Mauril Bélanger

[Ontario Election, June 6th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, in two days, Ontarians will go to the polls to elect a new government.

At this point in time, French-speaking residents of the province must think carefully about the choice they will make. They must ensure that the new government will protect their community's acquired rights, while also promoting its vitality.

The Ontario Liberal Party has shown that it is a good protector of the rights of French-speaking Ontarians. Just think of Bill 8, or the establishment of the Cité collégiale, where young French-speaking Ontarians already receive training. In fact, it is party leader Lyn McLeod who reached an agreement with the federal government regarding the Cité collégiale, when she was education minister.

Since the past is often indicative of things to come, when French-speaking Ontarians go to the polls in two days, they must make sure to vote for the party which will best serve their interests.

[Minority Language Communities, May 31st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, my question is also for the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

Last summer, the Government of Canada announced that 26 departments and agencies would be required to prepare action plans for promoting the development of Canada's minority language communities in accordance with sections 41 and 42 of the Official Languages Act.

Can the minister tell us today what measures he will take to ensure that the 26 departments and agencies in question submit their plans before the deadline, that is, before the end of next month?

[Canadian Tulip Festival, May 17th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, from today until May 22, the national capital region will again host the Canadian Tulip Festival.

To mark the opening of the festival, Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands took part in a midday ceremony at Major's Hill Park to launch the 1995 edition of the festival. The festival also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands by Canadian troops.

This is a good opportunity to remember the thousands of Canadians who fought on Dutch soil and all those who died in the liberation effort. Again this year, the Canadian Tulip Festi-

val will probably stand out as one of the highlights of the national capital's tourist event calendar.

I wish the princess a most enjoyable stay in Canada, the organizers more clement weather than today, and a very good time to all those who will participate in the many activities scheduled.

I would also like to congratulate all the organizers and invite my colleagues to visit the festival in the coming days.

[Sisters Of Charity Of Ottawa, April 28th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, 150 years ago, on February 20, 1845, Sister Élisabeth Bruyère, a Grey Nun, arrived in Ottawa. She promptly established the Order of the Sisters of Charity, giving it the mission of caring for the sick, teaching children and coming to the aid of poor immigrants.

Today, the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa are very active in several missions throughout the world, in Haiti, Brazil and Lesotho to name but a few. In addition, they run Saint-Vincent Hospital and the Elisabeth- Bruyère Centre, two institutions with the mission of caring for the sick in the Ottawa region.

On February 18, the opening ceremonies kicking off the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa were held. There will be several other ceremonies and events throughout the year and in the beginning of 1996 commemorating this century and a half of service.

Congratulations and thanks to the Sisters of Charity.

[Mary Kennedy, April 6th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, hundreds of friends gathered on Monday in Ottawa's St. Patrick's Basilica to say farewell to a very special lady, Mary Kennedy.

Mary's work in Canadian politics spanned three decades, during which the likes of Hugh Faulkner, Ross Milne, Ralph Ferguson and our colleague from Edmonton North, John Loney, benefited from her dedication, hard work and principled advice.

I am humbled by the fact that Mary also helped me in the recent Ottawa-Vanier byelection. Mary was not an armchair critic. She believed in our political system and acted on that belief. She epitomizes the kind of Canadian every political party depends on and to whom we in the House owe tribute.

A passage from one of Irving Layton's poems describes Mary's spirit very well.

They dance best who dance with desire, Who lifting feet of fire from fire Weave before they lie down A red carpet for the sun.

We will miss you, Mary.

[Member For Rimouski-Témiscouata, March 29th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the hon. member for Rimouski-Témiscouata displayed her good taste in urban planning, and her appreciation of urban beauty in particular, a science the popularity of which would no doubt have increased dramatically following her statement, had it not been for her apologies today, apologies that the people of Hull graciously accept.

What the hon. member did not realize is that, in the Hull neighbourhood she referred to, we find "matchstick" houses, a style apparently unique to Canada.

Reporters must be very grateful to the hon. member who, time after time, week after week, has managed to make the news and shock at the same time. In a recent radio interview, the hon. member indicated she had considered an acting career. Well, in this case, she gave us a fine example of her talent as a comedian.

If the hon. member for Rimouski-Témiscouata did not already exist, she would have to be invented.

[Justice, March 27th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice.

Today is the anniversary of the very tragic death of Nicholas Battersby in a drive-by shooting. Since then other similar incidents have occurred in our communities across the land.

Will the minister inform the House of the steps the government has taken and is planning to take to make convicted young offenders more accountable for their acts?

[Canadian Federation Of Students, March 17th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, as the member for Ottawa-Vanier I have the honour of representing the University of Ottawa in this House. The students' federation of the university is about to hold a referendum on whether or not the students wish their campus to maintain its membership in the Canadian Federation of Students.

In its eagerness to have the university remain a member, the CFS may have given the students less than completely accurate information to encourage them to vote yes in the referendum. The federation has claimed that it, the CFS, has forced the Liberal government to stop the social security review.

The students of the University of Ottawa and students across the country should know that the social security review is moving forward. That means the government is still committed to finding better ways of working, learning and providing security for those in need of it.

[Francophones Outside Quebec, March 15th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, in recent months, francophone communities in Acadia and Ontario have welcomed the leader of the Bloc Quebecois, who is eager to spread his party's message and establish lasting links with these communities.

I was there when the Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario received Mr. Bouchard with decorum and civility at its annual meeting last year in Toronto.

Yesterday, the federation of francophone and Acadian communities of Canada said that Canadian federalism was the most

favourable framework for the development of Quebec society and of francophone and Acadian communities.

Instead of admitting that this statement is based on convictions as strong as hers, the hon. member for Rimouski-Témiscouata responded by telling them to mind their own business.

Francophone communities intend to pursue the dialogue initiated by the Bloc Quebecois and, since the future of this country concerns us all, we will mind our own business.

[Riding Of Ottawa-Vanier, February 24th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this august House for the first time and I do so for two reasons.

First, I want to thank the Ottawa-Vanier constituents who gave me their support during the February 13 byelection, thus granting me the privilege of representing them in the House of Commons. I am very grateful to them for doing so and I will do my best to meet and even exceed their expectations.

The second reason is to encourage the ministry to consider an additional measure to assist communities throughout the land, particularly in the national capital region which will be seriously affected by the implementation of the program review.

The suggestion is simply that the commercialization of any public service position be conditional on that position being retained in its community of origin for at least five years. This would allow the affected individual time to adjust to his or her new work environment without having to worry about being forced to move to another part of the country.

I am very pleased that the President of the Treasury Board has agreed to seriously consider this suggestion.