Maurizio Bevilacqua

[Petitions, March 24th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the pleasure to present a petition.

The petitioners request that the Parliament of Canada enact legislation that will strictly control the sale, possession and use of all firearms and ammunition, ban military weapons and severely restrict access to handguns.

[Act To Revoke The Conviction Of Louis David Riel, March 23rd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to respond to the question.

The growth of entrepreneurship in the Canadian economy has been remarkable over the last decade. The number of self-employed women has also grown at over three times the rate of business formation by self-employed men. Today there are more than 600,000 self-employed women, representing over one third of all self-employed in Canada.

Women entrepreneurs tend to be more reliable credit risks since they are less prone to go out of business than men. They should therefore be considered more dependable from the perspective of banks.

Despite this, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business study, to which the hon. member referred, indicated that women continue to face greater obstacles to financing than men.

A recent study by Statistics Canada suggests that while there is no systemic discrimination against women entrepreneurs, they tend to operate businesses in higher risk sectors. In those sectors both male and female entrepreneurs face substantially similar obstacles to financing.

Let me give some concrete examples of what the government has done. The Federal Business Development Bank is committed to helping women. About one third of FBDB loans are made to businesses with 50 per cent or more female ownership. FBDB designs seminars and conferences especially for women; 500 women attended these last year.

The government has been improving access to financing for small business. Lending under the Small Business Loans Act has increased by more than four times in the last two years. We are pressing the banks to increase lending to small businesses. They have taken some steps to improve their services to small business. We will continue our efforts to ensure all entrepreneurs have easier access to financing so they can start, grow and prosper.

[Maintenance Of Railway Operations Act, 1995, March 22nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, as a Canadian I am disappointed that the Bloc Quebecois and the NDP have not seen fit to support the legislation. Perhaps they do not realize the economic impact of their stalling from coast to coast to coast. It is affecting the daily lives of Canadians. The economic condition of the country is deteriorating mainly because a party interested solely in the separation of Quebec is not acting appropriately. It is important to note that in this process.

I will give some examples of the economic impacts Canadians have experienced in various sectors of the economy. The shutdown of CN paralyses approximately 60 per cent of the country's freight traffic. The country's freight traffic capacity is further reduced by the disruption at CP Rail, where services are maintained with workers not on strike and 2,000 managers and staffers at approximately 60 per cent of normal capacity.

General Motors and Ford Canada employ some 21,000 workers in the greater Toronto area. Two Ford plants have been closed, putting 3,000 employees out of work. Others are operating at half capacity due to a shortage of parts for their production lines. Further layoffs are likely if the strike continues.

It takes approximately five trucks to replace one freight car. Ford Canada indicates that there are not enough trucks available to replace the shortfall in railway services.

The core manufacturing sector is being affected to the tune of $200 million to $500 million in economic losses per week. A spokesman with the Canadian Manufacturers Association estimates production losses to the economy if the strike continues to the tune of $3 billion to $5 billion.

Numerous companies that rely on rail transportation to ship both goods in the resources and manufacturing industries across Canada are suffering. The economic impacts of the rail shutdown are enormous.

I mentioned the major auto manufacturing locations in Ontario. Some of the companies affected are in the province of Quebec. Kruger Paper in Trois-Rivières is shutting down Tuesday due to the lack of wood chips coming in. There is a loss of $1 million a day and 500 workers are affected. Stone Consolidated in Port Alfred was shut down on Monday. Petromont in Varennes will shut down on Wednesday. Shell in Montreal is burning the equivalent of four tank cars of liquid gas daily. Port of Bécancour will shut down on Wednesday. Several aluminium plants are experiencing a slowdown in production: Alcan in Chicoutimi, ABI, Reynolds and Lauralco in Baie Comeau.

This is the message that the Bloc Quebecois should be paying more attention to instead of playing petty politics.

[Borrowing Authority Act, 1995-96, March 20th, 1995]

Madam Speaker, I paid attention to what the hon. member stated in reference to the stay in school initiative to provide the tools to motivate the key stakeholders in the community to engage in the process of outlining and telling young Canadians that it is very important to stay in school as a vehicle to achieving a job and to acquiring the life skills required to remain competitive in a very competitive marketplace.

