1980-04-14

HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATES


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29 Elizabeth II

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Published under the authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons by the Queen's Printer for Canada
Available from the Canadian Government Publishing Centre, Supply and Services Canada, Hull, Quebec, Canada K1A 0S9, at 50 cents per copy or $65 per year
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Monday, April 14, 1980

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The Thirty-first Parliament having been dissolved by proclamation on Friday, December 14, 1979, and writs having been issued and returned, a new Parliament was summoned to meet for the dispatch of business on Monday, April 14, 1980, and did accordingly meet on that day.
Monday, April 14, 1980
This being the day on which Parliament is convoked by proclamation of His Excellency the Governor General of Canada for the dispatch of business, and the members of the House being assembled:
Marcel R. Pelletier, Esquire, the Clerk Assistant of the House of Commons, read to the House a letter from the administrative secretary to the Governor General informing him that the Honourable Bora Laskin, Chief Justice of Canada, in his capacity as Deputy Governor General, would proceed to the Senate chamber to open the first session of the Thirty-second Parliament of Canada on Monday, the 14th April, at 9.30 o'clock.
A message was delivered by Colonel T. G. Bowie, Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, as follows:
Members of the House of Commons:
It is the desire of the Honourable the Deputy of His Excellency the Governor General of Canada that this honourable House attend him immediately in the chamber of the honourable the Senate.
Accordingly, the House went up to the Senate chamber, when the Speaker of the Senate said:
Honourable members of the Senate,
Members of the House of Commons:
I have it in command to let you know that His Excellency the Governor General of Canada does not see fit to declare the causes of his summoning the present Parliament of Canada until a Speaker of the House of Commons shall have been chosen, according to law; but this morning at the hour of 10.45 o'clock His Excellency will declare the causes of his calling Parliament.

Right Hon. P. E. Trudeau (Prime Minister):: Mr. Pelletier, on this first opportunity to meet in the Thirty-second Parliament, I am sure all hon. members would wish to join me in extending our very best wishes for a speedy recovery to the Clerk of the House of Commons, Dr. Koester, who underwent surgery two weeks ago. I understand he is making excellent progress and, thanks to our television facilities, he will be watching our proceedings today with his usual keen interest.
Our business this morning, sir, is perhaps the most important collective decision our parties can make in the life of a Parliament. The choice by members of one of their peers to guide the House of Commons is really second only in importance to the choice Canadians make when they elect their own representatives. The confidence placed in the Speaker by all members is vital to the operation of this House and to the manner in which it discharges its responsibilities to the electors.
Today, as we make our choice, we also make history in this chamber. For the first time, the Canadian House of Commons is being invited to choose a woman to hold this high position.


Some hon. Members:: Hear, hear!


Pierre Elliott Trudeau: This task is a fresh and welcome one in a new Parliament which ushers in a new decade.

While our candidate for Speaker today has unique significance as the first woman, the hon. member for Laval-des-Rapides also brings to the position the tradition of quality to which this House has become accustomed in her predecessors. Her experience in a highly successful career in Canadian broadcasting, on the political hustings, in the federal cabinet and in Parliament for more than seven years all combine to offer this House much more than procedural expertise. Our hon. friend is a fighter-a fighter for fair play; for the free expression of opinion and extension of knowledge; for compromise and the judgment of common sense over emotion. She is also a fighter in the front lines for her country. And all this is done with a combination of determination, patience and grace. That description, Mr. Pelletier, seems to me a fitting job description for one who would sit as the moderator of our debates in this chamber.

April 14, 1980
Election of Speaker

It therefore gives me immense pleasure and pride to move, seconded by the right hon. Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Clark), that Jeanne Sauve, member for the electoral district of Laval-des-Rapides, do take the chair of this House as Speaker.


Some hon. Members:: Hear, hear!


Right Hon. Joe Clark (Leader of the Opposition):: Mr. Pelletier, first of all I wish to say that, together with my party, I echo the wishes the right hon. Prime Minister (Mr. Trudeau) has expressed concerning Dr. Koester. We all hope that he will be with us again soon and return to carry out his duties as Clerk of the House of Commons.

I am very pleased and honoured to second the nomination of the hon. member for Laval-des-Rapides (Madam Sauve) to the position of Speaker of this House of Commons.
As you know, Mr. Pelletier, and as hon. members of the House know, it was not very long ago that we went through a similar ceremony. 1 can certainly say that some of us would have preferred not to have repeated the procedure with quite this rapidity. That is, nonetheless, the way of democratic elections in this country, and we are very well served by the nomination made by the Prime Minister (Mr. Trudeau) which I am honoured to second.
As custodian of the rights and the privileges of all hon. members of the House of Commons-and, indeed, as the custodian of the rights of Parliament itself-the Speaker occupies a significant and central role in the functioning of our democracy. Naturally, there are certain qualities and requirements which the nature of the job itself demands of the person elected to this position. A thorough knowledge of the rules, orders and precedents of this House is essential, as is fluency in both of our official languages. Great amounts of patience, courage, wisdom, firmness and compassion are all needed in maintaining order during the heat of debate and in arbitrating parliamentary problems. Needless to say, a sense of proportion and a sense of humour will be great assets.
More fundamental and important than all of these, however, is the Speaker's ability to exercise rigorous and scrupulous impartiality in all matters. The Speaker is the servant of the whole House, not just the governing party, and is duty bound to abandon all traces of normal party affiliation and thereby practice and achieve an impartial and judicious rule. Only in this way can the respect and good will of the House be maintained and democracy well served.
[ Translation]
During her many years in the House, the elected member for Laval-des-Rapides demonstrated considerable interest in
all the problems Parliament and Canada had to face, and she was very active both as a member of the House and minister. As the right hon. Prime Minister indicated, she had a distinguished career as a journalist and is highly respected everywhere in Canada.

I have no doubt that Madam Sauve is fully cognizant of the onerous responsibilities that we are asking her to assume, responsibilities which may well weigh more heavily upon her in this House and in this period of the nation's history than was the case with her predecessors. I am confident, however, that Madam Sauve possesses sufficient of the qualities needed for the Speakership and will serve this House with honour and distinction. I, therefore, have no hesitation, and indeed am deeply honoured to second the nomination of the hon. member for Laval-des-Rapides, hon. Jeanne Sauve, as Speaker of this Thirty-second Parliament of Canada.


Some hon. Members:: Hear, hear!


