Elsie Wayne

[Oceans Act, June 12th, 1996]

I will be voting yea, Mr. Speaker.

(The House divided on Motion No. 29, which was agreed to on the following division:)

[Oceans Act, June 12th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the PC Party votes no.

[Oceans Act, June 12th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I will be voting no.

(The House divided on the amendment, which was negatived on the following division):

[Veterans, June 12th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, we just finished celebrating the 50th anniversary of the end of the second world war and people around the world thanked our vets for the freedom we all enjoy today.

The Ridgewood veterans wing in Saint John is operated under the jurisdiction of the McKenna government and receives a grant from Veterans Affairs to operate. The McKenna government has decided to introduce rethermalized food for the vets. The meals are prepared in Toronto. Even the toast, bacon and eggs are shipped down frozen to Saint John and reheated.

This process has been tried in other local hospitals in Saint John and has had terrible reviews from the patients, the doctors and other staff.

The Legion is outraged that these veterans will be used as guinea pigs. Veterans Affairs has prided itself in the past on the humanitarian treatment of veterans.

The present on-site food preparation is very good. For the sake of our veterans' health, dignity and quality of life, I ask the Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs to stop these unnecessary changes.

[Criminal Law Improvement Act, 1996, June 11th, 1996]

Madam Speaker, all PCs in the House tonight will be voting in favour.

[Civil Air Navigation Services Commercialization Act, June 4th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I will be voting against the motion.

[Transportation Week, June 4th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, this week marks transportation week. Unfortunately there is not much to celebrate.

Since the Liberal Party took office, Saint John has lost most of its transportation infrastructure. When the Conservative Party was in power, a new air traffic control tower was built. Now the Liberals have closed it and privatized the airport.

When the Conservative Party was in power, it maintained VIA passenger rail service from Saint John to Sherbrooke and built a new VIA terminal in Saint John. The Liberals ended VIA service and the new terminal is now a hockey training centre.

Planes and trains. What next? I guess it is the ports, of course. The government is privatizing ports with the idea of ending grants in lieu of municipal taxes and terminating the ports police, meaning more crime and less money to fight it. As well, ports must pay for navigational aids, dredging and ice breaking. This was all implemented before a full socioeconomic impact study was completed.

Before the government decides to celebrate transportation week, it should look at how it has undermined our essential transportation services. It might realize it has nothing of which to be proud.

[The Constitution, June 3rd, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Saint John, New Brunswick last week I spoke at St. Vincent's girl's high school. The system has changed to the type of system in Newfoundland. Right now that high school is not allowed to continue as a religious high school without going before the board of education every year. That will happen all across Canada before we are through and all religious schools will be gone.

[The Constitution, June 3rd, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I am not supporting this legislation because I am not convinced the rights of minorities as entrenched in the Constitution are being safeguarded.

To make the proposed changes to the school system in Newfoundland a constitutional amendment is not necessary. It already has the authority to make such a change under section 93. There should have been better consultation with the groups whose minority rights will be affected. I say this because some parents were here on the Hill last week. Those parents stated they had not had the consultation they required.

I ask the hon. member if he is aware that this consultation with the parents of these children who attend religious schools did not take place. They also stated that prior to the referendum people were not aware of any consultation. Does he not agree that in today's society with the peer pressure out there it is better to have religious schools for our young people than the other system?

[Petitions, June 3rd, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I rise pursuant to Standing Order 36, to present a petition signed by individuals from the province of New Brunswick.

The petitioners are concerned Canadians who are opposed to the approval of the synthetic bovine growth hormone known as BST, the drug injected into cows to increase milk production.

They call on Parliament to take the necessary steps to keep BST out of Canada through legislating a moratorium or stoppage on BST use and sale until the year 2000 and, as well, an examination of the outstanding health and economic questions through an independent and transparent review.