Eleni Bakopanos

[Canadian Chamber Of Commerce Poll, September 20th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has just released the results of a poll of the business community across the country. This poll indicates, among other things, that two thirds of business leaders in Quebec think that the economic health of the province will suffer if it were to separate from the rest of Canada.

Other major findings include the fact that Quebec businesses consider it more important to be able to deal with other provinces than with foreign countries and expect the interprovincial trade agreement that took effect in July to benefit them even more than businesses in other provinces.

This poll only confirms what everyone is thinking. There is no real economic benefit to separation and Quebec separatists should stop deluding Quebecers with all kinds of promises.

[Motions, September 18th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I also respectfully ask for the unanimous consent of the House to withdraw my private member's motion M-418 from the Order Paper.

[Robert Charlebois, September 18th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, contrary to what the PQ and the Bloc Quebecois would have us believe, not all Quebec artists are sold on separation. In an interview carried by almost every major newspaper in Quebec, singer-brewer Robert Charlebois expressed very little enthusiasm over the prospect of Quebec separating.

His fear is that it will divide Quebecers, the end result being a royal mess, with bitterness and jealousy on both sides, since the whole process was based on hate and frustration; nothing great is to be expected.

Like most Quebecers, Robert Charlebois would rather have governments focussing on job creation and the economy instead of wasting time on futile quarrelling.

Robert Charlebois believes, and our government shares his view on this, that the real solution for Quebec is an economic solution. His way of helping Quebec, he says, is by providing employment.

[Committees Of The House, June 22nd, 1995]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, dealing with refugees, immigration and gender. In recent months, the committee has considered the extent to which gender can prevent women from obtaining refugee status in Canada.

Our report encourages ongoing sensitization of those involved in the refugee selection process and considers how to reduce the systemic barriers which deny women an equal opportunity to obtain protection in this country.

In closing, I would like to thank all the members of the committee, as well as the staff of the House, for their contribution to this report.

[National Defence, June 21st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to salute, personally and on behalf of the government, the recent appointment of Louise Fréchette as Deputy Minister of National Defence. Mrs. Fréchette's appointment to that important position in the Department of National Defence shows once again the government's true commitment to promote greater participation of women in all lines of activity.

Louise Fréchette began her career with the Department of External Affairs and has since occupied various posts, including Ambassador of Canada to Argentina and Uruguay and most recently as Canada's first female ambassador to the United Nations.

Prior to her appointment as deputy minister of defence she was the associate deputy minister of finance and G-7 deputy.

This appointment is a testament to Mrs. Fréchette's hard work and perseverance. I wish her much success in her new post on behalf of all my colleagues. Félécitations et merci beaucoup.

[The Outaouais, June 16th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, during his visit yesterday to the Outaouais region, the Quebec minister responsible for restructuring tried to downplay the fact that 3,500 jobs in the region could be lost if Quebec becomes independent.

At a time when the PQ government is closing hospitals and reviewing the education budget so as to provide for the establishment of a university in Lévis, how can the minister claim that an independent Quebec will create 3,500 jobs in the parapublic sector just to help the region?

Outaouais residents do not believe these promises made by separatists, nor do Radio-Québec union members, who recently

had to ask the Bloc Quebecois leader to put pressure on the PQ government so that it would fulfil its commitments.

[Poverty, June 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, in Canada a great number of women live in poverty. Quebec women have recently shown that they want governments to contribute to their economic equality.

My question is for the secretary of state for the status of women. Will the federal government take any real measures to meet the legitimate demands of women?

[Sharing Of Federal Debt, June 2nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Quebec minister responsible for restructuring released the findings of another study. According to the minister, the results of that study, which focused on the proportion of the national debt that would have to be assumed by an independent Quebec, are very positive.

Of course these results are positive. Do you think for a moment that the Quebec minister "responsible for propaganda" would have agreed to release a study which would not serve the separatist cause of the PQ government?

Rather than continuing to spend Quebec taxpayers' money with impunity, in an attempt to give some credibility to a project which does not have any, the PQ government should concentrate its efforts on job creation and economic recovery.

Otherwise, at the rate it is spending public money, there will soon be nothing left but the debt to share in the PQ and BQ kingdom.

[Visit Of Thomas Mitsios, June 1st, 1995]

I rise today to welcome the member of Parliament from Saranda of the Republic of Albania on his first visit to Canada.

As a representative of the ethnic Greek minority and a member of the Human Rights Party, the purpose of his visit is to meet and exchange ideas with Canadian parliamentarians on the democratic principles and respect for minorities which make Canada a shining example.

We learned of the difficulties that opposition parties are facing and more specifically the plight of the leader of the opposition, Mr. Fatos Nanos, who has been imprisoned since September 1993 by the government. I will be calling on my colleagues to sign a petition for his release.

He has and will continue to work very hard in his native Albania for the betterment of conditions of the ethnic Greek minority and the improvement of Greek-Albanian relations. This is something we as Canadians should look forward to and encourage because it will contribute to the peace, stability and prosperity of this volatile region.

I welcome the member from Saranda.

[Committees Of The House, May 31st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration in relation to the main estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1996.