Paul Devillers

[Referendum Campaign, October 16th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, to compensate for the weakness of his separatist arguments, the leader of the Bloc Quebecois decided yesterday to resort to drastic measures. He stated, and I quote: "There is something magical about a Yes vote. With a wave of our magic wand, we will stir up a feeling of solidarity among Quebecers".

The leader of the Bloc Quebecois has just traded his pilgrim's staff for an all-powerful magic wand to convince the people to vote in favour of Quebec's separation. This silly statement by the separatist leader is a good indication of how desperate the Yes side is two weeks before the referendum.

The way things are going, it would not be surprising to see the separatist leaders criss-crossing Quebec astride witches' brooms before the campaign is over.

[Regulations Act, October 2nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to speak in support of Bill C-84. This bill is about improving the regulatory process to the benefit of all Canadians.

The limitations and particularly the delays created in the existing system result in hidden but very real costs to all Canadians. These are in the form of increased expenditures of revenues spent in enforcing outdated and inappropriate regulations and in reducing competitiveness in the global marketplace.

The reforms proposed in the new regulations act will improve the regulatory system without in any way sacrificing its basic objectives. The government's improved capacity to update regulatory standards faster will promote the public interest by ensuring that health and safety standards are current and take into account evolving technologies.

I would like to spend a few moments now dealing with the provision of Bill C-84 which deals with incorporation by reference. This is incorporation by reference of international standards and other material into regulations. This is an important element in achieving the objectives of our regulatory reform.

First, it is important to understand that these provisions do not create a new regulatory technique. Incorporation by reference is a legal technique that is currently being widely used by governments in Canada. It is a legal technique whose legitimacy has been recognized by the Supreme Court of Canada. It is a legal technique that is widely employed in Europe and has been advocated by the Standards Council of Canada and many international bodies, including the International Standards Organization of Geneva.

Incorporation of materials into regulations particularly as they are amended from time to time is an important way for government to promote the goals of international and interprovincial harmonization of regulatory standards. I want to stress that such harmonization does not mean that Canadian standards will be lowered. In many cases the standards adopted will be higher.

Reliance on the expertise and timeliness of international and interprovincial standards writing organizations whose material is typically incorporated on this basis is of significant value in promoting Canadian competitiveness, particularly in the context of rapid technological change. The usefulness of this technique in promoting Canadian competitiveness was recognized in the 1993 report of the finance subcommittee on regulations and competitiveness.

The provisions of the new legislation, which authorize departments with regulatory power to develop and revise documents incorporated by reference, also provide the important opportunity to quickly revise and improve regulations. This form of incorporation is limited to documents that are essentially technical and the rules of conduct on substance, established by the departments, remain subject to the entire regulatory process.

I stress once again that, in this area, we will not be amending the legislation in use, we will be codifying and clarifying. It has existed for years, and the new legislation simply incorporates the current practice.

However, we are proposing a significant improvement to this practice, because the provisions of the new Regulations Act establish the express statutory requirement for departments with regulatory power to ensure the accessibility of the documents incorporated.

To ensure effective parliamentary control over the technical standards incorporated, the new Regulations Act provides that the Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations be supplied ex officio with all the regulations.

Consequently, this committee could at any time call for, revise and comment on the regulations into which documents have been incorporated and by so doing review the documents in question. The documents, which are periodically revised, are made available in their form at the time of the request.

Like the rest of the new regulations act, provisions relating to incorporation by reference strike what we believe to be the right balance between the need to streamline and speed up the regulatory process and the objectives of ensuring the legality and accessibility of regulations and providing necessary oversight by Parliament.

The regulatory process is already overburdened. We cannot afford to bring into the process documents that are not currently subject to it. The bill will facilitate use of a legitimate technique that offers opportunities for achieving the flexibility we need without sacrificing legality, accessibility, or parliamentary accountability. For those reasons, I urge the committee to review the bill and I urge the House to ultimately pass the bill.

[North American Free Trade Agreement, October 2nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the three countries that are party to the North American Free Trade Agreement have not yet been invited to comment officially on an independent Quebec's membership in NAFTA, and yet already anxiety is being felt in government headquarters in Quebec City. Today's Globe and Mail reveals that the Parti Quebecois government has prepared a list of 31 different subjects or areas for negotiation with the future partners before an independent Quebec joins NAFTA.

