Through Court No. 1, London served as Canadian headquarters of the IOF until 1888. Since that time the IOF in Canada has expanded to nearly 500 family oriented courts. There are more than one million members in Canada, the United States and Britain.
An outgrowth of the Friendly Societies that originated hundreds of years ago to help one another in times of distress, Forestry continues these noble traditions in the community.
London's Court No. 1 has logged thousands of volunteer hours in numerous charitable endeavours. Its members are to be saluted on this memorable occasion.
The Bloc Quebecois condemned this illogical decision, since the CEC in Repentigny had to rent premises to meet the needs of its clientele, while the facilities in Joliette were already owned by the federal government and met the requirements of the Canada employment centre.
In the April 9, 1996 issue of L'Artisan, Public Works Canada asked for the submission of letters of interest regarding the lease of 1,741 square metres of office space for the Canada human resources centre, in Repentigny. Since renting this space will cost about $115 per square metre, taxpayers in the Joliette area will have to shell out about $200,000 more per year for lower quality services.
We have seen better reorganizations that this.
[English]
Each inmate will now receive a bottle of bleach and instructions on how to properly clean needles and syringes used for injecting, tattooing and body piercing. This is ludicrous. Injection of illicit drugs is a Criminal Code offence. More, the commissioner's directive states that syringes and drug paraphernalia are prison contraband and, therefore, must be seized.
On one hand, the commission's office promotes a program which encourages inmates to break the law and on the other hand, the commissioner intends to arm prisons with bleach and needle usage, both potential weapons to be used against other inmates and prison staff.
Rank and file prison guards state the obvious. Either Correctional Service Canada bureaucrats are incompetent or they have lost complete and total control of the administration of Canada's prison system, or both.
There is a drug problem in Canadian prisons. Clearly, it is time to clean up corrections and end this ridiculous program.
The new Liberal tax is one more burden taken off the shoulders of corporations and put on to the shoulders of ordinary taxpayers.
In Saskatchewan the finance minister estimates that harmonization would cost average families $400 million because they would have to pick up the share of the provincial retail taxes now paid by business.
As a result of all of this, Canada is now tied with Britain as the two countries with the lowest corporate taxes in the G-7. The Liberals have, in fact, kept one promise on the GST. They have kept their promise to Canada's corporate leaders to protect them from any obligation to fulfil their civic responsibility to pay their fair share of taxes.
As we stated in the red book, Canadian firms, especially small and medium sized businesses, must adopt an aggressive trading mentality and a strong outward orientation to take advantage of export markets.
Canada's textile industry has proven itself up to the challenge. Over the past 10 years Canada's textile exports have tripled and now amount to $2 billion annually.
The 54,000 Canadians employed by the textiles industry are justifiably proud of their achievements. Using innovative technology and a highly trained workforce, the textile industry is a sure bet to contribute further to Canada's economy.
We promised in the red book to restore the national literacy program. Not only has this been done, but the Prime Minister has also appointed a minister responsible for literacy. Under her able leadership, the national literacy program has been restored and many Canadians are on their way to acquiring the literacy skills needed to participate fully in the workplace and in society.
It takes more than government policy and initiatives to implement this however. Tribute must also be paid to the thousands of volunteers across Canada who show their commitment to the cause of literacy by working with their local literacy groups.
This being National Volunteer Week, I can think of no better time to acknowledge the efforts of the Saskatoon Literacy Coalition. Each year, volunteers like Eleanor Charman and Ruth Thompson, and many others, organize a fundraising spelling bee in which I have had the honour and pleasure of participating. Thanks as well to the contributions of small businesses like the Broadway Theatre that housed the spelling bee.
The slogan of Canada Book Week is: ``Read a book and see what happens''.
On April 25, 1974, the Portuguese people declared its freedom. After a peaceful revolution, Portugal underwent a gradual transition towards democracy. Moreover, its economic growth led it to join the European Union, in 1986.
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[English]
Successive generations of Portuguese immigrants have contributed to the rich multicultural mosaic of my province of Quebec and that of Canada as a whole. They embraced our democratic traditions and became active members of their communities.
On the occasion of the 22nd anniversary of the day of liberty, and as president of the Canada-Portugal Parliamentarians Friendship Group, I wish to extend my best wishes to all Canadians of Portuguese origin, particularly those in my riding of Saint-Denis, and to thank them for their contributions to Canada.
YVR has been an economic boon to the greater Vancouver area. It employs 17,000 people, and that number is projected to grow by 2,000 over the next four years.
This has been a win-win situation for everyone. The consumer, the airlines, the employees and even the federal government have benefited from YVR's privatization and local management. All this
without the scandal that has plagued the proposed sale of Toronto's Pearson airport.
The Liberal government should take a lesson from YVR. Privatization and decentralization work. Congratulations to the board of directors, the executive management and the employees of the Vancouver International Airport Authority on this auspicious occasion.