Obviously the hon. member missed the announcement the government made last Friday. There has been some redirection of funding. The government announced a summer job action plan, a package of six job creation elements for secondary and post-secondary education students which will result in the direct creation of approximately 44,500 jobs. In addition, Canada employment centres for students will once again be in operation across the country.

Last year close to 200,000 job vacancies were filled and over 141,000 young people participated in group information sessions. The number is expected to surpass last year's budget for students. The $8.6 million will be increased to $10.4 million. It is also important to note that the budget of the youth internship program has increased from $25 million in 1994-95 to $118 million in 1995-96.

Even though we are living through difficult fiscal times our commitment to young people speaks to two realities: the fact that we believe it is a priority and that we want to engage in effective partnerships at the community level. The announcement last Friday achieved both.

[Canada Student Financial Assistance Act, March 16th, 1995]

Madam Speaker, let me begin by saying that as a government member I am somewhat perplexed by the motion put forward by the leader of the Reform Party.

A clear look at the changes and amendments we made in the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act will show that we included the concept and notion of an income contingent loan repayment system. I would point out to members of the Reform Party that subsection 15.0 of the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act currently provides for the repayment of student loans by borrowers on an income contingent basis.

Having said this, the government would like to take this opportunity to remind the House that thousands of students require financial assistance right now. A number of measures have been taken to help them in this regard.

It is important to remind the House that with the passage of the new Canada Student Financial Assistance Act in June last year, the government introduced important reforms to the Canada student loans program intended to support post-secondary education within a responsible fiscal framework. A number of these reforms are being phased in during the 1994-95 school year. The remainder will come into effect once the new act has been proclaimed.

I believe it is appropriate to remind the leader of the Reform Party and all hon. members about these measures which the government has taken to help students complete their education and become contributing members of Canadian society.

The loans limits had been frozen for 10 years, but they have now been increased. The weekly loan limit for full time students has moved from $105 to $165, an increase of approximately 57 per cent. The increase gives students up to $5,610 per school year, rather than $3,570. We also raised the ceilings on loans for part time students from $2,500 to $4,000. Part time students will no longer be required to repay the principal of their loans while they are studying. The changes give both young and mature students greater opportunities to fulfil their education.

Through consultations with the provinces and student groups, special opportunities grants for students with disabilities are being phased in. The government has allocated approximately $5 million in 1994-95 for these grants which will also be available next year.

The government is also working with the provinces to explore ways that would help ensure that students who must borrow the most are not burdened with debt loads above what they can repay. In so doing, the government wishes to provide an incentive for success.

As well, low income borrowers may be eligible for interest relief up to 18 months following completion of their studies. This applies to workers who are not earning enough money to meet their monthly student loan payments. Such a provision is currently restricted to borrowers who are unemployed or temporarily disabled. We are working with the provinces to apply the Canada student loans program with greater consistency and fairness.

Levels of assistance are being addressed according to the individual student's needs. Changes are easing the financial burden on low to middle income families whose children deserve every opportunity to complete their education. Specifically in this regard, the parental contribution table has been revised to ease the burden on families.

Over the next five years, students will benefit from loans and grants in excess of $6 billion. That is an increase of $2.5 billion over the previous five years. This additional investment will give more than 1.45 million students access to post-secondary education during this same period which is an increase of approximately 200,000 students compared to the last five years.

These new arrangements will reduce defaults and give students greater flexibility to repay and lower the costs for Canadian taxpayers. Lenders will now have more incentive to provide better services and offer income sensitive terms for repayment.

A more equitable system must go hand in hand with measures to reduce and control defaults. To that end, the program's eligibility criteria is being revised to emphasize results. Simply put, we will link financial assistance more closely to the student's successful completion of his or her studies. This will help to ensure the students who require financial assistance receive it.

