Mr. Bob Corbett (Fundy-Royal):

Madam Speaker, the Government has been making overtures to the Canadian public in anticipation of the impending election. Before it begins making new election promises I would like to remind it of one promise it made Canadians almost four years ago.

In a series of remarks before the Halifax Board of Trade, the Prime Minister (Mr. Trudeau) said, "I am announcing today, as part of our program, that a Liberal Government will take immediate action to ensure the full co-operation of all Parties in the construction of a natural gas pipeline to Quebec City and the Maritimes. The pipeline will have a reversible capacity so that Maritimers will have the opportunity, both to use western natural gas now and to send offshore gas to central Canada later".

Today we see that the Government has fulfilled its promise to the Quebec electorate but not to the Maritimers who are still dependent on oil imported from abroad. It is unreasonable to force Maritimers to buy foreign oil when Canada has the resources not only to satisfy our domestic needs but to export these resources abroad.

It would appear that the heady talk of energy self-sufficiency by 1990 was merely an election ploy designed to seduce Canadians with what they wanted to hear. It was not the talk of a responsible Government concerned with energy security and self-sufficiency, but of an irresponsible Party concerned with political security and self-sufficiency.

Mr. Bob Ogle (Saskatoon East):

Madam Speaker, yesterday a high level ecumenical delegation representing the major Canadian churches met with the Secretary of State for External Affairs (Mr. MacEachen). The delegation included Archbishop James Hayes, the Archbishop of Halifax, who was

representing the Canadian Catholic Bishops, the Reverend Harry Hilchey who was representing the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, and Dr. John Foster who was representing the United Church of Canada and the InterChurch Committee on Human Rights in Latin America. They presented the Secretary of State for External Affairs with a brief on Canadian policy in Central America.

I thank the Minister for seeing them and discussing these matters with them. I would now call upon the Minister to consider seriously the wide range of recommendations that were made by the group. These policy recommendations dealt with El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. Some members of the delegation had recently returned from that area and spoke of the massive human rights violations in Guatemala.

In the brief the delegation asked that Canada support particularly the Contadora group and the efforts that it is making to bring about peace in that area. Secondly, they asked for a clear and public statement to be made to the United States and Honduran Governments regarding Canada's opposition to the military manoeuvres and to the construction of new military bases, on the grounds that they undermine the spirit and the letter of the Contadora group. Finally, I would ask the Minister to immediately release the $18 million line of credit that was pledged to Nicaragua.

Mr. Yves Demers (Duvernay):

Madam Speaker, it is a fact that the Laval and Lower Laurentian regions are showing the best economic performance in the Province of Quebec at the present time. There are a number of reasons for this, and I would like to mention two of them: the people have a level of education that is above the national average, and co-operation among federal members, the Minister responsible and municipal representatives is very effective. I wish to thank the Cabinet for taking advantage of these facts in less than a year, the federal Government has established several high technology projects in the region, including the Institut d'ordinatique, an investment of $12 million, the Institut de bureautique, costing $11 million and last weekend, the project of the century in the aerospace industry, namely, the construction of a Bell Helicopter plant at Mirabel backed by a federal investment of

October 12, 1983

S265 million which will create 3,700 jobs. All these jobs will be in the high technology industry and will provide a solid basis for future investments in similar industries in Laval and the Lower Laurentians.

Hon. John C. Crosbie (St. John's West):

Madam Speaker, a week ago on October 5 the Hon. Member for Yorkton-Mel-ville (Mr. Nystrom) attacked me in the House in my absence, about a concert which is to be held in Toronto at the Roy Thompson Hall on Monday evening, October 17. By the way, Madam Speaker, the concert is at 8 p.m. and it is a fund raiser.

The Hon. Member claimed that I was being sexist because one of four performers at the concert is to be Miss Shannon Tweed, former Playboy playmate of the year. Mad Mike McGee is the chairman, Helen Reddy is the singer, and Andre Gagnon is the pianist.

Miss Tweed was born in Dildo, Trinity Bay, Madam Speaker, not far from Come-By-Chance. She is the daughter of a mainland mink farmer. Her talents will be used on the evening in question to auction the mukluks I wore when I brought down the budget on December 11, 1979. I ask the Hon. Member if the art of auctioning is sexist. Why does the Hon. Member attack my auctioneer? Having wrecked my budget together with the Liberal Members opposite, he now seeks to wreck my auctioneer. The Hon. Member for Yorkton-Melville (Mr. Nystrom) is certainly a bilious blue stocking, Madam Speaker. He is a yappy yokel and a slippery and sly sexual stereotyper, because that is what he has done. His actions are those of a sleveen.

