Coach Jerry Hemmings' team out ran, out jumped and out scored its opponents last weekend at the CIAU championships in Halifax. On the way to its fourth national championship in 10 years, Brandon had to get past excellent teams from the University of Toronto and the University of Alberta. The Bobcats rose to this occasion.
Tournament MVP and all Canadian Keith Vassell took his team to new heights as he led them toward the championship. In the final it was Jason Scott, the home grown athlete who elevated his game to shut down Alberta's top scorer.
The constituents of Brandon-Souris are proud of the team's accomplishments. Way to go Bobcats. Congratulations on yet another outstanding season.
All Canadians and Quebecers must pledge to fight this curse by developing values based on fairness, justice and mutual understanding.
I take this opportunity to mention the exceptional contribution of ethnocultural communities, aboriginals and visible minorities to society in Canada and Quebec. I am proud to represent the riding of Bourassa, whose population truly reflects Quebec's multi-cultural character.
May this day remind us of the importance of being tolerant, open to the world and respectful of people's differences.
Nisga'a agreement in principle is to be signed tomorrow, an agreement that lays the template for 50 other agreements.
This odious, non-transparent process took place behind closed doors without the full consultation of the public. The Nisga'a people must realize that no agreement can take place without full consultation with all people.
It is balkanizing British Columbia, creating many states with their own laws and regulations. It constitutionally protects a commercial fishery for aboriginal people where no legal precedent exists. It transfers the management of other resources to aboriginal control. It is not accountable to existing laws and regulations for the protection of the environment for all people.
The Nisga'a agreement in principle is apartheid. It creates different laws and different regulations for different people. It is by its definition racist.
Apartheid never worked in South Africa and it will not work in Canada.
The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled against the government's attempt to quash the findings of a study that found a large wage gap between women and men in comparable positions in the public service and began hearings on how the government could make good on its legal obligations.
However, today we learned that the Liberals will try to steal that victory and continue to deny pay equity to public servants. The Liberals ought to be ashamed of the way they are evading their legal obligations at the tribunal's hearings by bringing forth the argument that pay equity discriminates against men. The idea is to pay women more, not men less.
The Liberals should heed the advice of Canada's human rights commissioner and take the lead in pay equity. The Liberals have thrown out a challenge to the private sector to be responsible. We in the New Democratic Party join with those Canadians who also expect the federal government to be a responsible employer.
Fredericton High School is the largest high school in the British Commonwealth. It wanted to raise a flag for unity. I presented it with a large Canadian flag which had flown over this building and which is now flying proudly among many others in my riding.
I commend the school on its vision for a united Canada and Jack Davies in particular for his initiative in organizing the event. I urge all members of the House to encourage people in their ridings to show their support for the fly a flag for Canada initiative.
On behalf of FHS and in particular the class of 1973, I challenge all high schools in Canada to do the same.
In the hopes that no other family will have to suffer such a loss and experience her family's pain, Mrs. Ferraro circulated and collected the names of 7,785 Canadians requesting that Parliament take stronger actions against young offenders who commit a crime causing serious injury or death. These young offenders should be treated as adults and given stronger punishments.
I encourage all members of the House to work with the Minister of Justice and the members of the justice committee to see that changes to the Young Offenders Act are made. Being a young person is not and should not be an excuse for committing crimes causing serious injury or death.
It will be my honour to present this petition to the Minister of Justice on behalf of Mrs. Ferraro and her late son.
This year's fourth anniversary of the end of apartheid in South Africa is a poignant reminder of the will of the people to end the oppression of racism. Today we join with the citizens of the world who represent every religion, colour and racial origin in a mutual commitment to end discrimination and racism.
Through education true respect for each other's differences and an awareness of each other's strengths and struggles can be achieved. Let all of us of every colour, race and religion pledge ourselves on this day to live together in united harmony as one people of many colours under one flag.
Now we have learned that there is a plan to distribute dental dams, lubricants and bleach kits for cleansing drug needles to prisoners, all courtesy of the taxpayer.
The government has given new meaning to prisoners' rights with its plans to subsidize inmate sex with free condoms and drug use through the distribution of bleach kits.
When will this insanity end? Canadians want common sense restored to the Canadian correctional system. The government should immediately end condom and bleach kit distribution. I urge the government to divert its resources to the rehabilitation of victims, not the deviant habits of prisoners.
I appeal to the minister to listen to the people. People in New Brunswick are really afraid. They want their dignity. They want work. They want jobs. They really do not want to be on UI but they need something if the jobs are not there.
There have been amendments put forth in the past week by members of the Liberal Party. I ask that the hon. minister to please listen to his own members and make adjustments to the bill so that people can continue to live in dignity.
