Elsie Wayne

[National Defence, March 2nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, in the hours following the budget, the Minister of National Defence was on television pitching a grocery list of the new expenditures of his department. The minister is on the record as saying that the Sea King replacement is his top priority but he has also recently said that CF-18 refits is his top priority.

Will the minister please get up in the House and tell Canadians when he is going to replace those Sea King helicopters that are so dangerous and should not be in the air?

[The Budget, February 29th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I have two or three questions for the hon. member for Durham. The first one has to do with high technology and the people we are losing to the United States because the government has never brought in a national shipbuilding policy, which is a high tech industry. We are still waiting.

They do not have to put out a contract for 12 frigates. They can put out a contract for one because high tech is moving and changing every year. We could have a phase in and phase out. It would be something new, different from what my government did. They should have done it but they did not do it. There was not a penny for shipbuilding.

Another has to do with defence. They will get about $2 billion more, but does anyone know that the CF-18 refit will cost about $1.3 billion, leaving next to nothing for helicopters to replace the Sea Kings? People have lost their lives with the Sea Kings. I am really worried about this budget.

Another is health care. The budget brought down an increase for health care. Do we know how much the Atlantic region will get? It will be 2%. Ninety-eight per cent of every penny that comes in for health care will go from central Canada out west and two per cent will go to the whole Atlantic region. I have major concerns about what came down.

According to the formula, unless it will be changed, only 40 university research chairs will go to the Atlantic region out of 2,000. Does the government think it will gain any seats in Atlantic Canada? It has two or three now. It will not have them after the next election.

[Acoa, February 29th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, a company in my greater Saint John area applied to ACOA for $500,000 and it was putting up $385,000 of its own money. It was okayed by the local office but when it came here the company was told it had to take $1 million. What did Ottawa want it to do with the other $500,000, send in a contribution?

This is wrong and I want the minister to tell me why this was done.

[Acoa, February 29th, 2000]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, this question is not hard.

[Acoa, February 29th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister of ACOA, and it is not about Viagra, but I do hope that he is going to get straight up and answer the question.

My question is about a business in my greater riding and it has to do—

[The Budget, February 29th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, is the hon. member from the NDP aware of what was brought down yesterday in the budget? When it comes to the CHST, only 2% will be going into the total Atlantic region. Ninety-eight per cent will go to central Canada and out west.

People back home put a think tank together. Our people will be hit extremely hard. I will read what was said by the minister of finance back home in the province of New Brunswick. He said that there is an imbalance in the Canadian federation with Ottawa hoarding all the money while the provinces are left holding the bag on the country's most expensive program, health care. I want to say that when a province only gets 2%, it is not even coming up to the 1993 level.

This is a very serious situation which must be addressed by both sides of the House. Was the hon. member aware of that? Are all my colleagues in the House aware of what took place here yesterday?

[Research And Development, February 22nd, 2000]

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

There are grave concerns across the country about the allocation formula that is in place for the new 21st century research chairs to be included in next week's budget.

In the formula, only 2% or 40 of the 2,000 chairs will be allocated to the Atlantic region. Will the Prime Minister assure the House that these much needed chairs will be distributed in a fair and even manner so as not to further disadvantage small and medium size universities in Canada?

[National Defence, February 17th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I guess maybe the Minister of National Defence should apply to HRDC to get enough money to buy the Sea Kings that we need. That is probably the way he could get it.

The government cancelled the EH-101 contract, which was the helicopter we should have today. We have lost lives. We have heard throughout the past year from the minister that the government is to replace the Sea Kings. When will it replace the Sea Kings?

[National Defence, February 17th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Defence.

We have heard for the last two weeks about mismanagement in HRDC. Is it mismanagement in defence or the lack of will of the minister that we do not have replacements for those aging Sea Kings that are jeopardizing the lives of the pilots?

[The Late Angus Maclean, February 17th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, this week Canadians mourn the loss of a true Canadian hero and a man of the people. Former Diefenbaker cabinet minister and P.E.I. premier, Angus MacLean, passed away Tuesday at the age 85.

In World War II, Mr. MacLean was shot down over the Nazi occupied Netherlands and managed, through his keen and resourceful intelligence, to survive for 72 days on the run in Holland.

This rural P.E.I. farmer and decorated airman decided to enter politics in Canada in 1951. He made his way to Ottawa to represent islanders with decency, loyalty and steadiness but without pretensions. For the following 25 years, Mr. MacLean became the most elected islander in P.E.I. history.

In the mid-1970s, Mr. MacLean decided to return home to P.E.I. to his farm. But, he still had politics flowing in his veins. He went on to win the leadership of the provincial Tory Party and brought the his party to government in 1979.

Angus MacLean was a true Canadian hero in war and a true Canadian patriot in his public service.