Mr. Edward Broadbent (Oshawa):: Mr. Pelletier, I would like to begin by expressing, on behalf of all my colleagues, the very warmest wishes to Dr. Koester for a speedy and complete recovery from his unfortunate operation.
[ Translation]
Mr. Pelletier, on behalf of my colleagues, I wish also to congratulate the hon. member for Laval-des-Rapides (Madam Sauve) on her nomination as Speaker of the House of Commons. I am sure that because of her many years of experience as a parliamentarian she is very well suited for her new duties. The office of Speaker of the House of Commons is most important, because the Speaker is responsible for the spirit of fairness and impartiality which must prevail in all our proceedings.

It is, therefore, in our self-interest on both sides of this House to wish her well. I do so with even greater emphasis today because she is the first woman in Canadian history to assume the honour and responsibility of being Speaker in the House of Commons of Canada. We wish her well, indeed.


Some hon. Members:: Hear, hear!
The Clerk Assistant of the House of Commons declared the motion carried in the affirmative, nemine contradicente, and Jeanne Sauve, member for the electoral district of Laval-des-Rapides, duly elected to the chair of the House.
Madam Sauve was conducted from her seat in the House to the Speaker's chair by Right Hon. P. E. Trudeau and Right Hon. Joe Clark.
April 14, 1980


Madam Speaker:: Hon. members, I want to express to the House my humble thanks for the honour it has kindly conferred upon me by choosing me as Speaker.

Hon. members, I beg to return my humble acknowledgements to the House for the honour which it has been pleased to confer upon me by choosing me to be Speaker.

Like my illustrious predecessor, whom I take pleasure in thanking on your behalf, I am acutely aware of my responsibility, and that of each and every member of the House, for seeing to it that the voice of the citizens we represent is heard in this House.
It is through you that the country as a whole expresses itself, and it is Parliament which most completely reflects the aspirations of the whole nation. My responsibility is merely to ensure that everyone can speak freely, without constraints. The rules, whose respect I must secure, must serve one purpose only: that of enhancing freedom of speech, the very foundation of parliamentary democracy.
I take up that heavy task in all humility, aware of my limitations, and endeavouring to delineate exactly what role you are asking me to play so that this assembly can toil for the greater good of Canada as a whole.
You will have noticed that neither the Prime Minister (Mr. Trudeau) nor the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Clark) applied all the force that is customary when putting a Speaker in the chair. Perhaps that is because I did not hesitate as much as I should have, knowing only too well that when this House expresses its will, no hon. member-least of all this one- would dare to escape what is so obviously a duty.
Nevertheless, I approach this awesome responsibility with true humility. The honour which is accorded to this office is such as to sustain the authority of any incumbent, weak or strong alike, and it is from this that I draw my confidence, as I do from your indulgence and your good will which I know, in turn, I will have to earn. But for the time being I am sure that I can count on your co-operation and your knowledge of our rules so that this Parliament can be an efficient and harmonious one.
I thank the right hon. Prime Minister for his graciousness in announcing my designation, and I am grateful to him today for having proposed me, as I am to the right hon. Leader of the Opposition and to the Leader of the NDP (Mr. Broadbent) for having supported me.

I thank all hon. members for their support and I assure them of my wholehearted co-operation. I express the wish that, together, we can work under the eye of our fellow citizens for
Opening of the Session
the unity of our country and the defence of democratic freedoms. In addition, I want to thank my electors of Laval-des-Rapides who were the first to trust me and who even now, I hope, will still support me in my new responsibilities. May I be allowed, despite the solemnity of the occasion, and perhaps because of it, to thank my husband and my son for their support, day by day, without which nothing in my political commitment would have been possible.


SITTING SUSPENDED
Pierre Elliott Trudeau: I suggest, Madam Speaker, that this sitting be suspended until eleven o'clock this morning.


Madam Speaker:: The House has heard the suggestion of the right hon. Prime Minister. Is it agreed?


Some hon. Members:: Agreed.


Madam Speaker:: This House stands suspended until eleven o'clock this morning.
At 10.20 a.m. the sitting was suspended until 11 a.m. this day.


SITTING RESUMED
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The House resumed at 11 a.m.

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Madam Speaker read a communication from the Governor General's Secretary announcing that His Excellency the Governor General of Canada would proceed to the Senate chamber at eleven o'clock on this day for the purpose of formally opening the session of the Dominion Parliament.
A message was delivered by Colonel T. G. Bowie, Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, as follows:
Mr. Speaker, it is the pleasure of His Excellency the Governor General of Canada that this honourable House attend him immediately in the chamber of the honourable the Senate.
Accordingly, Madam Speaker with the House went up to the Senate chamber. Then the Hon. Jeanne Sauve, Speaker of the House of Commons, said:
May it please Your Excellency,
The House of Commons have elected me their Speaker, though 1 am but little able to fulfil the important duties thus assigned to me.
If in the performance of those duties I should at any time fall into error, I pray that the fault may be imputed to me, and not to the Commons, whose servant I am, and who, through me, the better to enable them to discharge their duty to their Queen and country, humbly claim all their undoubted rights and privileges, especially that they may have freedom of speech in their debates, access to Your Excellency's person at all seasonable times, and that their proceedings may receive from Your Excellency the most favourable construction.
The Honourable the Speaker of the Senate, addressing the Honourable the Speaker of the House of Commons, then said:
Madam Speaker, I am commanded by His Excellency the Governor General of Canada to declare to you that he freely confides in the duty and attachment of
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April 14, 1980
Speech from the Throne
the House of Commons to Her Majesty's person and government, and not doubting that their proceedings will be conducted with wisdom, temper and prudence, he grants and upon all occasions will recognize and allow their constitutional privileges.
I am commanded also to assure you that the Commons shall have ready access to His Excellency upon all seasonable occasions, and that their proceedings, as well as your words and actions, will constantly receive from him the most favourable construction.
Then His Excellency the Governor General of Canada was pleased to open Parliament by a speech from the throne.
And the House being returned to the Commons chamber:
Madam Speaker:: I have the honour to report that the House having attended on His Excellency the Governor General in the Senate chamber, I informed His Excellency that the choice of Speaker had fallen upon me and, in your names and on your behalf, I made the usual claim for your privileges, which His Excellency was pleased to confirm to you.


OATHS OF OFFICE
Pierre Elliott Trudeau: for leave to introduce Bill C-l, respecting the administration of oaths of office.
Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.


