Sheila Finestone

[Supply, October 24th, 1996]

I did not say that, I did not say that at all.

[Supply, October 24th, 1996]

Madam Speaker, as I read the outline of the debate we are faced with today, I note that once again political disinformation is being put before us as an object for debate and vote. Members of the Bloc Quebecois blame everybody but themselves. They blame the whole world, including the weather. They do not recognize what is going on in Quebec society or the problems that Quebec is living with today. It is really a travesty. It also happens to be untrue, unfounded and unrealistic.

I really think that when ideology takes over from reality we really have a very serious issue before us.

One thing we need to remember is that Canada, Quebec and, in particular, Montreal has a population that is a reflection of the country we have built together. It is built on a series of values, policies, programs and philosophies which are shared by the majority of Quebecers, except for one small ideological group which is stuck on language and nothing else. I should not say they are only concerned with language. They are also concerned with culture and cultural issues which are important and valuable.

However, we also want this reflected in the House. This culture is reflected through you, Madam Speaker, as a francophone from New Brunswick, through our new minister of la francophonie who is a francophone from Ontario and through a number of our ministers and secretaries of state who are francophones from Manitoba, British Columbia, northern Ontario and elsewhere. We also have, by the way, anglophones from Quebec who sit in this House.

We have many representatives in this House who show the diversity of the country. We have aboriginal people who are representative of Quebec and this country. One of the problems members opposite have is a lack of recognition of the diversity and multicultural nature of the province of Quebec.

They also lack the desire to recognize the fact that this government under the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, the ministers and all the members of the caucus have expressed support for the views put forward a red book. This is an excellent red book and covers over 189 issues. We have been very frank and forthcoming about what the issues are and what we have accomplished. Over 75 per cent of the promises that we made have been accomplished. We are an open government that is fair, honest and very concerned about the well-being of Quebec.

There is no magic formula for attracting investors, whatever the sector. There is only one reason, and it is the big companies or the small and medium size ones that decide how, when and where they wish to invest. For the most part, with the changes that occurred in the era of communication, of market globalization, businesses must find the niches where they can really acquire the expertise and become the best in the world. We have this here, in Montreal.

I am saying this as a Montrealer as well as a member for a riding that has two industrial parks where big retailers and even small and medium size businesses were established. These businesses received Quebec-Canada partnership grants to be more successful.

To attract investment, there is a whole set of factors, such as a positive business environment, and the quality of life that we can find in Montreal. When businesses, big private companies have to make a decision on the location of a new research facility, they think about the stability of the Canadian economic climate. Inflation and interest rates are low. This is why the member of the Bloc Quebecois who spoke before me should realize that we have put in place the groundwork for attracting investors.

What is this groundwork? It is low inflation and interest rates. The Government of Canada is committed to a reduction program that should bring the deficit to 1 per cent of GDP by 1999. I think that we also recognize that our legislation protecting intellectual property and innovation is essential for investments in R and D.

The tax incentives granted by the Government of Canada for R and D are the most generous in the world. That is why investors come to our country. And the Minister of Industry encourages them to do so. I must admit I told him that I was very happy he should come to my riding to invite three major companies to choose our industrial park and to give them assurance regarding the money and the support they will get from the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada, through the Quebec-Canada agreement.

The minister assured that Ericsson, Biochem and the National Research Centre that they are welcome in my riding. This implies huge amounts of money, but I will talk about this later. Thanks to these high technology industries, Montreal now has the critical mass necessary to be one of the major centres in the world-and they say that we have done nothing-in many leading sectors.

Montreal has reached this point through partnership agreements with the private sector, the academic and research communities, provincial as well as federal governments and people from 85 countries who have the knowledge and the expertise required and who decided to come to Quebec, people who speak many languages, who know the work and the business cultures in other sectors of this country.

The immigrants who have come to Montreal have been the greatest innovators in many ways. Not only are they entrepreneurs who have created small and medium size businesses, they are people who come from different cultures around the world. They understand the cultures and the languages and how business is done around the world. They are a precious asset. They are a hidden asset. They know how we can seek business and become entrepreneurial in this new globalized world where competitiveness is the key. They know how to produce manpower at a cost per unit of production which is the lowest in the world in many fields, the field of pharmaceuticals, the field of aeronautics, the field of technology and the field of telecommunications.

I only have one minute left. I wish I could talk about all the wonderful dollars which we have invested. I have a wonderful speech and if I had time I would be pleased to tell hon. members about the millions and millions of dollars which have been invested.

I would like to cite two or three examples. We have approved 77 projects, which represent an investment of more than $3.8 billion. Both governments, with an investment of $575 million, have created more than 8,500 jobs. I would like to know how the Government of Quebec or more particularly the Bloc Quebecois finds that difficult.

The increase in sales from these investments has amounted to more than $5 billion. That money went into the economy and was taxed in the province of Quebec, like it is in the rest of Canada.

The major part of this growth and development is as a result of international sales and Team Canada. I hope the premier of Quebec goes with the Prime Minister. Then he will see what the advantages of co-operation are between leaders of government in the interests of the people and not in the interests of an ideology based on culture and language. That is not enough for a country to grow on. There has to be an open spirit. There have to be open minds. Everyone is welcome and everyone is equal. That is a fundamental characteristic and a value of the dignity of human beings and work.

