House of Commons Hansard #149 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was gasoline.

Topics

Opposition motion—Gasoline PricesBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Conservative

Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB

Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to my colleague's comments. Since they were directed at Alberta, I would like to make a couple of comments and ask her a couple of questions.

First, she talks about a transfer of wealth. She is right, it is about a transfer of wealth. It is about the fact that 16% of every manufacturing job in the province of Ontario depends on the oil patch in Alberta. I know she does not care about that in the province of Quebec, but it is also about transfer of wealth in terms of the equalization payments that go to Quebec that are funded by, in very large part, the oil patch in Alberta and taxpayers in Alberta.We do not mind that. I certainly do not mind that as an Albertan.

However, I would like to ask her a question. People talk about unfair increases in the price of gas. Under the Liberal plan for Kyoto, it would go to $1.60 or $2.00 a litre. I am sure she would find that unfair. But what is fair? People say this is an unfair rise or that it is an unreasonable profit. I would like to know from the member what is, then, a fair rise in gas prices, depending on market fluctuations, and what is a reasonable profit for the oil companies? I suspect the answer to that would be zero, but I would like to ask the hon. member that question.

Opposition motion—Gasoline PricesBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Bloc

Francine Lalonde Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague opposite for the qualities he attributes to me. I also thank him for his important question.

In countries where people are very concerned about the environment, trying seriously to meet the Kyoto objectives—and meeting them—, the price of gasoline is indeed high. However, there it is not the oil companies that pocket the difference at $1.18 a litre or $2.50 a litre in some countries. This amount is tax money, which goes toward achieving environmental objectives or to help people in greatest need manage with the cost of living.

I would like to take this opportunity to say that another colleague opposite mentioned the fact that the policies of certain countries, like the Nordic countries, make the government and individuals poorer. It is not true that they hurt the economy. Let us take a look at Sweden, Denmark, Holland and Belgium. These countries are among the richest. These countries treat the environment with respect and enjoy the best social and working conditions. It is possible to have an economy that is regulated but not totally controlled and in the hands of the government. I am talking about an economy with internal rules to keep the most powerful players from doing what they want without impunity. That is the problem here, and these powerful players have become ever more powerful.

Opposition motion—Gasoline PricesBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Liberal

Ken Boshcoff Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON

Mr. Speaker, there is currently much concern in the national community of organizations and groups of individuals who want to stage protests against oil companies. There is a big concern, though, that if there is a boycott of one service station or another that we may actually inflict some serious damage on an independent franchise or someone who really cannot afford to take the hit as opposed to a corporate store or a corporate outlet. Of course, we do not want to cause damage to individuals. The goal here is to expose the deception of the Prime Minister and also the collusion of the oil companies.

Opposition motion—Gasoline PricesBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Bloc

Francine Lalonde Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question.

I think the member understands that our motion is intended to ensure that the public, which at the moment is overwhelmed by increases it does not understand and can only try to fight, will know that someone is minding the store, that the commissioner is ensuring there is no abuse or fraud and that the commissioner is also ensuring that the price of gasoline might not be set in collusion at an inflated level. And I mean might. The public has to know that someone is minding the store and that we are not allowing the most powerful players to do whatever they like without saying anything, except to say that it is good for the economy.

Opposition motion—Gasoline PricesBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON

Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Madawaska—Restigouche.

I am pleased to participate in this extremely important debate this afternoon on a motion that reads:

That, in the opinion of the House, the government should move an amendment to the Competition Act so that the Commissioner of Competition has the power to initiate investigations of the price of gas and the role of refining margins in the determination of the said price.

I will begin my remarks by reminding hon. members about the current role of the Competition Bureau and of its present mandate. The Competition Act contains regulations that ensure Canadians are treated fairly in the marketplace and that corporations in positions of market dominance do not abuse their status to the detriment of consumers.