SPEECH FROM THE THRONE
Madam Speaker:: I have the honour to inform the House that when the House did attend His Excellency the Governor General this day in the Senate chamber, His Excellency was pleased to make a speech to both Houses of Parliament. To prevent mistakes, I have obtained a copy, which is as follows:
Honourable Members of the Senate:
Members of the House of Commons:
I have the honour to welcome you to the First Session of the Thirty-second Parliament of Canada.
During the course of the last few weeks, both my wife and I have come through a period of convalescence and I take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude for the good wishes we received from fellow-Canadians from all parts of the country.
Canada recently received the visit of The Prince of Wales, who undertook engagements in Vancouver and Victoria two weeks ago. In May, The Duke of Edinburgh will attend the Fifth Commonwealth Study Conference which opens in Kingston on May 18. In July. Princess Margaret will take part in celebrations marking the seventy-fifth anniversary of the entry into confederation of the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Canada has very close and enduring ties with The Netherlands and I am greatly looking forward to representing our country at the accession to the Throne of Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands in Amsterdam on April 30.
I have had the pleasure of visiting all the provincial capitals and the Northwest Territories during my first year in office. My wife and I are now looking forward to certain engagements in the Yukon and in smaller communities across our vast and beautiful land. Discovering Canada and meeting
Canadians increases daily our awareness of the great natural and human resources of the country in which we are privileged to live.
We observe today not only the beginning of a new Parliament but the start of a new era. As Canada enters the 1980s, we confront serious challenges, but we look forward to even greater opportunities. Like our forebears, this generation of Canadians will be equal to the test. We will meet and overcome the challenges ahead for the history of this land has proven, again and again, that everything is possible if our will to go on building together is strong.
Canadians expect much of this Parliament. The country asks for action and action now. The first task is to clear the accumulation of essential legislation left from previous Parliaments. This backlog must be dispatched expeditiously so that the affairs of the state may be put in good order. To that end, my government is relying on the good will of members and senators of all parties.
This Parliament must also act quickly to put in place a program for the future. In the recent general election, my ministers received a mandate for a program which will provide security, equity, and opportunity for the Canada of the 1980s. In the course of that campaign, my ministers made a number of pledges which will form the core of this Parliament's work. You will be asked to consider a program of action designed:
-to respond to individual needs by promoting greater security for the elderly, expanded opportunities for the young, and equality for women;
-to achieve security of energy supply at a fair price for all Canadians;
-to promote a national development policy that will provide jobs, stimulate growth, build upon regional strengths, and increase Canadian ownership and control of our economy;
-to strengthen national institutions, while at the same time making them more responsive to provincial and regional goals;
-to ensure that Canada plays a vigorous part in the world beyond our borders.
All these commitments will be kept; these pledges redeemed; the mandate fulfilled.
The character of our people should inspire confidence in the ability of Canada to meet the challenges of the 1980s. We have the capacity and the imagination to make this a decade of opportunity rather than a decade of doubt. But there is one question which clouds the horizon and obstructs the view. It is the question of the unity of our country.
Will Canada still exist as a country at the end of this decade, or will it have been broken up by the tensions of our past and recent history? Will we continue to build our future together as Canadians, or will we give in to the siren song of regional isolationism?
In every part of Canada there are forces which are driving us apart rather than bringing us together. Canada's tradition is one of sharing, but in every region this principle is under assault. In the Atlantic, disadvantaged for so long, the promise of new resource riches has already led to squabbles about their future distribution. In central Canada there are some who fear that the economic strength of this region is somehow slipping away, and this in turn has led to envy and bitterness. In the west, many believe that their problems are ignored, their voices arc unheard, and their contribution is unrecognized.
To all these forces of discontent my government has one clear response. Canada will endure, grow and prosper. The men and women of this country have always realized that their participation in a society that spans the northern half of North America is infinitely more exciting and enriching than confining themselves in any one province or one region. The renewed federalism, to which my government makes a fundamental and all-embracing commitment, will not only strengthen individual and collective rights and freedoms, it will also ensure that Canada remains:
-a strong country, with first claim on the loyalty of all its citizens;
-a country that regards diversity as an asset, not a liability;
-a country whose people share their wealth first with those who need it most;
-a country that encourages initiative, welcomes daring, and promotes enterprise;
-a country which opens its eyes, its mind, and its heart to the larger community of nations, refusing to regard its own national borders as the outward limits of the universe.
Doubt must be cast aside, uncertainty must end, the forces of disintegration- whether they be economic or political in origin-must be opposed in every part
April 14, 1980

