Bernie Collins

[Agriculture, June 8th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister of agriculture.

In the red book we talked about the whole farm safety net program. When can we expect the government to take action on this commitment and are producers taking part in the process?

[Agriculture, May 10th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I noted with interest the comments of my fellow member from Saskatchewan. He highlighted, in particular at the end of his speech, the common sense in making sure we have farmers working together.

In light of that and knowing that the parliamentary secretary had an opportunity to contact 180 different groups to take a look at supply management and other features, I think that is a positive step. I am glad he mentioned there is a direction we can move in.

With regard to GRIP, he mentioned that GRIP should be scrapped, should be done away with. Yet when we look at other parts of Canada, other provinces, we find it working well. It is a useful mechanism that will be continued.

Why is the problem in Saskatchewan so different from the rest of Canada in relation to GRIP? Maybe he could identify the problems that created it, other than just saying let us get rid of the whole program when I know other provinces are saying no

and that they think there are some benefits to the program. I wonder if the hon. member could respond.

[Agriculture, May 10th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member opposite for the question on transportation.

I can say to the hon. member being on the subcommittee on agriculture and transportation and looking at that very important question he raised, one of the features was that particular point.

When railways are not meeting expectations and their delivery quotas there should be some redress. Some penalties should be put in place to encourage them to work efficiently or pay the costs.

One of the problems I had was that if it was going to be in the form of a demurrage and the railways were going to charge it back I kept asking the others who it was going to be charged back to. If it was going to go back to the farmers then I would not support it. Their position was, and I am sure we will see it come forward as a recommendation, that where railways do not meet and follow through with their production quotas there should be a penalty in place.

I certainly understand what the hon. member is saying. I think that will likely come forward as a recommendation from the committee.

[Agriculture, May 10th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure this evening for me to rise and pay tribute to my hon. friend from Annapolis Valley-Hants for his very informative discussion on agriculture.

Being a member of the standing committee on agriculture I take pride in being able to talk about the concerns of agriculture, specifically in Souris-Moose Mountain which is a very large rural riding in southeast Saskatchewan.

One of the concerns we have is the movement of grain and the situation it poses for all of us. With this question in mind, it is necessary for us to take a look at the problems that have been created. We may have tarnished Canada's reputation as a reliable shipper and supplier of grains and oilseeds because of our inability to ship on time.

There are some factors which severely challenge Canada's ability. We must meet the demands though. Our western agricultural community was built on exporting grains and oilseeds to overseas markets. Canada has built and maintained for over half a century an excellent reputation as a dependable supplier. We have high quality grains and oilseeds and because we have that reputation, we must work diligently to protect and maintain it. That is why the current situation concerning grain transportation needs to be addressed.

Canada's inability is causing some concern in our Asian markets, namely Japan and China. The government is not content to let this situation continue. Over the past few weeks we have seen at least 40 vessels tied up at the port of Vancouver. There are demurrage charges in the amount of $10 million.

Where do those demurrage charges go back to? They go right back to the farmer, who is the person who is suffering most and yet must pay those costs. How about the cost of sales that are lost? The Canadian Wheat Board estimates that we have lost $280 million in sales because we do not deliver on time.

Our customers look elsewhere to satisfy their needs. I know that Japanese canola customers have already looked to Australia and Europe for new suppliers. When a market is lost in Canada the farmers cannot afford it nor do they want to see it happen.

The government is very concerned that the grain movement situation be placed as a high priority and that we work toward solutions. The issue is not simple. A number of factors have led to the shortfall in a number of rail cars. One is the movement of grain to southern markets and a turnaround time of possibly 40 days. In most cases, it is at least two times the normal length of shipping time in Canadian markets.

That rail car shortfall is due to several factors. The Mississippi flood caused the normal use of U.S. cars to be limited to us and we have had to turn to other means. The late harvest last year caused problems for us in moving our grains to the port of Thunder Bay and to the west coast.

Unexpected increases in the movement of canola also created problems at Thunder Bay. The operation at country terminals because of the extreme cold weather in January and February caused additional problems. The work stoppage at the port of Vancouver did not help at all. A 13-day shutdown because of labour unrest caused the terminals back up.

