CANADA VOLUME 134 S NUMBER 052 S 2nd SESSION S 35th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Wednesday, May 29, 1996 Speaker: The Honourable Gilbert Parent CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) The House of Commons Debates are also available on the Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 3121 HOUSE OF COMMONS Wednesday, May 29, 1996 The House met at 2 p.m. bill to strengthen property rights in federal law. Debate on this bill should find more agreement than disagreement between Liberals _______________ and Reformers. Prayers Property rights is an issue which transcends partisan politics. Property rights were first protected in Canada by John Diefenbaker _______________ with the passage of the Canadian bill of rights. Both Pierre Elliott Trudeau and our current Prime Minister argued forcefully without The Speaker: As is our practice on Wednesdays, we will now success to have property rights included in the charter of rights and sing O Canada, which will be led by the hon. member for Durham. freedoms. As it now stands there is very little protection of a [Editor’s Note: Whereupon members sang the national anthem.] person’s right to own, use and enjoy property. _____________________________________________ My bill strengthens property rights in the Canadian bill of rights and therefore only applies to the activities and laws passed by the federal government. My bill does not intrude into areas of provin- STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS cial jurisdiction and avoids the concerns raised by some provinces and interest groups that argued against including property rights in [English] the charter of rights and freedoms. INDIAN ELECTION This bill should unite us rather than divide us when it comes before the House for debate. Mr. Derek Lee (Scarborough—Rouge River, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I call upon all Canadians to recognize and congratulate the * * * 900 million people of India for completing what is the largest democratic voting exercise in the history of our world. [Translation] As a Canadian MP I want to restate the support of Canadians for the growth and evolution of the democratic electoral process in all OLD AGE SECURITY PENSION countries. We believe that this is the best way to develop our Mr. Gilles Bernier (Beauce, Ind.): Mr. Speaker, the reform political futures. proposed in the federal budget relating to the old age pension has During the Indian election campaign there were some terrorist upset the plans of those who have been saving for years for their incidents but the people have prevailed. I condemn those who retirement. would offer us bombs and bullets instead of voting ballots and As well, some of the provincial governments are not being too those responsible for the murders and maiming that occurred in kind to their seniors. The ones feeling the effects are not the rich India. but the middle class, who are finding the substantial sum of $1,000 Of particular interest is the upcoming final balloting day in to $5,000 lopped off their incomes, a considerable blow to their Kashmir where there remain many difficult issues to be resolved by standard of living. The ones who will pay for this reform are not the the people of Kashmir. I encourage Kashmiris to reject violence privileged members of society, but the people who have planned and adopt the electoral process as the means of achieving their ahead for their retirement. collective goals. Their future cannot be left exclusively to the forces that use violence. Can the government make adjustments so as to encourage people to save, rather than discouraging them? Couples who have made * * * preparations for retirement, who have put money aside, particularly in RRSPs, instead of spending it, would lose their pension, while PROPERTY RIGHTS others with the same income would not. Mr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton—Melville, Ref.): Mr. Speak- I do, however, approve of the more well off not receiving the er, we seem to spend a lot of time in this House arguing and pension anymore, since they have to pay back what they have disagreeing about legislation. Later on today I will be introducing a received when they file their income tax return. 