of the land. That is why my government hopes that the referendum, to be held in Quebec some time during the coming weeks, will be a time when Quebeckers affirm their will and their right to be fully Canadian, a time when all Canadians will reaffirm their desire to live together in the country to which we all belong, and which belongs to all of us.
Because my government wants to strengthen the spirit of Canadian unity and nurture the seeds of renewal, it promises to interpret a vote of No to sovereignty-association as a vote for the rebuilding of the Canadian federation. My government also promises to give effect to a No vote by mobilizing all the forces at its command in order to ensure the renewal of the federation in a spirit of respect and justice for all.
I.	Putting People First
Canadians are a sensible people. They understand that these are difficult economic times throughout the world. They know too that Canada cannot insulate itself completely from the effects of global inflation coupled with recession. In responding to these turbulent conditions, my government will be guided by the two main principles at the core of the program my ministers placed before the people.
The first is that Canadians will accept sacrifice to meet the economic challenges of the 1980s, but they will not accept injustice. Canadians have always faced up to difficult decisions-and if necessary they will do so in the future-but only if the burden is shared equitably.
The second principle is equally critical. Canadians recognize the need to live within their national means and they understand that in doing so the state cannot meet every demand or satisfy every group. Therefore, in employing the limited resources available, my ministers will help first those who need help most.
In particular, my government recognizes the need to protect those Canadians most affected by unacceptably high interest rates. My government will act to assist those unable to bear the burden of renegotiating their home mortgages in the present abnormal situation so that the spectre of foreclosure will be avoided. My ministers are convinced that this objective can be achieved without the government embarking upon a major subsidy program. Farmers and small businessmen are also hit especially hard by rising costs, and my government is sensitive to their plight. To assist the individual entrepreneur, the ceiling for loans under the Small Businesses Loans Act and the Farm Improvement Loans Act will be raised to $100,000. Other measures of assistance will also be introduced.
Inflation strikes hardest at the old and those least able to take care of themselves. You will be asked to give urgent consideration to legislation raising the Guaranteed Income Supplement to the Old Age Security pension by $35 a month per household by July 1 of this year. This measure will primarily benefit single pensioners, the vast majority of whom are women. By fulfilling this commitment, Parliament will be providing needed assistance to over 1.3 million elderly Canadians.
Beyond providing immediate relief for elderly people with low incomes, my government intends to convene a National Pension Conference in the fall of 1980. Work must begin immediately to design better methods of providing flexible, portable, and secure pensions both in the private and public sectors. To start this process, my government will soon release a major study on the Canadian pension system.
One of the essential objectives of this government is to put more people to work. Young people, women, natives, and the handicapped face special problems in finding jobs. To meet the needs of these groups, my government will expand its employment program while using its resources more efficiently. There will be an increased effort to develop critical trade skills so as to better prepare today's labour force for tomorrow's jobs.
Expanding native opportunities and training women for new occupations will receive strong emphasis.
Members of Parliament will have a major role in advising on the selection of job creation projects, and my government will enter into a new partnership with voluntary agencies and local organizations in a program of community service.
Additional attention will be paid to the employment problems of the handicapped whose special difficulties cross all regional, sexual, and cultural boundaries. Amendments to protect the rights of the handicapped will be made to the Human Rights Act.
Speech from the Throne
The role of women in Canadian society is undergoing marked improvement, and government initiatives must reflect and support that change. As a major employer in Canada, my government will play a leadership role by implementing affirmative action measures in the public service. My government believes that there is no room in Canada for sexual discrimination of any kind.
The serious problem of violence against women will also be addressed along with other amendments to the Criminal Code, and efforts will be made in concert with the provincial and territorial governments to improve health and social services for women who are victims of violence. It is time, too, to move cannabis offences to the Food and Drugs Act and remove the possibility of imprisonment for simple possession.
II.	Security of Energy, at a Fair Price
My government's energy policy is critical to the success of all its economic policies. Energy policy is as important for Canada in the 1980s as railway policy was in the 1880s. Like railway policy in that earlier era, energy development has the potential to create growth and prosperity across Canada.
My government believes that the price of oil in Canada must be based upon Canadian conditions and circumstances, and not upon the vagaries of a turbulent and unpredictable world market. We need a made in Canada price. A new blended price will therefore be established, which will progressively incorporate the costs of the Oil Import Compensation Program, while at the same time maintaining a single national price for consumers. The blended price will reflect the right of producing provinces and corporations to a fair return for their resources and their investment.
Discussions have already begun with the governments of the producing provinces and will be vigorously pursued toward an agreement consistent with my government's energy policy commitment, as endorsed by the people of Canada. My ministers do not intend to impose an 18-cent increase in the excise tax on transportation fuels, and the made in Canada price will result in a lower price to consumers than the one proposed in the budget of the previous administration.
A Petroleum Price Auditing Agency will be established to investigate and report to the government and people of Canada on oil company costs, profits, capital expenditures, and levels of Canadian ownership.
In spite of Canada's large energy resources, which put this country in the extremely favourable position of being a major energy exporter, we remain partially dependent upon imported oil. My government is determined to reduce that dependence by promoting conservation and by stimulating the production of new domestic energy supplies.
To improve conservation of oil and gasoline in transportation, you will be asked to approve legislation setting mandatory fuel efficiency standards for automobiles. Measures will also be introduced to encourage higher standards of home insulation, and the existing home insulation program will be improved.
In co-operation with provincial governments, other steps will be taken to encourage more rapid substitution from oil to other energy sources in order to substantially reduce the significance of oil in meeting our energy needs. Policies will be introduced to encourage consumers to switch from oil to natural gas or electricity for home heating. My government equally favors the earliest possible construction of a natural gas pipeline to Quebec City and the maritime provinces, and awaits with interest the report of the National Energy Board on this project.
Petro-Canada will be maintained and expanded as an instrument of public policy. My government has already increased the budget of the corporation by $80 million this year, and our national oil company will also receive a renewed mandate to engage vigorously in oil purchase negotiations and agreements with foreign suppliers.
You will be asked to approve a new Canada Oil and Gas Act, which will provide new preferential rights for Petro-Canada and other Canadian companies on federal lands, and establish new and more demanding requirements for exploration and development of these promising frontier areas.
An alternative energy corporation will be created with a mandate to stimulate the development of new and renewable energy sources to replace oil.
My ministers believe that, if given the opportunity, Canadian companies and investors would involve themselves more heavily in the energy field. My government, therefore, adopts the specific goal of at least 50 per cent Canadian
6