The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency responsible for the administration of the Competition Act, which includes provisions against price fixing, price maintenance and abusive behaviour by a dominant firm, resulting in a lessening of competition. The Competition Bureau's role is to protect competition in the marketplace so that Canadians can benefit from competitive prices, product choice and quality service. All of its provisions apply to gasoline and other petroleum products.

Each year the bureau receives numerous complaints about gasoline prices, I am sure, from many Canadians. Complaints are examined to determine whether the provisions of the Competition Act have been violated.

We hear over and over again that the Competition Bureau has conducted, since 1990, six major investigations into allegations of collusion in the gasoline industry and that it has consistently found no evidence to suggest that periodic price increases resulted from a conspiracy to limit competition in gasoline supply.

However, collusion is not the issue. Enhancing competition at the refinery level clearly is.

We need to acknowledge that the Competition Bureau has serious limitations. It does not possess up to the minute information on all developments in the worldwide petroleum industry and it is not the bureau's mandate to conduct ongoing economic research and analysis of developments in the petroleum sector of the economy.

Today's motion calls on the government to amend the “Competition Act so that the Commissioner of Competition would have the power to initiate investigations into the price of gas and the role of refining margins in the determination of the said price”.

I would like to be very clear for everybody watching at home that the federal government does not control the price or the distribution of most goods and services sold in Canada, including gasoline, something that somehow or other people always seem to think is totally in the government's hands to control.

Where prices are not regulated, they are determined by market forces. I understand that all of us as Canadians are seeing gasoline prices rise and that people are upset at what they see as unfair prices and taxes at the pump.

Gasoline pricing is one of the most talked about and studied consumer related issues in Canada and probably the one that is most hated when people pay $100 to fill up their cars. Just last week this issue was raised to me at a local meeting of the North Islington seniors. Seniors are part of our community who immediately feel the impact of these increases in costs, as well as other families struggling on low fixed incomes. Seniors who are on very limited fixed incomes simply cannot afford to pay the astronomically high prices that we have seen lately. Just putting gas in the car to get to their appointments is creating a hardship on their lives.

High gas prices affect all Canadians. From the trucking industry that delivers food to our grocery stores, to low income families trying to make ends meet, rising gas prices are creating strains on budgets across the country.

It is not just the rising price of gasoline that is affecting my constituents in my riding of York West. The price of natural gas, which has almost doubled since last year, will continue to hit senior citizens and others living on fixed incomes much harder this coming winter.

The Ontario Energy Board has approved a 19% increase in natural gas prices to reflect the rising cost to distributors. With this increase, rates will have risen 45% since October of 1999. That translates to about $430 more a year per residential customer. Seniors on pensions and low income families, those living on fixed incomes, simply cannot afford another $400 or $500 to keep warm this winter.

When the Liberal government was in power, twice it introduced energy rebate programs when the energy costs got to an all time high.

The volatility of gasoline prices and recent high fuel prices continue to generate discussion about market fairness and the competitive nature of the retail gasoline market in Canada. The Liberal government understood the majority of the pump price of gasoline comes from the price of crude oil, a globally traded commodity. The Liberal government acted to diversify our fuel supply. Some examples include the fact that we supported initiatives that would diversify Canada's fuel supply, such as Alberta's oil sands, Hibernia in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia's Terra Nova.

We worked toward increasing performance standards for vehicles to make them more fuel efficient. We invested money in green fuel research and used fiscal policy to promote the development of green energy.

We also developed EnerGuide to promote energy efficiency in homes and places of business, which was a very popular program among many people in Canada. Sadly, this program fell victim to the minority Conservative government's radical cuts.

The Liberal Party is certainly sympathetic to consumers paying high prices for gasoline and our record shows this. We support any measure that increases transparency in the international and domestic markets for gasoline.

This motion proposes to strengthen the Competition Act to allow for investigations into gasoline prices and, specifically, their relationship to the refining margin and corporate profits. Therefore, I am pleased to support it today.

