Alexa McDonough

[Banking, March 27th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

The government refuses to hear the legitimate concerns of small depositors, small businesses and smaller communities on the megabank merger until after the task force on financial services reports.

In stark contrast the government rolls out the red carpet to the international financial elite. The government cannot wait to fast track the WTO deal thereby throwing open Canada's borders to foreign banks.

Why does the government hide behind the task force on financial services when it comes to the megabank concerns of Canadian citizens and Canadian communities but rushes to accommodate foreign banks?

[National Unity, March 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, national unity needs leadership.

The Conservative leader is demonstrating his leadership by making the leap to provincial politics. The Prime Minister should also demonstrate his leadership for Canada.

What does the Prime Minister intend to do to get the federalist parties in this House to work together to build this country's future?

Will he urge the Prime Minister to convene such a meeting among federalist leaders before the Easter recess?

[National Unity, March 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, federalists cannot simply wish the Conservative leader well in his mission and then set aside the Canadian unity file, nor should Canadians be sidetracked by unite the right hoopla. What is really needed is leadership, leadership to unite the country.

Will the Deputy Prime Minister give an undertaking to this House today to urge the Prime Minister to convene a meeting bringing federalist leaders together in this House to build a common agenda for a united Canada?

[Health Care, March 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, in the budget there is not one new cent in health care transfers. Yesterday the human rights commission stated: “Poverty is a serious breach of equality rights and has no place in a prosperous country like Canada”. Unlike this government, the commission recognizes the dangers in the widening gap between the rich and everyone else.

My question to the Prime Minister is simple. Will he make the commitment today to include poverty and homelessness as prohibited grounds for discrimination in Canada's human rights legislation? Will he do that, yes or no?

[Health Care, March 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the federal human rights commission delivered a strong wake-up call to the Prime Minister. So did Nova Scotians.

The commission says that poverty and social inequality are being fuelled by federal cuts to health care and other social support programs. The Liberal government has stubbornly ignored this growing crisis.

Will the Nova Scotia election results finally convince the Prime Minister to keep the Liberal promise to reinvest in health care?

[Nova Scotia Election, March 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Nova Scotians voted NDP in historic numbers, demonstrating that last June's wake-up call to Liberals was no one time occurrence.

Nova Scotians have again sent a message to this federal Liberal government: health care matters.

But are Liberals listening? Canadians urged the federal Liberals to reinvest in health care, yet the budget produced not one new dollar for health transfers.

Nova Scotia Liberals did not listen either. Today they are not quite so smug. Atlantic Canadians face the lowest level of health care spending in the country despite the fact health care makes up the largest proportion of provincial budgets.

The problem: federal Liberal cuts; federal Liberal indifference. Liberals have not listened. Perhaps they will now.

[National Defence, March 18th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the minister has already demonstrated his low regard for military and civilian workers. Just ask those employees who lost their jobs when Serco took over at Goose Bay.

He also demonstrated his high regard for that minority of ex-military officers scheming with loyal Liberal business friends to privatize and contract out vital support functions at military bases.

Will the minister come clean today and confirm that the Liberal government is about to launch a feasibility study on a so-called free trade zone on the lower part of the Shearwater base? Will he have the decency—

[National Defence, March 18th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, for as long as there has been a Canada men and women in our maritime military services have answered our call: ready aye ready.

How do Liberals plan to reward that loyal service by cannabilizing CFB Shearwater to create a free trade zone to pamper and protect foreign multinationals? Who is behind the scheme? It is loyal Liberal Doug Young.

The minister cancelled the Shearwater announcement with the admiral and the premier scheduled for March 14. Did he do so because he thought Nova Scotians could better handle this news after—

[Multilateral Agreement On Investment, March 17th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, once again absolute silence from the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister sits in his seat, dumb as an oyster.

How can any self-respecting Prime Minister consider signing an agreement with such massive implications to Canadians without first consulting them? This deal could rob Canadians of our ability to make our own decisions about our health care, our environment, our resources, and our very culture. Our sovereignty is at stake.

Instead of his stony silence, will the Prime Minister withdraw Canada from the MAI negotiations, until and unless he has the—

[Multilateral Agreement On Investment, March 17th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, to date, Canadians have heard not a peep, pas un mot, from the Prime Minister about the MAI. Not a peep.

Last week European parliamentarians representing 15 different nations voted overwhelmingly, 437 to 8, to reject the current MAI proposal because of the undemocratic nature of the negotiations.

Will the Prime Minister today show the same respect for democracy, commit to full public debate and cross-Canada hearings and allow Canadians to decide the fate of the MAI and the future of our country?