Judi Longfield

[Government Of Ontario, November 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, so much for the Mike Harris tax cuts and sound financial management in the province of Ontario.

After the people of Ontario have finished shelling out thousands of extra dollars in new user fees, drug co-payments, higher municipal property taxes, paying for important services that used to be covered by OHIP and whopping tuition fees, they will not be any better off than they were five years ago.

The reform-a-tory government at Queen's Park will even charge a $125 fee to single parents with children to collect child support payments. Students now have to call a 1-900 number and pay if they want information about their student loans.

While most jurisdictions are increasing support for post-secondary education, Mike Harris, who already is the lowest per capita funder of post-secondary education in North America, will now cut an additional $800 million from our education system.

The Tories are demanding that municipalities, on whom they have already downloaded huge financial burdens, pay 30% of capital projects for hospitals.

The people of Ontario do not even get a balanced budget in return for the destruction of their social fabric.

[Independent Truckers, November 25th, 1999]

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak to Motion No. 130. The motion presented by the hon. member for Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik calls upon the Government of Canada to explore federal-provincial jurisdictional issues in the areas of labour law and transportation law as they pertain to independent truckers in Quebec.

The hon. member is obviously very concerned about the recent protest actions of Quebec truckers and I understand his concern. I wish to commend him for bringing forward this motion. I agree that the issues being raised by the Quebec truckers are serious and ought to receive serious consideration by members.

However, I have some problem with what the member is seeking to achieve by way of his motion. I wonder, too, if the motion is premature.

Perhaps some historical background to the actions of the Quebec truckers would be helpful. About a year ago Quebec truckers started to blockade major highways in the province and border points with New Brunswick, Ontario and the United States. The truckers, mainly local bulk operators, were protesting the upcoming deregulation of the interprovincial trucking industry. They were also protesting the deregulation requirements of the NAFTA, rising fuel prices and their inability to negotiate wages and working conditions.

In response, the PQ government agreed to set up a committee of experts to study the industrial relations questions raised by the truckers. This committee was headed by a widely respected industrial relations professor and included representation from the parties involved.

There were renewed blockades in September and October 1999, after which the PQ minister of transport, Guy Chevrette, announced that round table discussions would be held to bring all parties together. Surprisingly, the PQ minister also said that 80% of the truckers, that is, 8,000 of the 10,000, fall under federal jurisdiction. How he arrived at this conclusion is not clear, and is not correct.

It should also be noted that major unions in Quebec have undertaken organizing drives among the truckers. Apparently, about 30 certification applications have been received by the Canada Industrial Relations Board from the Teamsters and the Confédération des syndicats nationaux, or CSN.

From this brief historical view we learn two things. We learn first that Quebec truckers have legitimate grievances regarding the deregulation of the trucking sector, regarding their labour relations status and regarding rising fuel prices. We learn second that a process has been established to address their grievances.

If a process has in fact been set out to study the truckers' concerns, would it make sense for the Government of Canada at this time to launch the kind of examination suggested by my colleague's motion? I think not.

It may be that at some future date such a study ought to be undertaken, but I do not think the government would be doing anything useful if it were to accept the hon. member's suggestion at this point. It is better to let the process already established run its course and see where it leads.

I want to speak for a moment on the industrial relations aspect of this matter. There are at least two significant industrial relations questions. The first concerns federal jurisdiction over labour relations and working conditions encompassing any undertaking that connects a province with another province or extends beyond the limits of a province. The Canada Labour Code makes this very clear. Quebec truckers, when they travel to New Brunswick, Ontario or the U.S., fall under federal jurisdiction and, contrary to Minister Chevrette's contention, we do not yet know how many Quebec truckers do this.

Second, in his motion the member uses the phrase “independent truckers” to refer to the protesting truckers. Again, we do not yet know who are the independent truckers and who are dependent truckers. The Canada Labour Code states that the definition of employee includes dependent contractors, and the term dependent contractor includes owner-operators of trucks who work under contract to employees in the federal jurisdiction. The code permits employees, including dependent contractors, to unionize for the purpose of negotiating the terms and conditions of their employment with their employer.

On the other hand, truck drivers who are self-employed and who are independent owners of their vehicles are not considered to be employees under the federal labour code and therefore cannot benefit from its provisions.

These are two key issues that must be sorted out if a durable solution acceptable to all stakeholders is to be found. The member for Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik and I, I am sure, are in agreement here. Where we differ is how to sort out what is being done.

In my view, the Canada Industrial Relations Board is the appropriate body to determine whether a person is a dependent or an independent contractor and whether he or she is working for an employer in the federal jurisdiction. As I mentioned, there are about 30 certification applications from Quebec unions being reviewed by the board. I have great confidence in the board's capacity to come up with the right decisions on these applications.

The committee of experts which was established by the PQ government, to which I referred earlier, submitted some important recommendations regarding industrial relations in the trucking sector. The PQ government will need to consider these recommendations very carefully.

The committee recommended that the right of association be granted to owner-operators and that the Quebec labour code recognize the self-employed truckers' right of association. Also, this committee recommended that round table discussions be held to study the problem of the industry.

Two sessions have already been held and it appears that all stakeholders involved in the trucking sector are prepared to work hard to come up with ways to address their issues. Representatives from Transport Canada and the labour program of Human Resources Development Canada were present, as were representatives from the union and major trucking associations. This group is expected to issue a report on its deliberations next month.

The point I am trying to stress is simply that a two track process is already in place that deals with the legitimate concerns of my hon. friend. We have the CIRB process and the process set up by the PQ government. Perhaps I could prevail upon my colleague to be a bit more patient.

