Gerry Byrne

[Supply, November 4th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, with the discussion on offshore resource revenues and particularly the flow of royalty payments, would the hon. member be able to assure us on this side of the House and other members in other parties that the Conservative Party of Canada will join with us in supporting and enhancing the equalization program? It is a constitutional requirement. Does that particular program enjoy the long term support of the Conservative Party of Canada? Also, is there an acknowledgement that this equalization program is a key component to the resolution of this particular issue as well?

[Supply, November 4th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, for the record, despite what someone may or may not have suggested to me, I am here of my own free will and I will speak exactly as I see fit. I have stood and I stand fast with the principles that have been articulated. I take a back seat to no one. What I am here to do is simply help this process along and try to generate all party support for a concept and principle.

When this was tabled at 2 p.m. yesterday afternoon, I was told by several economists that the phrase “100% of the provincial offshore oil and gas revenues” caused a lot of loopholes that prevented a direct analysis and correlation to the issue at hand. That is why I am asking for all party support for an amendment to provide clear, precise definition on where the House stands on this issue.

No one should take that intent with any suspicion or malice. It is genuine and I stand behind the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada and Nova Scotia.

[Supply, November 4th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I think there are certain concerns. The Ocean Ranger was indeed an absolutely terrible disaster and we never want to undermine that. I will not put it in any other context than that.

I would also say that we are trying to rectify an important piece of public policy which is a matter of a completely different nature. What the debate is all about today is to get to the grassroots, to the bottom of this in order to do what is in the best interest of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Canada.

When I say that my preoccupation is on the language, it is because it is the tool of the House and the tool of public policy. Language is the essence of law and so it is very important. We need to examine the controversy and circumstances that surround the Atlantic accord and the fiscal transfers that would occur to be able to build up Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia to a point where we would all be exceptionally proud. It is the same point that we are at. We are very proud of it right now.

We are proud that a coalition of a non-partisan nature is building but to simply say that this has nothing to do with equalization, echoes my point that we must seek clarity on language. That is why I am asking hon. members opposite to provide, in an all party way, clarity to that language. If we can speak with one voice in this House, then the will of Parliament must and should be imposed on the government. That is why I am asking for that clarity. There is no other motive other than that.

[Supply, November 4th, 2004]

That is not an appropriate metaphor. Eighty-four people died.

[Supply, November 4th, 2004]

Madam Speaker, I have spent countless hours, days and weeks trying to coalesce a coalition to develop a consensus around this issue to get broad based support for the principles behind something which I think is essential. It concerns the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador in terms of its opportunities, but also in terms of its needs.

One of the things that we have learned in this House in a very short session of Parliament so far is that these motions have impact. These motions are gauged and judged by the words that make them up.

We have seen in this House already some contentious motions put forward about the fiscal circumstances and transfers in our country. In fact, one of the very first motions to come forward was put forward by the Bloc Quebecois and was perceived to give certain preference, during the course of the equalization conference, to one province over the other. I am not going to judge or prejudge that, but many premiers had a very specific point of view about that. They felt that the language of the motion put them at a disadvantage.

One of the things that I know about this, and the leader of the opposition will agree, is that this motion calls on the federal government to immediately implement its pledges and to allow the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia to keep 100% of their provincial offshore oil and gas revenues.

As I said earlier, the details of this are very important. The wording of motions is not without consequence and is not mundane. The wording is very important. We have heard in this House from the Minister of Natural Resources and others that currently Newfoundland and Labrador keeps 100% of its provincial offshore oil and gas revenues.

Would the leader of the NDP agree to and support, and help develop an amendment with the mover to actually articulate the technical language that is required to enact the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador's wishes?

If there were an economist or a public policy analyst that would come forward, the very intelligent people of Newfoundland and Labrador would attest to this because they have been following this for quite some time. They know that this language is not fully subscribing to what is required in that equalization is not an offshore oil and gas revenue. It is a transfer from the federal government to the provinces. Equalization is a transfer and is not encompassed in the provincial offshore oil and gas revenue scheme. Therefore, if we were to define this after the fact, we could come to the conclusion that this actually does not necessarily fulfill the wishes of the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia.

What we really need to do, and I think the hon. member would agree with me, is to clarify the centrepiece of the issue here in that there is a disagreement on technical language and what that language means. I want to clarify that. I want to get to the root of this. I want to put forward a very clear, succinct and straightforward principle which honours the commitment, and actually enacts and does that which was intended, not only through the accord but through other commitments. Will the hon. member assist me in doing that?

