Nobody has the right except you. You are the only one with rights here.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2008, with 64% of the vote.
Department Of Human Resources Development Act November 9th, 1995
Nobody has the right except you. You are the only one with rights here.
Department Of Human Resources Development Act November 9th, 1995
It does not take much to puzzle you.
Department Of Human Resources Development Act November 9th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, I appreciated my hon. colleague's comments on this very important topic.
I note with interest the comments of the parliamentary secretary that Canada works, that his government has been bringing forward a flexible and co-operative approach and therefore he does not understand what the problem would be. I can tell him the problem is that his government is not flexible and has not been very co-operative with the provinces. That is the big reason we have the problems in Canada today.
It is interesting to note that this afternoon during question period, the hon. Minister of Health indicated how co-operative she is. She got up and bragged that she is going to be penalizing Alberta to the extent of over $400,000 a month in cutbacks in the transfer payments. That is how co-operative the government is with the provinces. Is it any wonder we have problems with the province of Quebec as well.
It is very interesting to note that the Reform Party on the other hand has put forward a positive agenda for change and has devolved manpower training to the provinces. That is what we look to for innovative ways to make Confederation work.
Perhaps the hon. member would care to comment on what his experience has been in how co-operative the Liberal government has been over the past two years. Is there further merit in the devolution of powers to the provinces if we are going to make Confederation work?
Manganese Based Fuel Additives Act November 9th, 1995
Madam Speaker, I listened to the hon. member's comments quite closely. I am a little concerned she is still putting forth the idea that ethanol is an alternative to MMT. As my hon. colleague from Athabasca stated, clear evidence was presented to the committee which contradicts what she is trying to say.
Once again in her comments she has said ethanol is one of the alternatives, which is simply not correct. I would like her to retract that statement because ethanol is not an alternative to MMT.
National Defence November 6th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, if the minister is speaking about the 1988 agreement he will
know full well that agreement only covered surface vessels such as icebreakers and not submarines.
It is ironic that Canada as a world leader in acoustic technology does not even monitor subsurface use of our Arctic waters.
Will the minister provide us with a timetable today for the installation of the promised Arctic subsurface surveillance system in the Northwest Passage.
National Defence November 6th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, we spent the last few weeks discussing Quebec sovereignty in the House. I think it is high time that we turned to another sovereignty issue and that is Canada's failure to assert sovereignty over the Northwest Passage in the Arctic.
On June 13 the minister told the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs that the United States informs Canada when its nuclear submarines travel under Canada's Arctic ice.
Will the minister confirm the existence of this, as he put it, novel diplomatic arrangement, when it was signed and whether similar agreements exist with other countries?
Indian Affairs November 3rd, 1995
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development has stated that one element of fulfilling the government's red book commitment is to "not require blanket extinguishment of aboriginal rights in the settlement of land claims".
A few of the Yukon bands that signed the umbrella final agreement after 20 years of negotiations are now refusing to abide by its terms. They want to know if they might get more with the new inherent rights policy. They want to know if they can sign a final agreement for hundreds or thousands of square miles of territories now, and not surrender their right to ask for more 10 years down the road.
Instead of certainty, the government has created uncertainty. The minister must clearly state that a land claim is final, that self-government does not mean entrenching special rights based on race in our Constitution.
We all agree we must reach fair and affordable settlements of outstanding native claims but we cannot and must not achieve finality by sacrificing the fundamental Canadian principle of equality.
Agriculture October 31st, 1995
Mr. Speaker, when it came to the WGTA payout, the unique concerns of Peace River farmers were ignored by the government.
To ensure this does not happen again with the impending sale of the federal fleet of 13,000 hopper cars, I would like assurances from the Minister of Transport that BC Rail will will be given an option to buy some of these cars.
As a grain farmer I am well aware that BC Rail has had serious problems getting timely and reliable access to these government owned but CN controlled cars for years. In the more competitive market created with the elimination of the Crow rate, it does not make sense the government would limit the sale of its fleet to a couple of select players and force BC Rail to lease cars from its main competitors.
On behalf of the farmers of the Peace, I believe BC Rail must get its fair share. Farmers need to know there will be sufficient cars to get their grain to market in the future.
Agriculture And Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Act October 26th, 1995
The bad news is he is a Liberal.
Porcupine Caribou Herd September 29th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, in 1987 the Government of Canada signed an international agreement with the U.S. to protect the herd and the habitat of the Porcupine caribou which migrate between Yukon and Alaska.
Now the U.S. Congress is blatantly ignoring the agreement and passing legislation to open the sensitive calving grounds in Alaska to oil and gas exploration.
My question is for the Minister of the Environment. The government initiated gunboat diplomacy against the Spanish to protect the turbot. What specific actions is she prepared to take to hold the United States to its commitment to protect this vital northern resource?