Mr. David Dingwall (Cape Breton-East Richmond):

Mr. Speaker, in light of the recent unemployment statistics it is clear that the plight of unemployed Canadians is no better since the Government promise to create "jobs, jobs, jobs". Indeed, there are 167,000 more Canadians out of work now than there were last month.

Atlantic Canadians were hit with the news from the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council that the growth of the Atlantic economy will slow down this year and that unemployment levels will remain rather frightening. In addition to this distressing news, we are advised by Statistics Canada that the number of full time jobs fell by 48,000; employment declined by an estimated 6,000 in Newfoundland, by 4,000 in Nova Scotia, and by 11,000 in Alberta; 23,000 jobs were lost in the construction industry, and 26,000 jobs were lost in the trade sector.

A glance at the unemployment rates for some of our major cities shows devastating increases; St. John's, Newfoundland 17.1; Sudbury, Ontario, 16.5; Hamilton, Ontario, 10.4; and, yes, Mr. Speaker, in my own riding, the town of Glace Bay, it is in excess of 55 per cent. I would urge the Government, Mr. Speaker, to take its responsibilities seriously and put into effect job-creation programs now which will affect and assist the unemployed in creating meaningful jobs.

Mr. Iain Angus (Thunder Bay-Atikokan):

Mr. Speaker, last evening members of the United Auto Workers Local 1075 ratified a collective agreement with Can-Car Rail of Thunder Bay, a subsidiary of the provincially owned Urban Transportation Development Corporation. The vote signalled an end to a 12-week strike which has been devastating for the workers and their families, and which was drawn out by the company's

attempts to reduce the work force drastically through contracting-out provisions in the collective agreement.

I am happy to say that the workers were able to prevent such job losses, and were also able to win, among other things, improvements to their pensions. In a community with over 19 per cent unemployment, it is a relief to all of us to see an equitable settlement to this problem. It is now important that all levels of Government get behind the company and the workers to ensure a long-term future for the plant.

During negotiations, UTDC withdrew a $60-million contract to build equipment for the City of Boston. This means at least 100 jobs over the next two years for this company and its workers. I call on the Minister of Employment and Immigration (Miss MacDonald) to contact the President of UTDC immediately to encourage it to re-award this contract to the Thunder Bay plant.

I also call on the Minister of Transport (Mr. Mazankowski) to meet with officials of UTDC to negotiate a sizable order for double decker rail cars as a replacement for VIA's ancient rolling stock. Can-Car is the only Canadian company with experience in the production of such cars.

Mr. Ross Belsher (Fraser Valley East):

Mr. Speaker, from time to time we read and hear about our correctional institutions. Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of accompanying the Solicitor General (Mr. MacKay) on a tour of the Elbow Lake work camp institution located in my constituency. I must say that I was very impressed with this institution's philosophy and physical lay-out. Elbow Lake is a minimum security S-2 institution, with a population of 50 inmates and 27 staff. It is located in the rural community area of Harrison Mills.

It seems that this institution's major philosophy is to instill a strong work ethic in the inmates. This is accomplished by allowing the inmates to participate in the institution's forestry program.

The forestry program which Elbow Lake employs is vertically integrated, in that every phase of logging, sawmilling, and stand treatment is involved to some degree. It is equipped to train men in the basic skills required in outside industry. An inmate should have readily marketable skills in tree stand treatment, logging, and sawmilling. Its client, the B.C. Forest Service, offers substantive employment to its inmates, creating

February 13, 1985

a valuable contribution to the community, while maintaining the aims and objectives of the Correctional Service of Canada.

This institution enjoys a very good working relationship with the Citizens Advisory Committee, which is composed of prominent area residents who have adopted a position of advocacy on behalf of Elbow Lake with various agencies in the community. I think this is truly an admirable model for the Correctional Service to follow. As a prisoner from this institution said in his letter to me, and I quote: "A work camp like this one is a God-send. I will go back into society with none of the bitterness usually fostered on inmates in regular prisons".

Mr. Speaker:

I regret to advise the Hon. Member that his time has expired.

Mr. Jean-Luc Joncas (Matapedia-Matane):

Mr. Speaker, my comments are directed to Hon. Members of the Liberal Opposition and concern the latest unemployment statistics and the charge that the present Government is responsible for them.

Mr. Speaker, may I remind opposition members that they are the ones that brought about the present situation, and as someone once said: Canada is like a patient-and I think most of my colleagues in this House will agree-who has been neglected, even worse, slowly poisoned for nearly twenty years. And who is responsible for this criminal negligence, if you will pardon the expression, with respect to the Canadian economy? None other than our Liberal friends who were in power for nearly twenty years.

