Mark Muise

[National Horse Of Canada Act, May 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to stand. I feel somewhat—

[Huntington's Disease, May 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to focus everyone's attention on a terrible disease that preys upon unsuspecting individuals, attacking their nervous system and robbing its victims of their ability to control their own bodies.

Of course, I am talking about Huntington's disease. This disease is an inherited and fatal brain disorder that strikes individuals in the prime of life. It is inherent among 50% of the children of victims of this deadly disease and, as of today, there is still no cure in sight.

The month of May is being observed as Huntington's Disease Awareness Month in communities across Canada. The Huntington Society of Canada has initiated and supported research into the cause and nature of this fatal disease. The work of the society has brought new hope to the people with Huntington's disease and families who bear the burden of this affliction.

On behalf of the Huntington Society of Canada and all those suffering from this terrible disease, I encourage everyone to lend their support to this most worthy cause so that we may finally find a cure for this deadly disease.

[Supply, May 3rd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague touched on something very important. Before I answer his question I would like to say that I know all members of the opposition are in support of the motion. It is really ironic when the motion word for word is a motion that was drafted and supported by the Liberal Party of Canada.

In reality, we do not need a vote because we already know that it is unanimous unless the Liberals choose to make it otherwise. If they do that then they are neglecting their responsibility toward people in the fishing and the shipbuilding industries.

[Supply, May 3rd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to participate in this very important debate, particularly as I said earlier because shipbuilding is such an important component of the economy in my riding of West Nova.

Since the first European settlers arrived in West Nova, boat building has played an integral role in our rural society. Moving along the rich coastal waters of the Bay of Fundy, many of my constituents are involved in the fishing industry and as such depend on the expertise of our very experienced shipbuilding industry.

What scares me about the downturn and the lack of a shipbuilding policy is the potential loss of expertise of our shipbuilders. Not only are we losing the economic benefits of shipbuilding but we might lose the expertise that they have. I would want that to continue.

Shipbuilding in West Nova grew sharply during the second world war as the allies worked feverishly to prepare our navy for the daunting task that lay ahead, which culminated with our victory in the Battle of the Atlantic. West Nova has some of the finest shipbuilders in the world. They have developed their expertise after decades of practising their trades for local fishers.

We have a federal government that is indifferent to the shipbuilding industry. Throughout the world we can find examples of countries that are supporting their own shipbuilding industry. We need only look to the south of us to see the United States and the Jones act which effectively prevents our Canadian shipyards from competing with U.S. shipbuilding interests.

Our colleagues from across the way continue to refer to the past when NAFTA and free trade were negotiated. It is incumbent upon the government to look at the future. The Jones act has not been working. It is something that really affects our ability to be competitive in the shipbuilding industry. I would urge the government to work with the U.S. to reduce or remove the effects of the Jones act.

Obviously the U.S. has recognized the importance of shipbuilding to its local economies. Our own Liberal government, despite repeated promises to introduce a new shipbuilding policy both in 1993 and in 1997, has decided to turn its back on this vital industry.

This industry could easily employ 10,000 employees instead of the fewer than 4,000 who are presently employed. The Liberal government suggests that politics have nothing to do with its decision to turn its back on our shipbuilding industry. I suppose this goes with what my colleague from Lévis said.

Those who are speaking to shipbuilding seem to be from the opposition. I wonder if the government's lack of interest in a shipbuilding policy for eastern Canada is due to the fact that not many Liberals were elected there, especially in Nova Scotia where none were elected. Perhaps that has an impact on the Liberal lack of interest in shipbuilding policy.

Perhaps the government is turning its back on our fishing industry and therefore does not see the necessity of having a shipbuilding policy. Fishing is still a viable option in West Nova, and for that matter in most of Atlantic Canada. We have some of the richest grounds in the world just off the southern tip of Nova Scotia. Our lobster industry is by far the most lucrative.

There is still a need for shipbuilding services in our area. However, if the government continues to ignore the plight of those involved in the industry, our small family owned shipbuilding operations will not be able to compete with foreign competition.

Let us consider the family boat building operations in my riding such as A. F. Theriault and Sons. on Meteghan River, Camille D'eon's boat building in Middle West Pubnico and Doucette's boat building in Cape Ste. Mary's. What about David LeBlanc in Mavilette and Cape Ste. Mary's or Paul and Alain Pothier in St. Martin? These are all small family run operations that have survived over the years because they have mastered their craft to a point where they have developed great reputations from within the fishing industry.

