Francis Leblanc

[The Budget, March 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest to the speech by the hon. member for Richmond-Wolfe. I know he listened with interest himself to the words of the Minister of Human Resources Development earlier, when he spoke about the overtures made to the provinces to work out a new framework for the social security system, as described in part in the budget, and in other government initiatives to involve the provinces and work with them in a spirit of partnership, so that together they might develop a new social security system that will meet the needs of all Canadians.

Given these initiatives and the position the hon. member has just expressed on Quebec sovereignty, I would like to know whether he thinks there is a happy medium. Would it be possible to work in partnership with the government of Quebec in developing a new generation of social and other programs, which might, in his view, enable the people of Quebec or the government of Quebec to really participate with the rest of Canada in these programs?

Given that the referendum, if the government of Quebec ever sets it in motion, is not a foregone conclusion and that there is a good chance, if not a strong possibility, that Quebecers will say "yes" to Canada, as they have always done, and "no" to separation as proposed by their provincial government, is there any way, in his opinion, consistent with his option, to work together with the government of Canada, other provincial governments and in the other partnerships involved, to improve and renew Canada's social security system?

[Committees Of The House, March 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development concerning Bill C-54 which was adopted with amendments.

[Fisheries, February 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

At the most recent meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, Canada won a critical vote to protect and share 60 per cent of the total allowable catch for Greenland halibut. Now the European Union is threatening to ignore this internationally respected conservation body and launch a formal objection. What does Canada intend to do in the face of this challenge?

[Petitions, February 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the last petition has to do with the question of the relationship between the decline in the groundfish population in Atlantic Canada and the burgeoning seal population and calls upon Parliament to urge the federal government to recognize the opportunity presented by the huge seal populations and designate herds for uses to viable entrepreneurial resources.

[Petitions, February 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition deals with the Young Offenders Act.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to amend the Young Offenders Act to reflect the changing character of young offenders by increasing the maximum penalty for first and second degree murder from five to ten years, allowing the publication of the young offender's name after a second indictable offence

and lowering the age limits that define a young offender to include those children between the ages of 10 and 15.

[Petitions, February 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition concerns the issue of same sex relationships.

The petitioners pray and request that Parliament not amend the human rights code, the Canadian Human Rights Act or the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in any way which would tend to indicate societal approval of same sex relationships or of homosexuality, including amending the human rights code to include in the prohibited grounds of discrimination the undefined phrase sexual orientation.

[Petitions, February 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions dealing with various subjects that I would like to table before Parliament today pursuant to Standing Order 36.

The first is from a large number of constituents who want to prevail upon Parliament to respect human life and not to sanction euthanasia.

[The Late Yvon Deveau, February 10th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, January 13, the Acadian village of Cheticamp and in fact all of Acadia lost a giant of a man in the person of Yvon Deveau, who lost his life in a highway tragedy.

Teacher at the NDA school, frontline fighter for Nova Scotia Acadians, manager of the Coopérative des pêcheurs-he wore all these hats and many more. I worked with Yvon on a number of occasions-on the thorny question of monitoring fishing practices and on the importance of crab fishing. He was always concerned for the development of his community and the welfare of other people.

On the day he died, he was coming from a meeting in Moncton in another effort to rescue the fishing industry from crisis and to save jobs in his native village.

On Wednesday, another Acadian, the Right Hon. Roméo LeBlanc, Governor General of Canada, paid tribute to the extraordinary courage of Canadians.

Yvon Deveau's devotion and community spirit were examples of such courage.

[Committees Of The House, February 6th, 1995]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development entitled Security, Opportunities and Fairness: Canadians Renewing their Social Programs .

Pursuant to the order of reference of February 8, 1994 your committee has completed its study of the modernization and restructuring of Canada's social security system.

[The Environment, October 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of the Environment announced that the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act would be proclaimed shortly.

The four main regulations for the enforcement of the act have been amended to make them stronger than the versions released by the previous government.

The minister also announced that three amendments would be submitted to the House in order to improve some important provisions of the legislation. First, we will confirm the principle of financial help to groups wishing to be heard by the assessment boards.

Second, board recommendations will have to be submitted to Cabinet. However, should Cabinet decide not to follow the recommendations, it will now have to answer to the people and explain its reasons.

Third, the principle of one project, one assessment, so dear to the hearts of our colleagues opposite, will be included in the legislation to remove any ambiguity.

It is therefore clear that the commitments contained in the red book are being fulfilled.