Mr. Doug Anguish (The Battlefords-Meadow Lake):

Mr. Speaker, instead of reading the Regina manifesto, which is the basis of the NDP constitution, this morning, as I usually do, I made the mistake of listening to the CBC world report. You can imagine my shock when I heard a story to the effect that I was planning to join the Liberal Party. So that there can be no confusion, I would like the House to know exactly what my contacts with the Liberal Party have been.

Earlier this year I was approached by a group of people, including some former Conservatives, who asked me if I would consider running as a Liberal in the next federal election. My

May 24, 1984

answer was no. Nevertheless those who approached me in Saskatchewan then arranged for the president of the federal Liberal Party to call me. Once again my answer was no. They also asked the federal Energy Minister to approach me. Once again my answer was no.

For the enlightenment of the Liberals, and anyone else who cares, I am a New Democrat now, and I am proud to say I will continue to be a New Democrat. I did not initiate any approach to the Liberal Party, and never will. However, the Liberals should not be discouraged from trying in Saskatchewan. Just last month two prominent Conservative executive members and a Conservative MLA announced they were joining the Liberal Party.

Oh, oh!

Mr. Lee Clark (Brandon-Souris):

Mr. Speaker, cattle production is no longer the healthy, going concern it once was in Canada, and the Government has a duty to help the industry get back on its feet. Cattle producers' share of the consumer dollar is shrinking, farm bankruptcies are increasing, and there have been numerous meat packing plant closures in recent years. Last week Burns Meats of Brandon, Manitoba, became another casualty in a badly ailing industry.

While some factors in the livestock industry are difficult to control, there are steps which the Government could and should take. For example, Canada must offset the trade advantage now enjoyed by subsidized Irish and Danish beef exports into this country. One cannot overstate the potentially devastating impact of these imports on the Canadian cattle industry. In addition, Canada's good trading relationship with the United States is being threatened by the sudden invasion of Canadian beef into its market, beef we can no longer sell domestically. The solution is to introduce a countervailing duty on subsidized Irish and Danish beef imports. Until this occurs, Canada should impose an interim surtax.

Yesterday in this House the Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Whelan) was asked whether he would support these measures. He chose to sidestep both the issue and his ministerial duties by offering absolutely no hint of how, or even if, he intends to take some kind of action. I appeal to the Government to introduce appropriate measures now, before the damage done to Canada's once thriving beef industry is irreversible.

Mr. Speaker:

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (Mr. Gingras).

Mr. Hnatyshyn:

Order! He is a Parliamentary Secretary.

Oral Questions

Mr. Rene Gingras (Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development):

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to say a few words about the system of equalization payments in Canada.

When a senior citizen comes to my office to talk about a guaranteed income supplement that was cut off because last year his income increased, he usually leaves my office quite satisfied with the explanation he receives. However, when I hear a Quebec Minister of Finance like Jacques Parizeau, supposedly an economist, explain the system of equalization payments in Canada, I am absolutely flabbergasted. Just what is his understanding of the system? Is he an economist or is he terribly inconsistent? He asks for and accepts assistance when Quebec is in trouble and refuses to help the other provinces when Quebec's situation improves. His own figures prove that he has benefited quite considerably through equalization in recent years. And now he refuses to admit that the federal Government and the seventy-four Members from Quebec have anything to do with the improved situation in Quebec. As usual, in line with his separatist philosophy, he takes the credit for positive developments and blames us when things go wrong.

Mr. Speaker, this is definitely a no-win situation for us, and I have therefore decided to let Quebec voters draw their own conclusions at the next elections. My constituents are well aware what my Government has done during the recession in Abitibi, compared to which the Parti Quebecois's contribution was peanuts. They will realize-

Mr. Speaker:

I am sorry to interrupt the Parliamentary Secretary, but his time has expired.

With respect to the interjection at the beginning concerning whether or not Parliamentary Secretaries can make Standing Order 21 declarations the rules are quite clear, yes. Questions are another matter, but under Standing Order 21 Madam Speaker Sauve was most explicit that this should be permitted.

Hon. Bill Jarvis (Perth):

Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of State for Fitness and Amateur

May 24, 1984

Oral Questions

Sport. In this morning's edition of La Presse, the Canada Sports Pool Corporation was described as a veritable nest of patronage reserved for members and friends of the Liberal Party of Canada. The article went on to give names and appointments in support of this allegation.

Given that, above all others, any national organization devoted to support Olympics, medical research, and amateur sport, should be free of such allegations, I want to give the Minister the first opportunity to deny categorically the allegations contained in that article. I ask him if he is in a position now to give the House, and the country, that categorical denial?

Hon. Jacques Olivier (Minister of State (Fitness and Amateur Sport)):

Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out to the Members of this House that the newspaper article in question, which says that friends of the Party in power were appointed to the Canada Sports Pool Corporation, does contain a modicum of truth,, but there are also some statements that are entirely wrong. Certainly, there were people who belonged to the Liberal Party, but there are also individuals who belong to the Progressive Conservative Party, and I cannot deny that either. What I can say is that belonging to a political party is not, and never will be, a requirement for appointment. In this area, the Canada Sports Pool Corporation was led by a concern for competence and success. The basic requirement as to select individuals who had been successful with Loto Canada, before the Progressive Conservative Government decided to abolish the Corporation and hand over $500 million to the provinces, and that is strictly what happened.

Mr. Jarvis:

We in this Party look for competence and success also. But if there are any profits flowing from this sports pool, our concern is that they are not skimmed off by the sticky fingers of a bunch of Grit hacks. That is our concern.

Hear, hear!