The PC Party wants partisanship to be taken out of this discussion so that all parties in the House can work toward developing a policy for shipbuilding that will help promote and put Canada on a level playing field so that we can compete with other countries that build ships.

The shipbuilding industry has proposed four measures which would immediately stimulate the shipbuilding industry. They include changes to leasing regulations, a refundable tax credit, and a pro-Canada provision of levelling the playing field, as I said earlier, without competitors.

With proper support from our federal government some of the family operations could legitimately expand their operations, creating countless numbers of new jobs for our struggling economy.

I have referred a lot to my riding of West Nova but a new shipbuilding policy is a pan-Canadian issue. Shipyards are located across Canada in B.C., Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland.

Canadian shipyards have the capacity to directly employ over 10,000 Canadians. The economic benefits of $100 million worth of new shipbuilding business will create over 1,500 jobs in shipbuilding and allied businesses and generate over $23 million of income for the federal treasury. It is for these reasons that we believe there should be a comprehensive shipbuilding policy in Canada.

The P.C. Party of Canada wants the government to work in a non-partisan way with all parties of the House toward developing a comprehensive shipbuilding policy which will help promote a very important industry in our Canadian economy.

I encourage all members of the House to support this very important endeavour.

[Supply, May 3rd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I listened quite intently to my hon. colleague from across the way. Yes, Nova Scotia was a fine place where ships were built, especially in the years past, but it is still a very good and strong shipbuilding place.

My concern, however, is that there is too much partisanship in this debate. This issue is something that affects Canada from coast to coast to coast. I would like to see the members across the way forget all the partisanship and work on the issue that is so very important here. A vital part of our Canadian economy is being fluffed off as something that is not important. They say that our motion does not have substance. They are the government; they should put the substance in it.

Would my hon. colleague stand up in the House and say he will work with his colleagues to get rid of the Jones Act and other items that would benefit us as Canadians?

[Supply, May 3rd, 1999]

There is no reason.

[Criminal Code, May 3rd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise before the House to debate Bill C-374, an act to amend the Criminal Code and the Customs Tariff with regard to prohibited toys.

I congratulate my hon. colleague from the Bloc, the member for Témiscamingue, for recognizing the inherent dangers that exist within the labelling of some products that are readily available to very young and impressionable children.

Although the bill focuses primarily on the labelling of dolls, it does raise important questions about all labelling in general and the effects the labelling could have on our children.

On the surface, it would seem that the information contained within the labelling of dolls could not possibly be detrimental to our children. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Certain labels could realistically create subliminal messages that negatively influence the perception some children have in regard to what constitutes acceptable behaviour.

The impetus for creating the bill originated from the efforts of one concerned citizen who happened to purchase a toy for her child only to discover that it contained within the instructions messages encouraging violence. Not only did the instructions encourage violence, it suggested that violence would make the child happier and more powerful in our society.

There is violence everywhere in our society. Evening television abounds with examples of how we are influenced by it.

What is more disturbing is the age of those committing acts of violence. Increasingly, they are under the age of 20.

Bill C-374 speaks to a broader issue of the prevalence of violence in our society. Everywhere one turns, children are being bombarded with messages that effectively state that violence is an accepted means of resolving one's problems.

One only has to look around to see that violence is depicted just about everywhere. For years now the motion picture industry has been competing against each other to see who can recreate the most realistic special effects depicting violent acts within our society.

Many television programs are also helping to accentuate the prevalence of crime in major cities. The portrayals of these crimes are so realistic that it is sometimes hard for some children to differentiate between what is real and what is fiction.

There is no doubt that our young people are influenced by what they see on television. The Colorado tragedy is proof of this. The method used to commit the murders bears a strong resemblance to a film seen in theatres.

What happened in Colorado is truly appalling. I would like to offer my heartfelt sympathy to all those who were affected by this tragic event. This massacre was followed by another high school attack on two teenagers in Alberta that left one young man dead and another seriously injured.

Details of such vicious attacks are becoming far too prevalent. Canadians used to believe that these terrible crimes were confined to big cities in the U.S. However, the shooting in Alberta and the terrible torture and murder of Reena Virk in B.C. have opened our eyes to the reality that our youth are increasingly turning to violence to resolve their differences.

