I am proud to announce an important initiative in the Atlantic aquaculture industry. Recently at the Nova Scotia Agriculture College in Truro I had the pleasure of announcing a Bachelor of Science degree program in aquaculture. This program was made possible by more than $1 million in funding from Atlantic Canada Opportunities.
The aquaculture science degree program will provide our youth with the opportunity to train in a sector where there is tremendous potential for economic growth.
The University of British Columbia and now the Nova Scotia Agriculture College in Truro are the only two degree granting programs in aquaculture in Canada. With the huge coastline of the Atlantic provinces, this is a bold step forward in partnership to educate our youth for future jobs in fish farming.
How would the Prime Minister like it if he had a GIC paying 6 per cent interest but at year's end the bank sent a letter saying sorry, it created unnecessary jobs with the interest it was supposed to pay him, so there is no return on the investment? That is exactly what he is asking business to do, to create unnecessary jobs at the expense of its investment returns.
Businesses will create jobs when it is in their interests to do so, when they need more employees. Business has told the government how that can happen. Stop the deficit financing. Start running surpluses so that taxes can be reduced.
With more money in the pockets of consumers demand will increase and companies will need lots more employees. It is not a hard concept to grasp.
If the Prime Minister truly wants to help create jobs, budget surpluses and tax reductions are all it takes.
(Cambridge, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise
today to welcome home one of my constituents.
Mr. Donald MacLeod of Cambridge has recently returned home from working overseas for CESO International Services.
Mr. MacLeod visited a recently privatized cold storage and food processing company in Russia, where he helped to introduce an investment evaluation program and installed a profit planning and project evaluation system to help this company become more profitable.
CESO volunteer advisers are professional, skilled, generally retired men and women who share their expertise with needy businesses and organizations in developing nations.
It is through the efforts of Canadians like Mr. MacLeod that we establish our national pride and international reputation. I congratulate him and CESO for their volunteer efforts.
As we began this year one of my constituents, James E. MacDonald, suggested a contest that would provide an opportunity for citizens of HFL&A to express their love of Canada and to contribute in a positive way to Canadian identity and Canadian unity discussions. I decided to act on Jim's great idea.
On Heritage Day constituents were invited to write a short essay. I invited the people of my riding to express their personal reflections on Canada and their vision of Canada in the future.
A red ribbon panel of judges will read the essays on the merit of heartfelt expression and love of Canada. Together we will select winners in three categories to be announced on Canada Day. The three winners will join me for lunch in the parliamentary restaurant, enjoy a tour of the Parliament Buildings and witness question period from the gallery.
I invite colleagues to stop by our table to congratulate the winning authors. I also invite members to borrow this idea in their ridings across Canada.
A few years ago, the Bromptonville municipal council, headed by mayor Clément Nault, decided it would try to attract businesses to the region. Its initiatives took off and continue to be very profitable. Among other things, it developed an industrial park, which, with the large demand from these businesses for rental space, has grown steadily from the outset.
In addition, the Kruger paper company recently decided to build a $20 million electric power plant at its Bromptonville factory, and a few days ago announced that it had selected Bromptonville as the site for a $325 million glazed paper plant.
These excellent pieces of news provide me with an opportunity to congratulate the members of the Bromptonville municipal council on the undeniable success of their economic development initiative.
I note the important contribution that French Canadians have made to this success story. While the Stratford Festival is known as North American's foremost English speaking repertory theatre, this title does not reveal the whole truth.
It is a proud fact that the festival's success has come in large part from the dedication and skills of the theatre's French Canadian cast, crew and management.
Richard Monette, Berthold Carrière, Jean Gascon and Denise Pelletier are just a few of those Canadians with francophone backgrounds who have given so much of themselves to make the Stratford Festival what it is today. The festival is just one of many examples across Canada in which individuals from every culture and every language work hand in hand for the benefit of all. I encourage all Canadians to think about this and the many other examples of unity and tolerance that bless our great nation.
Their infrastructure program was supposed to rebuild sewers, but they spent it on boccie ball courts. Instead of showing some leadership, instead of showing the people with the highest cancer rate in North America how much they care, they back away.
There is a recurrent theme here. When it comes to pouring money down sewers, the government is number one. No matter how much perfume it splashes on it, the vile odour of truth remains.
Its own MP, a Cape Bretoner from Sydney and health minister no less, gave a $6,600 grant to a contributor to his campaign. What for? To study sewers in Jamaica. Is this a caring government?
``We believe the only effective way to heal this country's wounds and avoid separation of its peoples is not to rely solely on the efforts of our politicians, but to do whatever we can as citizens, working in concert with you and others.
``We believe only a groundswell or grassroots movement of some kind can truly heal this country's wounds and avoid a separation of its people. Only individual Canadians of common purpose working collectively, massively, can make the profound impact that must be if this country is to survive''.