On October 6, 2005, the Liberal Party introduced measures to strengthen transparency in the energy market. As part of Bill C-66, $13 million was set aside to give Canada's Competition Bureau more powers and to strengthen the Competition Act in response to high energy costs. I would like to acknowledge the work of my colleague from Pickering—Scarborough East. In the years that I have been here this is an issue that he has championed all of those years to try to get changes.

This would have given Canada's Competition Bureau more powers and would have strengthened the Competition Act. Bill C-66 also committed $15 million to establish an office of energy price information to monitor energy price fluctuations and provide clear current information to Canadians. However, Bill C-66 was one of the first casualties of the minority Conservative government when it took power.

The Conservative government has flip-flopped on this issue since the first days of the minority Conservative government. The Prime Minister had pledged to Canadians that a Conservative government would eliminate the GST on gas entirely if prices escalated above 85¢ per litre and is now reneging on that commitment. It is another broken promise.

If that is not bad enough, after long advocating tax relief for motorists, the Prime Minister has told Canadians that they will need to get used to gas prices being this high. High gas prices are not the only thing Canadians will need to get used to under the government. The list includes sarcasm, arrogance, hypocrisy, flip-flops, contradictions and more broken promises.

Opposition motion—Gasoline PricesBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

Oshawa Ontario

Conservative

Colin Carrie ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member on reading her very well-crafted speech this afternoon but Canadians want to know where the Liberals stand on gas prices, which is why the motion was brought forward today.

We need to look at the Liberal record. On October 13, 2006, a Liberal from Toronto Rosedale, a former NDP premier and a former leadership candidate for the Liberals, said:

Consistently high fuel costs is the only way to keep pressure on the auto industry to be more innovative and fuel-efficient.

The environment minister at that time and now the leader of the Liberal Party said that high gas prices were actually good for Canada in the medium and long term.

Canadians want the Liberals to come clean. They are supporting Bill C-288, a bill that leading Canadian economists have said will raise the price of gas to $1.60 to $2 per litre. If the Liberals had their way, today Canadians would be paying $1.60 to $2 per litre.

I am asking the member today to come clean. Does she support her leader and the former leadership candidate? Does she want higher gasoline prices for all Canadians, yes or no?

Opposition motion—Gasoline PricesBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON

Mr. Speaker, the real issue is trying to get some amendments to the Competition Act. Some of those went through the industry committee but, unfortunately, were lost at committee. However, getting some amendments to the Competition Act would give it more meat in its ability to deal with issues around the refineries and ensure they are competitive.

I would remind members that gas has gone up 25¢ under the present government's watch and I have not heard the government say that it is interested or concerned at all with helping seniors and other people on fixed incomes cope with the high cost of gas this coming winter.

Opposition motion—Gasoline PricesBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON

Mr. Speaker, we just heard the hon. member say that gas has gone up 25¢ a litre under our watch. We know that is fundamentally not true. In fact, gas prices since Hurricane Katrina have been hovering in and around $1 a litre and, in fact, have gone down significantly since that date and the member knows it.

The member was asked a specific question but she did not answer it. It has been documented that Bill C-288 would drive the price of gasoline up to as much as $2 a litre. Does the member support Canadians paying as much as $2 a litre for gasoline because that is what her leader would have Canadians paying for gas?

Opposition motion—Gasoline PricesBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON

Mr. Speaker, what I would like to see us all do in the House is work toward finding a way to resolve this issue. My colleague from Pickering—Scarborough East has worked on this issue for 10 years. It is an important issue for all of us. Frankly, we should not be having this as a partisan debate. The Bloc introduced the motion and it is a good motion to get a discussion on the table.

I would like to know what the government's plan is to deal with the increasing prices. This is a question of what the government will do, not what the rest of us will do. I am more than happy to work in a non-partisan manner on an issue that is of critical importance to all Canadians.