We are looking to solving these problems. How do we get weekend loading? How do we ensure that we can have seven days a week of service at those ports? However the key players in the grain and marketing industry realize there is a problem. I am confident that they are going to take a look at the turnaround time of the cars.

Both railways have increased their budgets for maintenance. Railways have also modified their train service and have increased the switching budgets. CN has just added 765 boxcars from Hudson Bay into the Thunder Bay shipping area.

Shippers have been allowed to bring in private cars. We have introduced an emergency trucking program, a subsidy through the Western Grains Transportation Act which will allow movement to Thunder Bay and to Vancouver. Therefore we are now looking to weekend loading and unloading, an efficiency in the system that we have not had for some time.

Senior executive officers of railway grain transportation and of government are going to look at the problem. They are going to review the shortfalls for 1994-95. We have set up a human resources Canada commission to study the labour issues in western grain transportation. The report should be due in July.

Clearly much has been done but much remains to be done. This problem cannot be solved by looking at one issue alone. More than rail cars are the problem for us.

The Canadian grain marketing system must continue to run efficiently in the face of the changing marketplace. Western Canada is now producing a different mix of grains and oilseeds and specialty crops. It is time we examined Canada's grain marketing system to look where the grain is going and determine whether the system is in place to make sure we get it there.

Canada is now competing in a world market that has changed since last year. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade is certainly going to change our way of marketing. The agreement means new marketing opportunities for Canada's grains and oilseeds throughout the world. A strong, efficient grain marketing system will continue to be the backbone of our industry. It is vital to ensure that kind of system takes us into the year 2000.

Concerning grain marketing, handling and transportation, different groups and representatives from grain companies, railways, and labour unions involved in grain handling will be meeting in Winnipeg on May 16 to review the problem and hopefully come to some resolution. We look forward to an industry in which government along with the others in the system bring us a proper grain handling system for our oilseeds and our grains.

I want to turn for a moment in the final part of my speech to review some matters in my riding.

In Weyburn an ethanol plant is proposed to come on stream. Moosomin would like to see one come on stream. In Kipling, pork producers are looking to introduce a new breed. In Broadview we have a maple syrup program, a wood products future and ethanol. Inland Terminal is certainly a major impact on the Weyburn area. The PMU farms in southeast Saskatchewan are growing, but they need protection. They need some assurance that we will support them. PMU stands for pregnant mare urine.

Our specialty crops continue to be enhanced. However, we are facing a rural decline in southeast Saskatchewan. Added to that is the fact that Saskatchewan along with Atlantic Canada has the largest amount of debt in the agricultural sector which is a deep, deep concern.

We want to ensure that we have a whole farm safety net program to deal with the debts, to help the people who are working the farms of southeast Saskatchewan move forward.

Saskatoon has one of the most outstanding research centres in the biotechnical field in Canada and certainly in the world. It has just introduced sunola which is a new sunflower oil. There are 100,000 acres under production. That particular crop is certainly going to enhance the viability of farming in Saskatchewan.

In closing I deem it a privilege to speak on behalf of the agricultural program that our government has put forward. It is very forward looking. It is going to take us into the future.

On behalf of the rural community of southeast Saskatchewan it has been a pleasure for me to rise in this House and speak in this debate.

[Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, May 2nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, to help hon. members in considering the bill now before the House allow me to offer some background on migratory birds and Canada's efforts to protect and conserve them.

The Migratory Birds Convention Act provides protection for over 400 species of migratory birds in Canada. Among them are water fowl, sea birds, shore birds and song birds. In all it is a remarkably wide variety.

Environment Canada's Canadian Wildlife Service works to ensure that all species of migratory birds will continue to survive and benefit future generations of Canadians. Safeguarding migratory birds requires many different measures because the birds themselves have such varied habitats and ways of life.

In every case, however, there are the same basic components to the strategy pursued by the wildlife service. It monitors bird populations. It informs Canadians about the status of birds and their habitats. It co-ordinates multi-party efforts to preserve habitats. It establishes and enforces regulations to curtail the abuse of birds.

In some cases research is needed to understand how human activity affects the chances for birds to survive. Sometimes special plans have to be made for the recovery of endangered bird species. The wildlife service deals with these needs as required.

In every case a broad ecosystem approach is essential involving many stakeholders. That approach is central to the work performed by the Canadian Wildlife Service.

