all the documents and required legal changes in a name change may well have a huge cost associated with them. Perhaps it would be better to use those dollars to give producers a lesser rate, or perhaps even more support systems to producers, than simply to change the name. We would have to debate that.

The mandate of the FCC would be expanded from financial services to farming operations and businesses related to farming, to business services and products to such enterprises. That in itself is broadening the mandate of the FCC, of which our party approves.

Farming is changing quite dramatically. In my constituency alone the majority of the economy is either directly or indirectly related to agriculture. We have often said that we cannot simply sell the raw material at the farm gate and expect an income generated that would allow people to stay on the farm. We have to value add. We have to add to the product. We have to make sure that those businesses are set up to take a raw material and make it into something more than just simply a bushel of wheat or a bushel of barley going some place else.

That means a number of opportunities. In my area in particular we have a state of the art hog processing plant which means that more raw material must be produced. That raw material requires a lot of investment in hog farms, cattle operations and chicken farms. The FCC must have the ability to be able to finance those types of operations to allow for diversification in the agricultural community.

Beyond that, looking into the production services and processing services of other businesses can now go forward. We have around my area an isoboard plant that produces strawboard. FCC should, does and would have the ability to fund those operations so that straw taken from agricultural production could go into the production of another commodity that has value.

The FCC should also have the ability to do equity deals, another opportunity in expansion of the services that it would be able to provide.

The FCC would have the authority to provide loans to businesses related to farming in both cases where the business is majority owned by farmers and where it is not. Currently it has to be owned by farmers. Now it can go outside those guidelines, outside the box, and allow dollars to go to loans given to corporations which do not have any direct farmer impact. That is good as it expands the services available from the FCC.

The FCC would be given authority to incorporate, amalgamate and dissolve subsidiaries. It would be able to provide lease financing for assets to be used in a farming operation or a business related to farming. This again is a change in the FCC mandate where there could be lease financing for assets. This would allow operations to free up cashflows to go into the operation or expansion of their businesses.

The FCC would be given the authority to acquire and dispose of equity interests in farming operations or in businesses related to farming. The president of the FCC would be designated as its CEO. A provision would be made for the appointment of an acting president and an acting chairperson where necessary. This is just good business.

As I mentioned earlier, the FCC is a well run and self-sufficient corporation. It has $6 billion outstanding in loans, but it must get with the program of today's 21st century operations of business.

There are potential questions and criticisms. I mentioned the name change and the cost. The bill has the potential to unnecessarily compete directly with credit unions and banks. The purpose of the FCC is to provide loans to farmers and not to equipment dealers and wheat pools.

I say that we must question this, not necessarily disagree with it. It must expand its opportunities to compete. Competition in the banking industry is not so terrible, and neither is competition in grain marketing. Banks and credit unions can compete effectively with the FCC. I do not believe the rules have unfair advantages for the FCC and I am sure banking institutions see it the same way.

Although the bill expands the lending powers of the FCC, farmers do not need more debt. That is one of my concerns. Extending more credit to farmers is perhaps not the best thing for farmers who already have substantial debt. Unfortunately banking institutions too often are more the problem than the solution. Where there is equity in the land moneys will be given to farmers, and that is not necessarily the best thing. However I have faith in the FCC to know what is best for it, for its customers and for the industry.

We have not heard a lot from other members, stakeholders or industry groups, but that is what the committee is all about. Perhaps when witnesses appear we will have a chance to examine the bill more thoroughly and get their input into what is good or bad about the legislation.

On behalf of the Progressive Conservative Party we will be supporting this piece of legislation. I agree in all sincerity with the mandate of the Farm Credit Corporation. It does an exceptional job, considering that it is a bank and that people have as much respect for bankers as they do for politicians. However as a banking facility it does, in my opinion, provide the services that are needed in the agricultural community.

I look forward to coming back to the House after committee and perhaps putting forth amendments. I certainly look forward to coming back at third reading and suggesting that some of the stakeholders proposed good changes to what I consider a good piece of legislation.

[Roy H. Bailey, Canadian Alliance, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I will direct a question to the hon. member from the Conservative Party. It concerns the flooding that occurred in the southwest of his constituency and in the southeast of my constituency. About 100,000 acres in my constituency are under water at the present time.

