Sheila Copps

[Day Care, April 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the member's colleague was asking the government what we could do to get people working.

Obviously one of the things we could do to get people working is to ensure that they have proper support for their children when in fact they are out in the paid workforce. I happen to believe that women who work at home are working every bit as hard so I specify the paid workforce.

However, for the member to suggest the government pull out of child care funding, it would take the case of the Canadian economy back decades. At the moment child care spaces across the country are set up by provincial governments with the financial assistance of the federal government directly to those families, primarily single income mother led families who without the assistance would not be able to go out into the paid labour force.

The member suggests that for some people it is not necessary. The same thing holds true for health care. Would he like to abolish national health care or education?

[Human Rights, April 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, the hon. member asked me some questions about a court ruling, and I made it clear that the Minister of Justice had already given instructions not to pursue these appeals. I think the message is pretty clear.

Moreover, the Minister of Justice has stated that the government is working on meeting its commitment in the red book to prohibit discrimination because of sexual orientation, whatever it may be. The government promised in the red book that it would proceed with a review of our human rights legislation. The government is working on this, and there will be a policy very shortly as far as the Justice Department is concerned.

[Human Rights, April 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I believe the Minister of Justice said he was not prepared to proceed with an appeal in each case. In fact, he gave instructions that in some cases where an appeal had been made, the appeals should not be pursued.

[Environmental Secretariat, April 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the budget for the suits of the leader of the Reform Party is also political.

The reality is that if one follows the criteria of the member and suggests that the centre should have gone to Toronto because it has the most number of flights, every single thing done by every ministry in the government should go to Toronto. Toronto has more direct flights to all parts of the United States and Mexico.

The reality is that sometimes we have to make tough decisions. I said that it was a difficult decision. I said that we tried to consider all the factors. My own community was bitter. Do members think it was easy for me to say no to the people of Hamilton?

The reality is that politics is about making difficult decisions and making them in the best interest of the country. That is what we have tried to do.

[Environmental Secretariat, April 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, today is Earth Day. Today is the day when every Canadian should be thinking about how we can improve our earth.

Instead, what I hear from members of the Reform Party is constant carping, criticism and carving up of the country. Its leader went to Montreal yesterday and I think he got a very strong message. If the leader of the Reform Party wants to begin

to understand what the country is all about, he had better not start thinking in small pieces; he had better start thinking big.

One of the things we did in making our decision about the centre was that we looked at all applicants. We looked at the criteria that we established and we made a decision based on our best political and environmental advice.

The reality is that any decision made by a government is a decision that involves politics. The difference between this party and that one is that we actually understand all parts of the country. In the case of the Reform Party, it is obvious that its understanding is very limited.

[2002 Olympic Games, April 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary has already indicated the willingness of the federal government to help Québec 2002. Clearly the Quebec site is fantastic. I have personally visited the proposed site. Everybody is waiting to find out whether Canada will be selected as host for the 2002 Olympic Games. Negotiations are going on and you will get an answer shortly.

[Trade, April 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I would argue the absolute contrary. In fact, this government has stood very fast in the face of rather ridiculous comments by people like Mickey Kantor and the senator from the United States who has the nerve to suggest he would turn cruise missiles on us, the very cruise missiles we were testing for them for a number of years.

We are very unhappy. We do not intend to cave in. We have not agreed to the American negotiations. The Prime Minister is going to be discussing it with the president and we intend to take future action.

[Purchase Of Properties In Oka, April 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I believe it would be more useful if this question were directed to Brian Mulroney, the former friend of the Leader of the Official Opposition.

[Trade, April 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has said that he intends to raise the matter specifically with the president. We expect if that has not already been done, it will be done before the weekend.

[Hibernia, April 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I get concerned when I hear the leader of the Reform Party claiming to speak on behalf of Quebecers.

From the point of view of the government we are very happy that the minister who is the spokesperson for this project happens to be a minister who is from Newfoundland and who understands how beneficial the Hibernia project can be for not only Newfoundlanders but for those 34 Quebec companies that are receiving $800 million in contracts, those literally millions of other dollars in contracts that are going out across the country.

Frankly, we on this side of the House are not going to apologize for creating jobs for Canadians.

Yesterday for the first time in the House the Reform Party started asking questions about the real issue that touches Canadians, and that is jobs. When the government through the minister responsible for FORD-Q or through the ministers responsible for energy or through the ministers responsible for industry and environment are out there creating jobs we do not expect to take flack from the Reform Party.