Elsie Wayne

[Unemployment Insurance, November 30th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, in the 1994 budget the government announced cuts to UI, which hit Atlantic Canada the hardest. Of the $2.4 billion that was cut, $634 million came from Atlantic Canada. Our region, with 8 per cent of Canada's population, suffered 27 per cent of the UI cuts. Now we hear it is going to happen to us again.

A large portion of the Atlantic Canadian economy has a seasonal nature. I agree that we have to implement measures that allow the region's economy to grow and evolve, but what the government is proposing will not do that. Even the Liberal premier of New Brunswick has called the proposed UI plan devastating for our region. He has also said that he believes it will merely push people from UI to welfare.

I support thoughtful measures to get our deficit under control. We need to help people to help themselves. I fear this is what the government's UI plan will not do. I urge it to reconsider. In fact, this plan is one I would expect from the Reform Party.

[Canadian Sugar Industry, November 23rd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian sugar industry is very happy with the recent trade ruling by the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, which confirmed that dumped sugar from the U.S. and subsidized sugar from the European Union is threatening material injury to the industry.

The industry is also pleased that the United States has decided to exempt sugar from the Helms bill, which would have placed serious implications on Canada's ability to export sugar.

All this being said, the Canadian sugar industry still has one very key irritant that needs to be resolved. Canadian sugar exports to the U.S. were drastically reduced last year when the Americans implemented new trade restrictions which lowered our export quota. As a result, the Lantic Sugar refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick, had to lay off many employees. These tariffs are estimated to cost many hundreds of Canadian jobs in the sugar industry.

As an Atlantic Canadian, I call on the minister of trade to finish the job and continue to enter into formal negotiations with the U.S.

[Highway 104, November 22nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, thanks to the hon. member of the Conservative Party from Sherbrooke who wrote to the auditor general, the death valley diversion in Nova Scotia became a national issue.

In turn, the auditor general is very critical of the government for diverting $26 million from a federal-provincial agreement for work on a dangerous stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway to a tourist trail in the riding of the minister of public works.

The auditor general noted in his report that "the agreement assigns a duty of project review and approval but in this case, such a review was pre-empted by ministers who presented the matter as a fait accompli to officials who, in the circumstances, could only implement the decision".

Although they were forced to reverse their decision in August, upgrades to death valley will still be paid for by toll fees.

The public works minister, agreeing with the leader of the third party, once said the province was showing real leadership by making people pay user fees for their highways. The people of Nova Scotia and my party certainly do not feel that way.

[Auditor General Act, November 21st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the PC members in the House will vote nay on this issue.

[Department Of Human Resources Development Act, November 21st, 1995]

I will be voting nay.

[Remembrance Day, November 9th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the many Canadians who sacrificed so much for the peace and freedom we all enjoy today.

The first world war ended at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918. We reflect each Remembrance Day on that time and on that date. World War I left close to 70,000 Canadians dead and almost twice as many wounded. The second world war took the lives of 45,000 Canadians. Canadians also gave their lives during the Korean war and our armed forces answered when the United Nations called for action to put an end to Iraq's aggression against Kuwait. Canadians have never backed down or run away in the face of such aggression. Our troops have put their lives on the line when international peace and security has been at risk.

I, like my colleague of the New Democratic Party, am personally aware of World War II because I had two brothers who served in Holland.

As a child at that time I remember how we used to work and save our pennies to buy Canadian stamps, how we used to take our toothpaste tubes to school. Some of the boys used to bring their little metal toys and turn them in. All of us have memories, but I have happy memories because my brothers returned home safe and sound.

Canadians know that to ensure world peace the laws that govern relationships among nations must be respected and enforced. That is why we have almost 2,000 members of the Canadian military serving throughout the world in peace and humanitarian operations.

This year we commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the second world war and on Remembrance Day and this Veterans' Week let us commit, each and every one of us, to honouring those who risked so much on our behalf through concrete action. In Holland during VE Day celebrations Canadian veterans were treated like royalty for their role in the liberation of that country.

Here at home we must continue to remember and show our gratitude to those who risked everything so that we would have the country we have today with our rights and freedoms. That is why we have to protect the programs vital to the well-being of so many veterans.

Today I say thank you to those who fought for the freedoms we enjoy. I say thank you to those who continue to wear the uniform of Canada for their extraordinary service to all of us.

Let us not forget the price that has been paid so that we could live in peace, individually and collectively. Let us be vigilant about maintaining that peace.

[Canada Post, November 9th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, over the past several days, mailboxes in my city of Saint John have received a flyer from a Quebec company which was distributed by Canada Post.

The flyer is a mail order form advertising explicit pornographic videos. Included in the flyer is a detailed description and name of each of the 20 films. I will not repeat these words and descriptions as they are very explicit and deeply offensive.

I have had many calls to my riding office from people who are totally outraged by having this kind of filth arrive at their front door by Canada Post. People feel that it is an invasion of their privacy and they want something done about it.

What is the government's policy on delivering such material? Whatever the policy is, it should be revisited. I strongly urge the minister responsible for Canada Post to put an end to delivering pornography.

[Department Of Health Act, November 8th, 1995]

Madam Speaker, I am voting yes on this motion.

[The Late Yitzhak Rabin, November 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my leader, the member for Sherbrooke, and Progressive Conservative Party colleagues I wish to pay tribute to Yitzhak Rabin, the late Prime Minister of Israel.

Mr. Rabin's life mirrored the history of his country. He fought for its creation, its survival and its peace. It has been said that only soldiers can make peace for they know all too well the price of war.

Mr. Rabin recognized the only guarantee of Israel's survival was to make peace with those who had once vowed to destroy it. For the next generation of Israelis and all generations after them he wanted to ensure a future free of bloodshed. He made peace with the enemies of Israel, he said to save lives. Now that he has given his life for that worthiest of causes, let us honour him by embracing and supporting his courageous work.

My colleagues and I extend our condolences to Mr. Rabin's family and the people of Israel. The world has lost a great leader and one of its noblest spirits.

[Canadian Unity, November 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to thank all those New Brunswickers who travelled to Montreal last week for our rally. It was absolutely marvellous.

I also want to thank all the members of Parliament and all the senators who helped me to get 6,000 flags to take down to the harbour station. Members should have heard them when I asked them to sing "O Canada".

They sang it so you could hear it in Victoria, you could hear it in Newfoundland and in the Northwest Territories. The walls of the building started to shake. I say to my hon. friends from the Reform Party, the people in Atlantic Canada are being well looked after. We are looking after them.