[Supply, October 24th, 1996]

Madam Speaker, all of us sitting here and particularly the hon. member for Longueuil who has been in the House for many years as a member of the Conservative Party, know the nature of the discontent that has spread throughout this country. The majority of the population voted for this party.

Now he has the nerve to say that they are unhappy. He crossed the floor and joined the Bloc Quebecois. He said there was no way that politics or the environment of Quebec are at fault, it is the weather and the federal government.

Has the weather made it even worse or just the federal government?

[Raymond Villeneuve, September 25th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the threatening comments made by convicted criminal Raymond Villeneuve particularly against the Jewish community on the eve of their holiest day, Yom Kippur, was an act of hatred and anti-Semitism that cannot be tolerated.

The Montreal police investigation is a welcome first step in this finger pointing vilification of a targeted community group. But this action is not enough.

Where is the voice of the premier of all Quebecers? Where is the voice of denunciation even if this is a marginal group?

For as history has sadly shown us, when political discourse turns to invective, tragedy follows. I believe Villeneuve should be prosecuted under Canada's anti-hate legislation.

And by pointing a finger at the cultural communities, particularly the Jewish community, this former FLQ terrorist is obviously inciting people to violence, and showing a total lack of respect toward all Quebecers.

I call on Premier Bouchard to continue to denounce extremists like Villeneuve, Bourgeault and other subversives in the separatist movement and to put an end to exclusion and hate mongering.

[National Heritage Day Act, September 16th, 1996]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-323, an act respecting national heritage day.

Mr. Speaker, thank you for being so gracious. I have the honour to introduce in both official languages a bill to celebrate Canadians' attachment to their dynamic history by declaring national heritage day an official holiday.

As our nation evolves we need the opportunity to take pride through knowledge and enable understanding through appreciation of the diverse peoples who have built our country.

Since 1974, Canadians in all provinces have recognized the third Monday of February as National Heritage Day. Let us take the time to appreciate their history, so rich and diverse, in the middle of the winter, a season that both defines and challenges us.

In the words of our Prime Minister, maturity may be recognized in a nation when its people take thought of their past. This bill reflects the maturity of our country, gives us food for thought and the opportunity to rejoice in our good fortune to live in this very special land by making national heritage day a legal holiday throughout Canada.

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

[Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, June 19th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, do you know that in my riding this year many Quebecers will have to watch the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day parade on television?

The fact is that, this year, the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste has invited only Quebecers not wearing their national costumes to take part in the June 24 parade.

My friends, we are all welcome, but only if we leave our foreign costumes at home. Take off your saris, remove your boubous and your lederhosen and pull on your wool sweaters.

No silk, no cotton, only pure wool will do.

No balalaika, no bouzouki, no jazz, no reggae either.

Their theme is "Quebec, I have loved you for a long time", but must I renounce my origins for you to love me?

Why on Saint-Jean Baptiste Day are all Quebecers not equal, not allowed to be themselves? Why are radicals allowed to run this parade?

[Committees Of The House, June 18th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Human Rights and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

In accordance with its mandate and under Standing Order 108(3)(c), the committee has considered the upcoming 50th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights. The committee has requested that the government provide a comprehensive report to the recommendations found in this report pursuant to Standing Order 109.

[Cae, June 13th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the firm CAE in Ville-Saint-Laurent has just announced it will expand its facilities. The project, estimated at some $8 million, will enable the firm to provide an additional 500 jobs over the next two years.

This major expansion of the Montreal plant is due, among other reasons, to the international reputation of its flight simulators. The news comes at a perfect time to reward the efforts of all the employees of this firm, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

This company, with its head office in Toronto, provides work for more than 6,200 people in Canada, including 4,000 in the Montreal area. With a full order book, quality products and highly trained employees, CAE is proving once again the importance and the cost effectiveness of investing in research and development in Canada.

[Peter Bosa, June 11th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, last week it was my privilege to table a report of the Canadian IPU group about its activities at the interparliamentary conference.

I would like to pay tribute today to the leader of our group, Senator Peter Bosa.

At the Istanbul conference Senator Bosa was presented with the order of merit of Italy, known as the Grande Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana, awarded by the president of Italy, Luigi Scalfaro.

This honour, similar to our Order of Canada, was awarded to him in recognition of his services in the advancement of multiculturalism.

Prior to becoming a senator in 1977 Senator Bosa was the chairman of the Consultative Council on Multiculturalism. He is the founder of the chair in Canadian-Italian Studies at York University as well as the Canada-Italy Parliamentary Friendship Group. It is nice to see someone honoured this way.

Our sincere congratulations.

[Interparliamentary Delegations, June 4th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian group of the Interparliamentary Union which represented Canada at the 95th Interparliamentary Conference held in Istanbul, Turkey from April 13 to 21.

May I commend this report to members of the House for their information on a number of important issues being dealt with right here in Canada. In particular are the key roles we played in setting the directions for resolutions on the conservation of world fish stocks, on the move to a worldwide ban on land mines, on fighting the scourge of international terrorism and on the internal and external rights of minorities which have been so well addressed by all three parties this morning on the occasion of the memory of Tiananmen Square. I encourage those who are interested to read it.