Jim Jordan

[Petitions, October 3rd, 1996]

Madam Speaker, I have a petition from places like Prescott, Oxford Mills, Kemptville and Brockville, Ontario in my riding.

The petitioners are concerned about the unborn and the rights of the unborn. They would like to see legal protection for children both before and after birth.

The petitioners go further and ask for a national referendum to be held in conjunction with the next federal election to ask the people of Canada if they think that we should be spending our scarce health dollars these days to promote abortion on demand. The petitioners believe that legally and morally it should not be allowed and that funding for it should be very limited.

[Petitions, September 30th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate you recognizing me way down here. It is a long way from where I am to where you are. I really attribute that to my not changing my hair over the summer. I left it pretty much the way it was. You see, if you do that you get recognized, not like some over here and quite a few around us here. It takes you a while to pick it up. The only thing that helps you along is the seating plan. I hope you have one there near you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from my riding which is very timely. The petitioners are very concerned about criminals profiting from their crimes.

I want to get serious for a minute. The hon. member for Scarborough West has a private member's bill before the House which suggests a law to prohibit criminals from profiting from their crimes, whether it be by writing books, producing tapes or the like. I want to lend my support in a very positive way to the suggestion that the law be changed to disallow that from happening.

[International Ploughing Match, September 25th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the International Ploughing Match held this year in Haldimand-Norfolk brought together the best the nation can offer in the art of ploughing the land.

This year a friend of mine, Mr. Lloyd Vandusen, was the clear winner in two categories of ploughing. Lloyd won championship horse ploughman for Ontario and he scored the highest points of the match in the horse competition.

Lloyd is the best ploughman in Canada and probably the best in the world. I want to personally thank him for the leadership he has shown in creating and maintaining a high interest in the art of ploughing throughout this nation.

Congratulations Lloyd, you are truly the champion.

[Interparliamentary Delegations, June 20th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation to the 37th annual meeting of the Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group. The meeting was held in Alaska from May 10 to May 13.

The Canada-U.S. relationship is the most significant in the world. Daily two-way trade exceeds $1 billion and makes the Canada-U.S. trade relationship the largest in the world. Eighty-two per cent of all Canadian merchandise exports go south of the border and into the United States. The trade in goods and services between the two countries supports more than 1.5 million jobs in Canada and directly generates 25 per cent of Canada's GDP.

Even with our strong and friendly relationship, there are still some irritants between our two countries. The Pacific salmon agreement, the Helms-Burton legislation, the split run magazines are just a few examples of where we differ in opinion and approach. Nevertheless, our annual meetings go a long way in helping both sides understand each other's point of view and may therefore lead to mutually acceptable resolutions.

The 37th annual meeting was held with 55 delegates from the U.S. Congress and the Parliament of Canada. Twelve per cent of the U.S. Senate was represented at the meeting. However, we cannot take our relationship for granted. We must continue to build on our successes and strive to resolve our differences.

[Newspapers, June 5th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, as a result of his recently announced purchase, Conrad Black now owns daily newspapers in every province in Canada except two. This latest acquisition of 20 additional dailies boosts his ownership of Canadian newspapers to 58 from British Columbia to Newfoundland. This is 40 per cent of Canada's total daily newspaper circulation. Canadians are very concerned with such a concentration of control.

Canada has 104 daily newspapers. Of the 104 dailies only 14 remain independently owned. The Brockville Recorder & Times in my riding of Leeds-Grenville is one of these independently owned newspapers.

Friday, May 24 was truly black Friday in the Canadian newspaper business. Canadian tax legislation discourages foreign investment or ownership of newspapers or publications in this country. I am sure there is a rational explanation for the current rules controlling newspaper ownership in Canada, but if the rules continue to allow Canadian newspapers and their ownership to fall into fewer and fewer hands-

[Petitions, April 29th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from my constituents in places like Brockville, Prescott and Spencerville. These people are asking the government not to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act or the charter of rights and freedoms by including in the prohibited grounds of discrimination the undefined phrase sexual orientation.

[Quebec Bridge, March 29th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to continue the debate on the motion presented by the hon. member for Louis-Hébert who would like to see the federal

government in conjunction with CN carry out repairs on the Quebec bridge.

I reiterate the Quebec bridge is a safe structure. The bridge is inspected regularly by CN to ensure it is reliable and will remain a safe structure. An in depth inspection on critical aspects of the bridge is undertaken on an annual basis and every five years a detailed inspection takes place on the railway section of the bridge.

As the hon. member may be aware, the Quebec bridge has been the subject of a great deal of attention particularly by la Coalition pour la sauvegarde et la mise en valeur du pont de Québec.

Originally built for $25 million, the first train crossed the bridge in 1917. In 1923 the Government of Canada entrusted the bridge to CN. In 1949 the federal government removed one rail line from the bridge and moved the second rail line and widened the highway section. The bridge has two sections, a railway line and a section for vehicle traffic. A long term lease was concluded with the province of Quebec at that time for a $25,000 annual rate. As my hon. friend has acknowledged, that lease expires in 2012.

In 1993 as a result of an agreement between Canada and CN on Canadian government railway lands CN became the sole owner of the bridge. The bridge is recognized as a masterpiece in bridge engineering. It spans a total of 3,239 feet. It has a clear centre span of 1,800 feet.

