Audrey McLaughlin

[Forestry, February 27th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the parliamentary secretary for northern affairs.

Today, budget day, we are expecting to see cuts for every Canadian. I would like to suggest that the government is overlooking a source of revenue because of its inability to act on stumpage fees in the Yukon. It would be environmentally sustainable and would in fact generate revenue.

Right now stumpage fees are 20 cents as compared to $60 in northern B.C. That is one-third of 1 per cent of what the northern B.C. stumpage fees are. The federal government could raise $19 million a year on stumpage fees. Why is the government not acting now?

[Violence Against Women, February 24th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice.

I am sure that the Minister of Justice shares my concern about the issue of violence against women. I am not as convinced that the minister sees addressing this problem both legislatively and in program funding must be a central theme, not simply peripheral to other considerations.

While I know that the minister is going to introduce amendments to the Criminal Code on the so-called drunkenness defence, I want to ask the minister if he will recognize that it is not the drunkenness defence or the use of drugs that should be used as a defence in violence against women but that violence itself?

[Caribou, February 24th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the governments of United States and Canada have for a number of years supported the protection of the Arctic national wildlife refuge in Alaska.

However, a recent Alaskan legislature motion to allow oil and gas exploration in what are often called the 1002 lands puts in

jeopardy that resolve. The Canadian government and the Prime Minister are on record as saying that they support the proposal to keep the Arctic national wildlife refuge safe from oil and gas exploration.

The wildlife refuge is a calving ground for the Porcupine Caribou herd which provides food for the people of northern Yukon and the U.S. The herd is an important national treasure. It is an international treasure. I have encouraged the Prime Minister to raise this issue with President Clinton during this visit to Ottawa.

Both the Prime Minister and the president are on record as saying they are in favour of no exploration on the 1002 lands. Again I encourage and urge the Prime Minister and the president to reconfirm this policy during this visit.

[Monetary Policy, February 22nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister.

It is clear the government is prepared to break collective agreements with public servants and to block transfers to undermine social and health programs in the country. It is clear that we could get rid of a large number of civil servants and cut social programs and known governmental organizations but a 1 per cent to 2 per cent increase in the interest rate would wipe out any of those savings.

What is the Deputy Prime Minister's government prepared to do to finally address monetary policy and have the Bank of Canada really focus on keeping interest rates under control and below what they are now?

[Tribute To Hon. Lucien Bouchard, February 22nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, upon the return of the leader of the Bloc Quebecois to the House of Commons, I would like to say, on behalf of the New Democratic Party, that we are glad to see him back in good health.

The news of the devastating disease that struck the leader of the Bloc Quebecois came as a terrible shock. Beyond all our differences, compassion is the bond that unites us.

I would like to offer my best wishes to the leader of the Bloc Quebecois and to his courageous family.

[Nuclear Reactor Finance Limitation Act, February 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, on December 6, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, I asked the Deputy Prime Minister whether her government was committed to ensuring the continuation of core funding for essential services that help prevent, treat and counsel against violence against women. The minister answered at that time that her government would respect its

commitment to funding for women's shelters and other support services.

However since that time the review by the Minister of Human Resources Development has taken place. We have heard a lot of prebudget comments being made. Indeed there are Liberal members of Parliament who are advocating that these services to women's groups be cut or reduced.

As well, the federal government is considering combining transfers for social programs, health programs and post-secondary education to provinces and territories. One of the concerns in this regard of many groups across the country including myself is that it could break the social consensus that has been built in Canada. It has been one of the strengths of Canada that says that regardless of where one lives geographically and regardless of income there are certain standards of service that one gets as a right of a Canadian citizen.

It is also my feeling that these proposals to do this transfer without national standards would in the end hurt women more than men. Single mothers could lose many of the supports they now have. We know that is the group with the largest number of unemployed.

The Canadian Action Committee on the Status of Women estimate that violence against women adds at least $1 billion a year to the bill for health and related services in Canada. It is the time for zero tolerance of violence against women. Yet I do not see from the government or in the Deputy Prime Minister's response a true commitment in this regard.

We have the Minister of Justice introducing gun control legislation that he says will make women safer because of the number of women who are victims of violence. Yet there is no proof the legislation he is proposing would do that.

It seems hypocritical to me that there is one piece of legislation that we are told by the Minister of Justice will make women safer in their homes, again with no proof, and at the same time they are looking at either not funding at all or severely reducing funding for services that provide information, counselling and protection for women who have been victims of violence.

I was quite interested in doing my research to come across a letter written in 1990 by the opposition at that time to a women's centre. It stated that core funding cutbacks, that is those proposed by the former Conservative government, would have a devastating impact on women seeking shelter from family violence. That letter, by the way, was written by the now Solicitor General.

I want to ask again whether it is the policy of the government to have a real plan to combat violence against women or simply a public relations effort and whether in fact the government and the minister will be committed to having core funding for women's shelters to provide the services that help women who may be victims of violence.

[Points Of Order, February 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I should like to clarify a statement I made earlier today. When I referred to a very strong and respect Indian leader in Yukon I had meant to say Elijah Smith and inadvertently said the late Elijah Harper.

I certainly express my regrets to the hon. member for Churchill for having made that error. I am reminded of Shakespeare's statement that we come to praise Caesar, not to bury him. I express my regrets to the member.

[Land Claims Agreement, February 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, on February 14, 1973, the late Elijah Harper came to Ottawa to present the first Yukon land claims agreement.

I am pleased that 22 years later, through the efforts of many aboriginal people from the Yukon, from successive governments of different political parties, today we see the proclamation of the Yukon land claims self-government and surface rights legislation.

This is an historic day for all Yukoners. They will benefit from the stability that it gives to our territory and from the respect and dignity it gives First Nations within our territory. Also it has implications for the rest of Canada and for the unity debate that we are once again entering into.

With the Yukon land claims proclamation we see that we can respect other cultures, languages, historical traditions and governments and do it under the flag of Canada.

[The Budget, February 13th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, my supplementary question is for the Minister of Finance.

Could the Minister of Finance explain to the House how block transfers in health care would ensure that there would be a Canada health care standard and that the Canada health care act would remain intact?

[The Budget, February 13th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance.

The next budget will show Canadians whether the government intends to build Canada or to dismantle Canada. There have been a number of suggestions that the government is contemplating block transfers not just for social programs but for health programs.

As the Minister of Finance will be meeting with provincial and territorial ministers tomorrow, will he today in the House and tomorrow in his meeting clarify how he sees the government's budget ensuring that the Canada Health Care Act remains as it is now and ensuring that Canadians will have health care regardless of what area they live in or how rich or how poor they are?