This list of preferential acts and regulations Quebec currently enjoys as a province of Canada would no longer be covered by the terms of the present agreement should Quebec separate. Quebec would be best assured of protecting these various sectors of activity by remaining in Canada, and this is what the people will say on October 30.

[Division Of National Debt, September 29th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, in his inaugural speech delivered to Quebec's National Assembly on November 29, 1994, the PQ premier said: "Today, I would like to conclude a pact of joint responsibility and solidarity with every Quebecer. Our government will collect from everyone what is owed to the public purse-but in return, we ask each Quebecer to help us put an end to the mad race toward illegality".

This righteous pronouncement by the PQ leader was not reflected in the comments made yesterday by his finance minister, who suggested that an independent Quebec might not pay his share of the national debt.

The time has come for the PQ leader to set the record straight and to tell us clearly and unconditionally whether he intends to assume his share of the debt if Quebec separates.

[World Choir, September 25th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, September 23, members of the Canadian Cottage Country Choir had the extreme honour of participating in the World Choir's annual performance entitled "Voices of the World-A Choral Spectacular".

This year's performance of the World Choir was especially noteworthy because it sang outside Wales for the first time in Dublin, Ireland.

The production included over 6,400 singers from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Finland, Poland, Ukraine and the only North American representatives, our very own Canadian Cottage Country Choir based in Orillia, Ontario, in my riding of Simcoe North.

The 22 members of the 4 Cs, as they are affectionately known, are from Orillia, Victoria Road, Coboconk, Bracebridge, Barrie, Dalyrymple and Simcoe.

I congratulate the members of the 4 Cs on behalf of all Canadians for their outstanding performance and for proudly representing our country at this world class event.

[Quebec Referendum, September 20th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Leader of the Opposition told us about his own concept of democracy, when he said that a yes vote at the referendum will mean yes, whereas a no vote will mean that Quebecers made the wrong decision.

Separatists have the nerve to demand that federalists accept Quebecers' decision, even though they have no intention of doing the same should the no side win the referendum.

The Bloc leader's comments will not be taken lightly, because Quebecers are fed up with hearing about the constitution, while there are other issues and challenges which have to be faced in our country.

In spite of the PQ and BQ shenanigans, Quebecers will not jump in the lobster crate, as Mr. Parizeau would have them do.

Sooner or later, separatists will have to realize that even though their question is confusing, the answer will be clear: it will be no.

[Inter-Parliamentary Delegations, September 18th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation to the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Canada-France Inter-Parliamentary Association, held in Paris on May 23 and 24, 1995.

[Quebec Referendum, September 18th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Leader of the Opposition showed us how much he scorns democracy. According to him, a yes vote would clearly reflect the opinion of Quebecers while a no vote would only give separatists the excuse to impose referendum after referendum to Quebecers, until sovereignty finally wins.

The words of the Bloc leader reveal a paternalistic attitude and are an insult to the intelligence of Quebecers. People of Quebec are often victims of such partiality because whatever separatists cannot obtain with truth, they will try to obtain through cheating and deception. In spite of all the PQ and BQ schemes-

[Endangered And Threatened Species Act, June 20th, 1995]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to take part in this debate on the bill introduced by the hon. member for Davenport.

First, I want to praise the hon. member for his unflagging commitment to environmental issues. Second, I want to point out how dedication to a cause can result in progress. Third, I wish to talk about the importance of protecting and rehabilitating endangered and threatened species.

My colleague from Davenport is well known for his commitment to environmental issues through his work as chair of the standing committee on the environment and sustainable development.

[Translation]

The hon. member has devoted his political career to keeping the environmental cause in the foreground in society and at the centre of debates in the House of Commons. He knows that sustainable development is the only way to secure our generation's prosperity without endangering the prosperity of generations to come.

He knows that preservation of the world's biodiversity is central to the preservation of the world's environment and the world's future success. He knows that taking an ecosystem approach to environmental issues is critical. We have to look at the big picture and understand that every action in any sphere of the environment can have and does have implications for other parts of the environment.

That brings me to my second point, that the dedication of the hon. member has helped to ensure that the protection of endangered species has become a national priority. Thanks to forceful advocacy by the hon. member and others, our party made protection of endangered species a core part of the Liberal red book. We promised to introduce Canada's first comprehensive federal law to protect endangered species, and we are going to keep that promise to Canadians.

