Mr. Speaker, in June of last year the Minister of the Environment (Mr. McMillan) pledged $1 million to the Endangered Species Recovery Fund, a joint project with the World Wildlife Fund to protect endangered species in Canada.

In May of this year the Minister told the Standing Committee on Environment and Forestry that he thought the money could be found in this year's Estimates.

political rights of those who have policy responsibilities will remain restricted.

Bill C-273 has an appeal process for both the employer and employee, and maintains the principle of the impartiality of the Public Service. The process by which politically restricted employees will be distinguished from politically unrestricted employees is simple. Moreover, there is an all-Party agreement to encourage passage of the Bill at third reading.

Bill C-273 will harmonize the long-standing requests of public service staff associations with the requirements of our Charter of Rights. I would like to encourage this House to make the passage of Bill C-273 a priority. I would further ask that if any Members of this House have concerns about the Bill, they raise them with myself or the sponsor of the Bill, the Hon. Member for Ottawa West (Mr. Daubney), or their House Leader.

Mr. Ernie Epp (Thunder Bay-Nipigon):

Mr. Speaker, the appearance yesterday of the Committee for a Sovereign and Effective Naval Defence, as it calls itself, to promote the purchase by the Conservative Government of nuclear powered submarines is a recognition of decline in public support the purchase. This alliance of business leaders and defence experts wants to marshal support for a program that is strategically dubious, fiscally irresponsible, environmentally unsound, and politically misguided.

Patrolling under the ice of the Arctic Archipelago is not a defence priority. Canada's Ambassador to the United States recently assured Americans that these submarines will not assert Canada's sovereignty. It is surely a waste of taxpayers' money to put Canadian submarines into the U.S. Navy's forward maritime strategy. Canada can hardly maintain its peace loving reputation with nuclear powered submarines. The decommissioning of nuclear powered submarines also adds to our nuclear waste disposal problems.

The oddest aspect of this new committee is the presence of former Liberal Defence Minister, Jean-Jacques Blais. Surely, Mr. Blais, we can encourage shipbuilding in Canada without building nuclear powered submarines. It is time for the Conservative Government to forget about the purchase of

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nuclear powered submarines. Our big boys don't need these big toys.

Mr. Gordon Taylor (Bow River):

Mr. Speaker, the farmers in the county of Vulcan in Alberta have been subjected to drought, frost, hail, grasshoppers, and so on. Now they face another attack. This time it is from the Say Stink Bug, a green colored sap feeding insect that feeds upon the developing kernels in the wheat head. The crops in 60 sections of good farm land have already been completely destroyed and it is estimated that there are billions of young bugs rapidly approaching adult stage when they will swarm and fly to other crops.

The farmers affected by this infestation have spent $100,000 in spraying their fields and they need help. No time can be lost or hundreds of other farms will be affected. I urge the Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Wise) and the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (Mr. McKnight) to co-operate with the Government of Alberta to stop this infestation and to provide compensation to the farmers who have so far been fighting the battle alone.

The Say Stink Bug must be stopped.

O)

Mr. Jean-Claude Malepart (Montreal-Sainte-Marie):

Mr. Speaker, we are a few weeks or perhaps a few days away from an election call and I hope it comes as quickly as possible so that we can get rid of this Conservative Government.

But as these 4 years draw to a close, it is important that we look at this Government's record on an issue of particular concern to me, the lot of senior citizens. We note that elderly people have been neglected and ignored by this Government and its Conservative Members. We remember that the Government turned its back on senior citizens of 60 to 64 years of age and chose to discriminate against them as far as spousal allowances were concerned. We remember the de-indexation of old age security pensions. We know that the government promised and continues to promise an early retirement program. That program does not exist.

Mr. Speaker, senior citizens and Mrs. Solange Denis remember that this Prime Minister deceived them during the previous electoral campaign. Not one single senior citizen in Canada will want to vote Conservative in the next election.

Mr. Guy St-Julien (Abitibi):

Mr. Speaker, at the 89th provincial Convention of the Knights of Columbus of Quebec, an eminent and respected Quebecer, Mr. Marcel Gignac, introduced the family of the year in Quebec, the Masseau family of Fort-Coulonge, to the thousands of persons who had gathered for the occasion.

The family's story is simple: Leonette and Sylvio Masseau are two Catholics who were joined in holy matrimony on August 4th, 1962 and had two children, Jacques and Angele. All four were involved in numerous activities in Fort-Cou-longe.

The couple had finished raising their two children and were at last free to travel as much as they liked when a dreadful catastrophe struck a young family from the same small area. A young couple returning from a business trip was involved in a terrible car crash. Neither spouse survived the tragedy. Their sudden and unexpected death orphaned five little girls from 8 months to 11 years of age.

When Leonette and Sylvio Masseau heard the sad news, they agreed that they both wanted to prevent the five aggrieved little sisters from being separated: Chantelle, Sharon, Leanne, Christine and Kimberly. They wanted to give them a home, love, and the headstart needed to make something of themselves.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all the Knights of Columbus of Quebec and their families, I want to congratulate the Masseau family of Fort-Coulonge for this distinction.

Mr. David Orlikow (Winnipeg North):

Mr. Speaker, I wish to draw the attention of the House to a letter sent to the Prime Minister (Mr. Mulroney) dated July 6, signed by Iris Craig, the President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service. In the letter she points out that bargaining for a new master agreement has been under way with the Treasury Board for 11 months without a single government salary offer. She also points out that meaningful discussions on job

July 13, 1988

classification, career development, and employment prospects are absent in discussions with Treasury Board officials. She also stated that the present Treasury Board Minister after many calls and written requests by the union has said she is either "too busy" or "too tired" to meet with the union.

The President of PIPS has been forced to ask the Prime Minister publicly to intervene because of what she calls complete frustration.

When the responsible Cabinet Minister is "too busy" or "too tired" to meet with the groups she has responsibility for in bargaining, I believe she is also too tired to hold her job in Cabinet.

Mr. W. R. Bud Jardine (Northumberland-Miramichi):

Mr. Speaker, the Ontario provincial Environment Minister advised that he would consider introducing emergency powers to deal with future pollution crises, including restricting the use of vehicles, because of the extremely high ozone pollution level last week in Toronto.

I raise this as a national concern because as Canadians from coast to coast visit their national showcase-our capital-the City of Ottawa should consider the example of the capital city of Turkey, Ankara, which, in an effort to reduce vehicle pollution, provides free bus transportation during the morning and evening rush hours. Ottawa appears to have reversed this approach by doubling its fares during the same period.

I believe that the capital city could show real leadership and concern for the health of Canadians by following the Turkish example.