Elsie Wayne

[Veterans Affairs, November 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I know what the minister of veterans affairs is referring to. It is the bill that was brought in by our government in 1992 that made them partially equal with other World War II veterans.

The Department of Veterans Affairs had $49 million in lapsed funds in 1997, more than enough to compensate these merchant navy vets.

The Conservative government in the past had the courage to correct the wrongs of the past with Japanese Canadians in World War II and looked after thalidomide victims.

Will this minister and this government—

[Veterans Affairs, November 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, first I will be a lovely lady and thank the minister of veterans affairs for meeting with merchant navy vets this morning.

Now, in the meeting the minister apparently stated that his hands were tied when it came to compensation. However, the minister must know that he has the ability to request an order in council to authorize the crown to make a payment without prejudice for these veterans. Is the minister willing to explore this avenue?

[Veterans Affairs, November 24th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, if it was sent to my office, I did not receive it but I did hear about it through the merchant navy men.

I want to remind the Minister of Veterans Affairs that in the past five years the Department of Veterans Affairs has had a total of over $475 million in lapsed unused funds.

Once again, knowing the money is there, will the minister sit with these veterans tomorrow with an open mind and seriously discuss the issue of benefits and compensation?

[Veterans Affairs, November 24th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Veterans Affairs has stated that he considers the hunger strike by the merchant navy men to be a disgrace and a blackmail of the Canadian government. This has hurt those merchant navy men terribly.

I know we all make statements that we wish we had not made. In this case, I would ask that the minister retract his comments and that he sit down with these brave men to discuss their concerns very soon.

[Veterans Affairs, November 23rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the merchant navy men stopped their first hunger strike because they were led to believe there were going to be negotiations and discussions with the Minister of Veterans Affairs. These discussions did not take place.

If the minister thinks what he is doing is right, why does he not have the courage to sit down with these men in a room, look them in the eye and tell them that he will look at compensation?

[Veterans Affairs, November 23rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the merchant navy men are back up here on the Hill. They have been wronged since returning to Canada after World War II. They were denied the same benefits that were provided to other veterans. Every other allied nation in the world has recognized and compensated their merchant navy men, even Germany. The Dominion Command of the Royal Canadian Legion called last week and fully support the men. The Department of Veterans Affairs had over $46 million in lapsed funds in 1997, more than enough to compensate these men.

Will the minister please give these brave men what they deserve, or will he allow them to die fighting for their—

[Right Hon. Joe Clark, November 16th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, on November 14 thousands of Canadians came together in a new and historic process to choose the Right Hon. Joe Clark as the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.

Mr. Clark is a man of integrity. He has been all things to the Progressive Conservative Party, from youth president to Prime Minister of Canada. He is respected internationally for his work on human rights, free trade and building bridges with developing countries. He is respected here at home as a man who cares passionately about a united Canada. He is a proud Albertan. He has proven himself to be a man of vision. He was a fiscal conservative before it was popular to be a fiscal conservative.

He is a consensus builder. He believes in openness and democracy and he was chosen the leader of our party in the most open and democratic process ever to be held in Canada.

We look forward to Mr. Clark's principled leadership as he lays out his priorities for a brighter and stronger future for Canadians from across this great country.

[Employment Insurance, November 4th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the effect of the CPP premium hike will be to take away a week's wages from a person earning less than $35,000 a year.

The finance minister could lower the tax burden on these Canadians by offsetting the CPP hikes with a more substantial EI premium cut than he has been willing to make to date.

Even the government's watchdog states EI premiums should be much lower than they are.

Why does the finance minister insist on taxing Canadians who can least afford it?

[Employment Insurance, November 4th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, a C.D. Howe Institute report states that high payroll taxes hurt Canadian workers and the economy. The report also suggests that the increase in CPP premiums should be offset with an EI premium cut.

The finance minister once told Canadians “payroll taxes are a barrier to jobs”.

Will the finance minister tell us why he now insists on killing jobs by keeping EI premiums high, much higher than they need to be?

[Corrections And Conditional Release Act, November 4th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to raise awareness of an issue important to the people of Saint John, New Brunswick and to Canadians all across this country.

The issue revolves around section 17 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act.

This past summer Willis Walter Wright, a man who was sentenced to two life terms in prison, was released on an ETA, an escorted temporary absence.

This move was of great concern to Violet Cooke and her family. Willis Wright was convicted of murdering Violet Cooke's sister Janice and a friend after Janice asked him for a divorce.

On Monday, November 9 this convicted murderer will be granted a second ETA. This is the second in a matter of five months and it comes after he has served only seven and a half years of his sentence.

After question period I intend to present the solicitor general with a petition of over 10,000 names opposed to the ETA program.

Janice Cooke was the mother of two and now her family once again is living in fear because of the ETA program.