I will go back to those years as they relate to the Farm Credit Corporation because the people in that corner of my constituency and in the corner of the hon. member's constituency have never financially recovered from the flood. I wonder if the new regulations of the Farm Credit Corporation will venture into that broke and devastated area and see fit to help those people get back into the farming economy. With pictures like the one I have right now, we can see those people are finished.

In order to get crop insurance farmers had to put a crop in. They also had to take it off, so they took off barley that weighed about 38 pounds and oats that weighed under 30 pounds and they still have it in their bins. They cannot sell it or give it away, and yet when they applied for the AIDA program they had to list it as a saleable commodity.

Does the member think the new bill we are debating will help people in Gainsborough, Saskatchewan, or Melita, Manitoba?

[Rick Borotsik, Progressive Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I know where the member for Souris—Moose Mountain's sympathies lie. I sympathized with producers in my area and his area in 1999 when a lot of our constituents were unable to put in a crop. The worst thing that can happen for a producer is to see land sitting there and not allow it to grow a crop.

I could stand here and argue the insensitivity of the government in not providing proper support to the area as it did for the ice storm, the Red River Valley flood and other situations. However that is not the question. The question is whether the bill will allow the FCC to put the proper tools and money back into those areas.

The FCC always had the tools to put money into those areas but on an individual, one on one basis. The hon. member is a farmer. He recognizes that different operations are handled differently. Each operation has different commodities, different debt loads and different cash flows, and each must be dealt with individually.

The FCC, as any other bank, looks at the likelihood of repayment as the final requirement in deciding whether to put more dollars into those areas. I believe the FCC would consider investing in those areas, certainly more so than some of the large national banks that are pulling out of them. I am sure the member would agree that banks are not as forthcoming with agriculture, whether in our areas or other areas. Only the FCC would consider investing in those areas.

Credit unions may consider it as well. I give credit unions a lot of support for going into smaller areas and putting money back into the agricultural community, particularly in our areas.

We are finding it tough. There is no question. Some people in the area affected by the flood will not put in crops this year. It is as simple as that. Will the land be farmed? In most cases, yes. It will be rented out and farmed by someone else, but perhaps not by the right people. It should be farmed by the people who owned it originally but they have decided to get out of farming. That is sad. It is something we try to prevent, but unfortunately the government does not listen.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the hon. member for Brandon—Souris. As he knows, the FCC has now expanded outside agriculture and into aquaculture. Should aquaculture be under the authority of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans or the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food?

Many commercial fishermen and the Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters have expressed concern about government lending to aquaculture sites when environmental concerns about aquaculture have not yet been fully debated or researched. Does he or his party have concerns about funding to industries such as aquaculture?

[Rick Borotsik, Progressive Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is one of the few areas in which I do not have a lot of experience or understanding. However I too was not a recipient of the apple. There were 100 apples given out and I never got one. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I do not know much about aquaculture.

I do know, however, that aquaculture is funded by the FCC. It should be funded by some sort of venture capital program. Aquaculture should have the opportunity to develop as an industry. In order to do so it must have investment programs available to it, particularly venture capital investments. Whether that is done through the FCC or some other program is not important. However the FCC does have experience with that and I would like to see it continue putting dollars back into the industry.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Canadian Alliance, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to address an issue of great importance to my constituents. I will be raising questions that the government must answer before we can continue the debate. I look forward to hearing the answers which will, hopefully, be forthcoming.

For those watching on television, I will outline what we are debating today. Bill C-25 is an act to amend the Farm Credit Corporation Act and make consequential amendments to other acts that affect this area.

The purpose of the bill, as outlined by the government, is to modify the role of the Farm Credit Corporation. The bill proposes changes to three key areas.

The lending role of the FCC would be expanded to allow it to lend to businesses which are not directly involved in primary agricultural production and in which farmers are not necessarily the majority shareholders.

The lending role of the FCC would also be expanded to allow it to provide equity financing. This could be accomplished by allowing the FCC to hold non-fixed assets, for example cattle or other things, as collateral. Bill C-25 would formalize the FCC's leasing ability which could include farm land.

