Hon. Bob Kaplan (York Centre):

Mr. Speaker, there are some 4,500 students from China in Canada at this moment and we recognize that this is a particularly tragic time for them. There are 110 studying at York University, located in my riding of York Centre.

They have sent to me letters and petitions with hundreds of signatures. I have brought them to the House, and I hope Members will want to examine them, urging the strongest condemnation of their Government.

I want to talk about the situation of these students. The Government of Canada has agreed to suspend for at least a two-month period removals to China under the Immigration Act. But there is more that can be done to help these students from China in this time of crisis.

An indefinite extension of student visas would help ameliorate the current state of uncertainty and anxiety which they feel. Similarly, there are financial problems created for these students because financial support for them which has been coming from China may not be forthcoming or continue.

I urge the Government of Canada to make representations to the provinces of our countiy in order to obtain foreign student fee exemptions or deferments for these students. Finally, the question of political asylum must be considered by the Government and would be appropriate given-

Mr. Deputy Speaker:

I regret to interrupt the Hon. Member.

June 9, 1989

Mr. Doug Fee (Red Deer):

Mr. Speaker. Penhold is a small town of about 1,500 people located about 20 kilometres south of Red Deer. Last weekend I had the opportunity to meet with provincial and civic leaders from Penhold, Innisfail, and Red Deer to discuss the formation of a committee to look into ways to offset the impact of the reductions at Canadian Forces Base Penhold.

This committee met again on Wednesday of this week. Calling themselves the Penhold Economic Revitalization Committee, they are going to investigate the full impact of the reductions, discuss alternatives, and develop a plan for the future, using the resources of the Community Futures Program. I salute the constructive spirit shown by these community leaders. They are not shouting and wildly protesting, nor are they sitting back hoping for a miracle cure. They are translating their concerns into concrete, positive action. Their sights are set on the future of their community. I give them my full support. Their dedication bodes well for the future of Penhold.

Ms. Dawn Black (New Westminster-Burnaby):

Mr. Speaker, in committee yesterday, when I questioned the Minister responsible for the status of women, she said that REAL women, according to anecdotal evidence she had, had misused public funds.

This was in relation to an REAL conference funded by the Government in which the credibility of every female Supreme Court Justice was apparently attacked, simply because they were women; and serious misinformation about child care, about women in the military, and about lesbians and gay men was disseminated.

Since that conference, I have received copies of letters from the Secretary of State (Mr. Weiner) justifying the funding of the conference, stating that the funding was in every way consistent with the Government's equality criteria.

The Secretary of State refuses to acknowledge that working for equality does not mean telling people that children in child care will become partial psychopaths.

I hope he will at least listen to his own status of women Minister-

Mr. Deputy Speaker:

I regret to interrupt the Hon. Member.

Mr. Guy St-Julien (Abitibi):

Mr. Speaker, the federal program to assist local community development provides major support for the Abitibi economy.

The Senneterre business assistance centre, which covers Barraute, Lebel-sur-Quevillon, Malartic and Senneterre, has just presented its fourth annual report.

Since its first year, the centre has invested $1,700,000, generating $8,200,000 of investment and $25,500,000 of business and creating 90 jobs and maintaining 143, for a grand total of 233 jobs.

The 1989-90 plan shows no slowdown because 123 jobs are to be created during this period with a subsidy of $879,000, generating total investments of $3,900,000.

Mr. Speaker, that is the excellent work done by general manager Jean G. Gobeil and his staff under chairman Louis Marie Dubreuil and members of the board of directors.

Mr. Fred J. Mifflin (Bonavista-Trinity-Conception):

Mr. Speaker, I was informed that earlier this week, off Fogo Island, Newfoundland, a French factory trawler harassed several Newfoundland inshore fishermen in their much smaller fishing boats. This vessel, registered in St. Malo, France, came dangerously close to these

June 9, 1989

fishermen and, in at least two cases, destroyed their fishing gear.

Seeing such foreign fishermen as these on the prime inshore fishing grounds is a thorn in the side of Newfoundlanders. The sophistication of these vessels, their size and capability, gives them an unfair advantage.

As if this were not enough, they add insult to injury by disregarding Canadian law and the rights and privileges of Canadian citizens in our own territorial waters. Newfoundland fishermen do not need foreign harassment to add to their litany of existing problems, and they certainly cannot afford to have expensive fishing gear destroyed.

I ask that the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (Mr. Siddon), in conjunction with the Secretary of State for External Affairs (Mr. Clark), ensure that this incident is thoroughly investigated, that decisive action is taken, and that the fishermen involved are fully compensated in a timely manner.

Mr. Brian White (Dauphin -Swan River):

Mr. Speaker, osteoporosis is a bone condition that afflicts 800,000 Canadian women. A new recent program in Canada, involving a minimum of $10 million has been announced by Glaxo Canada and Allelix Biopharmaceuticals.

It is GLAXO Canada's first venture into discovery research in Canada while Allelk is one of Canada's major players in biotechnology.

I quote Mr. Jacques Lapointe, GLAXO president: "Bill C-22 was the major motivator in our decision to become involved in discovery research. Had it not been for patent protection, GLAXO would not have considered such research activities in Canada."

However, new Canadian research is not the only benefit of Bill C-22. With the new Prices Review Board, the prices of all drugs will now be monitored, not just the 7 per cent of drugs that are profitable enough to attract generic copies.

StatsCanada has shown that the wholesale prices of pharmaceuticals rose by only 3.8 per cent from January, 1988 to January, 1989, compared to a CPI of 4.3 per cent. Bill C-22 is working.

Mr. Lyle Kristiansen (Kootenay West-Revelstoke):

Mr. Speaker, in January, 1989, the Minister of the Environment (Mr. Bouchard) promised that "where environmental considerations will conflict with economic ones, the environment will prevail."

In March, 1989, this same Minister assured Canadians of his Government's commitment to the environment, stating "I'm having intensive discussions with the Finance Minister and I have been assured that environmental concerns will hold a major part of his next Budget."

Yet, yesterday, in this House, the Environment Minister was forced to acknowledge the hollow nature of these commitments when he admitted that "the position of the Government is that environmental review process does not create any legal obligation for the Government to submit to a prior assessment of budget decisions", and "the Budget is at the heart of the Government's actions. . .It does not have to preceded by an environmental assessment."

In fancy speeches and on international delegations, the Government says one thing. When it comes to the crunch, they turn around and say the opposite. Canadians care about the environment. They are tired of the Government's rhetoric and want real action on the environment. It is long past time for the Government to take its environmental commitments seriously and to put some substance behind its endorsement of the Brund-tland Commission report and sustainable development.

Mr. Pierre H. Vincent (Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Finance):

Mr. Speaker, the week just ending was very important for all Canadians. As you know, it was National Environment Week. Mr. Speaker, the

June 9, 1989

environment is a priority for this Government, as the Minister of the Environment (Mr. Bouchard) showed again yesterday in Montreal when he signed a most significant agreement with his Quebec counterpart to clean up the St. Lawrence River.

Mr. Speaker, allow me to quote the Minister's words, which indeed reflect the Conservative Government's policy: In the past, companies profited by polluting the environment and only the shareholders shared these profits. The time has come for these companies to contribute to environmental protection. The people do not want speeches or public relations operations. They want concrete action and that is what the Conservative Government will do, Mr. Speaker.

Hear, hear.

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