Lynne Yelich

[Grain Transportation, October 21st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, grain terminal workers at the Port of Vancouver have been locked out for eight weeks. The situation is becoming desperate for the transportation of this year's crop, which already has been doomed by summer drought.

Agreeing that the grain handling system is inefficient, many farmers feel the situation could be improved if transportation of grain becomes the responsibility of the buyer. This would remove some of the risk farmers face when moving their product by channels plagued by problems such as the grain workers lockout in Vancouver.

There are no winners and a lot of potential losers in this current dispute. Grain handlers were locked out on August 25. The government has done nothing to solve this two year dispute. No one benefits from strikes and lockouts when final offer selection arbitration is an option. I urge the government to intervene in this grain handlers dispute by compelling the parties to seek immediate third party arbitration.

[Agriculture, October 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, climatologists have confirmed that warmer weather associated with El Nino is now under way and that Canada should begin to experience its influence by December. This will lead to a milder winter and possibly drier conditions in the prairie region next summer.

Drier conditions on the Prairies would mean a third year of drought. The government's response to this past summer's drought was slow and insensitive.

A third year of drought will have a devastating effect on farmers who have now seen their operations eroded over the past two years. Prairie farmers cannot withstand another year of off-grade grain samples, grasshoppers, low commodity prices, bankruptcies, farm foreclosures, herd dispersals and a dwindling water supply.

I urge the government to develop contingency plans to deal with the potential disaster of a third year of drought. Farmers should not be forgotten again.

[Petitions, October 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of 217 residents of Saskatchewan, wherein the petitioners call upon the House to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed.

The petitioners draw attention to the House that, among other matters, the courts have not applied the current child pornography law in a way which makes it clear that such exploitation of children will always be met with swift punishment.

[Speech from the Throne, October 2nd, 2002]

Madam Speaker, could the hon. member tell me if he believes that there is, as was mentioned in the throne speech, a paved and a speedy process for drugs, both illicit and prescription drugs? Would he explain what he thought of that particular clause in the throne speech?

[Government Contracts, June 20th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, it is no wonder that 70% of Canadians think that the government is corrupt. Looking back at the revelations concerning the government's shocking ethics scandal, even more words come to mind to describe this terrible mess.

Shameful might be the word to describe the fact that Alfonso Gagliano is now Canada's ambassador to Denmark, despite the fact that he was blatantly diverting taxpayer dollars to Liberal friendly corporations, friends and political allies. Dubious perhaps is the word to describe the Liberal government's rushing through of a $101 million purchase of Challenger luxury jets in the final days of the fiscal year, leaving the Canadian military with obsolete equipment and inappropriate uniforms.

I would say that the actions leading to the Cabinet shuffle that saw another former minister of public works and the former defence minister fired were deplorable. Unfortunately, these days Canadians are resigning themselves to the word typical, especially when they see Liberal leadership hopefuls using tax dollars for kickbacks to supporters and fundraisers.

Canadians deserve better.

[Committees of the House, June 20th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to the hon. member when he spoke about people not asking to be handicapped.

I thought about a person who had come to my office when the tax credit was taken away and how upset he was. He was only asking for a tax credit. He had lost his leg while doing a charitable act, helping someone change a tire on a highway. As he was changing the tire a car came along and hit him in the back.

When he got the review he was told he could no longer receive the tax credit. I felt bad for him. I thought about what we could do to help this gentleman. Of all charitable acts, this was one for which he should probably get a tax credit. I would liken it to a charitable tax donation much like the charitable donations to political parties we have talked about many times in the House.

I thank the hon. member for his words. The issue is important. These people did not ask to be handicapped. This would level the playing field. It is a good way to do it.

[Agriculture, June 17th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the government is failing farm families. The Prime Minister has allowed his fight with the former finance minister to delay an anticipated farm announcement by almost a month. Now we see that the government has no intention of targeting help to the livelihoods that are being crushed by foreign subsidies. The government is leaving farmers alone to fight against the U.S. treasury.

Farmers from coast to coast have demanded a trade injury compensation program. Why does this government refuse to target compensation to farmers who are being directly hit by foreign subsidies?

[Agriculture, June 17th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the protectionist U.S. farm bill deliberately targets Canadian farmers. Expanding U.S. subsidies into pulse crops is just one example. Canadian grain and oilseed producers are hardest hit by the impact of rising foreign subsidies, yet this government has failed to bring forward a compensation package that would directly target their need.

My question is for the Prime Minister. Will any new agriculture funding announced by him be directly targeted toward grain and oilseed producers for trade injury compensation?

[Government of Canada, June 11th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, we parliamentarians are faced with a choice as the spring session winds down: stay in the House of Commons each day debating the important issues facing the nation, or return to our ridings to deal with pressing local matters and reconnect with our constituents and our families.

If I were a Liberal I know what choice I would make: “Get me out of here, Mr. Speaker.” Each day there is another punishing question period. Each day there is another damaging headline. The stories and the questions expose the government and its web of connections, collusion, cover-up and corruption.

Not being a Liberal and being a very proud member of the Canadian Alliance, I and my colleagues are here to both serve the taxpayer and show Canadians the many failures of the government and the Prime Minister. We will do so until our scheduled recess day, June 21.

When the government begs for an early recess to escape the scrutiny, the probing and the questions, I will vote no.

[Supply, June 6th, 2002]

Madam Speaker, I listened with great interest to the member. I listened to all the technological problems she expressed and the 10 years it took to discover this great error.

At the end of her remarks the member said that she was exploring options. I wonder if she would agree to simplify the tax system somewhat. The system sounds very complicated. She talked about the taxes and the difficulty in detecting the serious problems that have occurred. Since billions and billion of dollars were miscalculated, would she consider a simplified tax system?