Young Offenders Act  Mr. Speaker, I thought what I said was fairly clear. First and foremost, we must find out the causes of crime. Environment is everything. When the environment is a healthy one, we give our young people every opportunity. If they do not have every opportunity, there comes a time in their life when they may well do something wrong.

Young Offenders Act  When a young person has the misfortune of committing a crime, our reaction must certainly not be to throw him or her in jail, because we all know-and no one can deny it-that jail is a breeding ground for criminals. Moreover, it is clear that custody has no deterrent effect. Our youth should have rights, including the right to be better provided, better provided with the services of experts and better provided with shelters if need be, but certainly not with adult jail as the only alternative.

Young Offenders Act  Suffice it to say, for the most serious offence of all, the extension of the time to be served in the case of young offenders responds to very clear public interest. This was expressed to all members of Parliament through petition and through direct correspondence to us. The provision for information sharing among professional people, school officials, police, and certain public groups when public safety is at risk has been criticized by some as exposing young people to public obloquy.

Former Yugoslavia  Now national defence headquarters has reportedly again refused our peacekeepers' request for an armoured engineering vehicle to clear mines and to facilitate their withdrawal, should it become necessary. Will the Minister of National Defence tell this House why our troops, who have been facing mines and gunfire for the last three years and are soon likely to face even greater danger, are being denied facilities and equipment which we have but refused to provide?

Members Of Parliament Pensions  Mr. Speaker, the government is not backing off anything. We have made it quite clear that we are going to deal with the matter of pension reform. We are going to live up to our obligations that we made in the election campaign. The Prime Minister said in this House not more than one week ago that it would be done either before the budget or at the time of the budget and it will be done.

Justice  I wonder if the parole board would consider mandatory supervision one more time for this habitual criminal. Mr. Gibbs promised to clear up boondoggles such as this in the parole board. We on this side of the House are watching and wish him well.

Patrick Kelly  However, when the Minister of Justice leaves his office at the end of the day a woman will be sitting at home wanting to clear her conscience and a man will be sitting in jail awaiting a new trial. Before another day passes I challenge the minister to start the process and give Mr. Kelly a chance to state his case fairly in a court of law.

Copyright  By refusing to subject the bill to a comprehensive review, the heritage minister clearly indicates his unwillingness to take on his industry colleague, as he was supposed to do. It is clear who the real sponsor of this legislation is.

Young Offenders Act  In addition, his criminal liability increases, not as a function of his age, either, but as a function of the crime. However, the preamble to the Young Offenders Act seems clear, and the one to Bill C-37 is even more so. This section provides that young persons should not in all instances be held accountable in the same manner or suffer the same consequences for their behaviour as adults.

Young Offenders Act  In this act we will delineate the very necessary harsher system for violent crime. There is a group of incorrigibles in our country who need to be given a very clear, strong message. This act in part deals with that message. It also delineates the other side of the coin. It also acknowledges that there are some less serious offences that bring youth before the courts.

Cuba  This embargo which is a blatant example of central authorities catering to special interest, provincially minded political forces, is being maintained without regard for the suffering borne by the innocent. Our government's position with regard to Cuban foreign policy is very clear. Our ambassador to the United Nations has indicated that we need to engage with Cuba, not isolate it, in order to achieve our goals. Also, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our Secretary of State for Latin America have clearly indicated the need to end Cuban isolation.

Cuba  This principle should be implemented especially when human rights abuses preclude any sustainable human development effort. In our dissenting report on the review of Canada's foreign policy, we were very clear on this. The majority of witnesses who appeared before the special standing committee agreed with us. In this report, we recommended that "Canada discontinue all bilateral aid to states that UN agencies or any other agency recognized by the UN have identified as having committed or been responsible for gross and reliably attested human rights violations".

Cuba  Spain, Mexico, Italy, Russia and the United Kingdom have already negotiated agreements. We have heard one message loud and clear from Canadian businesses. It is to get that in place. We have heard the same message from our diplomats. I hope the government will move soon on that. Finally, we should ensure that Cuba is fully reintegrated into all multilateral organizations: the OAS, the World Bank and the IMF.

Speech From The Throne  We will not always agree with the government or the minister of fisheries, and at those times we will let them know loud and clear. In those instances where we do agree, no matter how controversial the stand, we will be there firmly beside him.

Speech From The Throne  I intend to bank on this huge wealth and particularly on the younger generation to ensure our country holds an enviable position at the dawn of the third millennium. It is no doubt clear by now that the Department of Canadian Heritage, far from being obsessed with the past, is instead looking toward the future. It is resolutely concerned with the important challenges which face the societies of today.