April 14, 1980
Speech from the Throne
ownership of the petroleum industry by 1990, and will soon take the first steps to achieve this objective.
III.	Developing our Economic Potential
Canada's resource base will be used as the basic building block of a vigourous industrial policy. A paramount objective of my ministers is to develop economic policies that will provide jobs, spur growth, improve regional balance, and promote Canadian ownership and control of the economy.
It is the intention of my ministers to continue the policies of expenditure restraint and improved government administration which were suggested by the Lambert report and initiated by the previous Liberal administration. My government will reduce the federal deficit in a planned and orderly manner, but not to the exclusion of other objectives such as reducing unemployment and promoting industrial growth. Improving the efficiency of the federal government is as important an objective of these reforms as reducing the deficit. My ministers believe that Canadians want more effective government, not necessarily less government.
Food and agriculture are going to be increasingly important to the Canadian economy in the 1980s. To further strengthen the industry, my government plans to create a Canadian Agricultural Export Corporation to expand markets for Canadian producers. A meat import act will be introduced to protect both consumers and producers.
Transportation is a vital part of industrial strategy. My government will ensure that the Canadian transportation system has the capacity to meet the economic challenges of the 1980s. My government regards the production, transportation, handling, and marketing of prairie grain as a national priority. Rail facilities will be upgraded, and port facilities improved. You will also be asked to consider, on an urgent basis, legislation concerning the transportation of dangerous goods.
In the fisheries sector, Canada's harvest is expected to increase substantially in the years ahead. To ensure the maximum return to fishermen and fish-processing companies, my government will undertake major initiatives to further enhance the quality of fish products and to ensure orderly marketing.
Licensing regulations will be changed to permit fishermen to benefit fully from the resources of the 200-mile zone, and legislation will be introduced to guarantee adequate investment in the fishing sector through partial cost recovery and reinvestment of enhanced earnings. To further assist fishermen, the ceiling for individual loans under the Fisheries Improvement Loans Act will be raised to $150,000.
Canada's capabilities in science and technology lie at the heart of our competitiveness as a trading nation. My government will encourage more young people to pursue a career in research through a new technology employment program, and will encourage and insist that industry do more research and development work in Canada. My government reaffirms its commitment to increase Canada's over-all expenditures on research and development to 1.5 per cent of the value of the gross national product.
To improve the ability of Canadian industry to compete abroad in order to create jobs at home, my government will establish a national trading company. My government also intends to make assistance programs more accessible to small business, to simplify application procedures, and to better co-ordinate programs.
To improve our system of collective bargaining, a Labour Information Bureau will be created to provide an impartial clearing house for the statistics and data required for negotiations. A fresh start will be made in the labour management relations of the Post Office by turning that department into a Crown corporation.
My ministers believe that the stake of Canadians in their own economic destiny must be strengthened. Government procurement will be used vigorously, in a manner consistent with our international commitments, to encourage the creation and expansion of independent Canadian-owned enterprises.
The Foreign Investment Review Act will be amended to provide for performance reviews of how large foreign firms are meeting the test of bringing substantial benefits to Canada. As well, amendments will be introduced to ensure that major acquisition proposals by foreign companies will be publicized prior to a government decision on their acceptability. The government will assist Canadian companies wishing to repatriate assets or to bid for ownership or control of companies subject to takeover offers by non-Canadians.
IV.	Strengthening National Institutions
To increase the confidence of Canadians that their national institutions can respond effectively to their needs, my government will propose a program to make Parliament both more efficient and more responsive.
You will be asked to appoint a committee of Parliament to examine the electoral system in order to ensure that the highest degree of representativeness and responsibility is achieved and that the confidence of Canadians in parliamentary institutions is strengthened.
As part of its commitment to renewed federalism, my government will revive the process of constitutional reform. My ministers are committed to the full development of Canada's two major linguistic communities and to the enhancement of our mosaic of cultures. My government will seek to constitutionally entrench a bill of civil and human rights, including language rights.
Members of Parliament, whatever their party, agree on the need to guarantee to Canadians greater access to information of concern to them. Freedom of information legislation will be introduced to provide wide access to government documents. The right accorded to ministers to withhold government documents from courts of law under Section 41(2) of the Federal Court Act will be removed.
Legislation will also be presented to extend the rights of access by individuals to their personal information held by the government and to provide greater protection for privacy by further restricting the use that may be made of that information.
Also, in response to the recommendations of the Marin commission, the RCMP Act will be amended to formalize internal discipline and grievance procedures, and to provide for an external authority to review public complaints about the behaviour of any member of the RCMP.
It is my government's hope that these measures will serve in the years ahead as a fundamental bond of trust between government and people.
V.	An Active Foreign Policy
My government takes office against the most sombre international background of recent years. Events in Iran and Afghanistan have done great damage to international laws and institutions and undermined confidence and stability.
In response, my government intends to conduct an active foreign policy. Canada will rely upon its strong ties of friendship throughout the world. Part of our international response must be a determination to increase the ability of the NATO alliance to provide security for its members and to advance the cause of peace, and my government is committed to doing its full part. In keeping with that commitment, my government has decided to proceed with the purchase of a new fighter aircraft.
But while recognizing the need for Canada to strengthen alliance security, the dangers of nuclear holocaust cannot simply be forgotten. If anything, these dangers are heightened by current tensions and by the continuation of the arms race. Canada's imperative is clear. This government must continue its strategy to suffocate the deadly growth in the nuclear arsenals of the world. We must, and we will, actively co-operate in international efforts to negotiate agreements on verifiable means of arms control and disarmament, and seek to rally others to a cause that is no less than human survival on this planet. To assist in this process, a new position of Ambassador for Disarmament will be created within the Department of External Affairs.
Before concluding, I address a special message to members of the House of Commons from the three westernmost provinces.
It has been said in recent weeks that the three westernmost provinces have no elected voice in the governing of this country. That is not true. Parliament is the supreme law-making assembly of Canada, and every Canadian is represented in the House of Commons by his or her duly elected member.
Like all of your colleagues in the House of Commons, you who represent the people of Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, have a responsibility to represent your constituents to the nation. You also have an extra responsibility in the present circumstances to represent the nation to your constituents. It is a task no one else can fulfil. My government is prepared to co-operate fully in helping you to achieve this.
Members of the House of Commons:
You will be asked to appropriate the funds required to carry on the services and expenditures authorized by Parliament.
April 14, 1980

Honourable Members of the Senate:
Members of the House of Commons:
May Divine Providence guide you in your deliberations.


Pierre Elliott Trudeau: That the Speech from the Throne which His Excellency the Governor General delivered today before both Houses of Parliament be taken into consideration later this day.


[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.

[Stage Direction]
Right Hon. P. E. Trudeau (Prime Minister) presented the following message from His Excellency the Governor General:
The Governor General transmits to the House of Commons a certified copy of an approved order in council appointing the Hon. Pierre De Bane, Minister of Regional Economic Expansion, the Hon. Yvon Pinard, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, the Hon. Donald Johnston, President of the Treasury Board and the Hon. Paul Cosgrove, Minister of Public Works, to act with the Speaker of the House of Commons as commissioners for the purposes and under the provisions of chapter H-9 of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1970, intituled: An act respecting the House of Commons.

[ Translation]
STANDING COMMITTEES Right Hon. P. E. Trudeau (Prime Minister) moved:
That a committee be appointed to prepare and report, in accordance with Standing Order 65, lists of members to compose the standing and standing joint committees of this House; that the committee be composed of Messrs. Baker (Nepean-Carleton), Guilbault, Hopkins, Kempling, Knowles, Pinard and Turner.
Motion agreed to.

Pierre Elliott Trudeau: Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the President of the Privy Council:
That Lloyd Francis, Esq., member for the electoral district of Ottawa West, be appointed Chairman of Committees of the Whole House.


[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.
Business of Supply

Pierre Elliott Trudeau: Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the President of the Privy Council (Mr. Pinard):
That Denis Ethier, Esq., member for the electoral district of Glengarry-Pre-scott-Russell, be appointed Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole House.


[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.

Pierre Elliott Trudeau: Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the President of the Privy Council:
That Rod Blaker, Esq., member for the electoral district of Lachine, be appointed Assistant Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole House.


[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.

Hon. Yvon Pinard (President of the Privy Council):: Madam Speaker, 1 move, in accordance with Standing Order 58:
That this House at its next sitting consider the business of supply.


[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.

Pierre Elliott Trudeau: Madam Speaker, I would suggest that the sitting be suspended until 2 p.m. this day.


Madam Speaker:: The House has heard the suggestion of the right hon. Prime Minister. Is the House agreed?


Some hon. Members:: Agreed.


Madam Speaker:: Accordingly, the sitting is suspended until two o'clock this afternoon.
At 12.16 p.m. the sitting was suspended until 2 p.m. this day.


