Sheila Copps

[Linguistic Minorities, March 2nd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I announced this morning that the Government of Canada, which includes all the members of cabinet and the members of parliament, will invest an additional $70 million a year, precisely to help Canadians who are part of a minority.

This was a commitment made by the Prime Minister, who has always worked to build a country that believes in respecting cultural diversity.

The Prime Minister's belief in cultural diversity is being delivered by this $70 million annual addition to the official languages budget.

[The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, March 1st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I know the member is planning to join a new political party in the very near future. I would like to underscore this for him before he makes that step to his soulmates beside him. Their policy is to abolish the CBC.

[The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, March 1st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the government has no intention of making any such appointment.

[Publishing Industry, February 10th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, first of all I want to thank the hon. member and her party and the hon. members of most parties for the strong support they have shown. I also want to thank in particular my hon. critic who yesterday displayed an incredible openness when he had meetings on this issue with representatives of the magazine industry.

That being said, we are certainly committed to proceeding with this bill. The amendment that we have put forth today is the standard amendment in most bills that have been brought before the House. Frankly, what it does is it shows that we on the Canadian side are operating in good faith. I only hope our American allies choose to also operate in good faith.

[Publishing Industry, February 9th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member and his party, and in fact most of the parties in this House for their steadfast and unwaivering support for Bill C-55.

I can say that it is the position of the government that this bill respects every one of our national and international obligations.

[Publishing Industry, February 8th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, there is absolutely nothing in the law that prevents any Canadian from advertising in any current American magazine.

[Bill C-55, February 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member for Rimouski—Mitis knows full well, the House will be proceeding to report stage and third reading on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. We are carrying on with the bill as it stands. We have asked the Americans if they had any alternate solutions to put forward; we have always been open to suggestions. So far, however, none have been forthcoming.

[Trade, February 1st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, this issue is about the right of Canadians to protect and to promote our own culture. This is a recognition about Canada. That is why members of parliament on all sides of the House except the Reform Party have supported this legislation.

As a government we retain the right to use fair rules in steel, fair rules in textiles and fair rules in culture. This bill is fair for Canadians and Americans.

[Trade, February 1st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, first I thank all members of the House who set aside their partisanship and wrote to express their abhorrence of the measures that were taken by a certain U.S. magazine publisher.

I have made no threats. In fact I have a riding which has more steelworker jobs than any riding in Canada. I also understand that when it comes to the law of the land we must respect due process.

We have on this side of the debate respected due process throughout. We retained the sovereign right to pass laws to support our culture and we expect to do that in the full light of all international agreements.

[Canada Travelling Exhibitions Indemnification Act, December 10th, 1998]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-64, an act to establish an indemnification program for travelling exhibitions.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)