Mac Harb

[Violence Against Women, December 5th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, today we reflect and remember all women who have lost their lives in brutal acts of violence. December 6 marks the tragic day that 14 female students were senselessly killed at l'École Polytechnique in Montreal.

As a society we all have a role to play in preventing all acts of violence. Communities across Canada will mark this day as a national day of remembrance and action on violence against women.

On behalf of my colleagues in this House, I would like to commend the many excellent organizations in my constituency and across Canada that are working to eliminate violence against women. A lot has been done, but there is still a lot more to do.

[Goods And Services Tax, November 28th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of literacy in our society. I thank my colleague for putting her motion before the House of Commons. I will be focusing on the problem of literacy.

As the member from Rimouski indicated, presently in Canada over 25% of the total population is considered to be illiterate. Certainly if we were to look at the cost to society as a whole as a result of that, it would be in the range of $15 billion to $20 billion annually.

To look at the source of it, we really have to go back to the early days of schooling, to the primary level, to the secondary level and to the graduate level. According to Statistics Canada, many graduating university students are considered to be functionally literate.

We have a problem here that is of a big magnitude. There is a problem here that is not only a federal responsibility but a responsibility of the provinces, school boards, the family and society as a whole. What we need is a holistic approach to the whole problem of illiteracy.

Personally, I congratulate the government and, in particular, the Minister of Finance as well as the Prime Minister for ensuring the continuation of funding to the secretariat in charge of literacy in Canada. The funding for that agency was due to end in 1993-94. Thanks to the efforts of many of my colleagues on the government side that funding has continued despite the fact that education is a provincial responsibility.

Many positive things are taking place in society. A council of ministers is looking at the issue of education across the country. Provincial ministers of education across the country are looking at the whole notion of standards in the area of education. I believe this is the essential element to finding a solution to the problem of illiteracy in Canada.

It is very unpleasant that in the second richest country on earth one out of every three students drop out before they reach university. As one of the richest countries on earth, over 25% of the population has difficulties reading or writing.

We spend per capita more than almost any other country in the world. Next to Sweden we spend over $50 billion a year on education. If someone turns around and says we need more funding for education, my answer would be no, we need to look at the way we are spending our resources.

I am not one of those people who says we need more school boards across Canada. I am one of those people who says we should eliminate every school board across the country from coast to coast to coast. In every municipality we should have one director of education that reports to a municipal or regional government. These elected officials would have to go to the public every three years in any event.

We would have democracy through the regional government. We would be able to eliminate the different administrations from coast to coast that cost millions and millions, if not billions of dollars. Then we would be able to put that money back into schools, into classrooms to provide necessary resources for students. That would be the first step.

The second step would a revamp of the way we do things. We need a national strategy for education and literacy. We need national literacy and education standards. If I were to graduate from a university or any educational institution in Newfoundland, I should be able to obtain the equivalent education in British Columbia or in Alberta. If I finished my education as an engineer or as a technologist in New Brunswick, I should be able to practise elsewhere in Canada.

We need transportability of education similar to what we have in the national health act. We need an understanding across the country that we live in the same nation. If I finish my first year of university in western Canada I should be able to transfer my credits to eastern Canada. Unfortunately we do not have that now.

There are many complications in the system. Instead of creating ways to help students at the provincial level progress in their education, we are creating complications and walls in front of them. Although education and literacy are provincial responsibilities the government has made literacy a national priority. I am delighted by that.

We need a co-operative approach among the municipal, provincial and federal governments and the business community which has a very important role to play.

We complain consistently that over 20% of students graduating from university cannot find jobs. Part of the reason they cannot find jobs is that some students are graduating in fields where there are no jobs. Who is setting the priority? Who is telling students in every university and community college in Canada where the jobs are? Someone should tell them which fields to consider if they want to find jobs in institutions, businesses or government agencies.

It certainly does not help anyone if every student across the country wants to become a lawyer. It will not help everyone if every student wants to be enrolled in history. There is no national strategy by the provinces to address this issue.

As for the federal government, one by one our ministers have consistently spoken about the need for a co-operative approach among different levels of government. I hope one day soon, as usual, the federal government will be open to the provinces asking it to act, whether as a chair, a facilitator or whatever, to develop those standards in education, standards in training and standards in literacy. I also hope we will look at standards in the environment, standards in every single sector.

We are a nation of different provinces. We all live under one Confederation. We are diverse. We need at least a common understanding that we require a minimum standard everyone across the country agrees on.

To that extent education is a provincial responsibility. That is fine, fair and square. The bottom line is an understanding among the provinces that on an annual basis we need a national testing standard in the core subjects. I am not talking about geography or history but about core subjects such as math, science, physics and chemistry.

We also need a strategy to provide the necessary tools to teachers across the country. How often have we seen provincial governments going to teachers at the university level, the community college level or the high school level to ask what they can do to help them do their jobs better and have a more educated or far more prepared student population? It rarely happens.

Look at what happened in the province of Ontario, for example, with Bill 160. The educational community was on one side and the government was on the other. In between them we had the population of Ontario shaking their heads. Rather than have an abrasive approach among governments, educational institutions and teachers we need a co-operative approach. That is what is necessary. We need a co-operative approach in education and literacy.

Looking at the wealth we have in the country and at the quality of our institutions we can do it. There is no doubt in my mind.

[Child & Youth Friendly Ottawa, November 28th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, Child & Youth Friendly Ottawa is an organization dedicated to promoting children and youth issues. By developing partnerships among young people, business groups and political leaders, local youth are able to experience a sense of citizenship and responsibility.

