NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS BY PRIME MINISTER JEAN CHRÉTIEN TO THE NATIONAL LIBERAL CAUCUS

August 19, 2003
North Bay, Ontario

A lot has happened since our last summer Caucus in Chicoutimi. But some things remain the same. The Liberal Party remains far ahead in the polls. Canadians remain satisfied with the direction of the country. The economy remains strong. The budget remains in balance. The rest of the world continues to take notice of our progress as a nation. And, of course, our critics remain focused on what divides us.

I want to focus tonight on our accomplishments, on our very activist Liberal agenda, and on what is left to do in the Fall session of Parliament. Tonight I am proud to say that we have implemented almost all of last September's Throne Speech. Aimed at building a new Canada in a changing world.

Let me begin with some of our accomplishments over the last year. Canadians take great pride in our place in the world. We know that in a changing world we must strengthen and adapt our role. We are there in the fight against terror. In the risky business of bringing peace to Afghanistan. In the reconstruction of Iraq and in the struggle to bring hope to Africa. We said we would double development assistance by the year 2010. And we have allocated the resources to do it. We promised to eliminate tariffs and quotas on products from least developed countries. We have done it. We promised to strengthen our military. And we did it with an increase in the budget of almost a billion dollars a year.

I turn now to health reform. The Liberal Party gave Medi-Care to Canadians. Today, it is our Party which has reaffirmed the principles of Medi-Care and which is leading the effort to modernize it for the 21st Century. We promised a First Ministers' Meeting on health care with a comprehensive plan for reform. We held that meeting and reached an accord. For Canadians, the results will mean shorter waiting lists, more home care, more primary care, and more accountability. The Minister of Health will soon announce the establishment of a Canadian Health Council. We have kept our promise to ensure Canadians can provide compassionate care for gravely ill family members.

This government has built the National Child Benefit which is the most significant new social program since Medi-Care. We promised large increases in the National Child Benefit. And we have delivered. We promised to increase access to quality child care and early learning. And we have delivered. We promised to provide targeted measures for low income families caring for severely disabled children. And we have delivered. We promised expanding aboriginal parental supports. And we have delivered.

The environment was an important element of the Throne Speech. Canadians, particularly young Canadians, understand our responsibilities as stewards of the environment. We promised to ratify the Kyoto Accord. And we did. We promised an action plan on climate change. We have delivered. We are creating ten new national parks and five new marine conservation areas as we said we would. Innovation has always been a key element of our agenda. In the last year we have built on a record that we are very proud of.

We have increased funding for the granting councils, especially in science. We have kept our promise to support the indirect costs of university research. And we have created 4,000 new federal scholarships a year for graduate students. Almost doubling the number of existing federal scholarships.

I turn now to the commitments we have made to our cities and communities. A long-term strategic infrastructure program. Increased investments in affordable housing. Extending the Homelessness Initiative. Working to address the particular needs of urban aboriginals. We have delivered on all of these. Modern governance was one of the cornerstones of the Throne Speech. We have introduced new legislation on corporate governance. Work is well underway to ensure a Pan Canadian securities regulatory system as promised.

We promised an action plan on official languages. We have delivered. We promised an ethics package. We have delivered. Our bill on the financing of political parties will greatly strengthen Canadian democracy. Our promised legislation on public service reform now needs only to pass the Senate.

My friends, these are extraordinary accomplishments in a short period of time. They are the culmination of a focused and progressive Liberal agenda. Let me turn now to the legislation which Parliament must pass in the Fall to complete our agenda. A bill on reproductive technology; a bill creating an independent ethics commissioner; the Westray bill; the bill on market fraud; the bill on public safety; the bill on family law; and the bill to modernize the law on small amounts of marijuana possession. And other bills from the Throne Speech which we would like to see pass if time permits. As well as some bills which were not in the Throne Speech and which circumstances require, such as the coming into effect of the new electoral boundaries.

There are other issues the government has had to deal with over the last year even if they were not part of our Throne Speech agenda. For example, we had to deal with Iraq. We had a very difficult decision to make. We made it in accordance with our values. Our belief in the United Nations and multilateralism and we acted as an independent country. We can be proud of what we did. Canadians have supported us overwhelmingly. Because of the decision we took on Iraq, some of our opponents say that our relationship with the United States needs to be rebuilt.

Let me tell you something. Our relationship with the United States and with the administration remains very strong and very healthy. We work very well together on many, many issues. There is nothing broken and nothing that has to be rebuilt. Although the relationship with the United States always has to be nurtured, as has been the case ever since 1867. Canada and the United States have never agreed on every single issue of foreign policy. There have always been some trade disputes between us. No two countries, no two friends, agree on everything. Disagreement on a few issues between close friends is a sign of maturity, not a sign of a troubled relationship.

Now, I want to address another important issue of concern to all of us that was not part of our agenda. I do not have to tell you how challenging the issue of the constitutional definition of marriage is for each and everyone of us. Many of you have written to me directly to share your concerns and those of your constituents. Circumstances demand that we deal with the issue now because of very recent court decisions based on the Charter of Rights. The Canadian Alliance has attacked the courts for years. The attack so called judicial activism. It is code for their profound opposition to the Charter of Rights. A Charter that was passed by Parliament and that Liberals and all Canadians respect and cherish. So let us not fall into their trap on this issue. This is not about weakening Parliament. It is not about weakening traditional religion. It is not about weakening the Canadian social fabric. In fact, it is about giving Parliament its rightful voice. It is about protecting religious traditions and rites. It is about giving force and effect to Canadian values. Values of mutual respect, justice and equality.

All of us understand that Parliament must always act in accordance with the Constitution. In the case of same-sex couples, we need to be guided by how court after court has been interpreting the Charter of Rights. And the courts have been telling us that the notion of separate but equal has no place in Canada.

Therefore we drafted a bill that guarantees the absolute right of churches to decide what is required for a religious marriage and guarantees as well the equality rights of all Canadians. We are now asking the Supreme Court to tell Parliament what is in accordance with the Charter of Rights, because I know that Liberals, and the vast majority of Canadians, do not believe in using the notwithstanding clause. When Members of Parliament know what is possible within the framework of the Charter, then they will be able to vote in accordance with their conscience and with all the facts in a free vote with no instructions from party whips.

So I urge you all to give this careful consideration at the appropriate time. To cool the rhetoric. Not to fall into traps set by the Opposition. Believe me, for someone of my generation, born and brought up in the Catholic rural Quebec of my youth, this is a very difficult issue. But I have learned over 40 years in public life, that society evolves and that the concept of human rights evolves often more quickly than some of us might have predicted – and sometimes even in ways that make some people uncomfortable. But at the end of the day, we have to live up to our responsibilities. And none of these are more essential than protecting the Constitution and the fundamental rights it guarantees to all Canadians.

Let me finish this evening by telling you something that is very important to me. Only two Prime Ministers in Canadian history - Mackenzie King and Lester Pearson - have turned their Party over to a new leader who has won the next election. I want to be the third. And I will do everything to make sure that the new leader will have the best conditions possible to win a fourth consecutive Liberal majority government.

We have a great record for my successor to build on. A record which the candidates for the leadership and each and everyone of you is part of and proud of. A record of liberalism and of building a new Canada for the 21st century. A record we will complete in the Fall session of Parliament.

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