Len Taylor

[Budget Implementation Act, 1995, March 30th, 1995]

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to ask a question of the member who during his remarks placed a considerable amount of emphasis on agricultural issues, particularly the elimination of the grain freight subsidy which the budget and the bill bring forward.

The single most devastating element of the budget is the elimination of the Crow benefit, the transportation obligation of the government with respect to ensuring that we have agricultural exports of grain.

The member and the government are aware that regardless of what diversification occurs on the prairies and regardless of what value added industries are in place, anywhere from 60 per cent to 80 per cent of grains grown on the prairies will remain for export. As a result the increase in costs for freight will be substantial and the reduction of income for farmers and the communities they support will be substantial.

I know the government has spent some time in calculating how it would eliminate the subsidy and save the departments of transport and agriculture some money. I wonder if the member has seen any analysis or evaluation that points to or substantiates the evidence the government says is available concerning the long term implications of the withdrawal of the Crown benefit from the prairie economy. Has the member seen any analysis, evaluation or study regarding what the elimination of the subsidy will mean to the prairie economy?

[Budget Implementation Act, 1995, March 30th, 1995]

That is not enough.

[Petitions, March 30th, 1995]

The second petition, Madam Speaker, is signed by a number of residents of The Battlefords-Meadow Lake constituency, from the communities of Speers, Richard, Maymont, North Battleford and Mayfair.

The petitioners draw to the attention of the House of Commons that a very vocal minority of citizens are requesting Parliament to institute a dual marketing system for wheat and barley. The petitioners request that Parliament continue to give the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly powers in the marketing of wheat and barley. The petitioners also request that Parliament expand further the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly powers to include all grain and oilseeds.

[Petitions, March 30th, 1995]

Madam Speaker, I have two petitions to present this morning.

The first petition is signed by a number of residents of Canwood and Shellbrook, Saskatchewan in the north central part of the province.

The petitioners note that the majority of Canadians believe that the privileges which society accords to heterosexual couples should not be extended to same sex relationships.

The petitioners request that Parliament not amend 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 Canadian Human Rights Act to include in the prohibited grounds of discrimination the undefined phrase "sexual orientation".

[The Environment, March 29th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, world leaders are beginning to meet in Berlin. I believe the Minister of the Environment will be travelling next week to Berlin to participate in talks aimed at stabilizing levels of greenhouse gases now threatening the earth's climate.

Most of the world's largest per capita emitters of greenhouse gases including Canada have filed shameful reports indicating that they will not meet the commitments they agreed to at the Rio Climate Summit in 1992.

Given that it is clear the world is facing an issue with uniquely large and irreversible consequences and the delegates in Berlin cannot afford to waste the opportunity to begin turning the ship around, why is it that Canada's wimpy actions on climate change are not as forceful as our resolve to preserve the fish stocks off the Atlantic coast?

[Borrowing Authority Act, 1995-96, March 28th, 1995]

Agreed.

[Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, 1995, March 28th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, New Democrats vote no.

[Canadian Wheat Board, March 17th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps to the Minister of Finance this time, can the minister explain why the government's one-time payout for the loss of the Crow is based on an expected reduction in land value and not on the increased costs of shipping grain?

[Canadian Wheat Board, March 17th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, in response to the decision to eliminate the Crow benefit the Canadian Wheat Board has asked the federal government to give farmers a short term break on freight rates. This raises a couple of questions for the Minister of Finance.

Can farmers expect any regulatory control to prevent freight rate increases on grain after August 1, 1995? Can the minister tell us if the government has done an evaluation of the effect the elimination of the Crow will have on the long term future of the Canadian Wheat Board?

[Medicare, March 16th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister, who yesterday was in Saskatchewan talking about medicare.

At the same time in Saskatchewan, members of the medicare community who had been involved in the fight to implement it over 30 years ago, including former Premier Allan Blakeney, were sounding warning bells for Canadians. Mr. Blakeney in particular said that by eliminating specific funding to the provinces in favour of reduced block transfers with few strings attached will result in a patchwork medical insurance system with different standards in different provinces.

How can the government continue to claim it is defending the principles of medicare when four of the sculptures of medicare are telling us these reforms are going to lead to a patchwork?