Bob Wood

[Firearms Act, June 12th, 1995]

I am voting in favour, Mr. Speaker.

(The House divided on Motion No. 10, which was negatived on the following division:)

[Mining Exploration And Development, June 5th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to add my support to the motion put before this House by the hon. member for Timiskaming-French River.

The major topic we are addressing today is the importance of the mine manufacturing industry in our nation. Like my other colleagues, I feel it is necessary to point out the importance of the mining industry to the Canadian economy.

I suspect that a number of hon. members in the House, particularly those from urban areas, do not realize the impact that the mining industry has on our economy. The facts clearly show that the industry is a key component of the national economy.

In 1993 mining products represented 15 per cent of Canada's total exports which resulted in a $10 million trade surplus. This industry contributes approximately 4 per cent to the gross domestic product of the nation. In addition it may surprise many members of the House that 60 per cent of all Canada's rail and sea freight is directly related to the mining industry. While these economic statistics are very impressive, it is also important to look at the central role this industry plays in the lives of individual Canadians.

The industry directly supports approximately 100,000 high paying skilled jobs in mines across Canada. The future of about 150 Canadian communities is dependent on the success of their local mines. These single industry cities and towns are reliant on the continued development of the mining industry to ensure their very existence. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians live in these communities. They are keenly aware of the importance of preserving our mining industry.

Having stated the importance of mining to so many communities in the country, it may interest those present today that there are no mines operating in my riding of Nipissing. Northern Ontario is rich in mineral deposits. However my riding does rely on an abundance of subsidiary industries. There are no ore deposits and that is why I am speaking in favour of the motion designed to assist the expansion of the mining industry.

The answer is that the manufacturing spinoffs from other mines in the region are a driving force to the riding of Nipissing. Those familiar with the industry may recognize some of the major manufacturing exploration companies in my riding, such as Boart Longyear, Warren Equipment Ltd., JKS Boyles Ltd., and J. S. Redpath Ltd. These companies are all located within the city of North Bay and employ a large portion of the local workforce. However the importance of the continued success of the mining industry extends beyond these big players.

The database of the Mining Association of Canada lists no less than 25 companies within the city of North Bay that manufacture or supply products related to mining. These products range from diesel electric locomotives to specialized spare parts, to core drilling and drill bit supplies.

The point I am trying to make is that there does not need to be a mine in one's community to benefit from the mining industry. I suspect that virtually every member of this House has a company within their constituency that directly or indirectly has business within this industry. In Ontario specifically, the 1994 study of Ernst & Young found that about 72,500 people are employed by direct or spinoff jobs resulting from mining.

I believe the facts which I have presented illustrate the importance of the mining industry to Canada. It has become necessary to act to protect this crucial industry.

As others have stated, the mining industry has suffered serious setbacks in recent years. Low mineral prices and a worldwide recession caused job loss and restructuring within the industry. To stay productive, many engineering manufacturers and exploration companies expanded their operations to foreign markets. The initial pain which resulted from the changes has been offset by the benefits of exporting to new markets. Nonetheless, these companies cannot survive on exports alone.

The key market for most of these companies is and will continue to be the domestic market. Canadian mines are the primary buyer of Canadian mine manufacturing products. This is due to the natural advantage of proximity and the fact that many of these Canadian products are technically superior.

This design and engineering superiority is the result of years of research and development which occurred during more prosperous times. In order to maintain the advantage especially in cutting edge technology, we must ensure the future viability of the Canadian ore reserves.

The motion and the recommendation suggested here today by the hon. member for Timiskaming-French River addresses many of the issues needed to revitalize the Canadian mining industry. Foreign mines are not necessarily prospering because they have larger or better ore reserves. They are prospering because the

investment climate in those countries is such that the mines can be developed and exploited with a higher expectation of profit.

Many foreign governments have acted to attract investment dollars through tax breaks and incentives. In Canada one of the chief disincentives to investing in mining is the high non-profit taxes and other charges which artificially increase the cost of doing business here. This has hindered our ability to attract new investors while at the same time companies operating here have had to make cuts to other areas in order to ensure their profitability.

One of the key areas that has suffered is exploration. This is a grave tragedy because without exploration there will be fewer discoveries of ore deposits and therefore fewer new mines. If this continues, the mining industry in Canada will die a slow and painful death along with most of the associated manufacturing industries.

The motion before the House today asks us to consider making changes to the investment climate as it relates to the mining industry, particularly in the area of mine exploration. What is proposed is not radical. It calls for the implementation of the majority of the recommendations put forward by the natural resources committee of the House.

In truth, by encouraging the exploration for and the development of mines the government will be creating jobs and stimulating the economy which can only serve to increase revenues. Most important, by encouraging exploration we will be increasing the probability of finding new ore deposits. These undiscovered resources represent the future of the Canadian mining industry. They will be the mines of the next century.

If we do not prepare the way for its future then I fear our mining industry will falter. If the mines fail then I expect the small and medium size companies manufacturing and supplying mining materials will not survive. These are the companies which support the local economy in my riding of Nipissing and it is for this reason that I speak in favour of the motion today.

We as parliamentarians must act to ensure the future viability of the mining industry in Canada. Motion No. 292 represents an effort to address the fundamental problems facing the industry today. If we make it more attractive for investors to bring their money here or to keep it here, then we will be assured that the process of the exploration and development of mineral resources will become healthy once again.

Canada is a world leader in mining and mining technology, but this position has been challenged in the last decade. I am supporting the motion today because I believe it represents one of the steps we need to take to recapture a position we have rightfully earned.

[Reader's Digest Leadership In Education Award, May 29th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure today to rise on behalf of the District of Nipissing to congratulate Sunset Park public school principal Rick Ferron and vice-principal John Stephens for being named winners of the 1995 national Reader's Digest leadership in education award.

