Nelson Riis

[Employment, February 12th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

He will know that the red book indicated that jobs were going to be his number one priority. In October 1993, 1.5 million Canadians were out of work and today 1.5 million Canadians are out of work.

He will also be aware that a number of organizations today presented an alternative budget with specific recommendations on job creation.

Would the Prime Minister consider carefully these recommendations on how to create jobs in the next number of months before tabling the next budget?

[Fisheries, December 12th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. I hope I have the same amount of luck with my question as the previous questioner had in terms of getting a response.

The Globe and Mail told us today that the government is planning to proceed with allowing multiple licensing for fishing on the west coast. The minister of fisheries will know that the fishers on the west coast have indicated they are against this proposal.

With the same enthusiasm that the government called for a vote by the Canadian Auto Workers regarding Canadian Airlines International, will the government now follow suit by agreeing to what the fishers on the west coast and the Government of British Columbia are calling for, which is to have a vote before the government proceeds with this issue?

[Canada Post, December 3rd, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, most members of Parliament will have been approached by the men and women who are still working for Canada Post delivering ad mail who will lose their jobs six days after Christmas.

My question if for the Deputy Prime Minister. Since this was the only recommendation that the government decided to move on of the many recommendations coming out of changes to Canada Post, and considering that 10,000 families will suffer because people will lose their jobs as a result of this decision, will the Deputy Prime Minister explain to the House why the government is moving on such a cruel and tasteless act that will wreak havoc with 10,000 families across this country six days after Christmas. Will she reconsider this decision?

[Petitions, December 2nd, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I have another petition which has to do with tax revenues. The petition is signed by constituents of Kamloops.

The petitioners point out that tax revenues from the corporate sector now account for less than 7 per cent of all national revenues, with the balance being paid by individuals. A few years ago it was on a 50:50 basis. Now it is on a 90 plus basis for individual Canadians.

The petitioners point out that this is wrong, unfair, unjust and needs to be reformed. They ask the Parliament of Canada to undertake a fair tax reform process so that consumers will not continue to suffer even more financial insecurity due to unfair costs at this critical time.

[Petitions, December 2nd, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege, pursuant to Standing Order 36, to present a petition on behalf of a number of constituents, particularly a woman called Penny Tardi from Kamloops, who points out the increased costs of propane in western Canada, 30, 40, 80 and 100 per cent increases in some communities, all of which have taken place over the last few days.

The petition also points out that to heat a typical mobile home in Kamloops using propane costs about $75 a week as a result of these increased costs. It is a serious situation.

The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to take action, whether it is in the form of an energy price review commission or asking the combines investigation bureau to investigate, but to do something to bring some sense to the marketplace with regard to propane.

[Ways And Means, December 2nd, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. We are being asked to vote shortly on a ways and means motion that just arrived in our offices at 11.45 today. My understanding is that when a motion or a bill is tabled it is available to members for study presumably for eventual vote and debate. This is some 350 pages. It arrived on our desks 20 minutes ago and we are being asked to vote on it. There is not a single member in this House who has even looked at it let alone read it.

It seems to be highly irregular that members of Parliament are being asked to vote on a comprehensive tax bill-

[Candu Nuclear Reactors, November 8th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, it is outrageous that the Liberal government will be going ahead with the subsidized export of a Candu nuclear reactor to China without a full environmental review. We learned only yesterday that the Liberals will not even respect their own environmental law and will be changing regulations without public consultations to allow these nuclear exports to China to proceed.

How is it possible, after a past Liberal government allowed India to develop nuclear weapons by exporting nuclear technology there and after the horror stories surrounding the Candu reactor exported to Romania, that this government would, without public consultation, export nuclear technology to China? China has an atrocious record on environmental degradation, arms proliferation and human rights abuse.

Let us hear no more talk about petty red book promises. The Liberals are breaking faith with their deepest obligation to the international community.

[Canadian Airlines, November 7th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transport. He will know that a political fire storm is developing in western Canada over the financial crisis faced by an airline based in western Canada. The minister knows that nearly 70,000 jobs are at risk and thousands more related jobs are at risk. He said that he has not been asked to do anything.

Has the minister considered being proactive and providing leadership in finding a solution to this problem by suggesting actions that the federal government could take to help this troubled airline?

[Canadian Airlines, November 7th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, if we listen carefully we can hear thousands of voices, primarily from western Canada, telling the federal government that it is now their turn.

We just heard that Canadian Airlines is in a very serious financial situation and 16,400 jobs are immediately at stake and thousands of related jobs are at risk. Many western and northern communities depend to a large extent on maintaining their connection with Canadian Airlines.

The National Transportation Act provides an opportunity for the Minister of Transport, giving him extraordinary powers to intervene to resolve the situation. Two or three suggestions would be to provide bridge financing for Canadian to allow it to restructure properly, involving all of those who are stakeholders in the airline.

May I suggest that with $87 million going to help Bombardier, it is now time for $70 million of bridge financing to help this western based airline.

[Petitions, November 6th, 1996]

Madam Speaker, my second petition is on behalf of a number of constituents, as a matter of fact hundreds, who are worried about the government's interest in exporting CANDU reactors to China. They realize that this will upset the very delicate balance that currently exists in terms of our overseas exports. They are concerned about the abuse of human rights in that country and feel it is morally wrong to be exporting CANDU reactors with the suggestion that in the future they could be converted into nuclear weaponry. These Canadians want nothing to do with that particular process.