Elsie Wayne

[Merchant Navy, June 9th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I believe was one of the saddest days in my life as an MP on this Hill when all of my colleagues whom I have a great respect for, all of my Liberal colleagues, voted against a motion to compensate the merchant navy men.

When those men were on the Hill on a hunger strike they were led to believe that compensation was going to be looked at so they went home.

Canadians from coast to coast want to know where the Prime Minister stands on the merchant navy issue. Is he for a one time ex gratia payment for these people or not?

[National Defence, June 8th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in the province of New Brunswick the people wiped out the Liberals because they got answers like that. They never got a straight one. This Liberal government is going to go too if it does not give me some straight answers.

Where is the statement of requirement for the Sea King replacement? Is it at the chief of air staff level or is the minister waiting until parliament recesses for the summer so he can get out of the heat on this issue?

[National Defence, June 8th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, on April 8 the Minister of National Defence testified before the defence committee that the government was a matter of weeks away from initiating the maritime helicopter program to replace the Sea Kings. We have also been told that the statement of requirement has been done for months.

Where is the statement of requirement for the Sea King replacements? Is it at the chief of air staff level, the chief of defence staff level, the armed forces council or gathering dust on the minister's desk?

[Shipbuilding Industry, May 27th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, we on this side of the House are a little tired of hearing about this whole ship.

American shipbuilding companies are offering work to Canadian shipbuilders because they are the best trained in the world. These men do not want to leave Canada. However, until the government changes the current policy, more and more of our shipbuilders will be forced out of Canada.

Why will the government not make changes to the current shipbuilding policy and stop forcing Canadian shipbuilders and their families out of their own country?

[Shipbuilding Industry, May 27th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, today the Prime Minister received 150,000 cards of support for a new national shipbuilding policy from shipbuilders across Canada.

When he was in opposition the Prime Minister stated in a letter to the Marine Workers Federation “It is safe to say that most people recognize that something needs to be done to create a much more competitive shipbuilding industry”.

We all know that the Prime Minister has a habit of saying one thing in opposition but a different thing when he is in power. We want to know what will the government do to bring in a competitive shipbuilding policy?

[National Defence, May 25th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I have been informed that the recommendations of the Commander of Land Force Canada regarding reserve forces were completely new, were done without any consultations whatsoever and took everyone by surprise.

My question is for the Minister of National Defence. Is this what he refers to as meaningful consultation or is this just how decisions are made in DND?

[National Defence, May 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the record now shows that the minister is not going to adopt any of the recommendations that are in the report. I am so pleased to hear that. That is just what he said. He is not going to cut the reserves whatsoever. Is that what the minister is telling us today? Because how could he possibly consider the cuts that are recommended in that report which would absolutely devastate the reservists in Canada?

[National Defence, May 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, in a preliminary report, a copy of which I received on the weekend, it is recommended that the Minister of National Defence cut our reserves from 51 units to 20 in the infantry, from 15 units to 7 in the artillery, and from 17 units to 10 in the armoured units.

The government has already cut the military from 80,000 to 60,000. Is the Minister of National Defence going to cut our reserve forces or not? According to the parliamentary secretary yesterday in the House the decision rests with him.

[National Defence, May 12th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am on my feet today with regard to the reserves because we know how important they are.

The internal document outlines the government's plan to cut the services. The document states that these cuts will “result in a reserve structure that will not be viable to meet current or future needs”' if they make those cuts.

Will the Prime Minister give us his assurance that not one reserve unit will be cut or amalgamated out of existence, or will the government eliminate the Canadian forces altogether?

[National Defence, May 12th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, we have been informed that approximately 20% of the troops sent to Kosovo are reservists.

In an internal report it is suggested that the Minister of National Defence is about to cut our reserves from 51 units to 20 in the infantry, from 15 units to 7 in the artillery and from 17 units to 10 in the armoured unit. He has already cut the military from 80,000 to 60,000.

Is the Minister of National Defence and his staff about to cut the strength of the militia in half? If so, what can we expect if another emergency arises?