Philippe Paré

[International Development Assistance, February 9th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Even before initiating the vast public consultation process, and before setting up the parliamentary committee in charge of reviewing the Canadian foreign policy, the minister has indicated that cuts are to be expected in international development assistance.

Considering that development aid through NGOs represents barely 10 per cent of all Canadian aid, and that the minister indicated that he would rely more on NGOs, can he tell us what proportion of the aid he intends to provide through NGOs in the future?

[Social Security System, February 3rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to make a short comment. I do not think we have to oppose a daycare system sponsored by the government and daycare services at home.

Ideally, we should have a system whereby parents can choose between two solutions according to their values and the circumstances. I spent my whole life in education, and I can confirm that for some children day care was very traumatic and a source of serious problems. This might have nothing to do with the daycare operation itself, but could be linked to the lack of resources. Clearly, daycare centres do not always offer the quality of service they should. I believe that parents who do not want to send their children to daycare centres should have a choice, although it remains to be determined whether this choice should carry with it social benefits. I think this would be a proof of respect for the parents' values.

[Foreign Affairs, February 2nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, can the minister tell us that he will not, in spite of what he says, take advantage of a case of mismanagement to make drastic cuts to the funds granted to CIDA and thereby jeopardize its whole mandate?

[Foreign Affairs, February 2nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. After the comments made recently by the Auditor General of Canada to the effect that the Canadian International Development Agency was misusing its resources, an internal study done by CIDA, and made public by the CTV network, reveals that more than 80 per cent of the 1,400 Canadian advisors abroad are incompetent.

Can the minister tell us what he has done so far to stop this wasting of public money?

[Pre-Budget Consultations, February 1st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I have a brief comment. The hon. member for Joliette gave a good many very convincing examples of inept government administration. I have another one for you.

With respect to occupational training, the federal and Quebec governments spend roughly $1 billion annually in Quebec alone. Despite this fact, the occupational training needs of Quebecers are still not being properly addressed.

We have seen that in this particular area, overlapping jurisdictions swallow 60 per cent of the total amount allocated, that is 60 per cent of $1 billion, or $600 million. This money is used to deal with administrative problems, which leaves a mere 40 per cent for real occupational training. This is completely outrageous.

In spite of the promises in the white paper, we are now being told to wait two years for a review of these problems. This is unacceptable.

[Speech From The Throne, January 28th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, like the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and the Status of Women, I am pleased to see a greater number of women in the House of Commons. I personally think that if, in the past, the number of women had been higher in this place, Canada would probably be a different country and would have faced the economic and human problems differently. I therefore invite all the women in this House, regardless of their affiliation, to sometimes rise above party lines and form a common front, because I believe that men need to see such a demonstration.

I am also very pleased to see a number of members representing different cultural communities. I think this also reflects the nature of our country, which is a good thing in this House.

I appreciated the remarks of the hon. member for Mount Royal and I really hope that she did not not just make a speech. I am not insinuating anything, but I know that the hon. member is tackling a very big problem. She will undoubtedly need a great deal of courage and also a lot of support from both sides of the House.

I believe she should concentrate her efforts on two aspects: the economic independence of women and zero tolerance toward violence. Too often still, in fact every day and every week, the newspapers are full of intolerable stories about women. We often see that men who wield some power, for example judges and policemen, and who have to deal with unfair situations or violence to women, react like men.

I have two questions. First, regarding the economic independence of women, I find it hard to see how women will fit in the infrastructure program designed to create jobs. The Secretary of State suggested that women should make proposals, but it is not certain that they will be the ones who will build the infrastructures, and I am a bit disappointed by that.

Second, the Secretary of State also referred to the protection of minorities. Given the fact that she represents a riding from Quebec, does the hon. member intend to explain outside Quebec, in the other provinces, how the fate of the anglophone minority in Quebec is different from that of the francophone minority in the other provinces?

[Speech From The Throne, January 28th, 1994]

Madam Speaker, I am glad that some things the hon. member for Comox-Alberni said give me an opportunity to participate in the debate.

Quite rightly, he invited the government to try to maintain a balance between the protection of forested areas and economic development. In theory, I think, we recognize that some forested areas must be preserved because of the very important regulating role that forests play in our environment.

However, on a more local basis, we sometimes forget the principles put forward in our theoretical debates. It is always difficult to find the right balance between forest preservation and economic growth. We tend to give up hope and to get emotional when we talk about deforestation in the Amazon. We blame Brazil for not protecting its forests, but here in Canada, we also put aside environmental considerations when faced with economic problems. I invite the government to always try to keep the right balance between forest conservation and economic development.

[Quebec City Airport, January 28th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, since economic reasons were cited for this decision, has the minister considered closing other radar control facilities located in closer proximity to their regional control centres, as is the case in Ottawa and Calgary?

[Quebec City Airport, January 28th, 1994]

My question is for the Minister of Transport.

Citing economic reasons, the Department of Transport decided in 1984 to close the radar control facility at the Quebec City airport, in spite of a 15-year long struggle for recognition of the right to work in French in Quebec air space.

So far, the department has been unable to break the will of those who work in this area and the radar control facility is still in operation.

Since this decision was made by the former Conservative government, is the minister prepared to overturn it, just as his government overturned the decision in the case of Pearson airport in Toronto?

[Speech From The Throne, January 27th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to hear the hon. member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce remind us that, in the end, the high cost of social assistance and unemployment insurance is directly related to an excessive unemployment rate. Really, it is a lack of jobs, I do not think I misinterpret him when I say that. There is, indeed, a lack of jobs, which means that people are not necessarily unemployed because of a lack of skill. He was right when saying that.

Representing a riding with includes Laval University, an institution centuries old with over 35,000 students, I am rather aware of that reality.

I have a question for the hon. member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. Does he think that work-sharing could, in the future, be a way to get trained young people, full of enthusiasm but unable to find a job, out of unemployment and social assistance? If we shared better what we have, would that not be a solution?