VOLUME 133 NUMBER 213 1st SESSION 35th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Wednesday, June 7, 1995 Speaker: The Honourable Gilbert Parent HOUSE OF COMMONS Wednesday, June 7, 1995 The House met at 2 p.m. Power DirecTv matter, his less than timely visit to Los Angeles and its impact on the Seagram matter, the minister just keeps on _______________ going. Prayers Why should we be surprised that the minister accepted to be the host of a $2,000 a plate dinner organized by a lobbying firm? _______________ Why should we be surprised to see that the minister’s office awarded that very firm three contracts? STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS In light of these revelations, one question comes to mind: Why does the Prime Minister protect this minister who is [English] singlehandedly bringing down the semblance of respectability and ethical conduct that the government has so painstakingly ONTARIO ELECTION built for itself? Mr. Benoît Serré (Timiskaming—French River, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, tomorrow Ontarians will be called on to elect a new * * * government. [English] Mike Harris and his crew are catering to the extreme right by promising unrealistic tax and spending cuts. I call on the ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS Conservative leader to come clean with Ontarians and tell them Mr. Dick Harris (Prince George—Bulkley Valley, Ref.): exactly how these cuts are to affect education, health care and Mr. Speaker, the native blockade at the Douglas Lake ranch has social programs. finally come to an end. It was taken down not because the RCMP I pledge my full support behind Lyn McLeod and her excellent enforced the law and removed this illegal blockade but appar- team of candidates. I am convinced that if Ontarians focus on ently because charges against the four Nicola band members that provincial issues and see Mike Harris for what he really is, a were illegally fishing were dropped. Because the RCMP refused Mulroney clone, they will elect a majority Liberal government. to enforce the law this whole affair has cost the Douglas Lake ranch around $200,000. Who pays for that? Mike Harris will cut education and create a two tier health care system. Mike Harris wants to bring us back to the future of Now the chief of the band is warning that if progress is not the 1950s old boys network where you take from the poor to give made to their satisfaction more blockades will go up. The RCMP to the rich. action will undoubtedly result in B.C. being transformed into a blockade battleground this summer. Let us move forward with the realities of the 21st century and elect a fiscally responsible— This whole Douglas Lake affair is clear evidence that a two tier justice system is being actively pursued by the government. The Speaker: The hon. member for Anjou—Rivière–des– So much for equality and so much for equality before the law. Prairies. * * * * * * [Translation] ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS Mr. Nelson Riis (Kamloops, NDP): Mr. Speaker, on behalf MINISTER OF CANADIAN HERITAGE of members of Parliament I extend congratulations to Superin- Mr. Roger Pomerleau (Anjou—Rivière–des–Prairies, tendent Len Olfert of the RCMP and to other members of the BQ): Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Quebecois awards its prize for the force for their exemplary performance in fulfilling their profes- best bungler to the Minister of Canadian Heritage. sional duties of enforcing the court order to remove the blockade erected by the Upper Nicola Indian Band. After his murky role in the Ginn Publishing affair, his attempt to influence the CRTC’s decision regarding a broadcasting The barricade was removed in a peaceful and safe manner. licence, his decision to slash the CBC’s budget and refusal to The RCMP demonstrated a cultural appreciation, recognition admit that he had done it, his embroilment of the CRTC in the and sensitivity that enabled a communication channel to be 13363 COMMONS DEBATES June 7, 1995 S. O. 31 maintained between the members of the force and the First (1405) Nations leaders involved in this serious dispute. Let us get real. The Ontario electorate is not so naive as to Appreciation must also be extended to the First Nations believe that a 30 per cent personal income tax cut will ever come peoples involved. Despite their serious historic grievances they their way. This comes from the guy who wants Ontario students were prepared to co–operate with the RCMP and agreed to to sell chocolate bars in order to subsidize the huge Tory tuition resolve any differences through a process of negotiation. plan and the increases his party has planned for them. This action bodes well for a satisfactory resolution of the * * * issues. It once again reminds us why the