I shall end by commending my friend and colleague for bringing forth his motion and drawing our attention to the problems of Quebec truckers. It seems to me that at this time all that should be done is being done. I do not think that further federal involvement is called for at this point, but like the member I shall be following the matter very closely and will call for additional federal action should it further warrant.

[Independent Truckers, November 25th, 1999]

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I will just suggest again that there is no strike. There is no labour unrest at this point. We are not talking about lock-outs or possible strikes, so final offer—

[Independent Truckers, November 25th, 1999]

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. This is all very interesting, but the member opposite knows that we are debating Motion No. 130 and, except for the first cursory remarks, I have yet to hear anything that relates to what is before us.

[Mark McKinnon, November 18th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a very brave man. On July 16, 1999 Whitby resident Mark McKinnon, a 17 year veteran of the Toronto Fire Department, gave us all a glowing example of the dedication and commitment with which our firefighters carry out their duties.

At 7.30 a.m. there was a serious explosion in the high voltage switching room of a downtown Toronto Bell Canada building. On the fourth floor in a room filled with heavy smoke, six inches of water covering the floor and 13,000 volts of electricity, firefighter McKinnon discovered a male victim suffering from burns, smoke inhalation, blindness and shock. Picking him up, Mark carried him down the stairs to safety.

As a result of these heroic efforts, Mark McKinnon and his crew recently received the highest honour from the Toronto Fire Department. Mark has also been awarded the Ontario Firefighting Medal of Bravery.

Public service is in Mark's blood. Not only is he a decorated firefighter, he is also Whitby's west ward councillor. He finds time to coach hockey teams and to work tirelessly—

[Port Of Vancouver, November 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, there is still time for a negotiated settlement.

I would remind the members opposite that 95% of labour disputes in the last year were settled without work stoppage and without back to work legislation.

This is a sensitive issue. Give the parties time to work it out.

[Port Of Vancouver, November 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the government takes this issue very seriously.

I would tell the member opposite that the employer has invited the employees back to the table. This is a very sensitive situation. To deal in speculation at this point is not productive.

[First Nations Ombudsman Act, November 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague opposite for his kind words.

The Minister of Labour has been fighting poverty and abuse for 31 years. It has been her life's work. In March the Prime Minister asked her to continue her fight by co-ordinating the activities of the Government of Canada related to homelessness. The Minister of Labour has made this assignment a priority.

To assist the minister with the co-ordination of a response to homelessness, Human Resources Development Canada established a national secretariat on homelessness. The secretariat staff of 16 in total have been reassigned. They are on loan from other Government of Canada departments. They were chosen because of their expertise in homeless related issues such as housing, health and community capacity building.

The secretariat is currently compiling the comments the minister heard from the community activists, the homeless themselves and the countless frontline workers across Canada. In addition, these borrowed staffers are referencing and summarizing the information contained in the many excellent reports that have been prepared by municipalities and community based task forces. This material will help the minister in preparing her recommendations for her colleagues.

I want to make clear that the Minister of Labour did not promise to have solutions within 30 days of her appointment. When she addressed the conference in Toronto she asked participants to judge her not in two days but in two years. The only promise the minister made at that conference was a promise to meet with the mayor of Toronto, and she has fulfilled that commitment.

There are no quick fixes for homelessness. Communities, the private sector, municipalities and provinces must all be part of the solution. The Liberal government is committed to addressing the plight of the homeless. We have heard this from the Minister of Labour, in the Speech from the Throne and the fiscal update.

We are working to address the issues through various programs including youth at risk and the aboriginal jobs program at HRDC in addition to the recently augmented RRAP. The government will continue to work with all sectors, private and non-profit, and with other levels of government, to meet the immediate needs of the homeless people in Canada for the winter. We remain determined to address and to sort out the root causes of homelessness.

[Remembrance Day, November 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, on Remembrance Day we will pay tribute to the Canadians who fell in war throughout the century.

As we pause to remember, we would do well to recall that war affects not just those on the front lines but also those left at home to cope.

During the second world war, for every Canadian in uniform there were 10 serving at home on the home front. They worked the farms and factories. They gave blood, collected scrap, planted victory gardens and bought victory bonds. They suffered privations and rationing.

Throughout it all, they worried and prayed for their sons and daughters, husbands and wives waiting in fear for that dreaded telegram that would begin “We regret to inform you—”. It was a tremendous time of sacrifice but of great spirit.

On November 11, we will remember those who sacrificed all so that we in this world would be rid of the forces of oppression and tyranny. They would be proud of the nation that their children built and merely ask us to remember them still. We pledge to do this forever.

[Buffett Taylor Chair, October 27th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, a near fatal heart attack and a family member's personal brush with breast cancer has prompted my constituent, Mr. Ed Buffett, president and CEO of Buffett Taylor and Associates Ltd., to donate $1 million to McMaster University for a research chair in breast cancer.

The Buffett Taylor Chair in Breast Cancer Research will conduct independent research and clinical trials in breast cancer, evaluate the use of innovative methods to improve communication between physicians and women with breast cancer, and research methods to improve clinical practice guidelines to enhance the care of women who have the disease.

Buffett Taylor and Associates is a leading Canadian consulting firm that specializes in employee health benefits and worksite wellness, and Mr. Buffett, a member of McMaster's board of governors, is the chairman of the Wellness Council of Canada.

As a direct result of his action, many lives could be saved. I am proud to represent Mr. Ed Buffett, a Whitby resident, in parliament.