When I was mayor of Saint John, the citizens played a major role in the development of that project. Thirty-eight senior staff members from Point Lepreau II and their families from greater Saint John moved to Cernavoda, Romania where they used their expertise to build the reactor to the same specifications as Point Lepreau II, the most modern and efficient Candu reactor in the world, which is located in my riding.
Hundreds of Romanians from Cernavoda travelled to Saint John where they were trained at Point Lepreau on how to run a Candu reactor. Throughout this project the people of Saint John and Quebec performed tremendous outreach in Cernavoda as they built a community centre and a day care centre. The Church of England built a hospital for babies born with AIDS that were abandoned.
There is a need for even greater outreach. I want to thank the Prime Minister for being there to experience firsthand the commitment which Canadians have made to assist in the development of a better nation for Romanians.
The government will have to make the moratorium on the closing of post offices a permanent one, and it will have to recognize that the management of Canada Post Corporation has a real impact on rural development.
The government will soon receive the recommendations of the Radwanski committee on the mandate of Canada Post Corporation. The Bloc Quebecois reminds the Liberal government that 91 per cent of Canadians want a universal service at a universal cost.
When the government will propose a revised mandate for Canada Post Corporation, it will be judged based on how it complied with the clearly expressed will of Canadians and Quebecers.
In the 45-page report on crown financial institutions, the banking committee of the other place runs roughshod over the regional development agencies and, in the words of one senator, suggests ACOA be put out of its misery. The committee has not done its homework and demonstrates little appreciation for this agency's work or for Atlantic Canada's current and future economic circumstances.
The other place appears to forget its constitutional mandate to defend the interests of the region. The status quo is not what Atlantic Canada needs. We want our region to continue the drive to self-sufficiency.
The Senate committee has recommended that we throw out the baby, the bath water and even the tub. We in this House will not stand idly by.
[Translation]
Quebec's finance minister is delighted that the harmonization of taxes has now been extended to other provinces, and the vast majority of Quebec's editorial writers are in favour of the move.
Now that we have the support of the PQ, the Bloc Quebecois is in a tight corner. It does not want the public remembering that last year it tabled a minority report in which it opposed a harmonized national tax, when this year the PQ government is applauding what we have done. The flip flop is on their side.
[English]
Four down, six more provinces to go and then we will have a national harmonized tax.
[Translation]
As a result, eight of the victims have filed civil suits against the solicitor general. The Bloc Quebecois proposes that, instead of multiple lawsuits, the government find a humanitarian solution in the case of these eight women.
According to one of them, the prisoners would have greatly appreciated being believed and receiving an apology from the government when the initial evidence was published. Instead, it took three inquiries before they were proved right.
In addition to putting in place the corrective measures recommended by Judge Arbour, the government also has an obligation to recognize that it was in the wrong and to implement immediately all the report's recommendations, in order to prevent the recurrence of such a situation.
Does the government not realize that farmers must sell their products in order to survive? The CWB refuses to allow farmers to ship into the lucrative U.S. market. The government uses Revenue Canada and Customs as its personal hound dogs in cracking down on farmers who are forced to go outside the board's monopoly.
It is never okay to break the law, but when farmers are losing their farms and have no cash flow to plant a spring crop, the government had better act.
Western provincial governments know that farmers are needed. The Alberta agriculture minister and his Liberal critic realize that the federal government has ignored farmers' concerns with their inaction.
I urge the government to listen to these concerns and implement no cost export licences so farmers can protect their livelihoods.
In Canada, the nuclear energy industry is subsidized to the tune of $5 billion since 1952. In addition, the auditor general reports there is a $10 billion radioactive waste disposal problem. Canada should move toward renewable energy production and phase out large subsidies to the fossil fuel and nuclear industries. In addition, economic benefits could be achieved through energy efficiency programs.
Finally, we need policies that support science and technology for renewal energy production to ensure a safe, clean and sustainable energy future for all Canadians.
Sikhs have been living in Canada for almost a century, and over 240,000 Sikhs participate in every facet of Canadian life. Sikhs are peace loving people who have made a valuable contribution in various fields, including professional and political spheres, as my presence here today illustrates. Sikhs believe in justice and the protection of human rights for all people regardless of colour, creed, sex or origin.
I hope fellow members of Parliament will join me in wishing Sikhs across Canada a happy Vaisakhi by accepting my invitation to a reception in the Commonwealth Room following question period.
[Translation]
I ask the House to observe a moment of silence in memory of the innocent victims of the tragic events in Lebanon.
[Editor's Note: Whereupon the House stood in silence.]
[English]
The Speaker: I have a request to make before we begin question period. It is very important I know when members are going to ask for a moment's silence in the House. I would appreciate prior notice if it is at all possible. It disorients the statements in the House. I would simply ask your co-operation.