Marlene Jennings

[Amateur Sport, March 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian government has just announced that the carding system for financial assistance to amateur athletes will be simplified.

Senior carded athletes will receive allowances of $13,200 annually, compared to the previous amount, which ranged between $6,720 and $9,720. Development carded athletes will receive $6,000 annually.

The government has also announced its intention to create a national training centre in Quebec City. Finally, starting in June, the minister responsible for amateur sport will begin a series of regional consultations leading up to a National Summit on Sport in February 2001 and to the development of a national sport policy.

Things are on the move in the world of amateur sport. With this good news, our government is showing its faith in Canadian athletes.

[Petitions, March 20th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is similar to the one tabled by the NDP member.

It deals with those people who deliver mail in rural areas. The petitioners are calling upon the House and Parliament to repeal section 13(5) of the Canada Post Corporation Act to allow these people to unionize, to form a bargaining unit and to negotiate with Canada Post to improve their working conditions.

This petition contains some 20 signatures.

[Petitions, March 20th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to table today pursuant to Standing Order 36.

The first petition is one that has been presented many times before. It deals with the resolution adopted unanimously by the House on November 4, 1989 to eliminate child poverty by the year 2000. This petition contains some twenty signatures.

I took note of the remark you made to the opposition members saying that they should not indicate if they support a petition or not, so I will not give my opinion on this particular petition.

[Supply, March 17th, 2000]

We are waiting for the popcorn.

[3Rd Battalion Of Royal 22Nd Regiment, March 17th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I am certain that all members of this House will join with me in expressing our gratitude and admiration to the 250 or so military personnel, most of them members of the 3rd battalion of Valcartier's Royal 22nd Regiment, who will soon be returning from East Timor.

Despite the dangerous conditions to which they were frequently exposed, despite numerous natural and man-made hazards, our soldiers have established and maintained a sizeable peace zone. They have also affected the lives of thousands of East Timorese by providing them with the basic necessities of life: medical care, food and drinking water in particular.

We acknowledge the exceptional job that our military personnel have done in this distant part of the world, with the support of their family members back in Canada. We congratulate both them and their families and wish them a safe journey home to their loved ones.

[Points Of Order, March 16th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I find it regrettable that the member for Joliette should not have an opportunity to withdraw these words, because I am certain that he would have wished to do so. But I—

[Points Of Order, March 16th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in the House, while the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs was giving his speech on Bill C-20, I heard some particularly offensive and pejorative, not to say racist, language.

I am certain that the member who used the expression “bras de nègre”—

[Job Creation In Canada, March 13th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, on March 9, Statistics Canada released encouraging news about Canada's employment situation.

Based on its labour force survey, Statistics Canada determined that the unemployment rate was at 6.8% in February 1999, the lowest rate since April 1976.

Moreover, in February, 36,000 new jobs were created, thus continuing a pattern that began three years ago.

Finally, 1.9 million jobs were created since we came to office, in 1993.

In short, all Canadians are benefiting from economic conditions that promote job creation. These conditions were largely created by our Liberal government.

[Voluntary Challenge And Registry Program, March 2nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the voluntary challenge and registry program, which was established in 1995, is an integral part of Canada's National Action Program on Climate Change. That program now includes 900 businesses across the country.

Could the Minister of Natural Resources tell us what benefits this initiative has had?

[The Budget, February 29th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, in the budget speech, the government announced a major innovation that will have a significant impact on the lives of Canadians.

We are reintroducing full indexation of personal income tax in order to protect all taxpayers from automatic tax increases through inflation.

The plan provides immediate tax savings, that is as of 2001. These measures will benefit Canadian families directly. For example, a one-income family of four earning some $32,000 will pay no net federal tax.

Also, a one-income family of four earning $40,000 will have its federal income tax cut by 17%.

This is how our government is working to improve the quality of the lives of Canadian families.