Founded by an outstanding community leader, Max Keeping, Child & Youth Friendly Ottawa is run in partnership with young people. Its successful work includes inspecting and assisting local businesses in the area to become child and youth friendly. It also promotes student arts, advises regional government on civic issues affecting youth, and has established a youth volunteer corps.

Children in every part of our country are Canada's promise for the future. With the millennium just around the corner, Child & Youth Friendly Ottawa is calling on all members of Parliament to help organize their constituencies so that Canada will become the first child and youth friendly country in the world.

I support its call and congratulate Max Keeping and everyone at Child & Youth Friendly Ottawa on a job well done. Keep up the excellent work.

[Quebec Premier, November 27th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, so Lucien Bouchard, the Premier of Quebec, has refused to distance himself from the words of the former leader of the yes camp, Jacques Parizeau, who said that the referendum loss was attributable to ethnic groups such as the Greeks, the Jews and the Italians.

These words are offensive for all members of cultural communities who have always felt that they are Quebeckers in their own right.

We expected the Premier of Quebec to state loud and clear that he disagreed with such statements by Jacques Parizeau. On the contrary, and I quote one of the answers by Lucien Bouchard yesterday in the National Assembly: “Mr. Parizeau is a prominent citizen. He has the right to express himself and he went to speak directly to the people in English Canada—Mr. Parizeau is a great democrat”.

Since Lucien Bouchard supports these offensive statements, we take note that Mr. Parizeau's message now constitutes the official position of the PQ government in the area of cultural communities in Quebec.

[National Child Day, November 20th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, today is National Child Day, a day to recognize the important role which children play in our lives. One in five Canadian children live in poverty and many do not receive adequate and nutritious food. Kids who do not get enough to eat are tired, have short attention spans and do not learn to solve problems as well as their classmates.

It is for these reasons that the Canadian Living Foundation established its breakfast for learning program. Since 1992 this remarkable organization has helped over 1,700 community supported nutrition programs across Canada. To date, over 18 million meals have been provided for kids in need which include the children at Cambridge Street Community School in my riding.

I thank the staff and volunteers at the Canadian Living Foundation breakfast for learning program and I congratulate them on a job well done. I also encourage our government to make children's needs a top priority.

I join with my colleagues in congratulating all those who are celebrating their birthdays today.

[Environment, October 31st, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, October marks the first ever national environmental illness month. This month has been dedicated to raising awareness of illness caused by environmental factors.

Over 15% of Canadians are affected by disorders related to the environment. Illnesses such as as allergies, asthma, migraines and some childhood behaviour disorders have all been linked to environmental factors. Low cost, effective remedies exist. Through education, treatment and prevention these illnesses can be eliminated.

The Environmental Illness Society of Canada and its president Judith Spence have worked tirelessly to educate Canadians on the factors related to this acquired illness.

It is everyone's right to be healthy. The connection between health and the environment should not go unrecognized.

I applaud the efforts of the Environmental Illness Society of Canada and I commend it for its commitment to bringing this important health issue to light.

[Pay Equity, October 10th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, there are tens of thousands of public servants affected by pay equity. Many of these are my constituents who call my office continuously asking when they will receive their benefits.

While the matter is now before the human rights tribunal, I believe a negotiated resolution is in the best interests of everyone involved.

I call on our government to continue its work toward a resolution. The recent $1.3 billion offer is an indication of Treasury Board's good intentions to make payments to affected public servants.

I call equally on union president Daryl Bean and his executive to put aside political differences and work with Treasury Board. In the best interests of public servants, the union and Treasury Board should declare their commitment publicly to a negotiated settlement.

My constituents are demanding action. I encourage them, commend them and support them.

[Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, October 6th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, it is really quite incredible that the hon. member, the leader of the Conservative Party is standing in the House today attacking the government for taking action on an issue that for nine years when his government was in office it knew full well that the Canadian pension plan needed to be reformed, that the future of Canadians needed to be taken care of. Year after year that government failed to take action on it.

When the member was on the government side for a period of nine years, why did he not ask his government to take action on such an important issue so that the Canada pension plan could be reformed in order to ensure that those who retired in the future would have a pension to rely on to help them carry on with their daily lives? Why did he not take action on that? Why will he not stand today and instead of attack the government, congratulate the government on finally cleaning up the mess of nine years of inaction by the Conservative government?

[The Family, October 3rd, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, October 6 will mark the beginning of national family week. Each year thousands of communities across Canada celebrate this special occasion. Family Service Canada in partnership with Health Canada is working to improve the well-being of the family. Throughout the years it has worked to lay the foundation for positive family relationships and communication in family friendly communities.

We are celebrating world teachers day on October 5. It is a day to reflect on the importance of education and the contributions of teachers to education.

I see a correlation between education, teaching and the family. Let us celebrate what we have done but keep in mind that we have more to do.

[Speech From The Throne, October 2nd, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague was attacking the record of the government in social development and other areas.

I want to point out to him that in publications from the OECD and other agencies such as the United Nations, on many fronts such as the health and medical index as well as on the human development front and higher education, Canada has ranked as the best country in the world when it comes to taking care of its people.

We spend more on health care as a percentage of GDP than any of the other G-7 nations with the exception of the United States. In terms of health care, Canada's is the best in the world. In terms of human index development, Canada ranked out of 100 at about 95.1, which is the best in the world. We have the highest number of people who can enrol in post-secondary education.

I hope that the hon. member is not suggesting that more money needs to be spent. I hope he is suggesting that we have to look at the way we are spending those moneys.