Amendment To The Constitution Of Canada (Newfoundland)  The result would be that the decision based on the referendum that would have hypothetically taken place in Saskatchewan would have to be ignored. This is clearly one of the problems we have when we think we can simply, in black and white, govern by referendum. I recall a marvellous speech given by a member of the Ontario legislature. It was around an education system. He was from the riding of Simcoe. I will not mention his name, for his own purposes.

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Act  I am talking to the Speaker and to the Canadian people. They understand that some people might benefit from the simple black and white solution that everybody gets to invest in an RRSP fund for their retirement. I think my colleague was right on. We are talking about who will benefit from a wide open RRSP fund and the elimination of the CPP.

Postal Services Continuation Act, 1997  The difficulty with these negotiations is there are many issues that simply do not line up in a black and white manner. If we are simply talking about wage demands, then the labour union puts their contract offer on the table, the company puts theirs and the arbitrator selects one or the other.

Postal Services Continuation Act, 1997  Fundamentally, just like we need a strong CBC, we need a strong service to deliver the mail from sea to sea to sea. We do not need the simplistic black and white solutions we hear coming from members opposite. We have attempted to conciliate this problem. The government appointed Mr. Marc Gravel who is a respected and neutral third party.

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Act  The same levels or kinds of deductions would not be available to an employee. There is a balance of a process of arbitrage which makes these issues not as black and white as the member may indicate. I would indicate that although there are a number of issues here they are self evident—

Criminal Code  It looks like they want to remove any possibility of discretion, of a decision based on a particular case. In the field of justice, I learned very early on that nothing is black and white. In this field, as in many others, some things must be analyzed, and I think that judges in the existing system—if everyone does not agree with me on this, we have a big problem—have the training and the skill to analyze and judge the offence before them, which the crown has decided to prosecute under either section 322 or section 335 (1).

Parenting Arrangements  Moreover, I do not understand why a committee is being set up to review this issue, when everything is already in black and white. As I said earlier, I have never seen the federal government review something and then say that it does not make sense, that the government will not to come up with something. However, I will give other members an opportunity to address this issue and I am prepared to answer questions if there are any.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to speak on behalf of Her Majesty's loyal opposition concerning a matter of great importance. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act spells out in black and white what benefits the members are entitled to receive. The benefits pertinent to the act and thus affected by this amendment relate to the injury or death of an RCMP member. Bill C-12 addresses the issue of whether a member of the RCMP was on duty if he or she is injured or killed while serving outside of Canada's international boundaries in a peacekeeping role.

Supply  Sometimes, the victims are not completely innocent. As I said earlier, things are not always black or white. I can imagine a judge saying: “Sir, I must sentence you to two years in jail, because the act requires me to do so. In the old days, I might have given you just six months, with a possibility of treatment in some institution, because you have a serious alcohol problem and because you have children”.

Supply  We have to send a signal to the judges out there. They have a job to do. They have a responsibility. Unless judges are told in black in white that they must enforce the law as stated, we could bring in all kinds of the changes and nothing will happen. Does the hon. member have any suggestions on how to enforce the rules and the laws we are trying to bring forward?

Speech From The Throne  That we have never hidden. Now, in reading the throne speech to keep myself awake between coffees, I see in black and white that the federal government is prepared to form a partnership with the Quebec government to celebrate the new millennium. Of course we will have suggestions of activities to submit to the government, and we may even perhaps send an invitation to the head of state of the next country to come celebrate the new millennium with us in Quebec.

Supply  We feel this every day in Ontario: a mission of tax cuts; smaller government; survival of the fittest; no positive role for government; knee jerk, simplistic approaches; black and white with no shades of grey. Canadians expect us to do what we said we would do. We will put the debt to GDP ratio on a permanent downward trend. We will balance the budget by 1998-99.

Speech From The Throne  I can tell you right away that the Canadian heritage minister will soon cheer when she learns that her government has raised her budget by 3 percent. Beware. Take a good look at Statistics Canada's figures. You will see, in black and white, that the increase went to operating expenditures and capital expenditures and that it was used for severance packages given to employees laid off by the department and its agencies and not for the promotion of cultural endeavour.

Pearson International Airport Agreements Act  We object and say it makes no sense, but, deep down, we wonder what is true. Barring some exceptions, nothing is black or white. For example, there was the Malaroï case, where virtue was pitted against bureaucracy, and where my colleague from Québec-Est spared no effort. Normally, sensationalism is profitable, not subtleties.

Supply  Nothing could be further from the truth. It reminds me of the Reform Party on the issue of a carbon tax. What is the only party in the country that talks about a carbon tax? As far as I know it is not the Liberal Party. I do not know anybody in the Liberal Party who wants a carbon tax.