Rey D. Pagtakhan

[Clarity Act, December 16th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the clarity act is about the very being of our country and the fullest expression of responsible democracy. It embodies the advisory judgment of the Supreme Court of Canada respecting the rights and obligations of the federal and provincial governments and the governed. It embodies in clarity the binding relationship among them, including when a province contemplates secession from Canada.

Ours is a country founded on shared values of federalism, democracy, constitutionalism and the rule of law, and respect for minorities. It was created on mutual consent out of the diversity of our people—in culture, language, origin and faith—and has continued to draw societal strength from it.

Resolute is my confidence that the clarity act, which speaks to our Canadian values and identity, will reaffirm our faith as Canadians in one Canada, united and strong.

[Points Of Order, December 14th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. We would like to appeal to members of the House that there are other members who would like to speak for their constituents. We would like the other Canadians to be heard as well.

I would like to invoke Standing Order 1 on unprovided cases so that the Speaker may look at the applicability of this rule to make a ruling so that an obvious attempt to stifle the work of parliament may be prevented.

[Philippines, December 3rd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago tomorrow, Canada opened its first consulate office in the Philippines, starting the bond of goodwill that has since grown to full diplomatic relations; a bond that has seen Canada's involvement in the Philippines and the immigration of Filipinos to Canada, contributing to the well-being and fabric of the two nations.

As an offspring of this relationship, I am at once filled with pride and humility. Pride with gratitude, because Canada has given me the opportunity to pursue my medical career and raise my family on her nurturing soil, and now to serve fellow Canadians as a member of parliament. Humility, because I know I could not have done it alone for I will continue to owe part of myself to my roots.

I share the joy I feel as I stand in the House today and note the 50th anniversary of enduring relations between the country of my birth and the country that adopted me as a son. Mabuhay . Vive le Canada et les Philippines.

[Nisga'A Final Agreement Act, December 2nd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I do not wish to interrupt the hon. member while he is speaking but, on a friendly note, I would seek your opinion, Mr. Speaker. If we are debating a lawsuit that is before a court, is this proper or not?

[Canadian Institutes Of Health Research Act, November 29th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I had not intended to participate in the debate because I wholly support the bill and I thought I would allow as many members of the opposition to speak as possible.

However, after listening to the debate, I noted a few things and thought, for greater clarification, I could contribute to the debate. My thoughts will be more of a random nature on the comments I heard and on which I would like to amplify.

When mention was made of the potential benefits, a step in the right direction and the absence of consultation, I thought we should have great confidence in the value of the Canadian institutes for health research. There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that this is the thing to do as we enter the new millennium. Scientists in all disciplines, whether medical, biological or social, have been consulted. We see a consensus on what would be best for Canada and for the world as we realize that this institute will co-operate and be an integrated approach to research and will encompass all aspects of research.

I heard someone say that this was about medical research. I would like to emphasize that the bill is not only about medical research. It is medical research and more. It is about all disciplines, including the discipline of ethics. We have an opportunity here to have a very comprehensive look at health research.

Unique in the bill is that it contains a long preamble. One of the provisions in the preamble speaks to the flexibility in the mechanism. This will give us the opportunity to adjust to the changing times and needs of the day.

Let me just state for the record again that the ultimate objective of the institute will be to develop excellence according to internationally accepted standards. This excellence will be applied both in the creation of new knowledge and its application. Its application will encompass the delivery of health services as well as the strengthening of the Canadian health care system.

I was surprised when I heard it would be located in Prince Edward Island. There is nothing in the bill that says it will be located in Prince Edward Island. In fact, the head office is about the only one that may be located in a place designated by the governor in council, and even that has not been defined.

This is an excellent bill that reflects the commitment of the government not only to excel but equally to budget for such excellence in health research. The bill is worthy of the support of every single member of the House because this is the type of research, the scope of which is definitely very encompassing, including such things as biomedical research, clinical research, research respecting health systems, health services, as well as studying all the other determinants of health, such as the environment, cultural aspects and so on. It will engage all types of researchers not only in the medical field but in other fields of health as well.

I certainly urge all members of the House to support the bill.