The increase in crime is why the PC Party and Canadians as a whole have been calling on the Minister of Justice to amend the 1984 Young Offenders Act to make it tougher on those who insist on pursuing a life of crime. Canadians are sick and tired of seeing violent young offenders getting off virtually scot-free. Canadians want the government to start focusing greater attention on victims. They want their rights recognized and protected, just as much as the system presently protects young offenders.

In May 1998, the justice minister unveiled a new youth strategy to renew the 1984 Young Offenders Act. During meetings with provincial justice ministers, the federal minister heard her counterparts demand tougher legislation that would respond to the demands of society. Calls included lowering the age of application of the Young Offenders Act for serious violent crimes from 12 to 10 years of age and providing for easier transfer of cases involving serious offences to adult court from youth court, instead of a general reduction of the maximum age.

The PC Party endorsed measures to make the act tougher on youth crime. Led by our party's justice critic, the hon. member for Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, a former crown prosecutor who witnessed the lives of many of the victims of youth crime, we fought hard to convince the government that tougher legislation was needed to help protect society. Besides lowering the age of application of the Young Offenders Act from 12 to 10 years of age, he strongly supported giving judges more power to impose mandatory treatment or therapy on troubled youth.

We now know that changes to the Young Offenders Act will fall far short of what Canadians expected and what the country needs to help reduce the prevalence of youth crime within society. Therefore, it is important that as elected officials we continue to pressure the government into accepting its responsibility of protecting Canadian society.

Bill C-374 will not eliminate youth crime. However, it could help to prevent young children from being exposed too early to violence.

In closing, I again congratulate my colleague, the member for Témiscamingue, as well as Ms. Ayotte, who took her petition far and wide to educate us to the danger found on the labels of children's dolls. Bill C-374 is a good initiative and I urge all members to support it.

[Publishing Industry, April 28th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, on the front page of this morning's Globe and Mail it is reported that Canada and the U.S. are nearing an agreement on the magazine dispute. According to the article, Canada is willing to allow existing split-run magazines to operate while opening the door to a limited number of new subscriptions. Canadian ownership requirements are also being sacrificed in the deal.

Can the Prime Minister tell this House whether this article is accurate and does he personally support such a settlement?

[Yarmouth Town And Country Sports Hall Of Fame, April 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, on May 1 there will be seven new inductees into the Yarmouth Town and County Sports Hall of Fame. The hall of fame, in its second year of operation, was created by local residents for the purpose of recognizing our local sporting heroes.

Sports have always played an integral part in our local communities. This year's inductees were instrumental in raising their particular sports to new heights.

This year's inductees include Mr. Keith Bridgeo who led the Yarmouth Gateways to consecutive Nova Scotia senior league baseball titles; the late Mr. James Burrowes, an accomplished championship swimmer; Mr. Jene (K.O.) Fowler, the late, great boxer; Mr. Frank Moores, a renowned pitcher during the second world war; the late Bruce Saulnier was a very gifted hockey player who played in the international league; Mr. Sanford Rodgerson, the first organizer of little league baseball in Yarmouth; and the Yarmouth County Academy swim team who won six consecutive maritime high school championships.

To all these individuals and their surviving families, I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations.

[Canada Travelling Exhibitions Indemnification Act, April 23rd, 1999]

Madam Speaker, as I was saying prior to question period, museums are more than just an historical account of a time and place within Canadian history. Museums contribute enormously to our local economies.

According to Mr. Robert Janes, president and chief executive officer of Glenbow Museum in Calgary, museums in Canada contribute $1 billion annually to the gross domestic product which includes 35,000 jobs, directly and indirectly, as well as $650 million in labour income. These figures suggest that this particular cultural industry is a very significant contributor to Canada's economy.

The Canada travelling exhibitions indemnification act could be a very effective tool in helping Canadian museums bring in more attractive exhibitions enticing a greater participation from both Canadian and foreign audiences.

Already, current statistics indicate over 55 million visitors a year enter Canada's approximately 2,000 museums. This is a very impressive number of visitors. The credit for this success belongs to our dedicated museum staff along with the 50,000 volunteers who devote their time and energy toward helping maintain an important element of Canadian history.

As I mentioned previously, the bill responds to a certain need within our museum industry. However, much more needs to be done. I am encouraged by this government initiative. I believe it is a step in the right direction. I therefore support sending the bill to committee for further review.