Grosse Ile has for years been known as the Irish island, and the Irish community is very pleased that the peace and tranquillity of this important part of Canadian history will be maintained.
Between 1832 and 1937 Grosse Ile was a quarantine centre associated with the port of Quebec and was the principal point of entry to Canada for immigrants. There are thousands of graves on this national historic site, the majority of which are Irish as a result of the famine years, especially 1847.
The announcement by the Minister of Canadian Heritage on the March 17, 1996 was very welcome and timely, and we anticipate the 150th anniversary celebrations along with the current reconstruction of this important Irish memorial.
Racial discrimination is a costly thing. It is costly in human, social, emotional and economic terms. Racial discrimination is based on the premise that people are not all equal. However, Canada and Quebec both view people's equality as a fundamental value.
Nevertheless, there are still too many individual and sometimes collective cases of people being victims of racial discrimination. Together we must eliminate inequalities between people. This, in turn, will help us eliminate racial discrimination.
He said that Canada's commitment towards the French speaking community came quite naturally, that federalism requires the central government to project our country's linguistic duality at the international as well as the national level.
We agree with Lucien Bouchard on the role Canada plays in la francophonie internationally. Our government considers it an honour to be part of both the Commonwealth and the Francophonie and we do intend to remain active within both of these communities.
Today, I would like to recall the words of the Prime Minister of Canada in his speech commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations: ``Although Canadians sometimes forget it, the highest hope of the global community is to achieve what we in Canada have achieved for ourselves. A means of living together in peace and understanding. Not an answer to every problem, but a means to pursue those answers together-with respect, tolerance, accommodation and compromise''.
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And that is the message this March 21, a message of hope and solidarity. This day symbolizes the hope that comes with the arrival of spring, the joy of freedom and the promise of peace.
I received an urgent fax from Sylvia Schneider in my riding. She did all the right things to start her new business, Internet Presence Provision. She identified a need and developed a business plan to meet that need. Now, however, students are to be paid by the government and with their access to tax funded university facilities they will provide the identical service Sylvia is providing.
She has a family of four to support and she may be choked out by this short term government program. How can she survive when her competitors have no expenses?
First we have Canada Post's using taxpayer money to drive couriers out of business and now we have this attack on honest, hard working, tax paying citizens who want earn a living and look after their families.
Canadian small business cannot compete with government big business.
Today, March 21, marks the United Nation's internationally designated day for the elimination of racial discrimination. While most governments are attempting to address this challenging issue, we continue to witness too much racism, whether it be in the workplace, the school yard or even our neighbourhood.
When former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau introduced the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms it was a bold step in an effort to combat racism and to ensure for all Canadians their fundamental rights and freedoms.
The challenge to eliminate racism is a great one but governments must remain determined in their effort to achieve this. As we mark this day I ask that all Canadians rise to the challenge by combating racism whenever and wherever it is witnessed.
As one authority once said, in the end you can only teach the things that you are; if we practice racism then it is racism that we teach.
Like you, Mr. Speaker, my throat catches when I sing our national anthem. Like you, I care deeply about the unity of this great nation of ours.
I feel a deep sense of pride when I see my country named as the number one country in the world in which to live. Yet I am also a Canadian of Italian heritage. I have many things to be proud of in my culture of origin.
I stand here today on the international day for the elimination of racial discrimination and say that only in this country can I be proud to be a Canadian and just as proud of my Italian heritage.
Together we can be one people and yet respectful of our differences. We have done much as country to promote racial cohesion and respect, yet lately we see an increase in racial tension in our land. Today what we have built together may be at risk.
Let us renew on this day our commitment to keep our Canadian values alive, to eliminate discrimination in all of its ugly forms, the ugliest of which surely must be racism.
[Translation]
The Quebec model builds on union instead of division, on active participation instead of strict individualism, on putting public finances in order in an orderly and equitable fasion instead of through savage cuts.
As Lucien Bouchard, the premier, said, Quebec is the winner in this summit. Together, the people of Quebec have achieved great things. Together, they will keep on achieving great things. Quebec is really on the move.
[English]
Today marks the UN's 30th anniversary of the international day for the elimination of racism. While Canadians can be proud of the steps they have taken to help build a more tolerant and open society, more work needs to be done.
Systemic racism continues to rear its ugly head. As a government we must work with citizens to address all forms of discrimination that take place in our communities.
A particular focus must be placed on youth to ensure they gain an appreciation for the diversity of the world's peoples, languages, religions and cultures.
By cultivating a deep respect for racial harmony, we take another step forward in the battle to eliminate discrimination forever.