Miss Tweed is, or was, a constituent of the Hon. Member for Bonavista-Trinity-Conception (Mr. Rooney). Where was he when she needed him to defend her? Together, Miss Tweed and I will give the boots to the nasty Nystrom-

Madam Speaker:

Order, please.

Mr. Crosbie:

We will sell the mukluks to the highest bidder.

Madam Speaker:

Order, please.

Mr. Rod Murphy (Churchill):

Madam Speaker, I rise to speak about the Conservative Party's position regarding minority rights. Last Thursday the Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party spoke eloquently in favour of the constitutional protection of French-language services in Manitoba. We congratulate him for this action. However, the Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party also claimed to be speaking for his entire Party. Immediately after he spoke, the Deputy Leader of the Progressive Conservative Caucus in Manitoba, Bud Sherman, said that he was 100 per cent behind Sterling Lyon in opposing the entrenchment of these rights. It is interesting to note that Mr. Sherman will run for the Conservative Party in the next federal election.

As well, that same afternoon the Conservative Hon. Member for Winnipeg-Assiniboine (Mr. McKenzie) told Manitobans to work against the very resolution we had passed in the House. The fact that the Hon. Member for Winnipeg-Assiniboine has contradicted his Leader on minority rights should not surprise Canadians. We recall that it was the same Hon. Member who, upon returning from South Africa, said that there were methods employed in that country that we could use when dealing with our native population.

Natives are also concerned about the words of Senator Donahoe who spoke about the genocide of Newfoundland natives as a possible solution for Canadian aboriginal problems. Whether said in jest or not, those remarks are completely unacceptable to the Canadian public, and he should be rebuked publicly by the Conservative Leader. Any less action by the-

Mr. Forrestall:

Shame.

Madam Speaker:

Order, please. The Hon. Member's time has expired.

Mrs. Jennifer Cossitt (Leeds-Grenville):

Madam Speaker, 1 refer to the statement made recently by Abby Hoffman, Director General of Sports Canada, to the conference, "A Renaissance in Sports and Fitness", when she condemned the latest television exercise programs' for being obscene, erotic, and not athletic.

I have no quarrel with Ms. Hoffman's athletic ability; indeed she is to be commended for her outstanding achievements, not only as an athlete, but also for her promotion of non-stereotype role-playing by female athletes so as to encourage them to pursue and excel in sports of their choice.

However, I do quarrel with the Sports Canada director's criticism of television exercise programs, suggesting in effect, that they be boycotted. Ms. Hoffman's statement is diametrically opposed to the Government's own objective and the mandate of Fitness and Amateur Sport, which encourages active participation by the Canadian people in some form of fitness program to improve their physical state of health.

October 12, 1983

The majority of television exercise programs are of excellent content, utilizing skilled and competent individuals, and are far removed from degenerating into the type of program Ms. Hoffman accuses them of being. I would suggest that Ms. Hoffman seek the more appropriate medium available through the CRTC to vent her criticism, rather than condemning active participation in physical fitness via television exercise programs.

Mr. Bill Yurko (Edmonton East):

Madam Speaker, on June 14 this year I stated in this assembly, and 1 quote:

A nuclear war can come about because of three reasons .... The first reason is that it may come about by aggressive design or intent by one of the superpowers. This is highly unlikely because they will destroy the world and themselves. The second is by escalation of a minor conflict such as a triggering conflict in the Middle East. The potential for escalation is massive and scary in the world today .... The third way a nuclear war can occur is through accident. There is real potential in this area due to a failure of equipment, a failure of systems, or a failure on the part of humans who man the systems.

Well, Madam Speaker, a deplorable and unacceptable incident has occurred because of failure on the part of humans who man the systems. Good sense prevailed and escalation did not occur this time. But what about next time?

If there ever was a need for instant communication and a desire to so communicate, it is in today's and tomorrow's world. Some shall shake their fist, at another such incident, and it will happen, but some will dialogue, and for all our sakes let us hope they are heard. There is a desperate need for an arms limitation agreement and a reversal of the present nuclear insanity. This Parliament should support fiercely a summit meeting, as is being considered by President Reagan and Chairman Andropov. Once again I propose that Edmonton is a suitable site for a summit meeting.