Pierre Pettigrew

[Fisheries, November 25th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, our government is discussing a post-TAGs review right now. I have appointed one of our very serious and senior official in the department to meet with the provinces and the people to make sure we have the best solutions.

In the meantime we trust Canadians. We trust Canadians from coast to coast. We trust Canadians in Atlantic Canada. We know they will behave correctly and properly because they are Canadians. That is the way we do things.

We are training our people to do the right training, to do the process management, management of crowds, to do the interaction—

[Fisheries, November 25th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. leader of the NDP for giving me the opportunity to correct the record on this very important file.

I understand the fishery workers' frustrations. I want to tell them that the statement that was proposed for the contract was inappropriately worded and it did not go through the proper approval process.

The statement has been withdrawn. It will be rewritten and submitted to accurately reflect the training requirements of our people across Canada.

[Youth Employment, November 24th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Mississauga West who I know cares very much about youth employment.

Indeed our youth employment strategy was a $350 million strategy for three years, helping 110,000 young Canadians to make the transition from school to work. Five thousand Canadians have been helped by Youth Service Canada.

Almost 20,000 youngsters have been helped by Youth Internship Canada, 60,000 by the student career plan, 60,000 youths who got summer jobs, and another 60,000 got jobs related to their actual studies.

[Employment Insurance, November 24th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I would say that the House was pretty pleased to learn on Friday morning that there was a second 10 cent decrease. Canadians were very pleased to hear that for the fourth year in a row the premiums are decreasing. That is good news.

Canadian business people and employees are very pleased to see that they have a system which will be sustainable for the future, not which will go into debt as it used to, because we are responsible.

[Tags, November 21st, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I have never asked the RCMP to do the sorts of things he said in his question. I understand that some of our officials need some training to be able to cope with confrontational situations and to handle more difficult situations on an individual basis. It has happened not only in relation to TAGS but across Canada. This is the way it works.

Our government is doing the right thing by conducting a review of the post-TAGS situation. We are not particularly worried because we trust Canadians and we know Canadians behave properly all the time.

[Employment Insurance, November 21st, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I met the Minister of Finance several times this week.

I am very pleased to tell the House that rates will be reduced from $2.90 in 1997 to $2.70 on January 1, 1998, meaning that we are going to accelerate the process in order to introduce on January 1, 1998 the rate we had forecast for 1999.

This is the fourth year in a row that this government has lowered EI premium rates.

[Tags, November 21st, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I am going to look at this very bizarre way of addressing the situation. We are well aware of the situation in Newfoundland and in the maritime provinces and in Quebec as well. I can say one thing. We are well aware of the very difficult situation in which these people live.

This is why we have brought forward this important program for crisis and emergency situations. We are conducting an important review of the post-TAGS situation and we will take the appropriate decisions.

[Tags, November 21st, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, we are conducting right now an important review of the post-TAGS situation. I have asked one of my very senior and trusted officials to look into the situation. This gentleman is meeting with the provinces, the fishermen, the associations and the communities. We will be looking very carefully into the post-TAGS situation and the government will behave appropriately.

[Canada Post, November 20th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I would like these people to realize that we are protecting seniors. In that way the government has reacted very well.

We have negotiated with Canada Post to deliver employment insurance and social security benefits that Canadians need. I would like Canadians from coast to coast to know that we have organized the establishment of over 400 distribution sites so that social benefit cheques will be available to them.

[Employment Insurance, November 19th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, we have looked very carefully at this situation. Most of the cheques that my department is delivering are going through the post. We made an agreement last night with Canada Post which the postmen have accepted to deliver all delayed cheques today and tomorrow in case there is no agreement. That has been done.

As a responsible government and as a responsible department this is what we have done because of the possibility of a strike. We have organized 400 sites across the country for distribution in case of such a strike.