Jean Chrétien

[Manpower Training, March 21st, 1996]

I have set out the government's position clearly. The Minister is prepared to meet with the minister at any time. He has said so.

On the matter of manpower training, which is the term still used here in this House and everywhere else, what we are saying is that we are pulling out of it.

But, as concerns unemployment insurance programs, and the monies we collect from all employees and employers across Canada, it is our constitutional responsibility to administer them. I am not talking Constitution, but merely saying that I want people to respect the Constitution we have at this time, which states that unemployment insurance is a federal responsibility.

[Manpower Training, March 21st, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I too can quote business leaders, if that is what you want. They stated clearly that the greatest handicap to economic growth in Quebec at the present time is the idea of separatism the members across the way are upholding.

If they really wanted to create jobs for unemployed Quebecers, they would put the whole idea of independence on ice, so we could work together on creating jobs for Quebecers, for the people of Montreal in particular.

[Manpower Training, March 21st, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I have never seen anyone lose and then say he was going into overtime after the third period. You lost the referendum. The game is over. That is it.

Are they going into overtime until they win?

Listen, Mr. Speaker, I have just told this House clearly that the promises we made in the throne speech and before stand. We will withdraw from the field of manpower. I have repeated it, and we will withdraw. If they want us to withdraw right now, we are ready to do so.

As for active measures, thse are not manpower training, but something else. I said that the bill provides for negotiations on them. They want us to sign a blank cheque. For heaven's sake. This is taxpayers' money. It is money from workers in Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario that is redistributed to Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Quebec. We have a responsibility to be fair to everyone.

[Manpower Training, March 21st, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, if I recall rightly, the leader of the yes side in the last referendum, Mr. Parizeau, said they had won the first period in 1993, the second in 1994 and that they were going to win the third in 1995. Well-

[Manpower Training, March 21st, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I have just told the hon. Leader of the Opposition that we are prepared to withdraw from manpower training.

[Manpower Training, March 21st, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted because progress was made. We are no longer talking about manpower training. Everybody acknowledges it, and, now I would like to thank the Leader of the Opposition for finally acknowledging that we offered to withdraw from manpower training.

As for the other measures arising from federal government programs, the bill currently under review provides for discussions and negotiations with the provinces so that our respective programs may be discussed and harmonized in order to eliminate duplication.

The bill being considered provides for it, and, when the governments are ready to discuss it, we will be ready too. Only, I say that the money collected under the programs previously known as unemployment insurance and soon to be called employment insurance, with the money then that we collect from federal taxpayers, we must be able to respond to questions and to assume responsibility for it before all members of this House.

[Human Rights, March 20th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member had been in the House at the beginning of question period, I replied to that question. I said a bill will be introduced. We passed legislation on that matter in relation to the Criminal Code a few months ago. The bill amending the human rights act will come eventually but not at this moment because we have other priorities. It is part of the program. We have passed one bill already and the other one will come in due course.

[Byelections, March 20th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to inform the Reform member that the President of Haiti is taking a trip outside his country. He has decided to visit the Dominican Republic, the U.S. government in Washington, and the Canadian government in Ottawa.

He was not likely to alter his itinerary to accommodate the problems of the Reformers. As I have already said, moreover, Montrealers of Haitian origin have sufficient judgment not to vote for the Reform Party, despite its trying every trick in the book to gain a few political points while dwindling away more each day from the Canadian political scene.

[Byelections, March 20th, 1996]

There was none. Of course, all the Reform Party members can ask that question. The people from Haiti who live in Montreal have the good sense not to vote for the Reform Party.

[Byelections, March 20th, 1996]

There was none.