Bill C-275 received first reading in the House of Commons last September. Since that time the Minister of the Environment has called for wide-ranging public consultation on a law to protect endangered species. A few weeks ago the minister completed those hearings and outlined the fundamentals of the new law to the last national consultation meeting.

As the minister herself said, she received over 5,000 very articulate letters from grade school and high school students in support of such a law. That is why she drafted the bill hand in hand with representatives of the industry, the farming sector, aboriginal organizations and the provinces and territories.

In addition, the Minister of the Environment and the hon. member for Davenport joined forces to ensure that their wishes for a law to protect threatened species became a reality. Their determination reflects the determination of the Liberal Party and our government. Their determination reflects the wishes of the vast majority of the members of this House and, more importantly, the desire of the vast majority of the Canadian public to bring in such a law.

The law is coming very, very quickly thanks in large part to many years of hard work and dedication by the chair of the standing committee on environment and sustainable development.

This brings me to the third point. The preservation of endangered and threatened species is of vital importance to this country. As the school children who mounted the campaign for endangered species legislation said, "There otter be a law". Mammals, birds, amphibians, fish, invertebrates, plants, and other wild organisms all play a critical role in the environment of our country. Endangered fish, endangered marine animals, endangered waterfowl, and endangered migratory birds are all an important federal matter.

The species of the world contribute to the ecological wonders of the world. Of course these species have the right to exist for their own sake, but it is important to remember how much these species matter to us. They provide us with learning opportunities. They are part of our history. They offer artistic and spiritual inspiration. They are part of our identity as a country and as human beings. They help to sustain us environmentally, culturally, and economically.

Consider the list of endangered or threatened species in Canada and imagine how much poorer a country we would be without them. The Vancouver Island marmot, the beluga whale, the peregrine falcon, the leatherback turtle, the Acadian whitefish, the prairie orchid, the wood poppy, the wood bison, the harbour porpoise, the white-headed woodpecker, and the trumpeter swan are some of the endangered, threatened, or vulnerable species in Canada. These are some of the species that need protection and restoration. They are species whose habitat is disappearing or who have been victims of pollution or have been

slaughtered so that a few human beings may trade in their precious products. That is clearly wrong. That is clearly foolish.

It is important to note the efforts undertaken by conservancy organizations throughout the country to preserve and protect some of our endangered species. I can think of no better example than the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre in Midland, Ontario, which is located in my riding of Simcoe North. A few weeks ago I had the extreme honour of celebrating the 25th anniversary of the official opening of the Wye Marsh centre with many of its supporters. The centre is today a national example of leadership and ecological awareness and understanding of the importance of wetlands and wildlife in our world. In the past few years this centre has been very active in its program to increase the trumpeter swan population, which we know is very vulnerable.

It is now the time to assist Wye Marsh and similar organizations with meaningful and effective legislation. In addition to this private member's bill, the member for Davenport went to great lengths to organize a forum on wildlife, which was hosted last April by the standing committee on environment and sustainable development. This was a great opportunity for the members of the committee to discuss this serious matter with a variety of experts and organizations devoted to the protection of endangered species. I know that for me personally it gave me a newfound understanding of the consequences at hand and an appreciation of the urgency of this type of legislation.

The hon. member for Davenport and the Minister of the Environment are determined to put an end to these unfortunate practices in the federal jurisdiction. They are determined to have Parliament pass a law with teeth. They are also determined to see Canada adopt a credible and co-ordinated action plan to protect threatened and endangered species.

In our red book we committed the Liberal government to a vision of society that protects the longterm health and diversity of all species on the planet. The initiative we are debating today is one important contribution by the hon. member for Davenport to advance that vision and to advance that cause. We all ought to join him in this worthwhile cause. His bill is proof that he remains as committed as ever to providing good government for this country and responsible policies for the world's environment.

[Manganese Based Fuel Additives Act, June 19th, 1995]

Madam Speaker, the hon. member, as did the other two speakers on behalf of the Reform Party, called for an independent study. I am a little bit at a loss to understand what is going to be accomplished by this independent study.

The Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association issues warranties. It is to the benefit of consumers that we have warranties with our motor vehicles when they are purchased. If an independent study was done and the petroleum industry was proven right, what would that do toward compelling the auto industry to change its opinion and issue warranties? As far as I am aware, this is done strictly as a business decision by the manufacturers. There is no legislation compelling them.

What would be accomplished by the result of an independent study favouring the opinion of the petroleum industry?