Reg Alcock

[Supply, April 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite offers a hope that there will be some reason in my remarks today. I am afraid I may be a little less crisp than I like to be in the House as I have just gotten off a plane from Geneva. It is a bit of a shock. I am feeling a little bit of culture shock right now as I have been away from Canada for the last three weeks, and to drop back into the middle of this debate is a bit jarring.

Before I address the substance of the motion put forward, I would like to say one thing. I had the opportunity over the past three weeks to travel to China. I am in China frequently these days. I followed that up with some time in Delhi and in Geneva. In Geneva I had the opportunity to spend some time with the people who are working on the human rights commission.

One does not have to get very far out of this country to realize what an absolutely incredible country this is and what a privilege it is to be a Canadian and how we are admired all around the world by almost every other country. People in every other country want to be here.

We show leadership. I was absolutely astounded in Geneva to note that a little country like Canada provides almost 10% of the resolutions that are debated in Geneva in a community of 123 to 190 countries.

We hear about disunity and division in our country but Canadians outside the country are doing an incredible job on behalf of all of us. We all benefit from it enormously.

I think about the sense of the regional divisions. In Geneva there are young francophones from Quebec working very hard and energetically. They are very proud of their country and are very proud to be representing Canada in the very important work they do.

There are western entrepreneurs in and out of China all the time working hard to build relationships and expand trade. I was pleased to note that there are New Brunswickers and Nova Scotians in China trying to forge some new pathways. I even heard talk of some port building. I believe there is some accommodation for the post-Panamax ships which will carry large quantities of containers into the Pacific Rim.

They are Canadians from all over the country who are working hard. They are building upon the goodwill all of us have built for all of us to enjoy.

I was a little surprised to note the kind of querulous tone in the House today. If the concern is that the government is not sensitive to the regions, one would think that with a task force going into western Canada and one going into Quebec people would be celebrating and saying that it is wonderful we are doing that.

Perhaps some of the concern about it comes from something my friend from Charleswood St. James—Assiniboia is a little too modest to talk about, which is the tremendous success of the task force. He mentioned that the task force he chairs will be going to B.C. in May. The B.C. caucus has been touring the province. We all do that. The Manitoba caucus holds meetings right around the province every three to four months. It hears submissions from people, as members do in their ridings every day.

That information comes back and forms part of the information that builds the kind of consensus which allows the government to do the work it does. The government has done some pretty remarkable things over the last five or six years.

[Trade, March 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, hon. members will have read in today's Ottawa Citizen the latest account of the Reform Party's involvement in Canada's WTO trade dispute with Brazil.

First the member for Red Deer denied that the Reform Party gave documents to Brazil. The next day the Reform Party admitted that it had, but Reform claimed that the documents were available to the public, including on the Internet. What Reformers do not mention is that they caused civil servants in 13 government departments and agencies to work countless hours to provide the Reform Party with that information.

Today we learn that the Reform Party provided its research document dated October 22, 1996 to Brazil. It was not until one month later that the Reform Party posted this information on its web site.

Surely the 60,000 Canadians from coast to coast who are employed in our aerospace industry deserve better from a political party that purports to represent Canadians.

[National Housing Act, March 11th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to respond on behalf of the minister. In response to some of the things the member had to say I would like to provide some information that may help her understand what the government is attempting to achieve.

The government is committed to helping unemployed workers, including older workers. We believe, however, that the best way to help unemployed workers is to help them return to the world of work. The program for older workers which ended last year offered only passive income support and it did little to help older workers adapt to a changing economy.

What the government has now done is shift its support to active employment assistance to help workers reintegrate into the workforce. Therefore our efforts are being directed to helping those older workers who need our help.

We have developed partnerships with the provinces through a number of labour market development agreements. These agreements are helping to deliver active employment measures tailored to the needs of unemployed workers. The government is showing its support for these workers by offering the provinces $2 billion a year in EI funds to help support these active employment measures.

The member may also be interested to know that the majority of older workers continue to do relatively well in the labour market when compared to other age groups. In fact, the unemployment rate for workers over 55 has decreased from 9% in 1993 to 6.3% in 1998.

