André Harvey

[Points Of Order, March 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, when this crisis was raised in the House, we felt as a party that it must not be treated lightly. After several days of watching what you have had to go through, we felt it was important that a motion be proposed in the House to refer a case as serious as this to the committee on procedure.

I know that, generally, the chair of the committee is a reasonable man. The important point to be raised is that they want to restrict us to very specific statements. I believe we must take advantage of this debate to try to broaden the scope and to draw conclusions from these actions. The Reform Party and the government party both tend to want to treat this reference to the committee as something superficial.

I believe we must take advantage of this opportunity to draw constructive conclusions for the benefit of our country's future. Certain behaviour must be stopped. We know that there have been provocations for the past 25 years throughout the country, and this has contributed to a growing discontent that threatens to break this country apart.

Conclusions must be drawn from these events. I therefore wanted to speak this morning in order to ask some of the witnesses whether they considered attitudes like theirs—flags in the House—and statements like those they made to be of such a nature as to bring Canadians closer together. Unfortunately, the Chair rose, interrupting me, and stated that this was not part of the reference.

If something positive is to come out of these events, all of our colleagues responsible for these actions and words should realize what they have done. This is serious, as we have been saying for the past 25 years.

[Old Age Security, March 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the bill transforming the present old age pension into the seniors benefit will bring about a drop in available income for most retired persons and a loss of ground for women. What is more, 40% of workers have only public pension plans when they retire.

The AFEAS has been stoutly defending women seniors so as to ensure them of a decent retirement and to enable them to retain what they have acquired after many a long struggle. The public pension plans are essential if the majority of women are to enjoy a decent retirement.

The AFEAS is calling for the principle of individuality to be respected, for there to be a universal basic benefit and tax measures to enhance available income for the least well-off and to provide a tax break for the middle class, which has been crushed by the present government's taxation policies.

The AFEAS is therefore calling upon the Minister of Finance to reflect its recommendations in this new bill.

[Division No. 117, March 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the members of our party vote against this motion.

[Division No. 116, March 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the members of our party vote yes.

[Division No. 115, March 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the members of our party vote yes.

[Canadian Parks Agency Act, March 19th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his important comments.

He alluded to poverty. I do not come from a very wealthy region. Since it is always better to talk about what we know best, I can tell you that, in the communities where these parks are located, 40% to 50% of the workforce has trouble finding work.

Fees will be charged, but there is a downside. I get messages from communities affected by the establishment of national parks, and even provincial parks, to the effect that they would like to be in charge of the development of these infrastructures. For example, there is a provincial park at home that was established 25 years ago, but very few jobs were created.

Local people are telling us they want to improve their financial status, as mentioned by the hon. member, and take on more responsibilities. It would really be in everyone's interest to let these municipalities and villages take on some of the responsibilities, so that they could play a role in the creation of new infrastructures that will bring in more people.

For example, back home, 200,000 people travel to the mouth of the Saguenay River, in the Tadoussac—Baie-Sainte-Catherine area. Only 30% to 35% of them make it to the heart of the Saguenay park. This means the region loses out on a lot of revenue, because of a lack of infrastructures.

For instance, It is indicated that these are conservation areas. However, wildlife and plant life alone will not attract tourists. Some major infrastructures are necessary to make it easier for the tourists. Let us not forget that, economically speaking, seniors are currently the most appealing group of tourists.

In order for these elderly to have safe access to certain sites, certain infrastructures must be built.

I really appreciate the hon. member's question. Indeed, if local people are more involved, I think it will greatly promote job creation and economic development. It will also indirectly allow these people to have access to the new sites that they have helped develop in an intelligent way that takes their views into account.

[Canadian Parks Agency Act, March 19th, 1998]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity to make a few comments on Bill C-29, an act to establish the Canadian Parks Agency, which will be responsible for the administration of all legislation relating to national parks, national historic sites, national marine conservation areas and heritage areas. This bill will also make consequential amendments to other acts.

I am pleased to take part in this debate because I live in an area, the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean area, that has always been known as having great potential for tourism. It took several decades before we could even hope that, some day, we would be on the list of Canadian national parks. With regard to the management of federal and even provincial parks, we realize that we must try to add new elements that will make park management more dynamic, if I can use that term, and that will involve local communities to a greater extent.