3122 COMMONS DEBATES May 29, 1996 S. O. 31 AIR CANADA [Translation] INTERNATIONAL KITE FESTIVAL Mr. Maurice Dumas (Argenteuil—Papineau, BQ): Mr. Speaker, on May 24, Air Canada announced that it would be Mr. Raymond Lavigne (Verdun—Saint-Paul, Lib.): Mr. opening up a new reservations centre in Saint John, New Bruns- Speaker, from June 6 to June 9, the city of Verdun will host its wick, by this fall. fourth international kite festival. Over 15 countries will be repre- sented. This centre would employ some 650 people processing toll free This festival, which won the Montreal small tourism enterprise calls from anywhere in Canada. Montreal will then gradually phase award and draws more than 150,000 people, is the pride of all the out its reservations centre except for local callers. The FTQ people of Verdun, in my riding. estimates that this might mean the loss of about 600 Quebec jobs. I invite all of you to come with your families to this international Having pressured ADM for the transfer of international flights to kite festival, which will be held in my beautiful riding of Verdun— Dorval from Mirabel, Air Canada is now preparing to move its Saint-Paul from June 6 to June 9. We promise you some good services out of Quebec. One might ask serious questions about the weather and a memorable show. intentions of this air carrier. After the railway sector, is it now the turn of the airline sector to move lots of jobs out of Quebec? * * * [English] Quebec is being attacked on all sides: first by the railway industry, then by the marine industry, now by the airlines. FUNDY GYPSUM COMPANY Mr. John Murphy (Annapolis Valley—Hants, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to congratulate the Fundy * * * Gypsum Company located in my riding of Annapolis Valley— Hants. [English] In April of this year Fundy Gypsum received the John T. Ryan regional safety trophy for select mines in eastern Canada. This DR. JAKE O’CONNOR award is in recognition of Fundy Gypsum’s remarkable low injury rate. Mr. Ron MacDonald (Dartmouth, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I rise What makes this achievement even more appealing and impres- today to join with the colleagues of Dr. Jake O’Connor of Dart- sive is the fact that this is the third year in a row that Fundy mouth who have bestowed on him the highest award of the Gypsum has received this trophy. The commitment to safety and Canadian College of Family Physicians by naming him family efficiency shown at Fundy Gypsum is a model for businesses physician of the year for 1996. across Canada. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the plant D (1405 ) manager, Terry Davis, and all the employees at Fundy Gypsum for their commitment to excellence in workplace safety. Dr. O’Connor has been practising family medicine since 1972. He is one of the few physicians, in Dartmouth at least, who still * * * find the time to do home visits for some elderly patients. [Translation] In addition to his family practice, Dr. O’Connor teaches a course IMPAIRED DRIVING in family medicine at Dalhousie University’s medical school as Mr. Ghislain Lebel (Chambly, BQ): Mr. Speaker, for two well as being the chief of staff at the Dartmouth General Hospital. people in my riding of Chambly, Félix Patenaude and Marie-Pier Parent, the daughter of Renée and Pierre Parent, Director of Park I speak from experience in saying that Jake O’Connor is a Canada, Montreal District, life came to an abrupt stop on May 27 in physician par excellence since he is my family physician and Lake Louise, Alberta, when a drunk driver brutally shattered their indeed delivered my son Matthew to a proud mom and dad only a dreams. few short years ago. That long-awaited trip, a graduation present planned as a journey of discovery, will always remind their loved ones of a dream that Congratulations, Doc, on this appropriate recognition of your went unfulfilled. commitment to family medicine and the people of your communi- ty. Your colleagues have finally recognized what your patients have Once again, death and alcohol, which often go together in such always known, you are one heck of a great doctor. circumstances, struck indiscriminately. May 29, 1996 COMMONS DEBATES 3123 S. O. 31 Because their memory will live longer than the screeching of I think 72-year old veteran and former war museum commis- tires, the shattering of glass and the clash of metal, it is important sionaire Mabel Ralph said it best when she said: ‘‘It’s a slap in the to tighten criminal laws so as to reduce as much as possible the face to all veterans—.They made such a to-do about us when they number of regrettable accidents like the one that killed these were commemorating the 50th anniversary. Now it’s a different young people, who had their whole lives ahead of them. story’’. On behalf of all my colleagues in this House, I wish to express I urge the government to reconsider this decision and reinstate my heartfelt condolences to the grieving families. the vets. * * * * * * [English] THE ENVIRONMENT CANADIAN WHEAT BOARD Mrs. Dianne Brushett (Cumberland—Colchester, Lib.): Mr. Mr. Myron Thompson (Wild Rose, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, Canada Speaker, this year Environment Week is being celebrated from June is a great country because of the freedom every citizen enjoys. Yet 1 to 9. Next week is our chance to reflect on our successes and while we believe and make that statement, some do not enjoy a renew our commitment to a healthy environment.