This is of primary importance to the people of Saskatchewan. I looked at some of the figures put out by the Farm Credit Corporation. Saskatchewan alone has $1.3 billion in loans. That is second only to Ontario, which has $2.1 billion. The other provinces fall in line. Alberta and Quebec are next with a little under $1 billion in assets in the portfolio.

Because that is of such critical importance to the people of Saskatchewan, and with the farm crisis we are currently experiencing, it is important that the government handle the issue very carefully. We need to ensure that primary producers, farmers of Saskatchewan, are properly protected and that we do not move away from properly serving them through the Farm Credit Corporation.

The bill before us would expand the focus of the Farm Credit Corporation past its original mandate of providing financial services only to family farms and businesses directly related to primary production. We need to ask whether the Farm Credit Corporation's involvement should go beyond direct farming operations and, if so, how primary producers would be protected.

My colleague from B.C. who is sitting beside me would ask the same question in relation to things that go on in B.C. People in the Maritimes would also like to know how they would be protected. They would like to know if the focus of the FCC would continue to be on farmers and their needs.

If we extended the FCC's lending abilities beyond primary production the bill would bring the Farm Credit Corporation into direct competition with private lending institutions and make it overlap with other government institutions such as the Business Development Bank.

In the little town I come from there is a credit union that was established many years ago to serve the clientele in that area. It is a co-operative of sorts. I need to know if the FCC will directly compete with organizations which were established to serve local people and which have done an excellent job of doing so. Sometimes a good thing can undermine one that is even better. We need to ensure that does not happen.

There is tremendous openness for interpretation in some of the bill's clauses. I will read a section from the bill:

The purpose of the Corporation is to enhance rural Canada by providing specialized and personalized business and financial services and products to farming operations, including family farms, and to those businesses in rural Canada, including small and medium-sized businesses, that are businesses related to farming. The primary focus of the activities of the Corporation shall be on farming operations, including family farms.

It sounds wonderful. It sounds good. It is an intention that we could never disagree with, but years down the road how will it be interpreted? What will a business related to farming include? What will it consist of?

Unless we have an assurance that somehow primary producers, farmers, will be protected, we would have difficulty supporting this idea. The idea is great, but we need to know what will happen and how it will be interpreted in the future.

We also note Bill C-25 that we are discussing will formalize the FCC's ability to own and lease land. The FCC has stated that this is not the intent of the amendment. It claims that the leasing provisions are for equipment. However, again the legislation does not make this clear. It can give the government the mandate to make changes behind the scenes, to slip in changes that would affect agriculture very adversely. It is not like other legislation that is often brought before the House. It is enabling legislation.

Through the administration of the bill many changes can be made that were not anticipated when the bill was debated in the House of Commons and often received the support of many members. We need to know if this will give the FCC the ability to begin to own land, possibly for long periods of time, without any limit as to how long it can hang on to the land.

Will this inflate the price of land and cause hardship for many farmers who right now have a difficult time competing with those who are not directly involved in agriculture? We need to know if that will be the case. We do not see any limitations within the bill that address some of these concerns. Will the FCC be allowed to permanently hold and lease land that could result in the market value of farmland increasing and hurting primary producers?

Those may not sound like major concerns at this point but years down the road, once the legislation comes into full effect, it could hurt the people involved across Canada. Allowing the FCC to permanently hold and lease land may provide that corporation with the incentive not to pursue every other possible means to allow farmers who are experiencing financial difficulty to stay on the land. In short, the bill could provide the FCC with the incentive to prematurely foreclose on Canadian farmland.

Will the FCC continue to look at its mandate to help farmers or will it become more involved in ensuring that the corporation is financially successful? That could have a very negative effect. We need to have the assurance and the proper amendments need to be made so that farmers have the guarantee that it will not move away from its mandate.

I read the clause in the bill which can be interpreted in many other ways. We would agree that businesses in rural Canada, including small and medium size businesses and businesses related to farming, should get the help they need, but how far away from farming does a business have to be before one begins to say it is not really related to farming?

Will the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool be eligible for loans under the legislation? I would like to know. I do not know. We are asking some tough questions that need answers.

Under the current legislation, the FCC will become a significant landowner. In 2000 the FCC owned over 360,000 acres. Guess where most of that farmland was owned? Some 95% of it was in the province of Saskatchewan, the province that is experiencing the most difficulty right now in the farm crisis. Not to belittle the problems that farmers are having in Manitoba, Alberta and across the country, but this is having a major impact because of the dependence on grain and oilseed crops in the province.