In 1987 the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering jointly designated the bridge a historic monument. It is a very historic structure. In addition, the bridge was recently declared a national historic site by the former minister of Canadian heritage. Steps have been taken to have UNESCO designate the Quebec bridge an international historic monument.

I have digressed from the hon. member's motion to emphasize this bridge is a world landmark. CN has long recognized this fact and has been spending more than $700,000 per year on the bridge's maintenance. Following the transfer of ownership to CN the company engaged the consulting firm Modjeski & Masters to perform a detailed investigation to determine the state of the bridge, its condition, and the work that would be required for its long term maintenance.

I reiterate the inspection of the bridge revealed that its overall condition is remarkably good given its age and the operating environment of the structure. It is fully capable of handling projected traffic for years to come.

Nevertheless, as with any structure which is nearly 80 years old with a very complex design, a major maintenance program must from time to time be undertaken in order to ensure the structure's long term use.

I understand the bridge is now at this stage. To achieve this goal, CN plans a major maintenance program to begin this summer. CN expects to invest between $1.5 million and $2 million per year on the bridge over the next 15 years, in other words $22 million to $30 million. That planned expenditure is there.

An expenditure of this magnitude confirms CN's commitment to maintain this important structure. The hon. member is recommending that the federal government, in conjunction with CN, participate in the repairs to the Quebec bridge.

I advise the hon. member that as of 1993 the federal government is no longer a player, no longer the owner of the bridge and is under no obligation to share in the maintenance.

In 1993 Canada and CN entered into an agreement stating in part that the Quebec bridge and Canadian government railways lands were to be conveyed to CN.

By this arrangement, CN agreed to fund a major maintenance program on the bridge ensuring its long term viability and maintaining it in the current state.

The 1993 Canada-CN agreement also transferred to CN the lease between Canada and Quebec. Initially entered into in 1928, which my hon. friend alluded to, the agreement allowed the province to construct and maintain a roadway on the bridge for $25,000 a year, a lease arrangement.

With the last option exercised in 1991, the current lease agreement will expire in 2012. This annual payment, negotiated decades ago, no longer comes even close to contributing to CN sufficient funds to reverse the deterioration that has been caused by roadway de-icing and other things used in maintaining a road.

Roads come under provincial jurisdiction. The predominant users of the structure, motor vehicles, represent approximately 75 per cent of the bridge's volume now. It has become more of a roadway than a railway.

I have already stated CN's commitment to the bridge. It also is prepared to participate in a more complete restoration program if the Quebec department of transport agrees to review the terms of the 1949 lease agreement with the view to financing half the cost of a major maintenance program. I have been advised that CN is ready to discuss with the province of Quebec and its transport reps a cost sharing initiative.

The hon. member responsible for bringing forth this motion may wish to discuss cost sharing with his provincial colleagues or examine other cost sharing alternatives such as contributions from neighbouring Quebec City municipalities. This could lead to an accelerated maintenance program.

The Quebec bridge serves commuters who cross the bridge daily to get to their places of work. Currently the bridge supports one railway track and three vehicle roadways. There are approximately 10 trains a day utilizing the bridge, whereas there are upwards of 25,000 cars regularly crossing the bridge on a daily basis.

The Quebec bridge has, for all intents and purposes, become a highway bridge for commuters from the north and south shores. The former government made the transfer of Canadian government railway lands contingent on CN's assuming full responsibility for the Quebec bridge. The federal government's contribution was made at that time. This responsibility is now clearly CN's.

The government recognizes the uniqueness of the Quebec bridge and that it was and still is one of the engineering marvels of the world. I am very confident that CN will fulfil its obligations agreed to in the 1993 Canadian government-CN agreement at which time the responsibility for the federal government's maintenance of the bridge ceased.

[Highway 416, December 11th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the announcement that federal and provincial governments have agreed on a plan to finance the construction of highway 416 south from Ottawa is being applauded throughout eastern Ontario.

Besides providing hundreds of construction jobs, the new four-lane route will connect the nation's capital with the nation's busiest highway.

Dozens of accidental deaths and injuries over the last few years have been attributed to a highway that is simply inadequate. Canadians and visitors alike can look forward to a modern, state of the art highway in and out of the nation's capital by the year 2000.

I congratulate both levels of government for finally giving the project the priority it deserves.

[Petitions, December 6th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of presenting a petition asking the government to respect and maintain the historic significance of militia units in Canada. This particular petition comes from Brockville and of course they are referring specifically to the famed and historic Brockville Rifles.

Their feeling is that in the haste to streamline the role of Canada's forces, the militia will be looked upon as an easy target and something that can be done without much significance. However, I want to remind the government that very often in small communities that is the only federal presence that exists. Therefore, I would like to see it maintained and restructured or the role redefined. The petitioners understand that change is likely to happen, but they are not prepared to see it happen in such a way that there will no longer be reserves. It is a pleasure to present this petition.

The second petition I have contains 2,500 names and concerns the same topic of maintaining the Brockville Rifles, but it is lacking a little bit in form. So I am using this method in bringing this concern to the public.

[Bank Act, November 27th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I move that we suspend the House for 10 minutes.