[Youth Criminal Justice Act, November 18th, 1999]

Madam Speaker, I am delighted to speak in this debate and to point out some of the misinformation from the Reform member opposite. I do not think it was deliberate. Perhaps it was only the lack of time on the part of the member for Medicine Hat to read the entirety of the bill or to fully understand what is contained in the bill. He referred to the fact that there was nothing about an authority for the police to exercise extrajudicial measures for example, and I will speak to that.

I hope to cite the specific sections in the bill for the information of the member and so that the greater public may be fully informed as well.

Before I do that let me just say by way of preamble that Bill C-3, the new youth criminal justice act, was introduced in the House earlier this year precisely to fulfil the government's commitment. The bill was introduced by the hon. member for Edmonton West, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, to replace the Young Offenders Act. We have something here that is new, in fulfilment of the government of Canada's commitment to reform the youth justice system in Canada for the betterment of our society.

In the interests of youth and all concerned, we would like to distinguish better between violent and non-violent offences, to provide appropriate measures to deal with both levels of offences, to strengthen efforts to rehabilitate our young people who committed these crimes and to encourage the use of effective, meaningful alternatives to custody for non-violent offences committed by our youth.

Indeed, this bill addresses some of the concerns raised by the hon. member for Medicine Hat. I hope he will take this into account in his further commentary on the bill.

Let me also add that this bill was developed after extensive consultation with provincial and territorial officials, front line workers in the field, police, legal professionals, judges, members of the academic community and non-governmental organizations. What that means is that following extensive consultations with all these groups of individuals, what we have in this bill in a real sense is the distilled wisdom of these experts on this issue. This bill also has built in respect for federal and provincial jurisdictions, that is, flexibility on the part of any province to give it part of its own creation, so long as it fulfils the thrust of the total bill itself.

I remind the House that when the bill was tabled earlier this year by the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of Canada, she said: “Canadians want a youth justice system that protects society and instils values such as accountability, responsibility and respect. They want governments”—meaning all levels of government—“to help prevent youth crime in the first place and make sure there are meaningful consequences when it occurs”. The new youth criminal justice bill has been designed precisely to achieve these goals.

Before I go to the principles of the bill, let me define so that it is clear in the minds of Canadians what we mean when we speak of youth. In this bill youth refers to a child and to young persons. The difference between the two is defined clearly in this bill in clause 2, Interpretation. It states:

“child” means a person who is or, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, appears to be less than twelve years old.

“young person” means a person who is or, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, appears to be twelve years old or older, but less than eighteen years old—

We have a very clear understanding of what we are speaking about in terms of the ages encompassed in this bill.

Now I will speak to the general principles of the bill itself. There are four principles. It is very critical that we let Canadians know about the principles, because when we understand the essence of the principles, we understand better the thrust of the bill itself. I am convinced that when members opposite truly, fully understand and acknowledge the beauty of the principles, no more criticisms will emerge.

The first principle is that the principal goal of the youth criminal justice system is to protect the public by preventing crime, by addressing the circumstances underlying the offending behaviour of young persons, by ensuring that young persons are subject to meaningful consequences for their offences, by rehabilitating young persons who commit offences and by reintegrating them into society. Who can quarrel with the first principle of the bill to protect the Canadian public by those various means?

The second principle is that the criminal justice system for young persons must be separate from that of adults and emphasize the following: first, by fair and proportionate accountability that is consistent with the greater dependency of young persons and their reduced level of maturity; second, by enhanced procedural protection to ensure that young persons are treated fairly and that their rights including the right to privacy are protected; and third, by greater emphasis on rehabilitation and reintegration. Who would disagree with this principle that recognizes the difference between a youth and an adult, between a child, a young person and an adult?

The third principle is that within the limits of fair and proportionate accountability the measures taken against young persons who commit offences should: first, reinforce respect for societal values; second, encourage the repair of harm done to victims and the community; third, be meaningful for the individual young person; fourth, respect gender, ethnic, cultural and linguistic difference; and fifth, respond to the needs of young persons with special requirements. The essence is self-explanatory.

The fourth and last principle is that special considerations apply with respect to proceedings against young persons in particular. In this principle we see very clearly that the bill addresses the interest of the accused because that is the Canadian judicial principle. It also addresses the issues of victims and the concerns of parents.

