Darrel Stinson

[Petitions, October 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to table a petition signed by 237 persons in my riding of Okanagan—Shuswap.

They are asking for the rejection of the Nisga'a treaty that will serve to entrench inequality and may divide Canadians forever.

[Speech From The Throne, October 18th, 1999]

Madam Speaker, I listened to the hon. member's speech. I have to concur in regard to global warming.

I remember 35 or 38 years ago we were ranching up in Dead man country out of Savannah, British Columbia. I was also trapping at that time. It was some cold, 55 below. One of the big news articles of the day was to prepare for a new ice age. That was the government's selling point, prepare for the new ice age. It was cold enough we could almost believe it. It became a big topic with all the other ranchers and that maybe everybody should get ready. The government had us frightened about what was going to happen. I was fairly young then. We wondered whether we had enough winter feed in for the cattle and everything else. Lo and behold, the next winter it was a fair bit milder and it was really nice.

After falling into that trap back then and getting worried and upset about different things, I came to the conclusion that this is a big money scheme. These issues become big dollars, big business for many different groups. Today it is the ozone and global warming; next year it is just as likely to be prepare for the new ice age.

I would like the hon. member's comments.

[Petitions, October 18th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure today for me to table this petition containing 2,087 signatures from Okanagan Valley residents who are deeply concerned at the harm caused by young offenders. These people call upon parliament to permit publication of names of young offenders in the newspapers and also to make young offenders pay restitution for their crimes.

[Speech From The Throne, October 18th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to the hon. member's comments particularly with regard to the lack of substance in the throne speech. I could not help but agree with what he said.

He mentioned child pornography, immigration, a whole bunch of justice issues. I have been in this House since 1993 and I have come to the conclusion that the government does not have the will to do what it was duly elected to do. By that I mean the government wants to be politically correct. Any of these issues that are of any moral or justice substance the government wants to pass on to the courts and I strongly disagree with that.

Does the hon. member think we were sent down here to help draft the laws and address the wrongs of our laws instead of the lawyers and the judges who are not an elected body?

[Softwood Reclassification, June 9th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, thousands of Canadians work in the forest industry. This government has failed them by allowing U.S. customs today to end Canada-U.S. free trade on two more types of forest products, reclassifying them into the softwood lumber agreement.

Lumber producers in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta will be hurt. B.C. alone produces 61% of Canada's softwood exports. A Vancouver forestry consultant says this change will cost 1,000 jobs in B.C. alone.

However, at the World Wood Summit in Chicago on May 19, a world forestry analyst pointed out that the whole deal was based on the false claim that Canadian forest products were not being fairly exported, a claim not supported by share prices of Canadian lumber companies. Instead, and I quote, “In my view the trade dispute is all about politics and has nothing to do with `fair' trade”.

The Liberal government must not only challenge this ruling, but finally have the intestinal fortitude to stand up and fight for the people in the forestry industry in Canada.

[Softwood Lumber, June 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister for International Trade.

Due to the new ruling by U.S. customs on softwood lumber, thousands of Canadian forestry jobs and even the fate of some Canadian companies are threatened. Why has the government allowed Canada's softwood lumber trade with the Americans to suffer this new blow? Were the trade officials too busy defending the magazine industry to recognize this new serious threat of the softwood lumber agreement?

[Supply, June 3rd, 1999]

Madam Speaker, I have to agree in regards to Bill C-31. It has created quite a mess.

However, let us go on to the Nisga'a agreement. Part of what the member said pertains to some of this. Six thousand Nisga'a people were entitled to vote but only 2,376 were eligible to vote. A lot of Nisga'a out there were not allowed to vote. This has now created a problem where they are now taking their own Nisga'a people to court over this.

I would like the hon. member, the whole House and everybody out there who is listening, to understand that the B.C. Liberals are also taking this to court. For anyone to say that it is only the Reform Party that has a problem with this, I want everybody to understand that the B.C. Liberals also have a problem with this.

Let us have a look at the neighbouring bands which have said—and I am sure the hon. member for Nunavut will understand this—that through this process they have now started court cases stating that their land is being stolen from them by the Nisga'a. These questions are all before the courts and still not answered but the government is still willing to bring this bill before the House.

What the member is telling me is that it is okay to take from here to give to there without due process of law.

[Petitions, May 6th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition confirms the importance of heterosexual marriage as a foundation of the family, which in turn is the foundation of Canadian society.

[Petitions, May 6th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to table two petitions.

The first petition is from people of my riding of Okanagan—Shuswap asking for a moratorium on negotiations of a multilateral agreement on investment, or MAI, until the Canadian public has been fully informed and consulted.

[Privilege, April 15th, 1999]

Did you hear that, Mr. Speaker?