Any unemployment is still too much, but certainly within the target group the member is interested in there has been considerable progress. The government has also shown its commitment to this important sector of the labour force through our commitment to the working group established by the forum of labour market ministers. The working group will seek to address the concerns raised by older workers and we are constantly in discussion with all the provinces to find ways to address the needs of this group.

I thank the member for her question and for her concern. I hope she will continue to work with us to see that the needs of older workers are addressed.

[United Alternative, March 1st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, if I were to offer my own comments on the meeting last week that the hon. member spoke about, it might be considered a bit biased but let me use a few of the statements in some of the western papers.

Rick Bell in the Edmonton Sun says the party is over for Reformers. Mike Jenkinson in the Calgary Sun says the Leader of the Opposition will never see Sussex Drive.

The Edmonton Sun says there is a fight on the right. The Edmonton Journal says marriage of Conservatives divided on party lines.

The Vancouver Sun says the new political party will be a hard sell. In the Calgary Herald Catherine Ford says unite the right movement doomed before meeting began.

My own Winnipeg Free Press says the united alternative convention was effectively a shotgun wedding at which the bride did not show up.

The Globe and Mail says the Leader of the Opposition was seen as handicap to the Ontario win.

[Social Union, February 18th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the social union framework agreement is great news for all Canadians.

The first ministers agreed to improve a social union that is already among the best in the world. Better yet, co-operation was the watchword throughout the discussions.

Governments will work together to set national social policy objectives, but programming will be left up to the provinces so that they can meet specific needs.

This agreement represents an important step forward. It reflects our government's desire to modernize the federation and make it work better, while respecting provincial jurisdictions, for the greater benefit of all Canadians.

[Whitecap Dakota Sioux First Nation, February 10th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to tell the House about a model new partnership between a Saskatchewan first nations community, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the city of Saskatoon. This initiative has resulted in jobs, training and improved fire protection for the community.

This week the Whitecap Dakota Sioux First Nation opened a new fire hall and training centre and signed a fire protection service agreement with Saskatoon. This agreement is the first of its kind in Saskatchewan.

What this means is that Whitecap no longer has to rely on services from 30 kilometres away. Now, with its own fire hall, truck, equipment and trained volunteers, the community has the same basic level of fire protection service that other Canadians have. This is a good example of partnership as outlined in the federal government's aboriginal action plan “Gathering Strength”.

On behalf of the government I congratulate the chief of Whitecap and the mayor of Saskatoon for working together. With the help of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, this partnership is providing tangible improvements to the community.

[University Of Manitoba Students' Union, February 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, four years ago when the concern over student debt was rising the University of Manitoba students union decided to act.

Four presidents—David Gratzer, Trevor Lynes, Catherine Kowalchuk and Chris Kozier—worked tirelessly with the Canadian Alliance of Students Association to present proposals to the federal government. They have worked in the province of Manitoba with the provincial government to find solutions to the problem of student debt, and they decided to act on their own.

Over the past four years they have raised money to create a fund that today stands at close to $1 million, which provides direct support to students on their campus. This year 1,400 students received scholarships and bursaries directly from the students union showing what people can do when they decide to act.

[Interparliamentary Delegations, February 3rd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Canada-China Legislative Association.

I would like to thank all members of the association. It is the very first time Canada has had a formal legislative association with China. I thank the Chinese ambassador, Mei Ping, and our ambassador, Mr. Howard Ballach, in Beijing. I particular want to thank the Prime Minister and the minister of trade for allowing me the honour of doing this job.

[Supply, February 2nd, 1999]

Madam Speaker, perhaps I can recall the remark I was making when I committed the error. Through you, Madam Speaker, I believe the member opposite side is irresponsible and attempting to simply irresponsibly inflame debate.

[Supply, February 2nd, 1999]

I will be as patronizing as you are. You should learn to come forward just once in the House with a substantive argument and stop playing these silly kinds of games.

It is absolutely unbelievable that they come forward into the House, puff themselves up, pretend they are the defenders of righteousness and justice, and then make statements like that.

When the member rose he talked about inaction. What inaction? The Attorney General of British Columbia appealed the case immediately. Our justice department expedited the process.