Social Security  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage members of the House to play a major role in the reform of Canada's social security system. The speech from the throne set out the government's ambitious two-year schedule to complete the modernization of our national social security system and to make it more responsive to the economic and social realities of the 1990s and beyond.

International Customs Day  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join hon. members and all Canadians in marking International Customs Day. As hon. members know our more than 5,000 Revenue Canada customs officers are the first people that visitors to our country and returning Canadians meet. This is the International Year of the Family.

Foreign Affairs  Mr. Speaker, there are five very brief points I want to make. The motion we are debating today asks us to take into account the political, humanitarian and military dimensions of the possible future direction in Canadian peacekeeping policy and operations. The five points I wish to commend to our government and to the minister are as follows: First, Canada is a small country comparatively speaking, with limited resources.

Foreign Affairs  Mr. Speaker, there is no objection from the government side and I strongly recommend it.

Foreign Affairs  Mr. Speaker, most certainly in preparing my speech I have taken into consideration the various options. I think I indicated three in my speech, one being to retain the status quo. In so doing obviously we have to consider our position internationally and our credibility as far as Canada is concerned.

Foreign Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate you on your appointment. There have been discussions among the parties and I think you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That on Tuesday, January 25 and Wednesday, January 26 the ordinary hour of daily adjournment be deferred until 10 p.m. and that during the time of such extended sitting, no dilatory motion or quorum call shall be accepted by the Chair.

Finance  Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Acting Minister of Finance in the absence of the minister. The Bank of Canada rate is at a 30-year low of 3.94 per cent and expected to fall five bases points again today. Yet five year mortgage rates are still at 7.25 per cent. The spread is greater than 3 per cent.

Finance  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Cumberland-Colchester for that very good question on the cost of a five-year mortgage. As the member pointed out, the prime rate is at 5.5 per cent, which is the lowest rate since in 1956. Today the basic bank rate fell not five but six points.

Job Creation  Mr. Speaker, not only has the hon. member not been able to read the red book accurately, but he clearly has not been able to read the record of the government accurately. We have had a great string of successes. We have introduced the infrastructure program which has been universally applauded across the country as a major job stimulant.

Foreign Affairs  Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister discussed this matter when he met with the Secretary General of the United Nations in Paris. We feel it would be a good idea to organize under the auspices of the United Nations this kind of training program for police officers from countries under military dictatorship.

Auditor General's Report  Mr. Speaker, I do not think that is a question that should be addressed to me. That is a question for government, and I do not know who could answer that.

Auditor General's Report  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Scarborough Centre for having become a persistent advocate on this very important issue. It is important to point out to members of the House, particularly those who are on the constant refrain of how to cut back government expenditures, but in this particular case the increase of calls on old age pension and security questions increased by 60 per cent over the last six or seven years.

Kemano Project  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I congratulate him on his new responsibilities as a member of the Reform Party opposite. The hon. member will note that a clear and consistent pattern has emerged and it is that this new government strives mightily always to ensure that the commitments and declarations of the Prime Minister of Canada are lived up to.

Information Highway  I would like to thank the hon. member for the question. He will know that the Speech from the Throne contained a reference to developing a Canadian strategy for an information highway. We think this is a very important initiative, to begin to provide a mechanism for the exchange of information of a technical and scientific as well as consumer-based interest across the country in a speedy way.

Ethics  When somebody is sworn in to do his job in this government, he does his job. That is it.