Dennis Mills

[British Columbia Treaty Commission, October 23rd, 1995]

We are trying to be efficient.

[Regional Rates Of Pay, October 23rd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, today being Monday we are heading into the final week of the referendum. It is nice to hear a positive spirit coming from the Bloc. Hopefully it is a sign as we go through the final moments that Bloc Quebecois members and some of their constituents are starting to realize that being a part of this great Chamber, being a part of Canada, is a much more exciting challenge and a much more worthwhile one than separating and going on their own.

Once again, my commitment is to national standards, which is essentially what the bill is all about. We are reinventing ourselves as a government and a country. We have to look at every opportunity presented to us to keep the country working. Often it is public service motivated because the Public Service of Canada touches every aspect of the economic life of the country. A vibrant, forward looking, well motivated public service plays an essential role in ensuring the economy and the policies related to the economy of the country are the right ones.

The bill respects the contribution the Public Service of Canada makes, so let us all get behind it.

[Regional Rates Of Pay, October 23rd, 1995]

The member whom I have immense respect for from Orillia says no. I am concerned about this matter. We should be skating with our heads up.

I am happy to stand in the House to support the bill. I campaigned in my first election in Broadview-Greenwood for a strong national government. I believe the best way to help disadvantaged regions and people who are disadvantaged is to make sure the national government is strong enough to ensure that those regions receive the same treatment as downtown Toronto, whether it be in education, hospital care, service to the public or whatever.

I am happy to continue that thought process here. I salute my colleague from Dartmouth for making sure the government holds true to its red book commitment to be the government that rebuilds national standards in the country. What better area than to start with the Public Service of Canada which used to be recognized as the best public service in the world. The way we have been battering it around lately, it needs confidence and support to once again become the greatest public service in the world.

I salute my colleague from Dartmouth for putting us back on the right path.

[Regional Rates Of Pay, October 23rd, 1995]

With respect to the member for Skeena, I did not say more regulation. I said regulations that have national standards.

I come from industry as well and I have always favoured less red tape, much more efficiency in government and less duplication. However I believe the national government has a role to play in the country. I for one am totally frustrated. I do not feel comfortable with the offloading and dismantling program we are going through.

The member has put forward a very good bill. Its impact on the treasury of Canada will be minimal versus the positive output from it.

I say to the member for Skeena that I do not ever remember any member of Parliament on the government side saying that government should be run like a business. Government cannot be run like a business. If we are talking about efficiencies, absolutely, but I come from business and the difference between government and business is that business is only interested in earnings per share per quarter. It is only interested in profit. That is not the government's bottom line. Our bottom line, rather than the business bottom line, is people. We are interested in people. Business is only interested in profit as a bottom line. That is a big difference.

It is nothing personal with the member for Skeena. It is an ideological view I have. Governments, and I cite my own province right now, are becoming so lean in their attitude that the people factor is really being hurt. We are here as members of Parliament not to look out for the advantaged. We are here to look out for the disadvantaged. I get a sense that governments are becoming so businesslike that we are almost becoming mean as governments.

[Regional Rates Of Pay, October 23rd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, because of the strong interest from government members in supporting this motion and in supporting our colleague from Dartmouth who has been working on this motion for many years, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and I will be splitting our time. We will each have five minutes.

I congratulate my colleague for once again bringing this motion to the floor of the House of Commons. Whenever there is a motion

in the House which deals with national standards, I always try to stand and speak in favour of the motion.

I am a passionate believer that Canada needs more, not less, regulation, programs and activities wherein the national standards of the country will be promoted and upheld. I happen to believe national standards represent the galvanizing feature or the glue that holds the country together.

[Income Tax Conventionsimplementation Act, 1995, October 19th, 1995]

This is not free trade.

[Canada-United States Tax Convention Act, 1984, October 18th, 1995]

You are dangerous. You are not fooling anybody.

[Canada-United States Tax Convention Act, 1984, October 18th, 1995]

Do you like taking your direction from the Senate?

[Canada-United States Tax Convention Act, 1984, October 18th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

I have been listening patiently to the member for the last 33 minutes. We are all very sensitive when the separatists speak in the House these days. We do not want to upset them in any way, shape or form. However, Mr. Speaker, at what point in time do you think the member will speak about the bill that is on the floor of the House?

[Canada-United States Tax Convention Act, 1984, October 17th, 1995]

Yes, it will. It is a principle. It is a money bill and on anything to do with confidence in the government I would resign from the party. That is what the opposition does not understand.

I suspect, and this is not partisan, members of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition are feeling a bit guilty as part of their responsibility is to challenge us from time to time and they were totally asleep at the switch and could not generate a debate in the House on a bill which essentially in my judgment caters to the elite.