Pierre Pettigrew

[Millennium Scholarships, May 11th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, understandably, when they run out of arguments, they have to resort to this sort of abusive language.

We know that the millennium will be here in a year and a half. We are proud to have a government that has decided to celebrate the knowledge and skills of young people so that they can function in the knowledge economy. We wish to do this as an adjunct to the excellent work being done by the Government of Quebec with its loans and grants programs. We are going to implement the program without any duplication and ensure that our young people have access to the best options possible for the economy of the future.

[Millennium Scholarships, May 11th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I think that this legislation offers tremendous possibilities and that the Bloc Quebecois opposition has not even begun to take a serious interest in what these possibilities could be at the present time.

What I can say is that, one month ago, at the request of Premier Bouchard and the minister, Mrs. Marois, negotiations led by my deputy minister were begun. We are negotiating in good faith and in the firm belief that, within the existing framework agreement and legislative provisions, we can find solutions that are consistent with the interests of young Quebeckers wishing to attend university.

[The Economy, May 11th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, it is true that even though the economy has been performing very well and we are very pleased at the general approach we have been having there remains too much poverty in the country. Many Canadians find it difficult to cope with that reality. We hope that more and more individuals will be picked up by the booming economy which remains a top priority of the government.

We have for the people who still find it tough the national child benefit which we will increase in the next three years to $1.7 billion. We have also improved the family income supplement in the last budget and in many other measures regarding poverty.

[Millennium Scholarships, May 7th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, our goal in this is to help give more young people access to skills and knowledge. So aware are we of how much expertise there is at the Quebec Ministry of Education that we want to work in partnership with the ministry to ensure this program's success.

[Millennium Scholarships, May 7th, 1998]

What I can say

[Millennium Scholarships, May 7th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to see how open-minded the hon. member for Quebec is in recognizing that federalists too can have valid points of view. We thank her for being open-minded. This is great, and what a change, because this is rather unusual.

[Millennium Scholarships, May 7th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I said just a moment ago that the best way to ensure negotiations are successful is to not conduct them in public.

Our legislation and the budget itself are very clear in this respect. The foundation is actually mandated to avoid any duplication and ensure close co-operation with the provincial authorities concerned.

That is precisely the goal we have set for the foundation and for our negotiators. I trust that the goals we have set for ourselves will be achieved.

[Millennium Scholarships, May 7th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think that shouting out names in the House is going to accomplish anything. The government has given its word in good faith. We have already held four negotiation meetings and another meeting is scheduled for May 15.

I can assure members that we are setting out with the intention of doing well by the young people of this country. I am confident that the present framework gives us the room in which to arrive at a solution that will meet the needs of all stakeholders.

[Millennium Scholarships, May 7th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, our friends most certainly do have a mandate, which they received from the office of the Prime Minister in the presence of Mr. Bouchard, Mrs. Marois and myself. We held a meeting for the very purpose of determining if we would hold such negotiations and we undertook to do so.

I can say one thing. I know from my experience in negotiating, and this was the key to our success in the manpower issue, that negotiations cannot be held in public. That was the reason for our success in the manpower issue. I therefore have no intention of launching into public negotiations today.

The Government of Canada promised to negotiate in good faith. We want to reach an agreement with the Government of Quebec in order to assist young people wishing to pursue their education and in order to celebrate the millennium by promoting skills and knowledge.

[Employment Insurance, May 6th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, we have not received any request or plan from the three plants mentioned by the hon. member.

What I can say is that employers and former workers are welcome to submit a proposal to my department with respect to the reopening of the plants in question. We will consider every possible way of financing worthwhile projects that meet the eligibility criteria and our program requirements.

I also encourage workers to visit our HRDC centres to take advantage of the active measures and programs available to them.