Mr. Gabriel Fontaine (Levis):

Mr. Speaker, when I was younger, I use to like reading the Gaston Lagaffe strips.

That was some years ago, but I still see people who are past masters at the art of the "gaffe".

The Leader of the Liberal Party decided that in this country, laws are no longer made by our elected representatives but by the non-elected members of the Senate. That was the first gaffe.

The duly elected Liberal Government of Quebec is in favour of free trade. The Liberal Leader in Ottawa is against free trade. That was the second gaffe.

Seven Canadian provinces are in favour of free trade. The Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada is against free trade. Third gaffe.

In Quebec, we had Gaston Lagaffe, now we have Turner "la

gaffe"!

Mr. Iain Angus (Thunder Bay-Atikokan):

Mr. Speaker, well, the banks have struck again. There is a new user fee that the banks are applying, and that is to businessmen in northern Ontario who dare to speak out about bank policies.

Ms. Copps:

What about business women?

Mr. Angus:

Well, there are no problems at all; this is a man. Fred Goodine from Sault Ste. Marie spoke out at the Premiers' conference on northern development in Thunder Bay last fall, on bank policies as they relate to businesses.

Now, his company has been frozen out by the Royal Bank from any business because of his public statements. That is an unacceptable way for banks to act. I am sure that they are not going to stop donating to the government Party just because the Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs (Mr. Andre) happens to say things against them.

Oral Questions POLITICAL PARTIES

July 25, 1988

(1415)

Mr. Benno Friesen (Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Employment and Immigration):

Mr. Speaker, well, four years of opposition have done nothing to diminish Liberal arrogance. For years they campaigned on any kind of catchy slogan, and then they legislated as they wished. It was campaign, sloganeer and legislate, and they called elections as they wished.

They seemed to think that calling an election was their absolute right as the elected Government. However, now, since they are impotent in this House, they have made a deal with- is it John MacEachen, or Allan Turner, or is it Allan Mac-Eachen?

Ms. Copps:

They are not impotent.

Mr. Friesen:

At any rate, they will gladly sell off the role and the rights of this House, and expand the role of the Senate in order to catch a glimmer of hope that would enable them to hang on to power in the other place and maybe expand it in this one. Well, that is the kind of arrogance that drove them out of office, and that is the kind of arrogance that is going to keep them in perpetual opposition.

Ms. Sheila Copps (Hamilton East):

Mr. Speaker, imagine my surprise as I was driving to work this morning and I heard an anthem playing very melodiously on the radio, America The Beautiful. It talked about the great continent of North America and how we had great agricultural programs and great environmental programs. In fact, the whole ad was sponsored not by the Government of the United States but by the Government of Canada, using as background music America The Beautiful. It seems to me that if the Government is bound and determined to move us down on the road of free trade, for heaven's sake could it at least pull advertisements that I as a Canadian find offensive? If the Americans want to run ads talking about America The Beautiful, let the Americans do that.

Canadian tax dollars and government sponsored ads should not be used to propagate the idea that agricultural programs are North American. The word "Canada" is not used once in that ad, and I see that as part and parcel of the Government's move to make us simply a part of the continental United States.

Hon. Bob Kaplan (York Centre):

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago I brought to the attention of the House that snack bars at Pearson International Airport were charging outrageous prices. A small sized Coca-Cola is $1.29. This is an unbelievable price when you consider that a small sized Coke is half that price in the city and also consider that the Government is responsible for the terms on which concessions are operated at Pearson International Airport.

I called on the Government at the time not only to manage the airport from the point of view of a good landlord but to bear in mind as well the situation of passengers who are sometimes there for very long periods of time, with children, and who are forced to pay prices that are set with really no competition at all behind them.

Since I made that statement in the House I have received dozens of representations from people in my riding and elsewhere about the fact that prices are far too high. Does the Government intend to do anything at all about that? Will ceilings be set so that gouging at the airport will be brought to an end?

Ms. Sheila Copps (Hamilton East):

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my question of the Acting Prime Minister. It took the Government four years to deliver on the Mulroney promise for a child care package. It will take it another 7 years for a total of 11 years before we ever see the light of day totally given to this package.

How does the Government feel about introducing today a Bill into the House of Commons that does absolutely nothing to ensure the safety of Canadian children, that will leave more than half a million Canadian children without access to licensed and organized child care spaces, and that will not assure the mothers of this country that when they have to go out to work their children will be left in safety? Is this the Mulroney promise on child care?

Hon. Jean J. Charest (Minister of State (Youth) and Minister of State (Fitness and Amateur Sport)):

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Health and Welfare is out of the House on business. I am very happy to acknowledge the Hon. Member's question and point out to her that we are the first Government that has brought forward legislation in the House of Commons on child care. The previous Government had

July 25, 1988

ample opportunity to do that but never did so when it was in office.

Mr. Gauthier:

Stick to the facts.

Mr. Charest:

The Hon. Member said I should stick to the facts. The facts indicate that we will be putting $6.4 billion into child care over a seven year period. If the Hon. Member is wondering how fast the legislation will get through the House, that will depend upon whether his Leader will ask the Senate to put it through or not.

Oh, oh!