These are excerpts from a letter to the Prime Minister from a small group in my riding working actively to strengthen Canada.
I call on all citizens and members of the House to join them.
I rise in this place to pay tribute to one of my constituents, Mr. Michael Blender of Chesley, Ontario, a gentleman who embodies this spirit.
Mr. Blender travelled to Guyana to advise a furniture supplier on manufacturing methods. He made a number of recommendations designed to improve product flow and quality and suggested types of supplies and machines and other equipment.
He went under the auspices of the Canadian Executive Services Organization. These volunteers are skilled women and men, usually retired, who willingly share their lifetime of practical experience with those in the rest of the world who need it the most.
Once again I congratulate Mr. Michael Blender of Chesley for his altruism and spirit of service to people of the world.
I would like to congratulate the mayor of Hull, Yves Ducharme, and all the economic stakeholders in the Quebec Outaouais for their fine work on this initiative. Thanks to the casino, the national capital region has just added 1,000 direct new jobs and over 1,500 indirect jobs to its job creation record in the region.
The hotel sector alone hopes to rent an additional 75,000 rooms next year, for an increase of $5 million. Overall, the annual economic benefit to Hull, the Quebec Outaouais, Ottawa-Carleton and Eastern Ontario will amount to several tens of millions of dollars. And that is to say nothing of the number of local inhabitants who will spend their money here rather than travelling somewhere else.
Today, I pay tribute to the people of Hull and the Outaouais who, once again, have led the way in sustainable economic development in the national capital region.
It is high time that the federal government stop using our money to brainwash us by drowning us in flags and advertising. It is high time that it at least listen to its allies in the Quebec Liberal Party, who are calling for more real decentralization. Otherwise, the centralizing Liberals in this government will widen the gap not only between the federal government and the sovereignists, but also between Ottawa and the Quebec federalists.
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Your Canada's unity will not be built with a flag on the hood of a car or a beaver tail as consolation prize.
Those concerned should take note.
The government has declared it will stop dredging the Athabasca River this fall. This historic trade route links the city of Fort McMurray to these northern communities. When the coast guard stops dredging this river summer transportation and commerce on the river will stop. The proposed seasonal road linking Points North and Lake Athabasca will not be completed until the turn of the century. What are these communities to do until then?
The dredging of the Athabasca River must continue until this road is completed. I and my constituents do not understand why this road is proposed to the east end of the lake when a seasonal road already exists to the west end of the lake.
Ending the dredging will have a major environmental effect on the Athabasca delta. When the dredging stops the river silt will build up and block the river. The consequences could be as devastating as the Bennet Dam was.
The government, which professes to be so green, must address these issues before major changes-
The Speaker: The hon. member for Erie.
Terrorism knows no borders. Canadians recognize that terrorism constitutes a flagrant violation of human rights, that terrorism undermines societal structures and institutions, that there is absolutely no justification for terrorism under any circumstances.
We have passed the time for rhetoric. It is now time for action. Terrorist organizations must be targeted. We call on all countries of the world to establish an effective mechanism for the exchange of information, assistance, technology and training to combat terrorism in all its aspects.
We call on all countries to establish programs of counter-terrorism and to immediately conclude terrorist extradition treaties. We must eradicate these merchants of hate for the good of all mankind.
In an interview with Le Soleil, the hon. member for Roberval attacks our Prime Minister with impunity and with obvious disregard for the truth, saying, and I quote: ``-that, over time, he has become an Ontarian with the Canadian mentality''.
All Quebecers and Canadians know that our Prime Minister is a true Quebecer and a proud Canadian. He represents the riding of Saint-Maurice in Quebec, and he needs no lesson in ethnic purity from the hon. member for Roberval.
If the Bloc Quebecois now considers the main residence to be a criterion for being a real Quebecer, people like Luc Plamondon, Mario Lemieux and Jacques Villeneuve do not qualify.
However, since the Liberals came to power, parliamentary appropriations for the National Film Board have dropped from $82 million in 1994-95 to $65 million in 1996-97, not counting further cuts yet to be announced. At this rate, the NFB's budget will have shrunk by 30 per cent in four years on account of the Liberals' slash and burn management.
By imposing repeated funding cuts on the NFB, the CBC and Telefilm Canada, the government is altering the nature of the mandate of these major cultural institutions, simply by cutting off their funding.
We demand that promises be acted on and that stable multiyear financing be provided to enable the CBC, the NFB and Telefilm Canada to fulfil their mandate.
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For businesses and individuals, present and future, who must suffer reduced incomes because of the Liberal government, the House should remember them in their suffering by observing a period of silence.
During this minute of reflection the national debt rose by over $62,000. The government cannot afford to be silent any longer.