Jean Chrétien

[Government Appointments, November 23rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know if I should reply to an attack on the Governor General designate. The man served his country for about 23 years and is highly respected everywhere. He is the first Atlantic Canadian to be appointed as Governor General.

Ask anybody to look at the quality of the people I have appointed. For example this morning I named Jean-Robert Gauthier, who is not a member of Parliament any more, as a senator. He served for 22 years as a member of Parliament. He is the one who proposed a bill to have the Auditor General report four times a year. I was somewhat sorry he accepted the offer I made to him because I think he still would have been very good serving here, but after 22 years he accepted that appointment.

This man had a great contest in the House. It was good for you, Mr. Speaker, that it was by two votes he did not become the Speaker. A lot of people thought we had two great candidates and he lost by only two votes. He is a very respected Canadian who will make a great senator.

[Matthew Coon-Come, November 23rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I have to repeat what I said.

There was a debate in Washington among Canadians invited by a group to debate the situation of Quebec and Canada. The native leader spoke strongly. He claimed today that he did not attribute his words to the premier of Quebec. The premier defended himself today. We have debates like that all the time. The situation was rectified that very moment by the people there. The embassy felt there was nothing to do at the moment because other Canadian citizens had defended the Canadian population and in particular the Quebec population.

[Matthew Coon-Come, November 23rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I have just given a very clear explanation. It was a debate. Someone reportedly expressed an opinion that was contradicted by other people who were there. Today, that person says he was misinterpreted and did not want to attack Mr. Parizeau. Mr. Parizeau defended himself. In a democratic society, that is normal.

Expressing an opinion is one thing. When dealing with forests or something else, as the Leader of the Opposition raised this issue in his question- When the Government of Quebec wanted to go ahead with the new James Bay project for hydro-electric power, the Canadian government's representative always defended Quebec's interests against American environmentalists. But if a Canadian citizen makes untrue statements about a politician-that has happened to me so often. If the Leader of the Opposition took the initiative to defend me every time nasty things were said about the Prime Minister of Canada in his presence, I would be pleasantly surprised.

[Matthew Coon-Come, November 23rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I obtained information from the Canadian embassy in the United States. Mr. Coon Come addressed an audience in a debate in which Quebec and other parts of Canada were represented and what he said was debated. The other side was presented publicly at that time. Since it was a debate, the record was set straight by the people there, who had been invited by a group of academics. So the embassy did not think that it had to intervene. Opinions are expressed everywhere in Canada.

As I said yesterday, people whom I know very well and even see in my riding often say things about me that I do not like. But in a democracy, we have to live with it. I see that Premier Parizeau, who was accused, defended himself. Later the Indian chief said that he did not want to attribute those words to Mr. Parizeau. According to the information I have, he issued a correction.

[Auditor General's Report, November 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, we are on target. We said the deficit in relation to GDP would be 3 per cent by the third year of our mandate. The good policies of the Minister of Finance will make sure that we meet our target.

[Auditor General's Report, November 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I understand that the very diligent minister of fisheries oversaw the final phase-out of the project.

[Auditor General's Report, November 22nd, 1994]

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

[Governor General Of Canada, November 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, this is unprecedented in Canadian history. The Governor General nominated has informed the government that he will accept his pay as a governor and will return his pension to the crown.

[Governor General Of Canada, November 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to inform the House that Her Majesty the Queen has graciously approved the appointment upon my recommendation of the Hon. Romeo LeBlanc as the next Governor General of Canada. The installation will take place in early February 1995.

Hon. members are well acquainted with Mr. LeBlanc, who has served Canada with distinction in public life for over twenty years: as a member of this House, as a minister of the Crown, as a senator and, most recently, as Speaker of the Senate.

Born in New Brunswick, Mr. LeBlanc is the first Governor General from Atlantic Canada. He is also the first Acadian to serve as Governor General.

In recommending this appointment to Her Majesty, I was conscious that a Governor General must have a profound love of his country and of the Canadian people in order to effectively carry out the duties of this high office.

I know that Mr. LeBlanc has these qualities. As a teacher, as a journalist and as a parliamentarian, he has made outstanding contributions to Canada and to Canadians. With his understanding of our country and his personal warmth and dedication, I am sure that he will carry out his new responsibilities with success.

At this point I would like also to thank on behalf of all Canadians His Excellency Ramon Hnatyshyn and his wife Gerda. First elected to the House of Commons in 1974, Mr. Hnatyshyn has served Canadians for 20 years. As a member of Parliament, I served with him. He served Parliament with great distinction.

In 1990 Ramon Hnatyshyn was sworn in as Governor General of Canada. Since that time he and Mrs. Hnatyshyn have fulfilled their roles with dedication and dignity. I worked with them for the last year and they have been gracious people to work with.

I would like, on behalf of all the members of this House and the people of Canada, to say to Madam Hnatyshyn and Mr. Hnatyshyn, thank you for a job well done.

[Supply, November 22nd, 1994]

Yes.