The issues demanding attention are highly diverse. For example, tree harvesting may affect migratory song birds. Pesticide runoff from farms may harm water fowl. Commercial fishing nets may trap and drown sea birds. Spills of oil and other harmful substances may jeopardize entire sea bird colonies.

One crucial step that must be taken is to identify critical habitat for migratory birds not only in Canada but throughout their flyways. In this instance many of Canada's migratory birds winter in Latin America and the habitats must be protected. With this in mind the Canadian Wildlife Service has established a Latin American program to further Canada's interest in migratory birds wintering south of the U.S.-Mexico border. The program seeks to identify the needs of migratory birds so that they can be included in conservation planning.

To this end it relies heavily on co-operation with other countries and international organizations. That co-operation must be seen in the memorandum of understanding between the Canadian Wildlife Service and the American and Mexican

wildlife agencies to conserve migratory birds and their habitats in Mexico.

The service has also helped established international initiatives. One of these is these is the international waterfowl census of the International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau. Another such initiative is the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. The network's objective is to identify and protect critical areas for the migration of shorebirds. Under this initiative the Wildlife Service has worked with countries throughout South America to develop an atlas of coastal shore bird habitats.

Here in Canada two hemispheric shorebird reserves have so far been identified, both of them in the upper Bay of Fundy. These have been twinned with three wetland sites in Suriname designated as hemispheric shorebird reserves in 1989. Work is proceeding to identify other important sites in Canada and to secure their designation and protection under the network.

Game bird species present a special challenge. They are an important recreational resource, translating into significant economic activity. At the same time we must see that this resource does not depreciate. In other words, we must ensure that it is used in a sustainable manner.

Canada manages migratory game bird species through an annual regulatory process for monitoring and controlling hunting. Associated with this process are population surveys. A hallmark of the process is consultation, in particular with the provinces and territories and with the American government agencies.

The Canadian Wildlife Services follows a two pronged approach in managing game bird species. One component of that approach is regulation and compliance; the other is habitat enhancement. Both efforts draw heavily on national and international input. Within Canada there is a notable contribution from the provinces and territories and increasingly from co-operative wildlife management boards involving aboriginal groups.

Internationally Canada works with the flyway councils set up to manage the birds according to their natural migratory pathways. We also work with the North American Waterfowl Management Plan Committee.

To support the consultations of developing game bird regulations, status reports are prepared. These publicly available documents give information on game bird populations and explain proposed changes to the regulations. The status reports are distributed to many Canadian and American organizations with an interest in migratory game bird conservation and with reports these organizations are in a position to influence the development of regulations.

The Wildlife Service also publishes an annual newsletter entitled "Bird Trends". This deals with the population status of Canadian birds. A top priority of the Wildlife Service is promoting public awareness about migratory bird issues. This is the first step toward fostering the volunteer networks on which the service relies for data collection.

Together with the Canadian Nature Federation the service sponsors Birdquest, a public information and education project on migratory birds. Birdquest encourages a basic understanding of the ecology of a bird, populations, and it does this by teaching participants about bird identification, bird study and bird conservation.

Those who successfully pass through Birdquest qualify to join one of the service's volunteer based programs. These play a key part in supporting migratory bird conservation initiatives and they help the service identify problems and implement solutions.

More important, the Birdquest program encourages Canadians to become actively involved in initiatives that contribute to migratory bird conservation. One of the most notable initiatives to protect migratory birds is the North American waterfowl management plan. This unique undertaking offers a forum for international agreement on a broad range of waterfowl management issues. It also provides the focus for action to enhance waterfowl habitat.

Under this co-operative agreement a series of joint ventures are targeting species inhabited areas of special concern.

In Canada the aims are to secure important waterfowl habitats throughout the country, to address the serious decline in western waterfowl populations, to initiate the collection of long-term survey data for eastern duck populations and to delineate and monitor the distinct breeding populations of Arctic nesting geese.

The north American waterfowl management plan brings together Canada, the United States and Mexico. It is a formal representation from Canadian provinces and territories as well as American states. Among its key contributors are the federal government, departments in Canada and the United States alike. It also involves many non-government organizations.

We can find broad co-operation in most of the activities of the Canadian Wildlife Service. With the United States the service works to conserve migrant songbirds through a program called Partners in Flight. With the aboriginal people, the service joins in co-operative wildlife management boards. With Canada's leading environmental non-governmental organizations, the service has a long history of joint projects.