While it is impossible for the FCC to avoid holding land for short periods of time, the act should somehow explicitly state that the FCC would divest itself of any holdings as quickly as possible.

Bill C-25 also extends the FCC's lending ability into the area of equity financing. This would be done by allowing the FCC to hold non-fixed assets such as cattle as collateral for loans. This change would allow the FCC to provide farm financing to primary producers who are not eligible under current legislation. In many cases this would provide financing that would not be available from private lenders. This is a very positive change to the legislation. The funding that would often be limited to primary producers would no longer be available.

In the Canadian Alliance policy we state very clearly that we will foster a healthy economic environment for the benefit of consumers by pursuing free and open trade at home and abroad, including the elimination of interprovincial trade barriers.

We will withdraw government from areas of the economy where the private sector could deliver the same services more efficiently. We will end the unfair practice of providing subsidies to industries, businesses and special interest groups.

We do not want the government to compete with areas in the private sector that are providing a good service and possibly undermine that service. That is what we are saying in our policy and we stand by that.

We will withdraw from areas in the economy where the private sector could deliver the same services more efficiently. I already pointed out that they might be competing with another institution, namely the Business Development Bank.

Will Bill C-25 take away the primary focus of the FCC from providing credit to primary producers? If that were to happen, we as Canadian Alliance members of parliament believe that this would be a shift in the wrong direction. This would be a move away from where we should be moving.

The FCC should not be providing funding for non-farming operations if it hurts farmers and primary producers. Lending institutions are already in that area, for example the Business Development Bank of Canada.

We in the Alliance Party do not want the Farm Credit Corporation under Bill C-25 to go into direct competition with private sector lenders. That would be wrong and that would get the government involved in areas that it should not be involved in. That is a basic policy area of the Canadian Alliance.

The bill formalizes a lot of the FCC's leasing ability. We have to be very careful. Short term ownership of land is unavoidable in some cases, but the FCC should not go into the business of owning farmland in the long term. It could inflate the price of land and hurt the whole agricultural sector. This might make it more difficult for farmers and for primary producers to get credit where they normally would be able to access that credit.

I have a couple of other questions, but the key question still needs to be asked and has to be answered by the government. Does the bill ensure that farmers will be properly served? Will farmers have to compete for capital now that they normally did not have to compete for before?

I need to mention something else. Will Canadian taxpayers be on the hook for loans that would not normally have been made but would be made and in turn be a higher risk loan? Would taxpayers be on the hook for any bad decisions made?

I mentioned about this being enabling legislation, enabling the government to do things behind the scenes that it would not openly do. I am noted for following the Firearms Act issue. One thing I have found through that piece of enabling legislation is that the government has brought forward many things it originally said was not its intention, such as private police and enforcement agencies. The kinds of things we were assured would not happen are in fact happening.

What does that have to do with this legislation? Will this bill be an open book for the government to bring in government policy through the back door that may hurt farmers but may not be directly visible at this time? We need to have that kind of protection. Are the changes here in the best interest of farmers?

Will adequate provisions be made in Bill C-25 that would prevent the FCC from bailing out large, non-farmer owned businesses at a future date? I do not see that protection right now. Large corporations could possibly access capital for a bailout that would hurt farmers directly. A large agribusiness, possibly even a multinational agribusiness, could access the money unless there are proper provisions put in place that this would not happen.

If we read the legislation it sounds good, but it could be interpreted years down the road in a very different manner than we are expected to interpret it at this point. Would a limit be set on the size of loans offered to businesses that are not majority owned by farmers? We need to have that protection put in the bill.

Would a farm equipment dealer be able to access the resources of the Farm Credit Corporation? Could these businesses access capital through other lending institutions? We do not know what checks and balances will be provided to ensure that certain companies will not be able to access the capital, which would then remove that capital base or pool of capital from primary producers.

All these things need to be addressed. I should like to hear some of these questions answered by the government. I see that my time is up. I have asked what I think are the key questions farmers in my riding are asking. I would like the government to answer those questions today.