We have here a bill that addresses the totality of what we ought to do were we to really advance the cause of the youth justice system in Canada.

With respect to extrajudicial measures, the following principles are very clearly stated on page 7 of the bill in clause 4, which I will read for the record:

(a) extrajudicial measures are often the most appropriate and effective way to address youth crime;

(b) extrajudicial measures allow for effective and timely interventions focused on correcting offending behaviour;

(c) extrajudicial measures are presumed to be adequate to hold a young person accountable for his or her offending behaviour if the young person has committed a non-violent offence and has not previously been found guilty of an offence; and

(d) extrajudicial measures should be used if they are adequate to hold a young person accountable for his or her offending behaviour—

The extrajudicial measures have been designed to provide an effective and timely response to the offending behaviour, encourage young persons to acknowledge and repair the harm caused to the victim and the community, to encourage families of young persons including extended families and the community to become involved in the design and implementation of those measures, to provide an opportunity for victims to participate in decisions related to the measures selected, to receive reparation, and to respect the rights and freedoms of young persons proportionate to the seriousness of the offence.

In this new youth justice act we have truly the essence of Canada. Lastly, if I may conclude on this point, even warnings, cautions and referrals may be done not only by police officers, which the member for Medicine Hat thought was lacking but is in the bill, but also by prosecutors.

[Speech From The Throne, November 17th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I did not intend to rise but I cannot let a sin of omission prosper. He said there was nothing on agriculture in the throne speech. Let me read one sentence at page 14:

Indeed, it is an economy in which technology can lead to greater economic stability for the primarily rural regions in which cyclical resource industries—agriculture, fisheries, forestry, mining and tourism—are the dominant sources of wealth. The government will encourage the development and adoption of new technologies in all sectors.

From now on I think we have to adopt a policy that when something comes from Reform we take it with a grain of salt.

[Speech From The Throne, November 17th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased the member raised that question and shared with us his concerns for citizens of Canada. Therefore I am obliged to remind the member, and all members of the House, that pages 12 to 16 give the exact plan of the government on the infrastructure for Canada for the 21st century.

It will encompass not only the physical infrastructure but the information, knowledge and cultural infrastructures as well. In other words, the sum total of our resources will be used so that we will all be stronger. It is in the throne speech and the member can expect a real hope of attainment on that issue.

[Speech From The Throne, November 17th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am really saddened that the member stood in his place and said there is nothing in the Speech from the Throne on foreign policy. I wonder whether indeed he has read the Speech from the Throne. Perhaps I should call to his attention pages 21 and 22 where it says, “Canada's place in the world”. In the interest of time, the member should accept that that phrase speaks of Canada's foreign policy in the world, and that is to care for everyone.

[Speech From The Throne, November 17th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Her Excellency the Governor General for delivering the Speech from the Throne with an eloquence that befits the inspiring vision of the Government of Canada for the 21st century, that is building a higher quality of life for all Canadians.

On behalf of the constituents of Winnipeg North—St. Paul, I pledge that we share this vision and are prepared to make it a reality. It has been my privilege to have served them in the House for a little over a decade.

This House is a very special place, indeed, where openness of hearts and openness of minds are a way of life, where the true power of co-operation reveals the very best in our nation and the very best for our nation, a democratic society with responsible government and a citizenry committed to hard work, integrity and justice.

The quality of life in Canada speaks for itself. For six years in a row, Canada has been deemed by the United Nations as the best country in the world in which to live. As we cherish this honour, let us reflect once more on our country's past, as did the Prime Minister in his response to the Speech from Throne when he said that Canada is a triumph of will over geography and economics.

Indeed, the departing 20th century has been a challenge to Canada. The Prime Minister noted that in a century of tyranny, of brutal dictatorships, of human rights oppression and of growing gaps between the haves and have nots, Canadians gave their lives so that others could live in freedom. He said Canada embraced a charter of rights and freedoms and developed an advanced system of social security and a social safety net.

He went on to say that in a century of great economic progress, of entrepreneurship and innovation, and of education, Canada grew from a small agrarian society to become one of the leading industrialized countries in the world and the only major country in the world to have all its schools linked to the Internet.

