Fred Mifflin

[Merchant Navy Veterans, May 5th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member and I believe the House know, the current merchant navy legislation was passed in 1992. With the passage of the legislation it extended to merchant navy veterans all the same rights and benefits as those in uniform enjoy.

Finally, they were recognized for the tremendous key contribution they made to the freedom and peace that we enjoy today and that I celebrated with them in Halifax this past weekend.

[Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, April 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her positive question on ACOA.

In response, I have to point out that ACOA is made up of two parts: the core funding of ACOA, which basically has not changed in about 10 years, and special programs that have a beginning and an end, for example, the infrastructure program, base closure programs and adjustments for the fixed link.

These programs have a beginning and they have an end. When they end, which is projected to be roughly after the turn of the century, the core funding of ACOA will remain basically the same as it is now, roughly in the vicinity of a quarter of a billion dollars, which will provide hope, opportunity and jobs.

[Merchant Navy Veterans, March 30th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows that is not true. He also knows that the current legislation which governs merchant seamen was passed in 1992. This legislation extended equal veterans rights to wartime merchant seamen. It provided them with the same rights to all the benefits that were currently available to the armed forces, not a few, not some, but all of the benefits.

[Search And Rescue, March 24th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I have heard the Reform Party often talk about how rules should be enforced.

Given that Transport Canada's prime concern is safety, is the hon. member and the Reform Party suggesting that safety not be a top concern and that the possible violations of regulations not be investigated? I think not.

[Search And Rescue, March 24th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, we all have to have rules to follow particularly in the business of flying airplanes and driving ships. Rules are rules. Investigations have to be conducted whenever there is a chance that these rules may have been breached. This is the case and the investigation is under way.

[Small Business Loans Act, March 18th, 1998]

moved that Bill C-21, an act to amend the the Small Business Loans Act, be read the third time and passed.

[Rail Transportation, February 20th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. On behalf of my colleague, the Minister of Transport, I know his concern and the concerns of his constituents in this area.

The concern of Transport Canada is essentially for safety and for the best service possible that can be offered.

I assure the hon. member that an announcement has not been made but one will be made in the very near future.

[Canadian Blood Bank Corporation, February 17th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I find it difficult to understand the position of the Reform Party, particularly on ACOA. I know that Reform members are against TAGS and I know that they are against the infrastructure program. I gather the hon. member does not like TAGS. He does not like the infrastructure program and apparently he does not like ACOA.

Let me tell hon. members what one of the Reform members said. The hon. member for Medicine Hat, in the maritimes not long ago, in referring to the delivery of programs in ACOA said that spending money in this way is going to help Atlantic Canadians much better than anything else.

[Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, February 5th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, in response to the hon. member's question I can tell him that there are close to 100,000 Atlantic Canadians who have taken advantage of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. Clearly the name of the game is to keep Atlantic Canadians in business and operations and we will continue to do that.

[Veterans Affairs, December 11th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, in response to the hon. member's question, the government made a commitment two years ago to considerably reduce the turnaround time.

I am pleased to report to the House that as a result of the passage of the pension reform legislation and as a result of the tremendous efforts of veterans affairs staff, veterans groups and improved technology, we have improved it considerably in two years. In fact we have reduced it by half.

It is another concrete example of the work the government does on behalf of all Canada's veterans.