The Environment

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Oak Ridges, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today the Toronto Star reported that the provincial minister of the environment has vowed to save the Oak Ridges moraine as part of her challenge to make the environment a priority once again with the Ontario government. She is quoted as saying “For the first time it seems the premier and my cabinet colleagues are committed” to the environment.

It is nice to know the provincial government has finally listened to what the people around the greater Toronto area have been saying since the 1980s. It is nice to know that the provincial minister now has a great appreciation of protecting the environment and that the moraine is an environmentally sensitive area.

Let me remind the House of an announcement made by the Minister of Transport in my riding on March 23 this year. In addition to the award winning park designed for the Downsview lands, and in addition to the renewal of the Toronto waterfront, the federal government will protect in perpetuity 7,562 acres of land around the Rouge Park and the Oak Ridges moraine.

This was the right thing to do. Now let us see how the province will contribute to saving the Oak Ridges moraine.

Workplace Safety

[Jim Gouk, Canadian Alliance, Kootenay—Boundary—Okanagan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, if we go back in Canadian history we find that we had some very dangerous workplaces. A lot of people lost their lives through work practices. Conditions now are much better and we continue to improve yearly, but lives are still lost through workplace accidents. Even one life lost is one too many.

Conditions in other countries in some cases now ape exactly what Canada was like in its earliest years. It is very dangerous for workers in those countries.

When joining with them as trading partners, that is something Canada should take the lead on to ensure that there is workplace safety not only in this country but in countries around the world, particularly those we trade with.

We will continue to make an effort for the future of all workers in this country and others because it is critical that people be able to practise their occupation and know that they are coming home safely to their families. Families of workers who have lost someone in their family as a result of workplace accidents—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Davenport.

The Environment

[Charles Caccia, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, President Bush took the world by surprise when he announced his decision not to ratify the Kyoto protocol on climate change.

What is in Canada's best interest now? First is not to waver but to continue with our commitment to the Kyoto agreement and adopt a strong plan for greenhouse gas emission reduction.

Second is to learn from past experience, and particularly from acid rain in the 1980s, in the knowledge that the U.S.A. often decides to join global initiatives at a later date.

Third is to play a constructive and convincing role in Washington to join global efforts, setting an example with other developed countries for the developing countries such as China and India to follow at a later date.

Canada can show leadership in energy efficiency and demonstrate its sense of responsibility to the global community. Climate change represents a golden opportunity. Will the Government of Canada seize this opportunity? Hopefully, yes.

Indigenous Games

[John Harvard, Liberal, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the House that Canada will host the North American Indigenous Games from July 25 to August 4, 2002.

These games are the cornerstone of a growing movement of aboriginal sport and culture and were born out of the reality that aboriginal youth athletes have not been provided the same opportunities to participate in domestic or international competitions as their non-aboriginal counterparts.

Identifying and removing the barriers to participation for aboriginal people in sport in Canada is one of the four equity and access ministerial priorities for the Department of Canadian Heritage. The North American Indigenous Games are one of the primary vehicles identified by the aboriginal community as a means of achieving this policy.

I invite members to join me in congratulating the host society, the city of Winnipeg, the province of Manitoba and the Government of Canada, on their efforts in preparing to welcome over 7,000 young aboriginal athletes in 2002.

Japan Prize

[Stephen Owen, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to inform the House today of a most prestigious award in recognition of the work of University of British Columbia Professor Emeritus Dr. Timothy Parsons. Dr. Parsons is the first Canadian to receive the prestigious Japan Prize, which is equivalent to a Nobel Prize.

Awarded the Japan Prize in Tokyo last Friday, Dr. Parsons was recognized for his extremely valuable work in fisheries oceanography through his work in renewable resource management and conservation.

Through this award, Dr. Parsons is recognized by scientists around the world. The level of this award exemplifies his important career in science and the advancements of sustainable marine life.

Grants And Contributions

[Brian Pallister, Canadian Alliance, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government continues to use its agencies for self-promotion rather than the public good.

For example, a briefing note that was written for the industry minister by an official at western economic diversification indicates that a proposal for funding a new NRC research facility in Edmonton is driven by the government's need for “visibility and credit”.

Obviously the Liberals' way of doing business is more about making themselves look good than it is about serving Canadians. Fortunately most Canadian taxpayers know that and they resent Liberal efforts to buy their favour with their own money.