RCMP is the most professional and respected police force in the entire world. ONTARIO ELECTION Mrs. Jane Stewart (Brant, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, on the eve of * * * the Ontario election I want to look at the hot buttons the Tories are pushing. ONTARIO ELECTION They are telling the people of Ontario that workfare will work. I was glad to see in the Globe and Mail today, the number Ms. Paddy Torsney (Burlington, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I rise one Tory supporter, that it has identified that plan as an unwork- today to voice my opposition to the Reform Party like tactics able policy clunker. being used by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party during the Ontario election campaign. The Tories say that employment equity is all about quotas and if we just get rid of the legislation we will find all the jobs that Mike Harris and his party troops are spreading a gospel of we need for Ontario. That is simplistic and is a totally outra- fiscal fantasy. On the one hand they promise $4 billion worth of geous misrepresentation. income tax cuts; on the other they pledge to balance the budget in six years. On the one hand they would promise not to cut The Tories tell us they will cut our taxes by 30 per cent, they health care and education; on the other they would spend will balance the budget and they will not touch health care. We millions of dollars on end of pipe solutions, punishing youth in all want that but there is nothing in their plan that will get us boot camps, a system that has already failed in the United States. there except perhaps a new Ontario health tax for individuals. Are they for real? To top it all off, the Harris posse pledges to What bothers me the most is that they are speaking to the dark take a 25 per cent pay cut if they fail to meet their deficit targets, side of human nature. They are giving licence to us to attack targets set for some time after the next provincial election. people who are least able to defend themselves. It is unfair and unjust. The people of Ontario will not vote for that platform The people of Ontario do not need naive politicians who make tomorrow. lofty promises that do not make any sense. They need the McLeod team: realistic promises, realistic goals, good govern- * * * ment. [Translation] * * * G–7 SUMMIT ONTARIO ELECTION Mr. Jean–Marc Jacob (Charlesbourg, BQ): Mr. Speaker, this morning the final press release of the G–7 Summit in Mr. Stan Dromisky (Thunder Bay—Atikokan, Lib.): Halifax, a summit that has not even taken place yet, was available to all. The source of this leak, which has embarrassed Mr. Speaker, the governments of the six other G–7 countries, must be the There once was a man from North Bay, Canadian government, the host of the summit. How confident Who dreamed of a win on E–day, Harris promised a tax cut, the other G–7 countries must be of this government’s reliability! Thinking we’d fall for that smut, Sounds just like Mulroney, wouldn’t ya say! This amateurism puts us to shame. Quebecers and Canadians could be proud of the accomplishments of previous govern- That is right, Mr. Speaker. We will not be fooled by the fairy ments on the international scene. In earlier times, we were on tale provincial Tory election plan. We heard tall tales like these the cutting edge of peacekeeping missions the world over. We from Brian for nine years. once were the conscience of the western world regarding human rights. We once were the bridge between east and west, north Economists are being polite when they express their sceptic- and south, the United States and Europe. Today, the lack of ism about the Tory plan for balancing the budget. However, imagination, of a vision for the future and the failure to see big behind closed doors they are rolling on the floor laughing at have relegated us to a second rate role. The Canada of which so Harris’ Alice in Wonderland election ploy. many people were once proud is no more. 13364 June 7, 1995 COMMONS DEBATES S. O. 31 [English] The leaders of the Liberal, New Democrat and Conservative parties were invited to attend. Mike Harris, the leader of the GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES Conservative Party decided, however, not to. Would Mr. Harris’ decision not indicate how little interest he has in Ontario Mr. John Williams (St. Albert, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, on the francophones? It would seem so. eve of the election in Ontario I rise to outline yet another Liberal broken promise. (1410) On page 20 of the red book the Liberals promised to reduce Ontario’s francophones want a government that is sensitive to the professional and special services budget of the government their needs, a government that is not afraid to respect their by 15 per cent.