SITTING RESUMED
[Stage Direction]
The House resumed at 2 p.m.
[Stage Direction]
April 14, 1980
The Address-Mrs. Cote SPEECH FROM THE THRONE

[Stage Direction]
The House proceeded to the consideration of the speech delivered by His Excellency the Governor General.
Mrs. Eva Cote (Rimouski):: Madam Speaker, in my opening remarks, may I extend my respects to His Excellency the Governor General and his wife who are both vivid symbols of the vitality of this nation. My profound admiration also goes to our new Speaker and it is a feeling I cannot keep for myself especially in the present circumstances. Surely, when it comes to the rights of remote areas and their inhabitants, eastern Quebec's communities will find themselves well represented here in the person of this tireless defender of our ideals of justice, in this bulwark of awareness. In addressing myself to you, Madam Speaker, I most particularly wish to convey to you my gratefulness for your attitude which, if I may say to our collegues, is perhaps not unrelated to my presence in this House.
By granting the privilege of moving the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne to the member for Rimouski-Temiscouata, the Prime Minister and his cabinet colleagues inspire me with a great deal of respect for this gesture on their part and this demonstration of their obvious interest for the citizens of Rimouski and Temiscouata who have displayed their unswerving trust in me during the last federal election.
I also want to salute my many colleagues who, both during the election campaign and since my coming to Parliament, have, in a spirit of true generosity tried to understand the precise meaning of the repeated, sometimes noisy and certainly continuous interventions voiced for too many years by the representatives of the regional capital of the lower St. Lawrence. The Rimouski-Temiscouata constituency is bordered on the north by the St. Lawrence. Its neighbour to the west is Kamouraska-Riviere-du-Loup and to the east, Matapedia-Matane. It shares its southern border with New Brunswick and Maine. It encompasses and exemplifies the ways and characteristics of those regions whose people are filled with a necessary spirit of vitality and a form of assertive pride which we will more simply call dignity. The temperament of these people is a product of historical, geographic and sometimes political circumstances. Believe me, it took much determination on their part to reconcile their patriotic love of that beautiful part of the country and their reason for living with all the means suggested, often thoughtlessly, by those in power.
It took much courage on their part to ensure their chances of prosperity. They had to think of ways and means of their own and like them. They had to make do, so to speak. Those men and women had to demonstrate a good deal of dignity to set up an imposing number of regional or sectorial groups to consider and make feasible the most realistic ways of developing the available resources, be they physical, technical or human. There are countless examples of experiments which have been reproduced in other Quebec regions and even the rest of Canada. Let us mention only the Eastern Quebec Development Board, the Regional Development Council, the many co-operatives and resource development corporations and other such organizations all trying to satisfy the urgent need for an efficient and useful participation by all their members.
More particularly, let us recall the studies conducted by the Eastern Quebec Planning Bureau previous to the signature in Rimouski, in 1968, by both the Quebec and the Canadian governments, represented at the time by the late Premier Daniel Johnson and the present Prime Minister of Canada, of agreements for the regionalization of budgetary envelopes totalling $411 million to develop and consolidate regional infrastructures. Therefore, the will to innovate of our fellow citizens from Rimouski and Temiscouata is beyond question. However, our region and eastern Quebec as a whole have yet to achieve prosperity. Of course, local interests have made several proposals for the maximum use of our resources and have checked them against our individual and collective requirements. Yet, an inventory of our available resources leads us to believe that the funds allotted not only to the Rimouski constituency, but also to the vast area comprising the lower St. Lawrence and the Gaspe peninsula will necessarily be increased.
Let no one believe, however, that I underestimate the legitimate needs of our fellow Quebeckers across on the North Shore, in the constituencies of Charlevoix and Manicouagan. In our region, the development of one shore has traditionally been linked to the development of the other. In other words, Madam Speaker, I call on the members for these areas to show the same solidarity and team spirit as their constituents. Their example has been far-reaching and the consultations already started should prompt us to sustain our efforts. Aware of our commitment, the Prime Minister has already met us half way by proposing two economically oriented departments in our area, namely, the Department of Regional Economic Expansion and the Ministry for Small Businesses. Can this be a sign of the times? It might be seen as the recognition of the fine work done by past and present generations, and perhaps even of their wise choice of a representative to the Canadian Parliament.
It also shows an awareness of the tremendous economic heritage that constitute the natural resources of our area-the lumber, mining, fishing, farming industries and so on. It is a reasonable admission of the new trends in the management of our economy highlighted in the Speech from the Throne. In the government's statement on the various elements of the industrial policy and the supporting energy policy, the measures to promote the development of alternative energy sources
April 14, 1980

will urge our entrepreneurs to turn to active and readily accessible resources on which we can depend, particularly in our area. Our hydroelectric resources in northern Quebec are not remote and are very competitive. A rational use of the industrial waste from our forestry and fishing operations is quite possible. We have an abundance of those resources and the Canadian government is ready to support our efforts to use them.
We should always keep in mind that we are a young nation and that there is still much to be done. Those who succeed admit that it is mostly a matter of attitude. In the weeks and months to come the Government of Canada will specify the framework for the co-operation and true leadership it must demonstrate to give a new impetus to our economy. The government will give citizens better access to the services they need to accommodate their legitimate desire to contribute to social and economic development. Small and medium-sized businesses which are critical to our regional economy and to all of the province of Quebec, will benefit from better financial incentives.
The people of Rimouski and Temiscouata are happy to hear that the Canadian government is firmly committed to promote the development of port, air transport, rail and road facilities to increase interregional trade. The emphasis on electronic communications and the whole field of telecommunications will enable these devices to penetrate deeper into this country.
Farmers can also look forward to better financing conditions when applying for a loan. The food marketing policy for export markets is in keeping with a long-standing wish. Such measures adequately meet the needs of my constituency as a whole, because Rimouski-Temiscouata is first and foremost a rural constituency. Madam Speaker, the throne speech heralds the consistency and renewed emphasis which the government will place on the promotion of the economic and social status of women.
Madam Speaker, such fervour is not only a formal recognition of our presence in this House, but an acknowledgment of the change that is taking place in our modern society which at times was reluctant to grant us a full role. Is it through sheer force of numbers or the quality of our actions over the last few years, that our institutions have become more responsive to our presence, or is it the kind of reaction of which Quebec is now giving us an eloquent example which enables us today to oppose intransigence with a new spirit of oneness? The fact is that today we occupy a choice position in the major objectives of this Parliament, and the Canadian government is committed to assume effective and moral leadership in the development of such conditions which are required to protect the rights of more than half of this country's citizens.
Madam Speaker, the receptiveness of the government to the needs of handicapped citizens and its admitted will to extend
The Address-Mrs. Cote
training and labour market integration programs move me deeply. What a great joy for me after more than ten years of hard work to promote this cause!
The government party is determined to promote a liberal society where the advantaged are encouraged through government intervention to share their economic and social wealth with those of us who are less fortunate or those of us who, after a lifetime of dedicated work have a right to see active generations contribute to recognize their efforts. So the announced measures to increase the guaranteed income supplement are amongst the most evident confirmations of the type of social goals the Government of Canada intends to pursue even though some people believe that, because of our general economic situation, we should without hesitation destroy the very foundations of our collective way of life. Housing conditions are encompassed in that liberal vision.
The Government of Canada will prefer to rationalize the control and management systems applied in some areas of government thereby restoring the conditions for a better administration. Let us simply say that for people in some areas like the one I represent, it is the beginning of an era where authorities could adjust to tangible dimensions and to the positive kind of regionalism which contributed so much to Canada's prosperity.
Madam Speaker, besides enthusiastically endorsing this new orientation and the sense once more asserted by the government of its responsibilities, it is still my firm intention to co-operate in preventing that this country of reason-which did not serve us that badly in the past after all-be divided by a phony gradualism such as the one proposed by the party in office in Quebec. Far from denying the fact that Canada is now facing a certain unrest with respect to its political structure and institutions, I think that the Canadian government, more particularly in the forthcoming weeks or months, will have to claim louder than ever before that we need "a totally fresh start" and that we must reformulate the consensus which presided over the federative union of the ten member-states which make up our country.
The establishment of two independent states north of the American superpower would yield catastrophic consequences for both founding peoples of our nation. I am even led to believe that the rifts within the French Canadian nation would likely be more serious. We should never forget that our permanent status as French Canadians in North America will be a constant reminder for us to be industrious. In this regard, it would seem more realistic for us to admit that the existence of a Canadian government may in the final analysis constitute a solid safeguard against the real threat against us which does not come from the east or the west and even less from the north, but rather from the south. And surprisingly so, the secession menace brings our fellow citizens in the other provinces to the same conclusion. So, Madam Speaker, we must

