Gerry Byrne

[Canada Student Loans, May 5th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to respond to my colleague's intervention. He raised the point in discussions about BC mines in Quebec that immediate action similar to that pursued by the then Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and now premier of Newfoundland, the hon. Brian Tobin, would be appropriate in this case.

I point out to the hon. member that it was the Bloc Quebecois which later in discussions with the European Community specifically said that was inappropriate action and that if the opportunity were to arise and a sovereign Quebec were to be established, those would not be the actions of the nation state of Quebec, that they would proceed with negotiations first. Therefore, I would like my hon. friend and colleague to clarify and state for the record, as we all know in this House, that is not the position of the Bloc Quebecois on other issues.

The hon. member may agree with me that the proper resolution of this matter is in further discussions. A referral to the World Trade Organization at this point in time is very premature because discussions are ongoing.

The hon. member raised the point that active measures were not being used. I simply point out to my colleague that $3 million has been set aside for active measures for the approximately 300 miners who are affected and there has been substantial uptake of those initiatives. Of the 307 affected workers, 40 have found work at one of the other two mines run by Lab Chrysotile, the Bell mine and the Lac d'Amiante mine. About 10 workers have retired and another 40 to 50 have expressed interest in continued training.

Active measures are working. We want to continue with that. We want to tell the affected workers that the Government of Canada is on their side and we will continue to work on their labour market adjustment.

[Petitions, May 4th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the appropriate standing order I would like to table in this House a petition regarding Newfoundland's gulf ferry service. This is a petition that I would like to talk about further.

The petitioners are calling upon parliament to respect the terms of the constitutional obligation that Canada shares with Newfoundland in providing an essential public ferry service between the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and the mainland of Canada. The petition calls upon the Parliament of Canada to enact an appropriate level of funding for this service and to ensure that indeed it is deemed an essential service so that there is a continuous link.

[Nuclear Waste, May 4th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the storage of nuclear wastes is currently done in a very efficient and very responsible manner. The Government of Canada is always interested in making sure that we have a long term solution, one that is appropriately put.

The Seaborn panel investigated deep geological disposal of nuclear waste. The panel came back with the conclusion that while technically feasible and while environmentally feasible there were concerns from a sociological perspective. People felt that this was not the right method.

We will continue to work with stakeholders to provide suitable solutions.

[Forestry, April 30th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians own 10% of the world's forests. We take this responsibility very seriously. Forests are vital to our health, our well-being, our environment and our economy.

That is why I wish to inform hon. members of this House that the eighth national forest congress is taking place this week in Ottawa from April 29 to May 1. Some 350 of the most influential members of Canada's forest community will convene at the Ottawa Congress Centre where a new national forest strategy will be presented and the second Canada forest accord will be signed.

Together they will form a progressive agenda for continuing action toward the goal of sustainable forest management across Canada over the next five years. I welcome this event.

[Environment, April 27th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has one of the soundest environmental records of any country on the globe. Quite frankly our mining industry is one of the most responsible, most proactive in the industry. We have a particular set of environmental standards under the environmental protection act and the fisheries protection act which I think leads to responsible behaviour. Most importantly, our companies are responsible. We are doing the right thing. We do the responsible thing.

[Environment, April 24th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, what the hon. member has effectively given me the opportunity to do is to point out that Canada is indeed very committed to providing solutions to this global problem. We will be participating with all Canadian stakeholders in a made in Canada solution.

I point out that in the February budget we did introduce measures which will provide solutions in terms of research and development. We will be working with industry, other governments, provincial governments, environmental stakeholders and all Canadians to come up with a made in Canada solution. We will be active.

[Court Challenges Program, April 23rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for her intervention.