The Canadian Alliance has always favoured the replacement of the regional development agencies with policies that are actually designed to address persistent regional economic inequities.

These new government documents lend credence to that policy by showing that western economic diversification and its sister agencies are all about benefiting the Liberal government and not about benefiting the people of Canada.

Hepatitis C

[Yvon Charbonneau, Liberal, Anjou—Rivière-Des-Prairies, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the diligent efforts of the hon. member of parliament for Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore in promoting Hepatitis C Awareness Month.

Although Bill C-243 was dropped from the order paper, I am nevertheless pleased to inform the House that the Minister of Health has designated May as Hepatitis Awareness Month.

Increased public awareness is essential if Canadians are to be better informed about hepatitis. Hepatitis Awareness Month is a good means of achieving this.

The profile of hepatitis C will be raised at the upcoming Canadian conference on this disease which will take place in Montreal this week. Health Canada is a major sponsor of this conference.

By designating May as Hepatitis C Awareness Month, our government is providing clear proof of its commitment to fight this disease through prevention and information.

Héritage Saint-Bernard

[Robert Lanctôt, Bloc, Châteauguay, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last Friday a community organization in my riding, Héritage Saint-Bernard, won the Mérite municipal award given by the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de la Métropole du Québec.

Héritage Saint-Bernard was founded to ensure the protection and development of fauna habitats along the shores of the St. Lawrence in the Châteauguay region, as well as to make these unique spaces accessible and raise public awareness of the importance and fragility of the biodiversity of ecological environments in the metropolitan region.

Last year, Héritage Saint-Bernard won the Phénix award, and in 1999 the Black Duck waterfowl management award, North American sector.

Our most sincere congratulations to this organization which has the interests of our future generations at heart and is working to leave them the heritage of a unique spot of which we can all be proud.

Cancer Awareness Month

[Gurbax Malhi, Liberal, Bramalea—Gore—Malton—Springdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the month of April is Cancer Awareness Month.

Statistics show that in 1999 an estimated 129,300 cases of cancer and 63,400 deaths from cancer occurred in Canada. The leading cause of cancer death for both men and women continues to be lung cancer.

Unfortunately, many Canadians are unaware of preventive measures such as not smoking and a healthy diet to protect against cancer.

Therefore I request the Government of Canada to continue its support of cancer research and prevention initiatives.

Hockey

[Roy H. Bailey, Canadian Alliance, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Speaker, today I want to congratulate the Weyburn Red Wings hockey team who won the Anavet Cup Saturday night with a score of 3-2 in double overtime against the Manitoba OCN Blizzards. The Red Wings won the series in a hard fought six games. I applaud both teams for their great effort.

The Weyburn Red Wings have won the Anavet Cup five times, three times in the last five seasons. Now they advance to the national championships, which this year will be held in Flin Flon, Manitoba.

The Canadian championship series will be a round robin affair with teams from Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Flin Flon, Manitoba, Camrose, Alberta, Saint-Jérôme, Quebec and Thornhill, Ontario.

I want to inform the House that this member will be pulling for the Weyburn Red Wings to win the national championship.

Robica Forman Tank Limited

[John Richardson, Liberal, Perth—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to congratulate Robica Forman Tank Limited of St. Marys, Ontario.

Robica Forman has landed one of the biggest contracts in its history, a $10 million contract to supply the Canadian military with 88 fuel delivery tanker trucks in the next two years.

Robica Forman will construct the six wheel drive 7000 litre refueler tankers that will be used at military bases in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta.

Robica, a family owned business, has been operating since 1952. It specializes in petroleum and propane tank trucks, fire trucks and water tankers. There are 50 employees working for the company.

Robica's plants in St. Marys and Stratford will both benefit from this deal. In order to handle the additional work, Robica will expand its plant in St. Marys and hire an additional 12 to 15 new staff. I want to congratulate Bob Nothof and the staff at Robica.

The Gully

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, off the coast of Nova Scotia near Sable Island lies the largest submarine canyon on the eastern coast of North America, commonly known as the Gully. It is larger than the Grand Canyon in the United States.

The Gully is home to 15 species of whales and dolphins, including the vulnerable northern bottlenose whale, ancient sea coral and many varieties of fish.