April 14, 1980
The Address-Mr. Frith
say No to this badly formulated invitation by the Quebec government.
A Yes would mean saying No to the efforts all the provinces are now willing to make to get out of the deadlock; a No to the ostensible PQ project would confirm our intention to carry on with our efforts to update and modernize the structures and institutions of our country. That they must be rejuvenated, no one will deny; but that they should unfairly be called obsolete and good for the trash can, never. To condemn as young a country as ours to death, when, as I said earlier, everything remains to be done, would be gross error of judgment.
The people of Rimouski-Temiscouata will never accept that so many struggles by so many generations might come to naught by soothsayings characterized by uncertainty and defeatism; we worked hard to get what we have today, but we choose to consider the results we have achieved rather than the inevitable constraints we had to put up with in order to get them. We did not run away from the advantageous contributions made by the other regions of our country. We have sought their contribution and made our own. But we did not give up.
Madam Speaker, to those who try to strengthen their specious argument by putting forward the prognosis formulated by our so-called "cousins" who deserted us two centuries ago, I shall reply that our Quebec will be neither French nor anything else but Canadian. Madam Speaker, 1 thank you for your worthy attention, and I move, seconded by the hon. member for Sudbury (Mr. Frith), that the following address be presented to His Excellency the Governor General of Canada:
To His Excellency the Right Honourable Edward Richard Schreyer, Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Canada, Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Military Merit, upon whom has been conferred the Canadian Forces' Decoration, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada.
May it please Your Excellency:
We, Her Majesty's most loyal and dutiful subjects, the House of Commons of Canada, in Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Excellency for the gracious speech which Your Excellency has addressed to both Houses of Parliament.


Mr. Doug Frith (Sudbury):: Madam Speaker, may I be the first to congratulate officially my colleague from the province of Quebec, the hon. member for Rimouski (Mrs. Cote), for having the honour to have been chosen to move the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne.
It is as well an honour and a privilege for me and the constituents of Sudbury to have the Prime Minister (Mr. Trudeau) ask me to second the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne.
Sudbury has been honoured in years past by having as its representative the previous Speaker of the House, the Hon.
James Jerome. 1 am certain that I speak for all members of the House when I congratulate him for the unbiased manner in which he presided over the House of Commons, and 1 wish him success in his new role as Associate Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada.


Some hon. Members:: Hear, hear!


Douglas Cockburn Frith: I am equally certain that the traditions of this House will be upheld during your tenure as Speaker and that you will preside with the qualities mentioned by the Prime Minister when he selected a previous Speaker, Lucien Lamou-reux. At that time he stated that a Speaker-
-must enjoy our respect without losing our affection. He must be firm yet sensitive, a master of language and a good listener.... be prepared to cite a precedent, and to know when to distinguish it.... He needs the skills of a judge and a diplomat. He should combine the talents of a tightrope walker, a juggler and, occasionally, a lion tamer.
Madam Speaker, I am certain you will be equal to the task.


Some hon. Members:: Hear, hear!


Douglas Cockburn Frith: I was admittedly somewhat astounded when I was asked to deliver my maiden speech on the opening of Parliament. As all other new members, no doubt, I am proud of having been chosen by my constituents to represent and promote their interests within that ancient and noble institution which is Parliament.

By tradition a new member of Parliament, chosen to move or second the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne, describes the social, economic and cultural matrix of his constituency. Let me be brief. The Sudbury region is the geographic, business and cultural centre of northeastern Ontario. The region comprises some 165,000 people, houses the largest nickel producer in the world, the only university in northwestern Ontario, and provides excellent regional medical facilities to northern Ontario residents.
The ethnic breakdown of the regional population is approximately 37 per cent Francophone, 36 per cent Anglophone, a large Italian population, and a wide and exciting cross-section of other ethnic groups. In short, Sudbury is a microcosm of Canada.
The past three to four years have been difficult ones for Sudbury. As a result of slumping nickel markets, massive lay-offs occurred in 1977, and we have recently endured the effects of a long, protracted strike. I mention these facts because I believe that, as a result of these adversities and hardships, the Sudbury region has found innate values to weather the storm, and we can apply the lessons learned to the challenges facing Canada in the eighties.
The commencement of a decade has often been a time to reflect on the past and pursue programs for the future. In 1980 one message is crystal clear. This Parliament must institute proposals which will contribute long-term answers to regional disparities in our country and not simply apply band-aid solutions. This government must develop a comprehensive industrial strategy that albeit it will give very little comfort in
April 14, 1980

