CANADA VOLUME 135 S NUMBER 114 S 1st SESSION S 36th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Wednesday, June 3, 1998 Speaker: The Honourable Gilbert Parent CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) All parliamentary publications are available on the ``Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire'' at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 7521 HOUSE OF COMMONS Wednesday, June 3, 1998 The House met at 2 p.m. REFORM PARTY OF CANADA _______________ Mr. Gurmant Grewal (Surrey Central, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, today the Reform Party of Canada begins its second year as Her Prayers Majesty’s loyal official opposition. We will continue to hold the Liberals accountable for their mismanagement. The Liberals use _______________ closure to debate and prevent free votes. Many MPs only look D through the lens of political stripes, not the lens of issues. Partisan (1400 ) politics is applied to compensation for hep C victims, Senate The Speaker: As is our practice on Wednesday we will now sing reform, rebalancing Confederation, the CPP and the YOA. O Canada, and we will be led by the hon. member for Saint John. Debate is about sharing and listening to different viewpoints. Yet [Editor’s Note: Members sang the national anthem] the official opposition has to regularly call for quorum forcing Liberal members to participate in debate. _____________________________________________ Canadians are getting value for money from Reform MPs STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS because our performance springs from true grassroots democracy as demonstrated at our London assembly. [English] Let us work together and make Canada a better place. INTERNATIONAL PLOWING MATCH AND MACHINERY SHOW * * * Mr. Larry McCormick (Hastings—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, this year the 85th International TEACHING EXCELLENCE Plowing Match and Machinery Show, IPM ’98, will be held in Sunbury near Kingston in my riding of Hastings—Frontenac— Mrs. Brenda Chamberlain (Guelph—Wellington, Lib.): Mr. Lennox and Addington from September 15 to September 19. Speaker, the Prime Minister’s awards for teaching excellence This is the largest outdoor agricultural exhibition in North began five years ago to honour science, technology and mathemat- America. The theme for the five day event is ‘‘Quality Living, a ics teachers. partnership’’ which points to the interdependence between urban and rural communities. The award recipients come from all parts of Canada. I am delighted that one of our own teachers in Guelph—Wellington is an More than 125,000 people are expected to view the approximate- award winner. ly 1,000 exhibits ranging from farm, gardening and recreational equipment to antiques, educational displays, crafts, magnificent I would like to extend special congratulations to Ms. Patricia farm animals, demonstrations, and live country music. Bell who was awarded a certificate of excellence by our Prime Plowers from age 7 to 70 will take part. In addition to the regular Minister for her teaching excellence. Ms. Bell is a Latin teacher at classes, this match will also feature the Canadian plowing cham- Centennial Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Guelph. A sign on pionship. I particularly like the federal-provincial plowing com- her classroom wall reads ‘‘Latin is more than a language’’. She petition for elected officials. encourages activities that highlight the relevance of Latin today. Mr. Speaker and honoured colleagues, I throw down the gauntlet Guelph—Wellington is the best place to live in Canada because and challenge you to pit yourselves and your furrows against me in of teachers like Ms. Bell. Ms. Bell, your contributions are truly September and help make IPM ’98 a great success. appreciated. Guelph—Wellington is really proud of you. 7522 COMMONS DEBATES June 3, 1998 S. O. 31 [Translation] SENATE ENVIRONMENT WEEK Mr. Bill Gilmour (Nanaimo—Alberni, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, once again our upper chamber has made a case for Senate reform. Mr. Yvon Charbonneau (Anjou—Rivière-des-Prairies, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, on Environment Week in Canada, I wish to acknowl- Yesterday the supreme court convicted a Tory senator for edge the work of environmental groups and the contribution of influence peddling. Next week this Mulroney appointee will be pollution control industries. sentenced and faces up to five years in prison. Environmental groups have remarkable expertise and offer very The Constitution Act, 1867 lays the foundation for the resigna- relevant suggestions, which may be useful to governments, indus- tion of this senator. The Criminal Code calls for resignation if he is try and the public in making decisions. convicted for more than two years in prison. In addition, tens of thousands of people in the environmental D (1405 ) industry work on a daily basis to clean up our environment and to develop strategies and technologies aimed at cleaning up the mess or, better yet, at preventing pollution and protecting our