This is not her first intervention on this particular issue of an allegation of a secret plan to shut down Devco. I am sure it will not be her last, for the simple reason that the hon. member has found considerable grief in being subjected to the worst form of heckling and insult by the Minister of Natural Resources in responding to the continuous litany of accusations that there is a privatization plan to terminate the operations of Devco. The minister has responded with what has been called the worst form of heckling and insult; that being, of course, the truth. But there is no such plan to terminate the operations of Devco. The hon. member may find that heckling and insulting, but that may be because the truth may sometimes foil a good story.

The story being perpetuated by the member is not very helpful to the operations of Devco, nor is it helpful to the management or to the orderly operations of this firm which is quite capably developing an economic opportunity for the people of Cape Breton.

I am concerned with the hon. member's continual insistence that this strategy exists. The secret cabinet document that was referred to has been found not to be a secret cabinet document at all. Frankly, it does not exist. The allegation, being quite false, is not very helpful to the workers of Devco. I plead once again for the hon. member to cease and desist and to work with us to explore the truth for a change and to continue in supporting this corporation.

[Newfoundland And Labrador, March 31st, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in the House of Commons to recognize a very important day in the history of Canada.

Today at one minute to midnight will mark the 49th anniversary of the momentous occasion when Newfoundland and Labrador joined Canada. I want to celebrate with the House this very special occasion.

Our province has seen its ups and downs, but through the 49 years of being a very proud member of this country we have been a full and equal participant in Confederation. Our day has come, our year has come and our century has come.

Newfoundland and Labrador will be joining the rest of the country in economic prosperity. We will be exceeding the country. Our GDP, our standard of living, will be raised in my opinion because of Confederation.

[Newfoundland And Labrador, March 19th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to address a number of issues which are important to the people in my riding.

I have said it in this House before and I will say it again. Newfoundland and Labrador is going to be the place to be in the brand new century, in the brand new millennium ahead. I want to share with my colleagues the enthusiasm I have for my riding of Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte. We are hosting the National Triathlon Championships and heading into the world qualifying matches. The world will be joining my riding, here with us, colleagues included. Mr. Speaker, you are invited as well.

We will start off the brand new 1999 with Soirée '99. It is Newfoundland and Labrador's 50th anniversary as part of Confederation when Canada also joined Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Speaker, you are invited to that as well. We are also celebrating the 1999 Canada Winter Games. Members of this House, including the Speaker, are invited to that event.

To cap it all off, the brand new millennium will be first hailed in in L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland. We are ahead of our time, Mr. Speaker.

[Competition Act, March 16th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to see you poised between those two very very beautiful Canadian flags that should be presented in this House.

The future of the Cape Breton Development Corporation or Devco is a very serious issue for miners, the people of Cape Breton and not the least to the Government of Canada. Coal mining and Devco contribute to the economic well-being of many families in many communities in Cape Breton and provides opportunities for all Canadians.

As we all know workers at the corporation are dealing with geological issues and technical uncertainty about the future of the Phalen mine. It is in this context that I am concerned the hon. member may be politicizing the matter which provides disruption to the community, to the workers and to the corporation which is trying to support jobs in that area.

I would not want the hon. member to have to live up to the editorials that are coming down about her within her riding. They basically suggest that the spin of the hon. member for Bras d'Or is ignoring the facts.

The government's position with respect to Devco has been very consistent. Therefore I appreciate the opportunity to clarify the government's position on this very important crown corporation.

Devco must be commercially viable. Nothing more, nothing less. It is worth repeating that we believe this is a necessary step toward ensuring the survival of both the corporation and the coal mining industry in Cape Breton.

In the context of the hon. member's question from this afternoon and from previous questions, let me assure this House that there is no secret plan to privatize Devco nor is there a 15 month shutdown plan for Devco. The hon. member's frequent assertions that such a plan exists appear to be based on a draft document that was never presented to cabinet. Instead, as we all are aware, a decision was made to focus on commercial viability.

The only approved plan that exists for Devco today is Devco's business plan. Based on this plan the government has made a decision to continue to provide financial support. The government has confidence in the management and the employees of the corporation. These people will work toward the goal of commercial viability.