Jim Hart

[Search And Rescue, October 24th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, the parliamentary secretary surely knows that the capability of refuelling was available with the C-130 and that capability is available today if we had the right helicopter.

For cheap political points the Liberal government has placed people's lives in jeopardy. The decision is four years overdue. Our pilots will only fly this government's helicopters as high as they want to fall.

When will the government support our search and rescue personnel and buy the equipment they need?

[Search And Rescue, October 24th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the dedication of Canada's search and rescue personnel is undisputed. It is the best. The dedication of this government's commitment toward search and rescue is also undisputed. It is the worst.

In 1993 the Liberals exploited the purchase of new helicopters and this exploitation has cost lives.

Will the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence stand in this House today and defend the inaction of this government on the helicopter fiasco?

[The Late Fred McCain, October 23rd, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I also rise to pay tribute to the memory of Fred McCain and to pay my respects to his family.

Although I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. McCain, his reputation as a strong grassroots politician is well known. As others have mentioned, he served in this House from 1972 to 1988.

Mr. McCain was a politician with a hands-on approach to matters relating to his constituency. He had a genuine concern for his constituents.

As I read over the material about Mr. McCain, it struck me that, in particular, in his first year as a member of Parliament he logged over 50,000 miles travelling to each of the communities in his riding.

In the final years of his life his constituents would approach him and offer their thanks for the fine work he had done as their member of Parliament and in the legislative assembly.

Mr. McCain promised to do what he could for his constituents. He did what he promised. This was evident as he remained in politics, in elected life, for 34 years. I think all of us in this place can learn a thing or two from Mr. Fred McCain. He placed his constituents first and worked hard every day of those 34 years for his constituents.

Our best wishes go out to his wife Frances and to the entire McCain family. May Fred McCain rest in peace.

[Reserve Force Act, October 6th, 1997]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-232, an act to facilitate participation in the reserve force.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Calgary Northeast for seconding this bill.

Canada is relying more on reservists to meet its military commitments. With the recent downsizing of the regular force the demand on reservists will undoubtedly increase.

The 1996 report on the restructuring of the reserves found that reservists had a serious training deficit when compared with trades and ranks in the regular force. Part of the problem is that reservists are unavailable for training, often due to the demands of their jobs or difficulty in scheduling time off to coincide with the training exercises and courses offered.

Many reservists use their annual vacations to attend exercises essential to developing their military skills. This is a great price for them and their families to pay, to have to forfeit a well deserved vacation to serve their country.

If we are to have an effective volunteer reserve force and if Canada is to meet its international commitments we must take steps to ensure that reservists are able to get the training they need and the time required to get that training.

This bill seeks to ensure that employees of the federal government are given the time they need for training in Canada's reserves. This will show leadership to employers in the private sector and facilitate the development and professionalism of Canada's citizen soldiers.

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

[Liberal Party Of Canada, October 3rd, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, given the fact that 70 percent of CIDA contractors were big Liberals and given the latest RCMP investigation into corrupt Liberal fundraising it is crucial that the government clear the air and clean up its act.

In order to restore faith in the integrity of government, will the prime minister convene an independent inquiry into how the government doles out contracts?

[Liberal Party Of Canada, October 3rd, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are on the take and they just keep on taking. Business people—

[Liberal Party Of Canada, October 3rd, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, in 1995, 70 percent of the top contractors with CIDA made significant donations to the Liberal Party of Canada. That compares with less than onepercent of Canadian companies overall that give to the Liberals. This sends a clear message to business: “Give money to the Liberals or you won't get government business”.

How can ordinary Canadians have faith in the government's tendering process when being a Liberal is obviously the first qualification checked?

[Justice, September 30th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the solicitor general.

Canadians are clearly asking for a parole system that is earned, tightly monitored and limited. Why was the minister's own policy at Correctional Service Canada not followed in the Machell case?

Does the minister agree or disagree that a 24 hour delay in reporting Machell not returning to his halfway house is acceptable? Yes or no.

[Justice, September 30th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the solicitor general.

Kevin Machell is the prime suspect in a double murder in Summerland, British Columbia. Machell was on day parole at the time of the murders. Officials at the solicitor general's department failed to take action for some 24 hours after Machell did not report to his halfway house even though the minister's own policy is to report within the hour.

Can the minister tell me, does he condone his department's decision to wait some 24 hours to report that Machell did not report to his halfway house?

[Justice, September 29th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of the people of Okanagan—Coquihalla to bring to the attention of the House another failure of the Canadian justice system.

On September 7 my hometown of Summerland was shocked by the news of a double homicide. Cecilia and Tammy Grono were shot to death in front of Tammy's 2 and 4-year old children. The prime suspect is the ex-husband of Tammy who was on day parole.

Kevin Machell failed to report to his halfway house in Calgary. Corrections Canada policy is for tardiness to be reported within 10 minutes to one hour but because of the solicitor general's lax guidelines, this violation was not acted upon until 24 hours later.

Tammy Grono had written Corrections Canada and requested that she be notified of any changes in his status. The Gronos would be alive today if the solicitor general's department had acted. Kevin Machell is still at large.

Canadians are demanding a parole system that is limited, earned and tightly monitored. The Liberal government has failed to ensure that Canadians are secure in their homes and on the streets of their communities.