[Supply, November 4th, 2004]

Madam Speaker, during the course of the debate on this issue, not just in the House, but for the past many days, weeks, months and years, there has been a coalition of very solid, sound people who have stood forward to promote good public policy. Unfortunately, there has also been a very small contingent that has seen fit to try to seize political opportunity. I am not seeing that in this House, and this is a very big room with very big people.

Notwithstanding the preamble to this motion, because as someone who understands and respects what position he is in and others are in, I want to get to the heart of the issue to find out the intentions of the Minister of Natural Resources. As for part B of the question, I ask him to answer a simple question, yea or nay. If the motion were simply “that the federal government immediately implement the pledges of June 5 and 27 and allow the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia to keep 100% of their provincial offshore oil and gas revenues”, if it were that succinct and clear in form, would he vote for it, yes or no, why or why not?

[Supply, November 4th, 2004]

Madam Speaker, I want to say how all members of the House reflect that this is an extremely serious issue. I, for one, and many, many others are looking to have it resolved. I will approach this from a slightly different point of view. I will take the seriousness and the discussion that has occurred not only over 10 days but over several months and several years since 1985. I will try to raise this to a different level.

A context for a resolution of this must be found. One of the things we have discovered in the last little while is that the devil is sometimes in the details and the angel is in the details as well. In order to provide clarity to all of this, because I think this is why we are in the situation we are in today, the issue here is that the language must be clear. I would simply ask if we can provide some clarity to the language. For the hon. members, the mover, the Leader of the Opposition, the leader of the potential government in waiting, which all leaders of the official opposition are, could we get some clarification that is consistent with what the premier is asking?

I will say this. The issue here is not 100% of provincial offshore oil and gas revenues. Equalization is not oil and gas revenue. It is a public transfer provided through the people of Canada, and of course it is central to the issue that is important to the premier, and the offset formula and the other revenues that flow from it. What is unclear to me is that we are taking a general issue and we are not providing a technical framework to actually enable the ideal to be translated into a deal that fulfills the basic principles.

Would the Leader of the Opposition and the deputy leader actually entertain an amendment--because this could only be done by the mover--to first off provide a full and clear synopsis of the technical parameters which the Conservative Party of Canada would be able to offer the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia? Furthermore, in the spirit that Premier Danny Williams has shown, would they consider just simply sticking to the issue at hand? The premier has said that he wants to entertain discussions. Can we just stick to the technical issues at hand?

[Election of Speaker, October 4th, 2004]

I want to join with my colleagues in expressing our appreciation for your 35 years of service, now sitting as our dean presiding over these moments.

After some serious consideration of this moment, I would like to say that reflecting on the nature and the character of this Parliament which we are about to endure, the 38th Parliament, I think it would be wise that a person of great character, quality and commitment to the Speaker's chair assume that role. Of course we have a very historic occasion with some great progress in parliamentary reform that is occurring.

I would like to defer my name and will be throwing my support to that man of character, the member for Kingston and the Islands.

[Food and Drugs Act, March 30th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I too would like to speak to Bill C-398, but first, I would like to speak of the original mover of the bill. I would begin by presenting the truth of his determined resolve. I would like to commend the hon. member for Scarborough Southwest who has shown that he is truly committed to a project and to a cause that he has championed for quite some time, and has shown considerable success.

He has shown a determined resolve to require the nutritional value of food to be clearly stated on packaged foods, and I applaud his efforts to help to ensure that Canadians have the information they need to combat the epidemic of obesity.

I am sure that I am joined by all members of Parliament in applauding the hon. member's desire to work to ensure that a discussion around these important issues take place. It is in this vein that I would now like to offer a consideration of a further opportunity for parliamentarians to participate with the member for Scarborough Southwest in further debate and dialogue on the issue.

I would like to point out that it was indeed the member for Scarborough Southwest's efforts, by the way, that contributed to the new regulations that were published on January 1, 2003, regarding this subject, and I truly congratulate him on that objective and achievement.

I want the House to know that the government shares the hon. member's concern about fair and informative labelling of foods. To ensure that the important issue raised within the bill, including but not limited to the information consumers should receive about food they are eating outside the home, I move, with the full support of the hon. member for Scarborough Southwest, that:

That Bill C-398 be amended by replacing all the words after the word “That” and be substituted with the following:

That Bill C-398, an act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (food labelling), be not now read a second time but that the Order be discharged, the bill withdrawn and the subject matter of the bill be referred to the Standing Committee on Health to report back to the House on or before September 30, 2004.

I ask for the support of the House, with the support of the member for Scarborough Southwest.

[Health, March 26th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, we remain committed to the Canada Health Act. We will remain vigilant to the principles of the Canada Health Act. We will continue to enforce the Canada Health Act and will remain so.