Opposition motion—Gasoline PricesBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

Dan McTeague Liberal Pickering—Scarborough East, ON

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has cited a number of important points. It is interesting to hear some of the comments coming from the Conservative benches and, indeed, other members of Parliament who spend a considerable amount of time picking my brain to get my perspective on this industry. They know full well that we are on the right track in amending the Competition Act and they know full well that the price will continue to go up no matter what happens as long as they consistently take the position that there is nothing wrong with the Competition Act.

Could the hon. member tell us what impact that has had for her seniors in the riding and what that will mean for them this coming winter? How will they manage to make ends meet? Does the member know why the government will not act?

Opposition motion—Gasoline PricesBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON

Mr. Speaker, again I would ask for all of us to work together to find a solution to this problem. It does not matter if we live in Toronto, in Vancouver or in rural parts of the country, everyone will pay a much higher price. We need to get this issue under control. I would again ask that the government show us exactly what it is prepared to do to resolve this issue.

Age of ConsentStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Conservative

Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK

Mr. Speaker, Friday, May 4 was a great day for Canada. The House of Commons passed important legislation that will protect potential victims of sexual assault by increasing the age at which youths can consent to sexual activity. This will better protect them against sexual exploitation by adult predators.

The Conservative government provided the leadership necessary to pass this legislation after many years of stalling by previous governments.

As adopted by the House of Commons, the age of protection legislation proposes to raise the age at which youth can consent to sexual activity from 14 years of age to 16.

This measure, which is supported by grieving parents and police forces, provides much needed protection for children victimized by sexual predators. We are giving our police officers a tool they need to combat this victimization of teenagers.

The age of protection bill marks an important step forward in strengthening our child protection laws and brings Canada's age of consent into conformity with that of many other like-minded countries.

We urge the Senate to give speedy passage to Bill C-22.

Canadian Human Rights MuseumStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Anita Neville Liberal Winnipeg South Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, Manitobans recently have been celebrating the commitment to the opening of the Canadian Human Rights Museum in Winnipeg. This museum will be a place for Canadians to share their stories and to feature human rights challenges of the past and the present.

It will feature exhibits that focus on the inequities suffered by Canada's first nations peoples, the horror of the Holocaust, women's struggles for equality, francophone rights, the Japanese internment, and the genocides of the 20th and 21st centuries, to name a few.

The dream of the late Israel Asper, the museum came about because of seven years of hard work by Manitobans from all levels of government, all political parties and all walks of life.

Development and capital funds were committed by the previous Liberal government and culminated in the announcement of operating funds in the past weeks.

Members know that human rights are not a selective exercise. In promoting the museum, we must remember that human rights are inclusive and should not be undermined at home or abroad. This museum will be an icon to the protection of human rights and--

Canadian Human Rights MuseumStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

The hon. member for Drummond.

Aerospace IndustryStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Bloc

Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Industry has been using various Quebec weeklies to defend the indefensible.

The Conservative minister is trying to convince Quebeckers that he is depriving them of millions of dollars in economic spinoffs for their own good and that he wants to strengthen Quebec's aerospace industry by not supporting it.

The truth is that he is taking over $800 million in tax dollars away from our people to buy helicopters from an American company and asking that company to ensure $540 million in economic spinoffs for Quebec. The rest of the economic spinoffs, about $3 billion, will go to companies in western Canada.

The truth is that the people of Quebec will lose $260 million to western provinces. What is more, this is a Conservative, a Quebecker, who is using his power against Quebec and boasting about it. That is why Bloc Québécois members will continue to stand up for Quebec's interests.

Asian Heritage MonthStatements By Members

2 p.m.

NDP

Denise Savoie NDP Victoria, BC

Mr. Speaker, I rise in honour of Asian Heritage Month, which is recognized across Canada during the month of May.

My riding is fortunate to be home to several distinct Asian communities. Their histories extend as far back as the late 1850s, when Chinese miners first arrived in Victoria for the gold rush. They soon formed what became the oldest Chinatown in Canada. Just as the gold rush was pivotal to the creation of B.C. as a province, the Chinese who came to Victoria at that time, and their descendants, have played a defining role in our history.

