Guy St-Julien

[Nunavut Act, June 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciated the remarks of the member for Saint-Jean. He is familiar with the Inuit situation.

When we talk of Nunavut, of the Inuit of this region, of Nunavik or Nunavut, we are always talking about economic development. The people in the south are always questioning the financial support they are given.

I know that my colleague has a lot of experience—he has done an excellent job on the committee for a number of months, and I appreciate it. Could he describe the economic situation and talk about purchases, house construction, the sources of vehicles, of perishable and non-perishable goods?

[House Committees, June 1st, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.

Pursuant to its order of reference dated Tuesday, May 5, 1998, the committee has considered Bill C-30, an act respecting the powers of the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia in relation to education, and has agreed to report it without amendment.

[Questions Passed As Orders For Returns, May 15th, 1998]

With respect to the new RCMP detachment building in Rouyn-Noranda, designed to house one secretary, at a cost of over $1,000,000: ( a ) was that project covered under the heading “Other”, on page 55 of the 1997-98 Estimates; and ( b ) what are the other controlled capital projects with costs of between $400,000 and $3,000,000?

Return tabled.

[Member For Longueuil, May 12th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, on June 3, 1993, the Bloc Quebecois refused to discuss the topic of my speech on paying a salary for women and men who stay at home.

Today, the Bloc Quebecois member for Longueuil is showing that she did not understand anything in my speech of April 28, 1998, and my motion of October 7, 1997, which read “That, in the opinion of this House, the government should legislate to pay a salary to the mothers and fathers who stay at home to raise their children”. The hon. member should understand my whole speech, not just 23 words out of 1,500.

Mothers belong to one of two groups: those who work outside the home and those who stay at home. Today, I figured out the strategy of the Bloc Quebecois member for Longueuil: she wants to stay in the third group.

[Canada Labour Code, May 8th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate your judgment and the comment by the member for Trois-Rivières. It is true, I did notice a certain latitude in the speeches since this morning. It is the only time today. We have until 1.30 p.m. It is true that we can speak about the motions in Group No. 2. If members want me to speak about the motions in Group No. 2, I have just done so.

The majority of task force members said they would not recommend a general ban on replacement workers during illegal work stoppages. Members did, however, recommend a certain number of amendments to the code so that these workers would not be used to reduce bargaining rights and so that the rights of workers in a bargaining unit who were on strike or locked out would be protected.

The adoption of these measures constitutes a balanced solution to the issue of replacement workers.

Why did I depart from the motions in Group No. 2. I did so because, during the last postal strike in 1997, the federal minister, the Liberal member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, decided, as the minister responsible for Canada Post, not to bring in strikebreakers, or scabs. That is the reality of a minister of action who, by his decision, helped workers.

We know that the words strikebreaker and scab do not have the same connotation in the other provinces. Nowadays, we speak about replacement workers.

What I wanted to say today, leaving aside the motions in Group No. 2, as the member for Trois-Rivières pointed out, is that, in November 1992, I introduced a bill in the House of Commons to amend the Canada Labour Code so as to prohibit strikebreakers. It was also intended to amend the Canada Labour Code in order to prevent crown corporations from resorting to strikebreakers during a dispute to maintain essential services.

For several years now, and this is important, Quebec's major labour organizations have been taking a civilized and responsible approach.

For the future of our workers in Canada, in Quebec, and in Abitibi, federal and provincial crown corporations should, in any general strike, follow the example of the federal minister, the Liberal member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, who, during the last strike by Canada Post, introduced a general ban on employers bringing in other workers to replace striking employees.

Let us follow the example of this minister. Let us follow the example of Quebec.

[Canada Labour Code, May 8th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to take part in debate on Bill C-19. The most controversial aspect of the examination of the Canada Labour Code is, without a doubt, the matter of replacement workers.

As we know, only two provinces have passed legislation at this time to restrict employers' use of replacement workers, or scabs as we call them in Abitibi, during work stoppages. Those two provinces are Quebec, where there have been restrictions since 1977, and British Columbia since 1993. Ontario had adopted similar mechanisms in 1993, but these were done away with in 1995.

Where sectors under federal jurisdiction are concerned, there have been numerous conflicts which have raised greater awareness of this issue, but to date the code contains no clauses banning the use of replacement workers during work stoppages.

The task force found that, despite the opposing points of view of labour and management, there was one point on which they both agreed, which was that “no one believes the use of replacement workers is justified if this is intended to do away with a union or to undermine its role, rather than to obtain an acceptable collective agreement”.

As the majority of the task force recommended, there will not be a blanket ban on the use of replacement workers. The Canada Labour Relations Board will, however, be empowered to order an employer to cease to use such workers during a strike—

[Quebec Government, May 8th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, since it took office on September 1994, the PQ government has spent more than $100 million to try to convince Quebeckers to go along with the concept of Quebec being separate from Canada.

Here are the costs involved: $1 million to hire PQ lobbying firms, unveil the preamble at the Grand Théâtre de Québec and set up telephone lines; $17 million for the Secrétariat à la restructuration, for studies and for regional and national commissions; $10 million in grants to the sovereignty council and for mailouts; $57 million for the expenditures of the Quebec director general of elections; $47 million for the referendum on the Charlottetown accord; and $10 million for the Bélanger-Campeau and other parliamentary commissions.

Today, the PQ government, through acting premier Lucien Bouchard, is planning to spend millions of dollars on the Calgary declaration, although it had sworn not to spend a penny.

If Lucien Bouchard and his PQ colleagues want to know what the real problems facing Quebec society are, they should go to the people and call an immediate election, so that a real premier can be elected by all voters in Quebec.

[Committees Of The House, May 7th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.

The committee has considered Bill C-39, an act to amend the Nunavut Act and the Constitution Act, 1867, and has agreed to report it with amendments.

[Major Junior Hockey, May 5th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, in 1976, Jean-Claude Babain, Robert “Bob” Meunier, Jean Duplessis, Yvon Rioux and myself applied to the Quebec major junior hockey league for a franchise for Val-d'Or.

The dinosaurs of the league kept on turning us down, from 1976 to 1992, but we finally got our franchise in 1992, and in 1993 were officially admitted to the Quebec major junior hockey league.

Today, thanks to their courage and determination, Les Foreurs de Val-d'Or are the new Quebec and eastern Canadian major junior hockey league champions.

After only five years of existence, Les Foreurs de Val-d'Or will be representing eastern Canada at the Memorial Cup junior hockey series to be held in Spokane, Washington.

Hats off to the volunteers and the directors of Les Foreurs de Val-d'Or, their fans, and the people of Abitibi. The efforts of these young players have brought them to an extraordinary victory.

They all deserve our congratulations.

[Questions On The Order Paper, May 1st, 1998]

Regarding the construction of new buildings for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Amos and Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec; ( a ) how much did these buildings cost to build; and ( b ) were these costs contained in the budget forecasts and, if so, for what year?