House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 54% of the vote.
Distinct Society April 15th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, if the Bloc Quebecois and the Parti Quebecois want to help us enshrine the distinct society in the Canadian Constitution, I am sure we can do it. But, how can we insist on or hold a federal-provincial conference on the distinct society when the leader of the Parti Quebecois, the premier of Quebec, asks us not to put it on the order paper before the Canadian premiers?
Distinct Society April 15th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, we made a commitment to have the distinct society recognized in this House and we met it in December. All the members on this side of the House voted in favour, and the members of the Bloc voted against. This is the fourth time they have voted against a distinct society.
We support the distinct society. We support having all Canadians recognize that the French fact, French culture and French civil law have special significance for Quebec. And we will continue to fight for this. It would be very helpful to have the support of the Bloc in having this fact recognized. However, today, as always, those who voted against the Meech Lake accord are weeping crocodile tears. And yet, when you yourself were a member in Quebec City, you voted against the distinct society in the Charlottetown accord and you voted against the distinct society as late as last December.
If the Leader of the Opposition is serious, I issue him the following challenge: let him propose a vote in this House on the distinct society, and we will support him.
National Defence March 28th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, the Somalia problem started when we were in opposition. We asked for an inquiry ourselves. That was a problem that existed before we formed the government.
We are trying to get to the bottom of it. We have an inquiry. We extended its mandate to make sure that everything is in the open and that the people of Canada know what happened when this incident occurred, which was before we were the government.
As far as the Minister of National Defence and myself are concerned, I would not accept his resignation if he were to offer it because under the circumstances, he has done a very good job. We are very supportive and proud of him.
Point Of Order March 27th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, I wish to inform the House that when we came here this afternoon, 56 Canadian citizens on board an aircraft in Egypt had been kidnapped and flown to Libya. I am pleased to announce that they have now been freed and that all are safe and sound.
Government Budgets March 27th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, we came to be the government only two years ago. If we had been the government before that we would not have the situation we have today.
I suggest the leader of the third party take 24 hours, sit down and read what I said to him in my first two answers and he will understand.
Government Budgets March 27th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we have a plan that is working very well. When we look at the OECD nations and at the group of seven, it is Canada that has the best performance at this time because of our steady decline in the deficit in relation to GDP. When we became the government it was 6.2 per cent; it went down to 5 per cent; it went down to 4 per cent; it went down to 3 per cent; and it is going to 2 per cent.
As everybody knows, if we move too fast we could create all sorts of problems, including a recession. When that happens less revenue comes in and the deficit increases.
To be balanced, like the Liberal Party tends to be, not to the extreme right, not to the extreme left, that is the way Canadians do things, and it is working very well.
Government Budgets March 27th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times in the House, we have a plan that is working very well.
Interest rates are down by 3 points since last year. This morning I was reading in a newspaper that all the agencies evaluating the rating of Canada in terms of quality investments said it is now one of the best places in the world to invest. It is working very well.
Goods And Services Tax March 25th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, every Liberal who ran in the last campaign ran on a platform that was very successful, which was the red book. The promise is on page 22. As it was tabled in the House, it is available to every member of Parliament. If some members do not want to read it there is not much I can do about that.
The Late Ernest Charles Manning March 21st, 1996
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to the late Ernest Manning.
I had the privilege of knowing Mr. Manning when he was in the House and it is with sadness that I speak. He was quite a remarkable man and he had a very remarkable record of service to his church, to Alberta and to Canada.
He became the youngest cabinet minister in the Commonwealth at the age of 26. He served in the provincial government for 33 years, for 25 years as premier. He was radio host of Back to the Bible Hour for almost 50 years. It is no wonder that the people of Alberta came to know him and trust him.
More than any other politician, he was the architect of modern Alberta. He brought its finances under control, established the foundation of the provincial social services system, and ensured the development of the province's oil and gas industry which has been so vital to its prosperity. The results of his work are very evident today in a strong and prosperous Alberta.
In his eulogy, the member for Calgary Southwest mentioned that his father attended every first ministers conference from the day they were established by Mackenzie King until the beginning of the Trudeau administration. His commitment to Canada was never questioned.
I think it was this remarkable record of service that made Mr. Trudeau appoint him to the Senate. Mr. Manning understood better than most the way that Canada works. For 13 years he sat as an independent senator. Apparently he once said that a lot of people think senators are entirely preoccupied with protocol, alcohol and Geritol. Of course, Mr. Manning was not preoccupied with these matters. I had the honour to serve in Parliament with Senator Manning and he was always very conscientious in carrying out his duties.
Throughout his life he worked for a strong Alberta and a united Canada. He was a legendary figure in Canadian history and an outstanding model of public service.
We see very clearly that his legacy lives on in the work of his son. I know they were very close and this is a very sad loss for him.
On behalf of all members of the government, I extend our sincere condolences to the family of the late Ernest Manning.
I myself knew Mr. Manning as a senator. I even had the pleasure of speaking with him a few times. He was an exceptionally courteous man who enjoyed giving advice on request. He was not the type to dictate what we should do on a daily basis but, if we had an opportunity to talk to him and to ask him a few questions on his past experiences, he was always very courteous and eager to help. As I was saying earlier, Canada has lost a great patriot, a truly great Canadian.
Federal Provincial Conferences March 21st, 1996
Mr. Speaker, I am now in the process of consulting with the provincial governments to find out what date would be the most appropriate for this conference. We are also discussing with our colleagues what should be on the agenda.
When the agenda is ready and the date set, I will be able to make an announcement in this House, but I do not think that that will be for a number of weeks.