These Canadian successes define the conscience and the strength of our nation's will as a people.

The Prime Minister went on to emphasize that in a century where artistic production has expanded as never before, Canadians occupy a place of honour. I just saw the Minister of Canadian Heritage beaming with pride and joy, and rightly so.

The sum of all these achievements equates to our Canadian genius. It is this Canadian genius that the Government of Canada applied to succeed in eliminating the $42 billion national deficit, reducing the double digit unemployment rate, restoring our collapsing physical infrastructure and balancing the books of the nation.

It is this Canadian genius that guided the Government of Canada in the creation of the national child benefit program, the establishment of the Canada millennium scholarship fund, the restoration of $11.5 billion transfer payments for medicare and the increase in the budget for research, innovation and development.

Canadians have watched the government lead the country from a nation of despair to a nation of success.

Even as Canada rightfully basks today in the quality of life of our people, we are the first as a people to acknowledge that we can do better for ourselves and for the world.

The Speech from the Throne defines our national vision for Canada in the 21st century and our plan to turn our vision of today into the reality of tomorrow.

The Prime Minister spoke of the need for a comprehensive strategy for leadership in the knowledge economy and for promoting our interests and projecting our values in the world, a strategy that integrates the economy, social policy and the environment.

He sees that the role of a national government today is to represent the future to the present, is sometimes to act directly, sometimes to work in partnership, sometimes to create a framework for the private sector and sometimes simply to lead by example. He sees that to attain our national vision and meet our national objectives, we must work with Canadians to achieve them.

As members of parliament, we come to this special place to make a difference in the quality of life of our fellow citizens, not only for a few of them, not for some of them, not even for most of them, but for all of them.

This is what the Government of Canada has in mind when it commits to develop our children and youth, build a dynamic economy, strengthen health care and quality care, ensure the quality of our environment, build stronger communities, strengthen the relationship with Canada's aboriginal peoples, and advance Canada's place in the world.

As Canada beholds the dawn of the new era, let us be reminded that our greatness as a nation rests as much in our past as in our future. The greatness of a nation is tested when it creates opportunities out of challenges.

There is one such challenge that touches the heart of the Canadian experience. I speak of the challenge in rural Canada which at once becomes a challenge for all of Canada.

The farm income crisis is real and painful, and we worry very much about the farmers affected and their families, their sons, daughters and grandchildren. For most of them, this crisis is a matter of survival: food on the table, security from bankruptcy and a sense of confidence in tomorrow. That is why the Government of Canada has announced an additional $170 million over and above the over $1 billion that is already in our disaster aid program.

We in the government caucus continue to preoccupy ourselves with this very vital issue. We are determined to examine all options for a solution and we will search for new approaches, such as easing the cost of transportation and handling of grain.

As chair of the northern and western federal Liberal caucus, I share with colleagues the sense of duty and dedication on the part of our members to contribute our share to the future of our nation. Rural Canada and our farmers are a vital part of that future.

We want a Canada with a higher quality of life for the whole of our citizenry where every Canadian from every region shares the blessings of this great nation. Let not our experiences of pain detract from our sense of belonging to this great country.

We challenge ourselves to lend our ears and hear with equal acuity the voices that come from all regions of our country. Although not everything can possibly be done, we must have the wisdom to reconcile them all, to reconcile the diversity of our needs and aspirations just as we reconcile the diversity of our talents and experiences.

Early at the turn of this now departing century, then prime minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, while beholding a model of Gothic architecture in England, said:

The cathedral was made of granite, oak and marble. It is the image of the nation I wish to become. For here, I want the granite to remain granite, the oak to remain oak, the marble to remain marble. Out of these elements, I will build a nation great among the nations of the world.

Now I behold a parliament whose governor general is from the Pacific and whose members of the Senate and the House of Commons come from varied roots, a parliament where we hear the sound of many tongues and accents, see the sight of many colours, feel the beatings of many caring hearts and distill the wisdom of many minds.

And thus, I am confident that working together this parliament can achieve our common vision: building a higher quality of life for all Canadians. We can say, with resolute confidence, the great future is indeed Canada.