VOLUME 133 NUMBER 148 1st SESSION 35th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Wednesday, February 8, 1995 Speaker: The Honourable Gilbert Parent HOUSE OF COMMONS Wednesday, February 8, 1995 The House met at 2 p.m. sovereignists to defend their plans because, when all is said and done, the decision is for Quebecers to make and for them alone. _______________ * * * Prayers [English] _______________ CANADIAN AIRBORNE REGIMENT STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS Mr. Jack Frazer (Saanich—Gulf Islands, Ref.): Mr. Speak- er, in her Standing Order 31 statement yesterday the hon. [Translation] member for Brant attributed to me ‘‘comments denying any racism in the video depicting conduct of some members of the HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR GENERAL Canadian Airborne Regiment’’. I assume the hon. member took Mr. Guy H. Arseneault (Restigouche—Chaleur, Lib.): Mr. this statement, out of context and misrepresenting my position, Speaker, I would like to congratulate His Excellency the Right from a media report. Hon. Roméo LeBlanc, who has just been sworn in as Governor Now I consider calling someone or an organization racist to be General of Canada. Mr. LeBlanc is clearly an excellent person a very serious charge and demand factual evidence before for the job. levelling such a charge. He has worked tirelessly and unstintingly for a united and It is one thing to have my position misrepresented in the prosperous Canada. In his speech this morning, Mr. LeBlanc media but quite another to have it misrepresented in the official expressed his love for Canada. As he said, it is up to us to build records of this House of Commons. our future together as Canadians. I make this statement to make clear that I did not and will not The choice of Mr. LeBlanc is an honour for all Acadians. As condone racism in any form. However, neither will I join the you know, he is the first Acadian to be appointed to the position politically correct in flinging charges of racism before I know of Governor General. We are proud of him. all the pertinent facts. I would like to wish His Excellency the Right Hon. Roméo LeBlanc and Mrs. LeBlanc success and happiness throughout * * * this mandate. PROJECT PRESERVATION * * * Mr. Andy Mitchell (Parry Sound—Muskoka, Lib.): Mr. HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR GENERAL Speaker, I rise in the House today to pay tribute to Project Preservation, an environmental youth group in my riding of Mrs. Monique Guay (Laurentides, BQ): Mr. Speaker, I Parry Sound—Muskoka. would like to acknowledge, on behalf of the official opposition, the swearing in today of Roméo LeBlanc as the Governor Recently the group was honoured with the Ward Smith General of Canada. Following his long career as a member of environmental youth award. This award is presented by the Parliament, minister and Liberal senator, his appointment as North Bay–Mattawa Conservation Authority for outstanding Governor General recognizes a life dedicated to politics. youth contributions to the local environment through awareness and action. Just as the Leader of the Opposition congratulated the Prime Minister in the House when the appointment of Mr. LeBlanc was Project Preservation was established in the fall of 1986 as a announced, we also congratulate the Prime Minister on choos- response to the growing need for an active environmental group ing, for the first time, an Acadian as Governor General. dedicated to education. We hope the Governor General will play a role in promoting Within the past eight years, the need to protect our environ- the rights of francophone and Acadian communities in Canada. ment has grown and Project Preservation has evolved with it. We acknowledge and respect the Governor General’s right to Project Preservation’s main focus is the publication of a bi- defend Canadian unity, just as we must recognize the right of monthly newsletter called ‘‘Nature’s Plea’’. ‘‘Nature’s Plea’’ 9321 COMMONS DEBATES February 8, 1995 S. O. 31 covers a wide range of environmental issues and provides an about federal civil servants, who according to him are sitting optimistic outlook to the problems we face. around and doing nothing, and with the government poised to Within the past year Project Preservation has organized slash public spending, four Liberal MNAs for the Outaouais numerous tree plants, litter clean–ups, benefit music festivals prefer taking it easy in the sun to defending the interests of their and campaigns such as the bad mail campaign, a project to constituents. combat junk mail. The stakes have never been higher for the federal public My congratulations and best wishes are extended to Project service in the Outaouais, as it faces the worst cuts in its history. Preservation and to— Outaouais residents are worried about privatization, reduced services and the loss of their jobs. And while they worry, MNAs * * * Middlemiss, MacMillan, Lafrenière and Lesage are away, indif- [Translation] ferent to what is happening and doing nothing to stop it. FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVANTS What sort of political commitment is it when these Liberal MNAs would rather relax in a warm climate than look out for the Mr. Eugène Bellemare (Carleton—Gloucester, Lib.): Mr. real problems of those they represent? Speaker, federal public servants are the government’s most precious resource; they implement its programs, deliver its * * * services and apply its regulations. [English] [English] If there are to be program cuts or service cuts of any kind in ETHICS the coming budget I ask that the government privatize or contract out these activities and give first crack to those public Mr. Randy White (Fraser Valley West, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, servants affected. I also ask that the government change the serious allegations have been made concerning the business Superannuation Act to permit those affected from age 50 and on activities of the member for St. John’s West for some months to be able to take voluntary early retirement without penalty. now. The Liberal government has been advised of the situation Let there be no public servant penalized because of public and a petition for recall has been circulated throughout her service renewal. riding. The Evening Telegram in St. John’s has reported on this fiasco * * * at length. CBC St. John’s this morning made public that she is [Translation] indeed the subject of an RCMP investigation. SHARING THE NATIONAL DEBT This government talks so much about ethics, but will not walk Mr. Martin Cauchon (Outremont, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, we the walk when its own members are involved. Since this were very surprised to hear that Quebec’s Minister of Finance government refuses to allow the ethics commissioner to report completely changed his mind last Monday about assuming a to Parliament or investigate individual MPs, then recall legisla- share of the debt if Quebec separates. tion introduced by the Reform member for Beaver River which was turned down by this government is now more important than Minister Campeau stated that an independent Quebec will not ever to the people of St. John’s. be forced to accept something that undermines its economic development especially because ‘‘it is not our debt, it is Cana- Let me quote Janet Ryan from Torbay, Newfoundland: The da’s debt’’. Prime Minister ‘‘as leader of the country and the Liberal Party is morally bound to demand her resignation’’. The minister’s recent statement basically contradicts a state- ment he made in 1994, that Quebec was worried when it saw the cumulative national debt reach $550 billion as of March 31, * * * 1994, because Quebecers have to pay 25 per cent of it. [Translation] The uncertainty created by such statements can only under- mine the efforts of those who are working hard for the country’s FESTIVAL DU VOYAGEUR economic recovery. Mr. Ronald J. Duhamel (St. Boniface, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I * * * invite you and all my parliamentary colleagues to come to St. Boniface, Manitoba, to take part in the Festival du Voyageur, (1405) which starts Friday, February 10. FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVICE This festival is a celebration of our history, our traditions and Mr. Réjean Lefebvre (Champlain, BQ): Mr. Speaker, with our culture, as well as the contribution of Manitoba’s other the Prime Minister only too ready to make disparaging remarks founding nations, including all of Canada. 9322 February 8, 1995 COMMONS DEBATES S. O. 31 Well–known stars will perform in Manitoba this weekend. [Translation] We offer an impressive line–up of shows and events and we also have our joie de vivre. We are proud of them and we congratulate them. This will be an opportunity to demonstrate how a small, rather * * * isolated community can still be quite vigorous and willing to live and work with others. REFERENDUM ON QUEBEC SOVEREIGNTY * * * Mr. Michel Bellehumeur (Berthier—Montcalm, BQ): Mr. Speaker, results of the Léger & Léger poll published today [English] clearly show that a No vote in the Quebec referendum means the exact same thing to English Canadians as it does to Quebec PARTY AFFILIATION sovereignists. Ms. Paddy Torsney (Burlington, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have Far from being a bargaining chip, a No vote is construed as a here a letter written by the member of Parliament for New No to any constitutional change and any form of renewed Westminster—Burnaby dated January 9, 1995 in which he federalism. The poll found that scarcely 10 per cent of respon- writes: dents were not opposed to a special status for Quebec. In fact, There is only one kind of event that will motivate the government to take notice of two thirds did not recognize Quebec as a distinct nation. what mainstream Canada wants—soaring Reform Party memberships. The poll also shows that half of those surveyed feel that A burgeoning ‘‘card carrying membership’’ is far more effective than protests, letter writing, petitions, or other traditional types of lobbying.