Many other Asian immigrants followed the Chinese, including those from South Asia, Japan, Vietnam, Korea and the Philippines. Despite frequently having to contend with racism, they have established strong and thriving communities in Victoria.

We are grateful for and enriched by their contributions. We look forward to celebrating this month with them.

The SenateStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Anders Conservative Calgary West, AB

Mr. Speaker, 17 years ago I watched my father vote in Canada's first Senate election. It brought him joy to cast a ballot in that pivot of history.

I have been in Bert Brown's living room, the place where Bert and his wife Alice held the first meeting to promote a triple E Senate all those decades ago. I remember working on democratic reform as one of my earliest files as a parliamentarian. Bert and I worked on the elected Senate action team. We put the heat on Senator Andy Thompson for being an absentee senator, to the point where his colleagues castigated him and he was forced from the upper chamber.

Bert has fought for an elected Senate since the 1980s, and finally after all these years we have a Prime Minister promoting a bill to wholly elect the upper chamber. I was proud to see Bert Brown in our caucus meeting last week. It brings profound meaning to the long struggle over these many years together. I remember him carving the triple E in his neighbour's field north of Calgary in Kathryn, Alberta.

He is a prairie populist who has proved that persistence prevails. I welcome a man of conviction, Alberta's ambassador, Bert Brown.

HealthStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Raymond Chan Liberal Richmond, BC

Mr. Speaker, is the Prime Minister delusional? He made a promise to Canadians to establish medical wait time guarantees for five priority areas and has failed to deliver on it, yet shockingly he has declared the wait time guarantees mission complete.

The failures continue, as the so-called guarantees are double the current queues and triple the doctor-recommended wait times. For example, B.C. is getting $76.4 million for a cancer radiation therapy guarantee. That is double the current wait time of four weeks and is six weeks longer than the doctor-recommended wait time.

The government must address the shortage of doctors and nurses, because setting benchmarks is meaningless unless the resource capacity to deliver the goals in terms of health care professionals and infrastructure is provided.

When will the Prime Minister stop deceiving Canadians and address the root problems in our health care system?

World Health OrganizationStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Dick Harris Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Mr. Speaker, for a number of years parliamentarians from all parties have given support for Taiwan to have observer status with meaningful participation in the World Health Organization.

Recently, Taiwan's President Chen formally applied to the director-general of the WHO for membership in that organization. Taiwan believes that it has a major role to play in the prevention of the spread of diseases such as SARS and AIDS and in the promotion of global health safety, to the benefit of all the countries of our world.

I urge all members of this House to continue their support for Taiwan in its bid for WHO observer status and to continue their support as Taiwan pursues its goal of membership in the World Health Organization.

Red Cross and Red CrescentStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Bloc

Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Speaker, today is World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day.

The Red Cross has been helping people since 1896. The organization seeks to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity anytime, anywhere, here at home and around the world.

Guided by the fundamental principle of neutrality, the International Committee of the Red Cross goes to war-torn regions and conflict zones to promote and reinforce universal humanitarian laws and principles. The ICRC's humanitarian missions are therefore very important, but they are also often dangerous.

Over the past decade, 162 Red Cross workers, including two Canadians, have been killed in the line of duty. But as Jean Pictet said in 1979, “For the Red Cross there is no just war and no unjust war, there are only victims in need of help.”

Gilles VilleneuveStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Luc Harvey Conservative Louis-Hébert, QC

Mr. Speaker, on May 8, 1982, during the second day of qualifications at the Zolder Grand Prix, in Belgium, Gilles Villeneuve left us. On that day, this Formula 1 pioneer in Canada was trying to beat Didier Pironi's time.

We lost a friend and a role model.