the short run, will ensure this generation of young Canadians meaningful contributions to our economic and social institutions.
The most important lesson Sudbury has learned in the past few years is the need to diversify its economic base. Only through diversification can we lessen our dependence on a single depleting resource. We realize that significant changes must take place in the economic infrastructure over the next two decades in order to address this recurring problem that is faced by many Canadian towns and cities.
My saddest moments occur when meeting young, energetic Canadians who, through no fault of their own, are unable to obtain satisfying employment in their field of learning and are forced to waste their talents in other areas. That is why I was so heartened this morning to note in the Speech from the Throne that it is the intention of this government to place high on its list of priorities the industrial strategy that we so badly need in this country. There was also mention of a new technological program for young people to develop their own talents in their areas of professional and technical expertise.
One subject which requires immediate attention is Canada's commitment to the level of research and development. In the November, 1978, budget introduced by the present Minister of Justice (Mr. Chretien) a beginning was made to provide larger tax write-offs to stimulate research and development. This process must be accelerated. It is a well-known fact that Canada lags far behind other western industrialized nations in the percentage of gross national product used to stimulate research and development. We, as a nation, must place a high priority in this field because it is only through a significant increase in the dollars spent on research and development that we can hope to attain worldwide expertise in new technological bases which in turn generate employment opportunities for Canadians. It will be a combination of a bold industrial strategy and enhanced levels of research and development that will alleviate regional disparities in Canada.
Cardinal Suenens, the Belgian cardinal, once declared, "Happy are those who dream dreams and are prepared to pay the price to make them come true." Well, I have a dream. I dream of a country, understanding of its parts and confident of its whole, welcoming its cultural and linguistic differences, and sharing its economic diversity. I chose to use the word "understanding" rather than the word "tolerating" because I dislike the verb "tolerate". How often have we heard the phrase, "I can tolerate western Canada's ambitions" or "tolerate French Canada's aspirations"? I do not wish to tolerate them; I want to understand them, and to understand them one must live with them, if not in their own habitat, at least to begin to commiserate with their hearts.
As a person raised in northern Ontario I have witnessed the export of our youth to other areas of Canada in search of employment because opportunities in their particular professional or technical area of expertise did not exist in one-industry towns. Most northern Ontario communities depend on the economic fortunes of single, depleting resources. For too long I have witnessed our resources shipped to rich areas south for
The Address-Mr. Frith
processing, leaving northern Ontario, 112 years after confederation, the victim of a hinterland economy.
Two weeks ago in an address to the Empire Club in Toronto, Sheik Yamani of Saudia Arabia stated that his country preferred to deal with multinational oil companies rather than state-owned oil companies, for the very selfish reason that multinational oil companies exchange technologies for the resource. By the use of bartering the resources of his country for new technologies, Yamani will create technologies that foster employment for future generations of Saudia Arabians. Should we as Canadians, therefore, expect less from Albertans? Theirs too is an economy based on a self-depleting resource, and as a person from northern Ontario I understand too well their aspirations to develop new technologies and employment opportunies for the next several generations of young Albertans.


Some hon. Members:: Hear, hear!


Douglas Cockburn Frith: This development of the various regions of Canada need not be at the expense of others. Surely as Canadians we realize that a strong western and Atlantic Canada are as important to Confederation as a strong central Canada. The development of new technological bases in western Canada can be fueled by the manufactured machinery of central Canada. We must begin to understand that by strengthening the parts we strengthen the whole, and that by promoting regional cannibalism, we begin the road to self destruction. The strength of confederation has been the ability of the federal system to share and redistribute the resources of the various regions of Canada in order to preserve an economically and socially progressive federation.
[ Translation]
Of course, the eighties will put the federal system to a serious test and whether it is the alienation feeling in the west or separatism in Quebec, the same challenge remains-the federation will have to meet the new regional needs while representing the entire country.
Madam Speaker, I reside in the largest officially bilingual area in Ontario after Ottawa, of course, the national capital. I say so with pride because the people of Sudbury have learned to appreciate and accept the enrichment of the French culture and language. Thanks to its large French-speaking and multicultural population, Sudbury has become a cosmopolitan area endowed with a bilingual university, a French and English theatre, a French newspaper as well as French radio and television stations.

In contrast, as a person who represents part of the province of Ontario I am somewhat embarrassed by the treatment of the Francophone population in the province of Ontario when it comes to the schooling of children in Penetanguishene.


Some hon. Members:: Hear, hear!

April 14, 1980
The Address-Mr. Frith


Douglas Cockburn Frith: But I would like to have a message go forth in this country that not all of Ontario is representative of the Penetanguishene problem. Not without our own problems, we have introduced in Sudbury the Canadian concept of federalism. It has been a great success, with large numbers of parents of all ethnic backgrounds schooling their children in the French immersion program of our educational systems. With this background, perhaps I feel with more intensity than others the importance of the impending referendum in Quebec.
Often one hears many ethnic Canadians say, "I am a Canadian first". Well, I too am a Canadian first, but 1 am a worried Canadian, worried about the wording of the referendum, worried about its outcome, and worried about the complacency I feel exists outside Quebec with regard to the importance of the referendum.
One of the advantages of being elected to the Commons is to meet members of Parliament from various regions of our country and to come to learn from our differences, as well as to cherish our common ground. In recent weeks I have met several of my colleagues in the Quebec caucus. I asked one of them what role he would play in the referendum in his province, and he replied that he was darned if he would defend national unity in Quebec. To be frank, Madam Speaker, he did not put it that politely and I was beginning to wish I had never asked the question. Ele went on to add that he would be delighted to build national unity in Quebec. Such a similarity in words, and yet poles apart in philosophy! 1 was very happy to hear a member of the Quebec caucus put it that way, that rather than defending national unity he will work as hard as he can to build it.


Some hon. Members:: Hear, hear!


Douglas Cockburn Frith: I would urge all members of the House, regardless of political affiliation, to make themselves available and to become involved in that crucial vote in the province of Quebec, to prove to the people of Quebec that there is a choice other than Rene Levesque's and the Parti Quebecois' idea of a French-speaking Quebec and an English-speaking Canada.
The choice is as follows. Here let me quote the final two paragraphs of an article entitled "The Canadian Journey", which read as follows:
There is a more promising choice. A country's political framework and values are not something to be knocked down this Monday and built anew by next Friday. They are most like a garden, to be nurtured in harmony with the landscape. The Canadian landscape began to shift two decades ago and now the season has come for change.
It should begin with recognition that the existence of two great language communities and many regional and cultural realities, which we so often insist are problems that cripple us, are in fact opportunities that can enrich and free us. For "they" in the end is all of us.
Let us not forget it.


Some hon. Members:: Hear, hear!


Douglas Cockburn Frith: I, therefore, take pleasure in seconding the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne.


Some hon. Members:: Hear, hear!


Charles Joseph Clark: I propose, Madam Speaker, that the debate be now adjourned.


Madam Speaker:: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?


Some hon. Members:: Agreed.


[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.
[ Translation]
Yvon Pinard: Madam Speaker, 1 move that this House do now adjourn.


Madam Speaker:: The House has heard the motion moved by the hon. President of the Privy Council (Mr. Pinard). Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the said motion?


Some hon. Members:: Agreed.


[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.
Madam Speaker:: The motion is adopted. This House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order.


[Stage Direction]
The House adjourned at 2.46 p.m.
[Stage Direction]
Tuesday, April 15, 1980