Another aspect is we are collaborating with the provinces to develop consistent criteria for the educational institutions participating in the Canada student loans program. This too will ensure that aid is targeted wisely and costs are controlled.

The government is also carrying out discussions with lenders on new financing arrangements. The goal is to set terms that are realistic so borrowers will be able to repay their student loans relative to their income. This will improve the situation with respect to loan defaults, thus saving Canadians hard earned tax dollars.

One of the important things as members of Parliament is to relate the changes we make in this House to the community level, to the real lives and the real challenges that Canadians face. So that the people watching this debate have a clearer understanding of the type of impact it will have on their families, on the children and the students, I would like to give some brief illustrations of the type of positive changes we have introduced via the legislation cited earlier.

Let us take for example the case of Danielle who is attending the Technical University of Nova Scotia in Halifax. Danielle comes from a family of four whose annual income is $44,000. Danielle's family cannot afford to contribute to her higher education but she has managed to work during the summer and save approximately $1,800.

Her total assessed educational need is $7,400. Under the old method of assessing need, Danielle would qualify for only $2,600 in maximum aid. Under the new provision of the Canada student loans program, Danielle is now eligible for 60 per cent of her assessed need which is $4,440. That is an increase of $1,840. As for the remaining 40 per cent of assessed need, Danielle can apply to the province for additional assistance.

Or let us take the case of Greg, a student with a disability who is attending the University of Guelph. Greg comes from the city of Vaughan, Ontario where his family earns an annual income of $60,000. Greg's summer job enables him to put $2,700 toward his education and his parents are able to contribute $3,000. That gives him total financial resources of $5,700 and a total assessed need of $4,200.

Under the old system, Greg would qualify for a meagre $500 in aid, but under the new system at 60 per cent of assessed need he would qualify for a maximum of $2,520. However, Greg's disability means he is also eligible for a special opportunity grant of up to $3,000.

These are positive changes that I am sure will improve the quality of life for many students throughout Canada.

[West Coast Ports Operations Act, 1995, March 15th, 1995]

Mr. Chairman, since the 1970s, Japan has been our largest and most reliable customer of canola seed. In fact, canola has become the predominant vegetable used in Japan. While the Japanese prize the quality of the Canadian crop, they also place a premium on reliability. Japanese crushers purchase canola on the basis of just in time delivery and inventory approach. Needless to say, strikes and other work stoppages play havoc with this system.

With the experiences of the last few years, Japanese crushers are becoming quite concerned about our ability to reliably ship the quantities of canola that are required when they are indeed required.

Last week, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food met with the chairman of the international affairs committee of the Japanese Oil Seed Processors Association. He was seeking assurances that there would be no disruption in our oilseed shipments. The parliamentary secretary assured him that the government would act decisively to ensure that any disruption would be very minor.

For this and many other reasons, I ask this house to support the action taken by the Minister of Labour.

[West Coast Ports Operations Act, 1995, March 15th, 1995]

Mr. Chairman, let me take this opportunity to express my warmest and sincerest congratulations to the new Minister of Labour who acted very quickly on this issue in a very decisive fashion. I think that was warranted, given the situation we are facing.

The decision to bring in legislation to force people back to their jobs is never taken lightly. It is a step that is only taken when the stakes are too high for a strike to be left to take its course. This is such a time.

Last February, Canada's grain handling and transportation system was disrupted for 11 days when longshoremen on the west coast went on strike. It was a significant contributing factor in the big transportation backlog. This was only the most recent of several work stoppages in recent years that have affected the grains and oilseeds industry. The direct cost of that strike to the industry was estimated at $35 million above and beyond other significant losses resulting from deferred or lost sales.

Make no mistake about it. Whenever our ability to transport our grains and oilseeds and other crops to port is disrupted, our customers look to other suppliers to meet their needs. These repeated work stoppages no matter what their cause have the same results, a negative impact on our sales. Some of our customers have questioned our reputation for consistent and timely delivery of quality grains and oilseeds.

Last April and May the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food made an important trip to Japan, Korea, China and Hong Kong. While he was there he was told face to face by some very angry customers that they were not happy with Canada's performance. The message was clear: We had better clean up our act or our customers would find other suppliers.