biodivers- We should take note it took the supreme court to hold this ity. wayward senator accountable. Now it is up to the Senate or the senator himself to act responsibly and do the honourable thing Since this week is Environment Week—and tomorrow UN which is to resign. World Environment Day—I as a parliamentarian would like to commend all the people who, as volunteers or employees, make Should the senator not resign, the Senate has only one option and every week Environment Week and every day Environment Day. that is to deal with the senator’s criminal conviction. Canadians do not want a senator from prison any more than they want a senator from Mexico. So resign, Senator Cogger, and resign now. * * * [English] * * * YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS REFORM PARTY OF CANADA Mrs. Karen Redman (Kitchener Centre, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, entrepreneurship is growing. It is flourishing among Canada’s Mr. Steve Mahoney (Mississauga West, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, youth. During the past week there were two events involving the Reform Party is worried about its dropping membership Kitchener Centre which demonstrated this fact. numbers and the impact it will have on its ability to fundraise. This is at a time when it is supposed to be attracting busloads of new Team 5 founded by Kitchener residents Abhi Ahluwalia, Arvind- members to its so-called united alternative campaign. er Ahluwalia and Way Tang received the Students In Free Enter- prise of Canada first prize for the wholesale distribution category But fear not. At its convention last week the party announced a in the 1997-98 National Business Plan Competition for Young bold new strategy to address this problem. Just like K-Tel records, Entrepreneurs, as well as the Spirit of Entrepreneurship award at a Reform is offering free giveaways to entice Canadians to join the ceremony here in Ottawa last Thursday. party. Team 5 creates and distributes a unique line of message clothing Buy three memberships and get an additional one absolutely and accessories promoting equality, justice, respect and wellness. free. Even better, Reform says ‘‘Act now and we will give you discounts for a stay at the Travelodge or a free trial subscription to In addition to receiving a number of noteworthy awards, their an open-minded publication like Alberta Report’’. innovative idea has also provided them with the opportunity to meet Her Majesty the Queen. I can only imagine what is next. Buy a Reform membership and get a free Ginsu steak knife or a can of spray-on hair, or maybe a In Kitchener this past weekend I along with the hon. Ethel copy of the Reform Party platform entitled ‘‘Hits of the Fifties’’. Blondin-Andrew had the opportunity to participate— The Speaker: Colleagues I would just remind you that we The Reform Party will soon realize that gimmicks do not sell— should not use each other’s names while we are in the House. The hon. member for Nanaimo—Alberni. The Speaker: The hon. member for Abitibi. June 3, 1998 COMMONS DEBATES 7523 S. O. 31 [Translation] These same workers describe as discriminatory the provisions in the bill concerning the number of weeks of regular benefits MEMBER FOR TÉMISCAMINGUE accumulated since June 30, 1996 as well as those imposing a 1% penalty each time they reapply. Mr. Guy St-Julien (Abitibi, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, for months now, the Bloc Quebecois member for Témiscamingue has been In the text accompanying the petition, they state as follows: ‘‘We secretly touring the Canadian provinces with Reform members. do not go on employment insurance by choice—we do not choose The Bloc Quebecois member for Témiscamingue is in favour of to lose our jobs, yet you penalize us still further—as if we had a bringing their two parties closer together. choice— You are committing genocide on the middle classes, and taking away from others any hope of improving their lot’’. Today, the people of Abitibi—Témiscamingue are starting to realize that there is a double agent in the Bloc Quebecois. The petitioners rightly point out as well that there is a whole family behind every signature. It seems to me that this member is trying to follow in the footsteps of former agent Claude Morin. * * * * * * [English] [English] REFORM PARTY OF CANADA TIANANMEN SQUARE Mr. Joe Jordan (Leeds—Grenville, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the Reform-separatist alliance seems to be moving ahead now. The Mr. Jason Kenney (Calgary Southeast, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, meetings between the Bloc and Reform MPs have been officially tomorrow marks the ninth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square endorsed by Lucien Bouchard. Who knows, if this courtship period massacre. is successful, we might see the creation of a brand new party. The Re-Bloc comes to mind. On the night of June 3, 1989 the Communist People’s Liberation Army surrounded students and workers rallying peacefully for What is entirely clear is that if this is the Reform’s idea of how a democracy in Tiananmen Square.