I will have the opportunity later on to make further comments on the contents of Bill C-29. In my own region, there is a provincial park, the Saguenay park, and there is also the marine national park. A co-operative effort is being made to try to meet common objectives for the development of our region and for the tourist industry of Quebec and of Canada as a whole. The efforts to establish the new national marine park directly affiliated with Parks Canada have been successful.

But we realize that, in both provincial and national parks, we must try to provide funding so that our managers can initiate productive projects for the future and give guarantees in order to eventually promote the direct involvement of municipalities and the private sector, and so that we can bring more people into our parks.

Through the involvement of regional sectors, both private and public, perhaps we could make some interesting changes to the parameters and criteria underlying the management of national and provincial parks.

I know very well that some efforts must be made to increase the number of visitors in our national and provincial parks. Some major corrective action must be taken to provide these parks with new facilities that would help attract more people.

For example, in my region, 200,000 visitors go to the mouth of the Saguenay River, to Tadoussac, in Charlevoix, but not even a quarter of them go to the Saguenay provincial park and marine park. We have to rethink a number of things.

I believe that the initiative to establish this agency will allow us to increase the participation of the people in the area. At the present time, it is very difficult to set up new infrastructures in these parks. I am referring, among other things, to the Saguenay—St. Lawrence marine park in our case. As has been done at Montmorency Falls, at Val-Jalbert and in national parks in western Canada, we could provide some means of access so that people could get to the extraordinary lookout site of Cap Trinité. It takes four and a half hours to walk to the statue.

Therefore, the people in the area, with the support of their federal member of Parliament, are thinking about setting up perhaps a cable-car or some other way to provide access to this site that is quite extraordinary.

We have to redesign the existing infrastructure, and the establishment of the parks agency will certainly be an opportunity for increased financial autonomy, making this agency less vulnerable to government interventions that are not always timely. I am convinced stakeholders will feel this agency is more open to their needs and suggestions than Parks Canada has been in the last few years.

I think the best way to successfully manage the assets that remind us of our past is to bring in people into the regions in great need of economic development through tourist, cultural and heritage attractions. People will certainly be more than happy to suggest to the brand new agency ways to make these extraordinary sites that are an important part of Canada's and Quebec's heritage more profitable and attractive.

I am sure people in the outlying regions will become more actively involved in the way parks are managed. If such an agency is established, as we hope it will be, I am sure it will be quite open to the recommendations of people who have an economic, cultural and social interest in bringing in more people to enhance our whole heritage infrastructure and boost park development.

There is still a great deal of work to be done, but the auditor general has told us he has serious doubts about the future of Canadian park development because of the budget cuts.

During the last few decades, funding was haphazard. I am sure that, with the new agency being established under Bill C-29, we will be able to consider more seriously the future of our heritage and tourist industry.

I am also convinced that my beautiful riding of Chicoutimi and my region of Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean will make a significant contribution to the development of our national parks. In my area, in particular, with the agency speeding up the structural development of national parks, we will be able to step up cooperation with existing provincial parks, as was done during the last few years.

Rest assured that our party will support this bill, because it is a step in the right direction. It is not perfect, but I am sure that the existence of this agency will make park managers more accountable. I remind the hon. members that Parks Canada was not even officially recognized. Under this bill, it will gain official recognition and receive guaranteed, statutory budgets. It will be assured of receiving the budget resources needed to promote development and also, I hope, to encourage cooperation among the stakeholders, who have different and very specific interests in regional development.

Our party will cooperate and support this bill which is a step in the right direction.

[Small Business Loans Act, March 18th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the members of our party vote yea on this motion.

[Paix-Cible, March 18th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the extraordinary work done by Paix-Cible. This organization was set up in the Saint-Nom-de-Jésus parish, in the Rivière-du-Moulin area of Chicoutimi.

Its involvement is focused on social education and community action, and is aimed at people of all ages. Through concrete action, Paix-Cible wants to create a peace and harmony movement that will expand to the whole city, the whole region and, why not, the whole country.

The organization also created and inaugurated the Paix-Cible flag. The flag symbolizes the peace that the whole world longs for. The stylized dove covers the Earth from east to west, while its yellow beak provides light to the peoples of the Earth, which are represented by the five colours of the tail.

I am pleased to table this document, which confirms the creation and development of the organization.

[Competition Act, March 17th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the members of our party will vote in favour of this motion.