Jean Chrétien

[Election Of The Parti Québécois, September 19th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the way government and federalism works, the central government is allowed to take money from people who are well off, including people who work in fields where there are jobs, and use it to help those who do not have that opportunity and who need training.

In our country, unemployment levels vary, and we take money from the people who work to give it to people who do not work. This has no connection with language but is directly connected to the need to help people who are unemployed to get more training so that they can have the dignity of work. That is the purpose of this reform, and we will discuss with the provinces how it should be managed, but we must not create a situation where the federal government is completely out of the picture and the principle of redistribution of wealth is eliminated in this

country. That would have a very adverse effect on the poorer provinces and regions of this country.

[Election Of The Parti Québécois, September 19th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I have not seen the final version. I wish the Leader of the Opposition would show it to me. I have not seen it. In other words, he does not know what he is talking about. He should wait and see what is in the document.

Once the document is ready it will be available to everybody. It will be a discussion paper. I have discussed that with the premiers. They know we have a problem in this field and it is something which needs to be modernized and adapted to changing times. I am surprised the Leader of the Opposition wants to keep the status quo.

[Election Of The Parti Québécois, September 19th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, it would make better sense to wait until the minister's plan is tabled in the House, instead of using the kind of epithets we have heard from the hon. member. We have had an election in Quebec, and the people wanted a change of government. But I know what people want. They want governments to work together to create jobs and bring about economic recovery, to ensure that the most vulnerable members of our society are protected. That is the purpose of our proposal, and I hope the Government of Quebec, like the other governments that have indicated they want to co-operate, will be prepared to co-operate in the best interests of all Canadians.

[Tribute To The Late Gaston Péloquin, September 19th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, we were all saddened and dismayed to learn of the accidental death of the hon. member for Brome-Missisquoi. He was not in this House very long, but he made many friends here.

He was a hard worker. He always turned his attention to the needy. On behalf of my party and the government, I would like to offer his son and his family our sincerest condolences. I would also like to take the opportunity to remind the public of what a member's life is like. The member is at least the third of my colleagues who has died in an automobile accident. After

working for long hours weeks at a time, they died in car accidents on the way home. I am thinking of Mr. Fortin from Lotbinière and Mr. Lonsdale, a member from northern Ontario.

In their criticisms, people too often forget that members of Parliament sometimes have impossible hours. They work here, have to return to their riding and come back to Ottawa. They take enormous risks. They are always criticized. Unfortunately, Mr. Péloquin died tragically. On behalf of my party and the government, I would like to offer his colleagues and his family my most sincere sympathy.

[Goods And Services Tax, June 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, we will use all the means necessary to keep the Deputy Prime Minister in the House of Commons. Otherwise the spirit of this House would disappear.

I am very surprised to have a question from a party that some months before the election was strongly opposed to the GST and then made a fabulous flip-flop before the campaign to support it. Don't complain. We won't satisfy you, we won't keep it.

[The Economy, June 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, we said that we will do everything that is needed to meet our goal of 3 per cent of GDP by the end of the third year.

At this moment I will not take the advice of the leader of the Reform Party to start talking about the Constitution. It is not the way to bring stability to the land. What will resolve the problem in this country is for people to realize that we live in a very good country and that we can be prosperous. We are still the envy of the world. A month ago the United Nations said that Canada was number one. Why is the hon. member complaining?

[The Economy, June 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, this party has clearly made a commitment to the Canadian people that we will try to reduce the deficit in relation to the GNP to 3 per cent by the end of the third year. We are reviewing that on a constant basis. We will do what is needed to achieve this goal.

This is not the time to panic. We have more people working in Canada, there is revenue coming in and growth will be higher. We have a problem with the level of interest rates, but as I said in two, three or four months from now the problem will be easily solved if the people of Quebec decide not to vote for the Parti Quebecois.

[The Economy, June 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, there is no disagreement between the Minister of Finance and me.

The Minister of Finance was so prudent in his projections that he predicted 3 per cent growth and apparently we will have much more than that. The Minister of National Revenue is telling us that the revenues coming into the coffers are better than predicted.

Of course we have to pay more for interest rates. That is a fact. I recognize that. I hope the people of Quebec, when they have occasion to vote in the next few months in the election, will recognize that these people in front of us and the Parti Quebecois are trying to destroy the country. There is a price to pay for that.

If Mr. Johnston were to win the election, interest rates would go down. If Mr. Parizeau were to win the election, unfortunately we would have to pay a bigger price for the irresponsibility of the Parti Quebecois and the Bloc Quebecois.

[Goods And Services Tax, June 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, we are going to study this report and see with the provinces how we could proceed to find a better solution for all Canadians.

We intend to be very honest with the people and with them, unlike the hon. member for Gaspé who, on June 9, asked the Speaker of the House to help them hide their true political option by asking the Speaker to the use of the word "separatist" in this House, which is the true option of the members. They are ashamed of their choice.

[Goods And Services Tax, June 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, we have not made any proposal to the provinces yet. So it is a

little premature for the hon. member to conclude that they will reject our proposals. We had a committee which considered several proposals over a six-month period.

At least on the Liberal side, they had the wisdom to offer us four or five options, unlike Bloc Quebecois and Reform Party members who took the easy way out by washing their hands of the whole thing. After asking us for so long to establish committees before making decision, when we gave them that chance, they ran away because they were afraid of taking responsibilities.

We, however, are not afraid of doing our job. We will meet with provincial governments and make them proposals that we hope they will find helpful, that will eliminate duplication-one of the Bloc Quebecois's favourite words. We will try to simplify the system and trust that eventually good judgment and common sense will prevail on this side and in the provinces, but certainly not in the Bloc Quebecois.