Above all, with the provinces and territories, the service works to ensure the enforcement of the Migratory Bird Convention Act and to preserve ecosystems as habitats for wildlife and to tackle the problems of endangered species.

These are efforts that directly benefit all Canadians. Through the amendments to the Migratory Bird Convention Act it will be possible to reinforce these efforts and for that reason I support the passage of this bill. I urge all hon. members to do the same.

[Overseas Employment Tax Credit, May 2nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, certain members opposite have stated that the Minister of National Revenue is retroactively disallowing the overseas employment tax credit to certain Canadians.

On page 3564 of Hansard the member for Calgary West stated: ``This is a shameful way for the Minister of National Revenue to accomplish his goal of closing so-called tax loopholes''.

What assurances can the minister offer us that he is not making retroactive tax grabs?

[Petitions, April 25th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am presenting a petition signed by 1,486 people in the constituency of Souris-Moose Mountain.

We, the undersigned residents of the province of Saskatchewan and the users of Saskatchewan's public libraries, draw to the attention of the House the following: That the library book postal subsidy is necessary for the continued operation of inter-lending services among libraries and plays a vital role in the distribution of cultural materials; that the cancellation of the subsidy or changes in the amount of the subsidy would result in severely hampering the public's access to information housed in

the libraries outside of residents' immediate area; and that maintaining the subsidy is a more efficient use of public funds than any other alternative.

Therefore, your petitioners call upon Parliament to continue the library book postal subsidy and to ensure that there will be no further erosion of the resulting library book postal rate.

(Questions answered orally are indicated by an asterisk.)

[Order Of Elks Curling Playdowns, March 23rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks in Estevan, Saskatchewan. It is holding the Canadian Elks 1994 national curling playdowns in Estevan from March 22 to March 27, 1994.

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is widely known and appreciated across Canada.

On behalf of the Government of Canada I would like to offer my best wishes to all the participants and volunteers involved in this prestigious event.

[Supply, March 17th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I commend the member on his thoughts. I want to relate to him some incidents with regard to people falling into that category. My 31 years in the field of education gave me the opportunity of coming across many youngsters who would fall into that category.

More specifically, I made reference in my maiden speech in this House to one young fellow who had run away from a boys' school where he was being held in custody. He returned after going home to North Battleford to his parents. Upon his arrival his father said: "What are you doing here? I thought you had run away. Get your belongings. You have 15 minutes. Get out of this house and don't ever come back". I remember the cases of many others. In particular I asked one individual: "What was your family background? How did you get into this kind of thing?" He could remember 30 homes he had lived in and he was about 15 or 16 years of age.

In the city of Regina two youngsters of about 10 or 11 years of age physically abused youngsters who were 7 and 8 years of age. My concern is what we are to do with them. A speaker on our side said that between the ages of zero and three we had to make some impact on the lives of young people. Having heard the proposals and knowing the youngsters with whom I have come in contact, I would ask the hon. member opposite what should we do to alter the lifestyle of these people? Does he really think that if we incarcerate them we will resolve the problem?

Specifically I think of a young fellow from the Northwest Territories who spent six months in incarceration where more damage was done to him than he would have ever done in the north in 60 years.

In summary, the member may have some answers. I would be interested in knowing them because I had to deal with some of these youngsters. How would he resolve some of these issues in light of where we are going?

[The Budget, February 24th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, there is a tremendous potential for everybody. We can sit here, put our heads in the sand and say nothing will be done. That is what some people would like to do. Some would say we have gone too far and others would say we have not gone far enough.

We have come to a point in time when we have to make an effort to make the best of what we have. The farmers in Quebec and Ontario will do just as well as the farmers in Saskatchewan. Maybe they will have to be a little more ingenious, but it is a fact there are going to be some cutbacks. They will provide that incentive.

The people in the dairy farming industry will become ingenious. They are going to be competing with the United States and I think they will do very well. Yes, they have had to take a bit of the cut. However, I think of hon. members farther to the east where some bases are being closed and 2,000 jobs may be lost. The impact there is great. The impact was spread across the country. It is no different for Quebec than it is for Saskatchewan or any other province.