Mr. Svend J. Robinson (Burnaby-Kingsway)

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has spoken about the importance of keeping the promises made by the Liberals in opposition.

My question concerns a promise that was made particularly by the member for Winnipeg South Centre that the Liberal Party would recognize that the cold war is over and would oppose the testing of cruise missiles in Canada.

I want to ask the Prime Minister if he will keep that promise that was made to Canadians and cancel the testing of cruise missiles or at the very least, will he honour the request that was made by the member for Winnipeg South Centre on February 15 of last year when he called for full parliamentary hearings on this issue to allows northerners, natives and peace groups an opportunity to be heard fully, not just politicians in a parliamentary debate, on this issue of fundamental importance to all Canadians?

Right Hon. Jean Chrétien (Prime Minister)

Mr. Speaker, we want to have a debate here in this House on this subject very soon. There will be an announcement made later today or tomorrow about it. We want to review that policy as we said, but we want to have the input of everyone.

We will have a debate in the House of Commons. We intend to put the question of policies on national defence for debate and we will have a short debate on the decision to be made. There was a commitment made last August or September, but we want to review that situation. There will be a full debate in this House of Commons. I am sure the members of the committees will want to receive the views of other groups which would like to make representations before the final decision is made.

Mr. John Nunziata (York South-Weston)

Mr. Speaker, can you hear me okay?

We can hear you no matter where you are.

Mr. Nunziata

Mr. Speaker, it took me 10 years to get to the front brench. The only drawback is I am a step away from the door.

Perhaps the hon. member would like to put a question today.

Mr. Nunziata

Thank you. Actually I would like to put a lot of questions, and there is this bar in my way.

Seriously, Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transport. It relates to the compensation issue in the Pearson airport contract cancellation.

The minister will know that there was a finding that the contract was unconscionable in that the contract was signed in the middle of an election campaign after the leader of the opposition, now the Prime Minister, warned the proponents that the contract may in fact be cancelled.

Will the minister agree that in light of those findings that there ought to be no compensation paid to the other side and at the very least, will the minister ensure that they will not be compensated for lost profits and that there will be no compensation for lobbyist fees? Also, will he undertake to introduce a bill in this House to cancel the contract if it cannot be cancelled on terms in accordance with the public interest?

Hon. Douglas Young (Minister of Transport)

Mr. Speaker, the cancellation of the Pearson airport deal was taken on the basis of advice from Mr. Nixon. I am sure the hon. member has read that report with great interest as many of us have.

The parameters set out in the report indicated clearly that compensation would be very limited and with the competent negotiator that has been appointed, I have every confidence that the interest of the taxpayers of Canada will be respected. In the event that a satisfactory arrangement cannot be arrived at legislation of course will be introduced.

I draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Chuck Furey, Minister for Industry, Trade, and Technology for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Hear, hear.

I also wish to point out the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Gérald Tremblay, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Science and Technology in the province of Quebec.

Hear, hear.

My colleagues, before we proceed with other business of the House, we have been asked to pay tribute to one of our former members of Parliament and one of the officers of the chair, Mr. Steve Paproski.

Hon. Anne McLellan (Minister of Natural Resources)

Mr. Speaker, I know that many hon. members will want to take a few moments to remember a long serving and much loved representative of the city of Edmonton who passed away suddenly late last autumn.

The Hon. Steve Paproski came from Poland to Edmonton as a child. As a young man he was a popular hometown player for our champion football team, the Eskimos, while building a successful career in business.

He was elected to the House of Commons in 1968 and retired at the last election undefeated in seven elections. In a quarter century in this House he served as his party's chief whip, as Minister of Fitness and Amateur Sport and as one of the assistant Speakers of the House.

He had friends not just in his own party but in every corner of this House. Although he was as capable as anyone and better than many, in the cut and thrust of political debate he refrained from insult and personal attack. He truly believed that all members were entitled to express their points of view and that all were here to serve their country.

As proud as he was of his Polish birthright it is an illustration of his approach to life that he became famous here for his St. Patrick's Day receptions.

