Ted McWhinney

[Federal-Provincial Relations, March 11th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the agreement concluded between the Prime Minister and B.C. Premier Clark on March 6 ended some serious conflicts, notably the provincial government's three-month residency requirement on out of province people seeking welfare benefits in B.C. and the adverse differential treatment in federal transfer payments to B.C. to cover costs of integration of immigrants into community life.

The agreement is groundbreaking. First, it recognizes that most problems today need all levels of government, federal, provincial and municipal, to work together for their rational solution. It is not possible to continue outmoded confrontational federalism with separate, watertight compartments of sovereign power, federal or provincial, and no possibility for decision making in partnership.

Second, while the Constitution Act of 1982 may have erected major legal barriers against future amendments, constitutions can change by developing custom convention through intergovernmental accommodations and administrative adjustments based on ordinary common sense and reciprocal give and take.

This is the new, pragmatic co-operative federalism.

[Supply, March 10th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, in questioning the hon. member, may I say as a preface that I became acquainted with these cases 15 years ago when one of the victim's families asked for my advice on constitutional issues relating to the ability of the attorney general of B.C. to renege on the so-called "blood money" contract paid for information leading to solution of that case.

I have followed with great interest the development of the debate and his own valuable intervention. However, I would ask him whether he has considered the impact of section 11 of the charter of rights, particularly subsections (g), (h) and (i) on retroactivity and

in particular section 11(i). Does he not consider it creates major constitutional difficulties for the establishment retroactively and the denial to persons like Olson, already convicted, of the right to proceed under existing provisions?

Would he not be better advised to direct his feelings about the obscenity of the particular person concerned-which I think are shared-and suggest closer attention by the tribunal hearing the matter to abusive or frivolous use of a device, the existence of which on most constitutional authority cannot be retroactively taken away?

I ask that question seriously because I think there is room for representations to be made in the tribunal hearings.

[Research, March 6th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, Dr. David Strangway, who has just been admitted as an officer of the Order of Canada, retires this summer after more than a decade

as president of the University of British Columbia, having directed the expansion of the university's advanced research in science, medicine, biology, engineering and related disciplines to a position of leadership in North America, all this in close co-operation with business and industry.

Pure research in the university has yielded extra community dividends in export industries and in the skilled professional jobs emerging with that.

The federal government's budget announcing the creation of a Canadian foundation for innovation and marked expansion of existing federal programs for networks of centres of excellence and industrial research assistance reflects the work already done in our universities in investing in knowledge, in advanced research and education, and in students and teachers as a key to our economic well-being in the next century.

[Education, February 17th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, while respectful of provincial powers to education under section 92 of the Constitution Act, the federal government recognizes its

leadership role in advanced education and research in leading edge science and technology.

This means providing essential infrastructure and financial support for the outstanding teachers, researchers and students who will achieve and maintain competitive world standards in these fields.

We lead North America in areas such as biomedicine, pharmacology, solid state and particle physics, with a demonstrated highly successful correlation and application of such endeavours in new industries, both domestic and export, and also in the many highly trained professional jobs that come with that.

Federal leadership in higher education and advanced research in science and technology is the key to an economically prosperous Canada as we enter the 21st century.

[Supply, February 13th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the hon. member a question. He may recall that I was the special constitutional adviser to the Premier of Quebec when the decision was being made to construct the new Saint-Scholastique-Mirabel airport. I would like to ask him a question on his comments concerning the Mirabel affair.

Does he have any concrete recommendations to make on the substantive elements of this matter, or on the transfer of all international flights to Dorval and the closure of Mirabel to all but vacation charters and cargo flights? Does he want international flights kept at Mirabel, and does he therefore want two international airports for Montreal?

It is commonly felt that the commercial decline of Montreal is the result of the development of Mirabel and the lack of attraction for international air carriers to direct their flights there.

[Pensions, February 11th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the domestic law and administration of Great Britain have created a serious disadvantage for 130,000 Canadian citizens of British origin now living in Canada who are entitled to vested pensions from the British government. These British-Canadians do not enjoy the same benefits as British immigrants to the United States and other countries whose British pensions are indexed against inflation.

We ask the Canadian government to continue its diplomatic efforts to persuade the Government of Great Britain to bring its treatment of British-Canadian pensioners in line with similar pensioners in the United States and other countries.

[Petitions, December 11th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition has been signed by 36 citizens asking that convicted criminals not be allowed to profit from the publication of their memoirs.

[Petitions, December 11th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition has been signed by 25 citizens on the question of child custody.

[Petitions, December 11th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I also have the pleasure to submit three other petitions. The first one has been signed by 28 citizens of Canada with regard to the condition of the national highways.

[Petitions, December 11th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by 2,740 Canadian citizens asking the House to take note of the recent actions in Cyprus resulting in injury and loss of life of innocent, unarmed people and urging support for President Cléridès' proposal for the demilitarization of the Republic of Cyprus; and also urging the Government of Canada to use Canada's influence in pressing for all parties to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions and to contribute to a peaceful settlement of the issues.