Mr. Speaker, you will understand, and so will our Liberal friends if they are capable of doing so, that it is scientifically impossible and metaphysically unthinkable to rebuild in six months what this country has lost over the last twenty years. At the very least, the present Governnment has introduced policies and mechanisms that will need time to prove their effectiveness and put an end to the state of chronic financial anemia we inherited from our predecessors.

Mr. Speaker, with respect I would ask our Liberal neighbours to consider their own burden of guilt before pointing an accusing finger at the Progressive Conservatives.

Mr. Speaker:

Order please. I am sorry to interrupt the Hon. Member.

Mr. Keith Penner (Cochrane-Superior):

Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (Mr. Crombie) gave the go-ahead to Panarctic Oils Ltd. to proceed with its Bent Horn project. The Bent Horn field is located on Cameron Island in the Canadian High Arctic. While this is a small scale pilot project, it is significant and symbolic in that, for the first time, crude oil produced in the High Arctic will be shipped by tanker through the Northwest Passage to southern markets. This project will begin this summer, Mr. Speaker.

Of greater importance, however, is the standard of the ship which will be used to transport this oil. This House should be aware that the vessel scheduled to carry the oil south from Cameron Island this summer, the M.V. Arctic, does not meet the safety regulations of the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act. While conversion work will begin on the ship during the winter, it will not be brought up to standard in time for this summer's planned activity. The Government, therefore, will be breaking existing safety regulations if it permits the M.V. Arctic to carry oil south from Cameron Island this summer.

To get around this problem, the ship's operator, Canarctic, is in the process of applying to Transport Canada for an exemption from the regulations. I think the Government ought to clarify its intentions immediately. It must respect the existing legislation and regulations. There must not be a shipping free-for-all in the High Arctic.

Mr. Nelson A. Riis (Kamloops-Shuswap):

Mr. Speaker, two years ago the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops released a document entitled Ethical Reflections on the Economic Crisis. The controversy it generated over the moral implications of government economic policies which left 1.5 million Canadians unemployed goes on today. The Catholic bishops have today been joined by the United Church of Canada which, in a statement released in Regina yesterday, condemned government policies which do not give first priority to our number one problem, unemployment.

The United Church has proposed a five-point program to solve the moral crisis of the Canadian economy. First is a fairer tax system that would see an end to the free lunches given to many upper income Canadians and corporations who pay no income tax. They also propose increasing the levels of social assistance so that no Canadian lives below the poverty line. They propose the Government undertake a serious full employment program as Sweden, Norway, Austria, and the

February 13, 1985

Province of Manitoba have done. They propose the Government reverse the policy of eliminating social programs to reduce the deficit. They also propose that we pursue a lower interest rate policy in Canada.

I am proud to say that each of these proposals has found a voice in this House through the New Democratic Party. Unless we heed these words of wisdom from the spiritual leaders of our country, our moral crisis will only worsen and Canada will become a less humane place in which to live.

Mr. Marcel R. Tremblay (Quebec-Est):

Mr. Speaker, twenty-four hours after the Minister of National Defence resigned, I can still hear the word resignation echoing in my junior politician's ears. I found February 12, 1985, the most difficult day of my short political career. I was deeply affected because Mr. Coates is indeed a man of honour. Whatever the circumstances, a decision of this kind requires a great deal of courage, and 1 could not but be impressed. That is why my admiration for the Hon. Member for Cumberland-Colchester (Mr. Coates) remains unchanged, and I wish to inform the House that it was a great pleasure for me to work with the Minister in my capacity of Vice-Chairman of the Committee on External Affairs and National Defence.

Mr. Reg Stackhouse (Scarborough West):

Mr. Speaker, congratulations to VIA Rail for coming to the rescue of hundreds of passengers unable to fly from Metro-Toronto to Ottawa yesterday because weather closed the airport. Personnel at these stations and on the trains looked after the extra numbers with confidence, concern, and courtesy. But I have to ask what can be done to make these extra numbers be regular numbers for the railway? Obviously VIA has to be faster and more frequent in its service to compete with the airlines, but that raises the question of what we can provide to help it do that.

We need to give rail passenger service between major population centres far more priority than we have been prepared to do in the past. Metro-Toronto could not have its high quality transit service without a large provincial subsidy. The universally acclaimed GO train service, serving commuters from Pickering to Hamilton, could not operate without provincial aid. Giving VIA the same priority, in the Montreal-Toronto-Ottawa triangle it serves, would help not only one out of every

three people in Canada, it would also contribute positively to coping with the energy challenge of the future. That challenge does not confront us immediately because of the oil glut, but it will return and we now have to plan for that time and improve railway service between major population centres.

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