Gilles Villeneuve was our pride, because he showed, throughout his exceptional career, that he was an outstanding champion, and an unforgettable Formula 1 figure. Gilles Villeneuve showed that he was the stuff of champions during his very first race, in 1967. His sole objective was to take the top spot on the podium.

This is why I hope the House of Commons will remember this great Canadian, who remains a most prominent figure in Quebec and in Canada.

Court Challenges ProgramStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

Mr. Speaker, this morning, francophones and minorities in Canada were faced with a Conservative government that has no respect for the committees of this House, and even less for all the minorities in this country.

This morning, witnesses were to appear before the Standing Committee on Official Languages, which was undertaking its study of the court challenges program and its impact on minorities. Mere minutes before the meeting was to begin, the Conservative members unilaterally decided to cancel the meeting and, as a result, to send home witnesses who had gone through the trouble of travelling hundreds of kilometres to come and explain the merits of the program.

While the Conservative members did vote for a review of the court challenges program, it has become obvious today that the Prime Minister, his ministers and his members of Parliament are oblivious to the work we on the committee have to do, not for them, the Conservatives, but for the people of this country.

We have here a government that is asking us to believe what it says. But we have had yet another opportunity today to see the true colours of this Conservative government which does not pay any attention to the minorities, to the people. This government has no respect for the people of Canada. It should start showing us some respect.

National Nursing WeekStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Steven Fletcher Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia, MB

Mr. Speaker, May 7 to 13 is National Nursing Week in Canada. This year's theme, “Think You Know Nursing? Take A Closer Look”, calls on Canadians to challenge their perceptions of the role of nurses in our health care system.

Nurses are at the heart of our health care system. Nurses are leaders, innovators and pioneers in all areas of the economy, from research and the military to technology and advocacy. Nurses' knowledge and skills contribute to the well-being of individuals, groups and communities in a variety of settings.

Daily they can be found working in emergency rooms, intensive care units, visiting new mothers at home, teaching in community centres, or providing end of life care. Nurses are a critical component of inter-professional teams of health care specialists.

This week, please join with me in recognizing and honouring the invaluable contribution that nurses make to our health care system and the health of citizens in communities across Canada.

The EconomyStatements By Members

May 8th, 2007 / 2:10 p.m.

NDP

Penny Priddy NDP Surrey North, BC

Mr. Speaker, the NDP is working to remind the Conservatives and Liberals that there is a growing prosperity gap in Canada.

My constituents tell me every day that they are having a hard time making ends meet, and too many people in Surrey North are having trouble making ends meet because they have recently lost their jobs. The Conservatives and Liberals were silent when 700 Air Canada maintenance workers lost their jobs in the Lower Mainland. The Conservatives abandoned mill workers with the softwood lumber sellout and invested nothing in their budget to fight the pine beetle. Last fall the government even cut workplace skills programs.

It is clear that the Conservatives and Liberals do not understand the needs of everyday people.

We need sectoral strategies for keeping jobs in Canada. We need the government to play a leadership role in preventing job losses and in helping unemployed Canadians find new work. We need a real action plan to close the prosperity gap.

I am proud to be an NDP MP from Surrey North and I am proud to be a member of the only party that works to make life more affordable for Canadians.

VE DayStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS

Mr. Speaker, today, May 8, is the anniversary of victory in Europe. Sixty-two years ago, Germany's unconditional surrender was announced. In an hour of victory tempered by sorrow, the war in Europe was over.

Today we honour those who made the supreme sacrifice and we honour the veterans of Canada.

From the San Francisco conference that founded the United Nations, Prime Minister Mackenzie King addressed the nation. He said:

--our fighting forces have written glorious pages of history for which Canada will remain forever in their debt....

--you have helped to rid the world of a great scourge. For all time it will be yours to claim a share in the triumph of right...you, one and all, are entitled to be numbered among the benefactors of mankind.

Today we recommit ourselves to that remembrance, knowing that the love of honour never grows old. For the sacrifice of Canadians in that terrible war, we shall forever be grateful, and we shall forever remember.