These gentlemen were selected from 197 nationwide nominations for their efforts in creating a living community where outside social agencies come into the school to counsel at risk students and their families in a warm, nurturing setting. Their approach is based on the old African proverb that "it takes a village to raise a child".

Each gentleman will receive a $5,000 award and the school will receive $10,000. This foundation award, initiated in 1989, is considered one of the top prizes from a non-educational or non-government body.

As word of the Sunset Park initiative spread, some of the province's top education researchers jumped in to support it and have held it up as a model for the rest of the country.

[Rebuilt Resources Skills Development Incorporated, September 26th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the North Bay area is celebrating the grand opening of Rebuilt Resources Skills Development Incorporated, another example of how Environment Canada's environmental citizenship initiative is helping Canadians work together to improve the environment.

Environment Canada has invested $56,000 in this partnership through the environmental partners fund. To date this partnership has resulted in over 340 tonnes of material being diverted from the local landfill.

The collected materials are reused and recycled where possible. Other items are used to furnish homes for low income families. Often the items are repaired and sold at the warehouse, resulting in a contribution to the local economy.

As a result of the centre's effort the project is now self-sustaining. Rebuild Resources currently employs four full time staff, three part time staff, and depends on its numerous volunteers.

This project could not have been possible without the support of community partners such as the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Sands Motor Inn, the Shell Environmental Fund, the Callander Lion's Club, and Employment and Immigration Canada.

Through the environmental citizenship initiative these Canadians were able to translate these environmental concerns into tangible action.

[Petitions, June 10th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I rise pursuant to Standing Order 36 to present a petition signed by roughly 800 constituents in my riding of Nipissing. They call upon the government to support the efforts of Mrs. Debbie Mahaffy in her quest to have the importation of killer cards seized at the Canada-United States border and to stop the distribution in Canada.

They also would like to call upon the government to amend the laws of Canada to prohibit the importation, distribution, sale and manufacture of killer cards in law and to advise producers of killer cards that their product, if destined for Canada, will be seized and destroyed.

(Questions answered orally are indicated by an asterisk.)

[Global Vision, June 10th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, as the parliamentary chairman for Global Vision, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the young students from across the country who participated in the Global Vision regional seminars held in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, North Bay, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver.

These seminars brought young Canadians together to learn about international trade and commerce, and to encourage them to prepare themselves for the economy of tomorrow. Five hundred senior high school students from all regions of the country participated in these seminars.

I would also like to congratulate and thank the sponsors of Global Vision. I sincerely believe that by sponsoring a program such as Global Vision, they demonstrated their commitment to youth and the challenges they will be facing as our future leaders.

These sponsors are Canadian Airlines, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, the Atlantic Canadian Opportunities Agencies, the ministries of multiculturalism, international trade, Industry Canada and natural resources.

I would also like to extend a special thank you to my fellow MPs, employees of the Canadian government and private company individuals who accepted our invitation to speak to the students at the seminars.

[National Transportation Week, June 8th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity this afternoon to commend the activities of National Transportation Week to the House.

As Canadians we are all aware of the major importance transportation has in the life of a nation that borders on three oceans and ranges across mountains, tundra, prairies and rolling countryside.

On the export market 18 to 45 per cent of the price of Canadian primary products such as coal and forest products is transportation costs. For manufactured goods at least 5 per cent of the price is the result of transportation and in some cases that figure can be as high as 17 per cent. Domestically the cost of transporting goods is equally important. An estimated 40 per cent of provincial exports are sold in regions other than where they are produced.

Government and industry must work together to build the operational links that will ensure the seamless transportation systems that will do justice to the professionalism, dedication and hard work of the hundreds of thousands of men and women who keep our transportation systems running safely, efficiently and effectively.

Please join me in a salute to these Canadians workers during National Transportation Week '94.

[Global Vision, April 14th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, Global Vision is a non-profit organization jointly funded by the private and public sectors.

This organization is dedicated to providing young Canadians with a solid understanding of the international marketplace in order that these future business leaders are able to succeed in the highly competitive global market. This is accomplished through regional seminars which are held across the country. These seminars not only equip the students with a solid educational background in national and international economics. They also provide critical exposure to business and trade practices.

From the regional seminars some students will be selected to participate in the junior trade core program. In addition to more extensive academic training the program also provides participants with the opportunity to visit some of Canada's trading partners in the Pacific rim and in Latin America.

As chairman of Parliamentarians for Global Vision, I invite all members of Parliament to support this worthwhile program and to participate in the cross-country regional seminars that

will be held in their areas. This is a great opportunity for members of Parliament to meet young leaders from their ridings and from across the country.

[Publishing Industry, March 25th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Industry.

I would like to know what kind of support the government is giving to the publishing industry in Canada. Would the minister also give his impression of this particular support?

[Electoral Boundaries, March 16th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my concerns to the House regarding the proposed changes to the electoral boundaries and in particular to those changes which would affect the ridings in northern Ontario.

The present proposal calls for the elimination of two seats in northern Ontario. It is my view that this would lead to a further erosion of the voice of northerners in Parliament. It would reinforce the image that northern Ontario is a sparsely populated hinterland whose concerns and aspirations really do not need to be heard.

In realigning these boundaries the commission formulated all its changes based on population levels alone. Certainly this is not the most comprehensive method which could be used for such an important undertaking.

Northern Ontario encompasses two-thirds of the province and is home for a significant number of French, English and native Canadians. Our region is as diverse as any other region in Canada. Therefore it should have electoral boundaries which encapsulate those regional enclaves which share many of the same economic, geographic and cultural characteristics.

I believe that if these new boundaries are accepted they will not only weaken the voice of northerners-