Supply  This equipment has the unique capability of specifically targeting organic materials, various types of drugs and explosives. There are also the ion mobility spectrometer units which detect minute particle residues of cocaine and heroin on surfaces of documents, currency, boxes, luggage and clothing. This equipment has been installed at the Pacific Highway border crossing and at the Vancouver marine terminal.

Young Offenders Act  Mr. Speaker, answering this question is easy because it is not true that there has been an explosion in youth crime. The statistics even show a decrease except, as I said earlier in my speech, in the major centres like Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver where there are gangs, where new arrivals try to enforce their own brand of justice, and so on.

Petitions  Pointe-du-Lac is located in the federal riding of Trois-Rivières. This petition asks Parliament to halt immediately all testing of explosives at the National Defence Proof and Experimental Test Establishment located at Nicolet-Sud in the riding of Richelieu. According to the petitioners, this testing is causing shock waves that are damaging to both property and people and therefore is harming the environment of the people in the surrounding municipalities and in Lac-Saint-Pierre.

Canadian Foreign Policy  This interdependency is particularly noticeable in matters of peace, environment and population explosion. If today we stop showing human solidarity and gradually withdraw our aid, we might well have to face much more serious problems tomorrow. I would like to elaborate further on the thorny issue of world environment.

Bankruptcy And Insolvency Act  A report published March 14 by the American Secretary of State is very clear on this. In light of this explosive situation, I am seriously questioning why the minister and his employees insist on continuing to deport Algerian nationals. It is distressing to see that Canada has gone so far as to espouse such immigration policies.

Sergeant Robert Guthrie  With the help of Darrell Paul Robertson, he attempted to save three people trapped in a burning car. As an explosion rocked the vehicle and engulfed it in flames, they managed to bend the window frame and extricate the dazed driver. Heroism is often depicted in movies and on television by famous actors portraying fictitious characters in unrealistic setting.

Employment Insurance Act  It is my opinion that items such as this bill or anything which comes through the ministry that is responsible for this bill, which accounts for the vast proportion of all the discretionary spending on the social side of the envelope, is by far the most important side. Last week we dealt with Bill C-33 concerning sexual orientation. It was explosive. It was a sad day for many people on both sides of the House. It went through in very short order and now it is over and done with. However, the legislation we are talking about today really speaks to the kind of society we will have in a pluralistic sense.

Westray Mine Disaster  Speaker, four years ago today 26 miners died at the Westray mine in Nova Scotia when coal dust ignited with methane gas to produce an underground explosion. With all the headline coverage about the ongoing inquiry and with all the difficulties in getting at the truth, there are often times when the actual tragedy and loss of life seem to have been forgotten.

The Constitution Act, 1996  That is why we should have legislation, preferably constitutional requirements to limit deficits and the size of overall government spending. In all those issues the question always arises, why did all these spending explosions take place in the 1970s? Why were governments suddenly able to get away with adding to the debt and letting the unborn and unprotected generations pay for it, rather than facing the voters and taxpayers of the day?

supply  If the debt/GDP ratio indicates the extent of the problem inherited from the past, it is easy to see, if we look at how the deficit evolved as a percentage of GDP, where this explosion of the federal debt started. It started when the Liberal Party of Canada was in power. The Liberals are responsible for this public debt explosion. Today, during this sluggish economic recovery, taxpayers have the impression that the federal government is not doing its share to improve its management methods and eliminate waste.

Chernobyl  According to the Ukrainian authorities, this tragedy has, in the ten years, killed over 4,220 people, more than half of whom had been assigned to decontaminate the site after the explosion. The official opposition wishes to offer its most heartfelt condolences to the survivors of the tragedy and to all those who lost someone near to them in this accident. In addition, it is estimated that more than 3.5 million people, including thousands of children, have been seriously affected by radiation, which continues to wreak its devastation.

National Day Of Mourning  Twenty-six Canadians lost their lives in one of the worst workplace disasters in recent memory. The conditions at the Westray mine that led to the explosion are currently the subject of an inquiry. One of the questions being asked is whether or not health and safety laws had been enforced. I take exception to my colleague from The Battlefords-Meadow Lake who suggests that private enterprise makes conditions unfavourable or unsafe for workers.

Supply  Last week, on April 18, we were reminded the world over of the Oklahoma City tragedy where almost 200 persons died last year in an explosion due to a truly insane action. This was called a tragedy. In spite of their seriousness or their enormity, can events like automobile accidents and the terrible Oklahoma City bombing really be compared with not only the intent but also the actions taken to eliminate a people, a whole community?

Expro Of Valleyfield  The value of this contract lies not only in the amount of money Expro will receive but mainly in its new mandate. This company, which used to specialize in the manufacturing of explosives used mostly for defence purposes, has just been awarded its first contract for a civilian application. Expro is now responsible for supplying a propellent used in the air bag release mechanism for 1997 American car models.

Points Of Order  I am thrilled at the thought of being able to rely on the support of the Minister of Human Resources Development, whose global outlook on things make him take an interest in matters as diverse as unemployment and energy, which in his mind are both explosive issues. That said, let me remind you that we suggested amendments that the government rejected, with a rare elegance mind you, but rejected nonetheless. I owe to the truthfulness of our deliberations to remind you that the Quebec government had contacted the hon. member for Saint-Léonard and Minister of Labour, requesting that the applicable Quebec legislation be referred to specifically in his bill.