For bringing the Gully to the attention of parliament and all Canadians, I wish to extend my thanks to Sarah Dover of the World Wildlife Fund, Dr. Rick Smith of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Elisabeth May of the Sierra Club, Derek Jones of Newellton, Nova Scotia and Mark Butler of the Ecology Action Centre of Nova Scotia. They stress the need for protection of the Gully from deep sea fishing and oil and gas exploration.

We in the New Democratic Party from coast to coast encourage the government to immediately designate the Gully as a marine protected area and protect it for future generations.

Social Housing

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, most of the people facing real housing problems are women renters. Whether they live alone, head a single parent family or are young or old, they are often faced with housing that is too expensive and does not meet their needs.

The housing crisis is a daily drama for women, and Statistics Canada's latest figures show us just how much. To be a woman and a renter is a losing combination.

One of the major Canadian demands of the World March of Women is a 1% increase in public spending on housing.

The Bloc Quebecois calls on the federal government to stop ignoring the problem and to go after the problem of poverty by investing the amounts requested in housing. It must correct the injustices committed in 1994.

Amateur Sports

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

Mr. Speaker, this weekend the first ever national summit on sport took place in Ottawa.

The meeting marked the end of a year long consultation process on amateur sports and the beginning of an ambitious plan to enhance and strengthen sports in Canada.

The hon. Secretary of State for Amateur Sport announced concrete action. He announced $10 million in new funding for Sports Canada. He announced the creation of three new advisory committees to examine the sports administration and development system, the role of advanced technology in developing our athletes and how corporate Canada can become involved in funding amateur sport. As well, he set a one year deadline for developing a national policy on sport.

I congratulate the hon. secretary of state and I look forward to the advances amateur sports will make following the recommendations made during the summit.

Hiv-Aids

[Bill Casey, Progressive Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the death toll on the African continent is rising every day, and I am not referring to floods and earthquakes.

The HIV-AIDS pandemic has already killed 21 million in Africa, mostly the young. It has now infected almost 26 million in sub-Saharan Africa, almost equivalent to the population of Canada. One thousand people per day die in Zimbabwe alone. In less than three months that would equate to every man, woman and child in my riding of Cumberland—Colchester.

In Botswana 36% of adults are infected. In another central African city 43% of all adults are infected. Of the global number of people infected by AIDS, 70% are on the African continent.

However, the numbers only tell half the story. The sick and dying have little care and money for medication and assistance.

The PC Party today urges the Minister of Foreign Affairs to put this issue on the front burner so that Canada can work with others to address this human catastrophe starting right now.

The Environment

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians value the wonderful diversity of plants and animals found across the many different regions of our country.

On April 19 the Government of Canada continued its efforts to protect biodiversity by signing the Cartagena protocol to the United Nations convention on biological diversity. The protocol, also known as the biosafety protocol, will protect natural biodiversity by regulating the trade of living, genetically modified plants, animals and micro-organisms.

Canada was one of the first countries to ratify the convention on biological diversity and has also been an active and committed participant in the negotiations on the protocol for biosafety. The protocol represents another solid step in moving toward the protection of our country's biodiversity.

As well, I hope and believe that the new species at risk legislation will go further to enhance what we already have in the country. I urge movement on this particular bill in a fashion that will do justice to the interests of—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Selkirk—Interlake.

Agriculture

[Howard Hilstrom, Canadian Alliance, Selkirk—Interlake, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Arnold Schmidt is a prairie farmer who has diversified into organic wheat production.

Mr. Schmidt has gone further than just growing organic grain for a niche market. He has developed sales for organic flour milled from his own grain. This is exactly the type of initiative that will bring agriculture out of the current income crisis caused by the disastrously low world prices for traditional crops.

Unfortunately, Mr. Schmidt cannot get an export permit for his organic flour from the Canadian Wheat Board. This is in spite of the fact that the Canadian Wheat Board provides no marketing services to him. This is wrong.

The government claims that it has introduced Bill C-25 in order to promote value added processing. What it refuses to understand is that the best way to promote diversification and value added processing is to get out of the way of entrepreneurs like Mr. Schmidt.

The Canadian Wheat Board minister is personally responsible for not helping organic farmers.