Immediately after that trip, to avoid any finger pointing or buck passing, as he puts it, the minister called together all the major operational players for a face to face meeting in Winnipeg on May 16. The objective of that meeting was to confront the reality of our problems and to work out practical solutions very quickly.

Now we are faced with the same issue for a second consecutive year. No one can guarantee that our customers will indeed be understanding.

I would like to mention a few specific examples of the potential impact of this strike. The Canadian Wheat Board has indicated that its export program for March is 2.9 million tonnes through both east and west coast ports. This represents an estimated sales value of $511.5 million. Every week the board exports 570,000 tonnes of wheat and barley worth more than $102 million. Over the balance of the crop year we will export more than one million tonnes a month.

Every tonne not moved in March will roll over into the next month, making it more difficult to maintain the planned export program. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that the potential for lost sales from just one week of lost shipping will have a serious impact on our grain exports.

The wheat board has advised us that four vessels are waiting at the west coast port as we speak. Another 18 vessels will arrive this week to load 500,000 tonnes and 12 more will arrive before the end of March. Aside from the potential cost of lost sales, the charges will be significant if work does not resume immediately. No wonder the Canadian Wheat Board has asked the government to take quick action to resolve this critical situation.

On top of the effects the strike would have on wheat and barley exports, is the potential impact on our export of canola, our second largest export crop. Canada will export 4.2 million tonnes of canola seed this year worth $1.6 million. A major portion of it will pass through the ports of the west coast.

[The Budget, March 14th, 1995]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for raising a very important issue.

As the Minister of Labour reported to this House yesterday, CP Rail and three of its unions representing 2,900 workers reached a tentative settlement on March 12, 1995 withthe assistance of the Federal Mediation and ConciliationService. The agreements provide for wage increases, modified employment security and a variety of benefit improvements. The settlements are subject to ratification by the unionmemberships.

I understand that CP Rail is meeting with the BMWE today and I would encourage them to make every effort to settle their collective bargaining differences.

I am advised that the impact of the work stoppage at CP Rail has been limited and that the railway is continuing to operate its core lines.

Collective bargaining is continuing in a number of railway negotiations. The parties must be given every opportunity to settle their disputes in collective bargaining as provided for under the terms of the Canada Labour Code. However, the parties must accept their responsibility to resume bargaining and conclude an agreement not only in the interests of their members and shareholders but also for the Canadian public.

The railways and the unions have the necessary insight and experience to resolve the complex issues in dispute.

Any discussion of legislative intervention at this time would be premature. The federal mediation and conciliation service remains in contact with the parties, available to assist them in their negotiations.

[The Budget, March 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, at the expense of sounding immodest, we have to look at the record. When we look at job creation under the government we see 433,000 new jobs. We also see a government that is looking at a number of issues including program reviews. It is looking at the programs that are working and the ones that are not. It is creating a climate for new jobs.

If the hon. member had listened to the speech of the Minister of Finance speech, he would have found that we are hitting all the targets we have set. We are moving toward achieving the results that Canadians wanted during the election campaign.

The red book is being honoured and Canadians seem to be extremely happy with the performance of the present government. Perhaps the hon. member should join in the applause.

[The Budget, March 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the hon. member that it is a very important issue. A lot is at stake in the issue of social security reform.

Unlike past governments that ran away from the challenge of discussing major issues such as training, unemployment insurance, child care, and reforming and modernizing the system, we decided to engage Canadians in the dialogue and to consult with Canadians.

The hon. member can rest assured the government will consult Canadians on any measure we take related to the issue of pension reform. It will consult all members of the House in the same manner and fashion as we engaged in prebudget consultations, social security review and many other issues ranging from defence to external affairs. The government has created many opportunities for Canadians to participate in dialogue with the Government of Canada.

With reference to the specific question on pension reform, the hon. member has clearly read the budget documents. He has read the five principles outlined. From the day the Minister of Finance tabled the document until today nothing has changed on the government's agenda.