Steve Paproski was a big man in every sense of the word. In Edmonton and here in the House of Commons his generosity of spirit and of deed was unsurpassed. He was a proud family man, a pillar of the church and a committed servant of the people.

It is sad that he could not live to enjoy the retirement to which he had looked forward. We all join his wife Betty, his children and his grandchildren in missing his warm and happy personality and his very wise counsel.

Mr. Louis Plamondon (Richelieu)

Mr. Speaker, I too, on behalf of the Bloc Quebecois, would like to pay tribute to our friend Steve. I had the honour of knowing him and of being with him and especially of appreciating him from 1984 to 1993.

In 1984, for the new Conservative members, he was a valuable advisor, an exceptional motivator, and he helped us a great deal in learning the rules of the House and the British parliamentary system.

As Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole House, he immediately gained the respect of all parliamentarians. Patient, impartial, a gentleman, knowledgeable of the rules of the House, he always found the words, the friendly approach and the right argument to have his decisions accepted.

In my first steps as House leader of the Bloc Quebecois-the party was not even recognized then-every time I asked him for a meeting to claim our rights, he always received me in a friendly, affable way. It was then that I learned to appreciate him. A sincere, democratic, humane, honest man, he always put the interests of the House and its members first.

I would like to conclude by saying a word to his family. We understand your sorrow and the great pain you feel. How many questions must have gone through your mind in trying to understand and accept the death of someone so close to you!

Is there an acceptable answer when such a tragedy befalls us? I do not believe so. There is only the courage and determination to go on with one's life, with the assurance that the deceased person is still proud of us.

The great French author Alexandre Dumas said one day that those whom we have loved and lost are no longer where they were, but they are still everywhere we are.

I extend our sincerest condolences and a word of encouragement to Steve's whole family. Thank you, Steve, for your invaluable contribution to Canadian democracy.

Miss Deborah Grey (Beaver River)

Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I rise to pay tribute and also with sadness that I rise on behalf of my party to make mention of the Hon. Steve Paproski and the contribution that he made to this House.

Steve was born in September 1928. We lost him as a friend in this Chamber as well as to people right across Canada on December 3, 1993.

Mention has been made previously of his wife, Betty, and their five children, Patrick, Peter, Anna Marie, Alexandra and Elizabeth. Although many weeks have intervened since Steve's death we need to realize that that pain, although it does dull somewhat, is still very sharp in their memory after the incredible loss of their husband and father.

Looking at the professional career of Steve Paproski, those of us who are proud of our Edmonton Eskimos certainly know that he became a household word when he was a lineman for the Eskimos from 1949 until 1954. What a thrill it must have been for Steve.

I can hear him on the couch on Grey Cup day screaming as loudly as any one of us who were cheering for the Eskimos: "Go Esks, go". They did not let him down. What a wonderful way for him to witness his last Grey Cup.

He was the general sales manager for Alberta Concrete Products and elected to this House, as has been mentioned earlier, in 1968. He celebrated 25 years in this House of Commons.

As everyone knows, he chose not to run in the last election. I am sure that it did his heart proud that he chose to go into retirement rather than going into retirement from this place without choosing it.

I have many memories of the Hon. Steve Paproski, all of them good. I say that unequivocally. His smile was what he was probably most known for. I appreciated that smile as I sat in my place during the last term. How good it was to see someone still with a twinkle in his eye being able to just smile so readily at all the things that go on in this place.

One memory that I have so strongly of Steve Paproski was when he sat in the chair and hollered for the yeas and nays. Then he said: "In my opinion the nays have it". That tone of voice and relaxation that he brought was so good that I will never forget those words ringing in my ear: "In my opinion the nays have it".

Last year Steve Paproski called me from my place to the chair. I thought: "He is going to recognize me". Of course it was a thrill in those days to be recognized by the Chair. He said: "Deborah, is such-and-such a place in your constituency". He named a little place. I said: "Yes, it is, Steve. It is so many miles from my house and has a small area of residences".

"Guess what. I just bought a lot there and you are going to be my new MP. How am I ever going to explain this?" We had a good laugh together about that.

Most recently this fall I received a personal phone call out west from Steve just after the election and he congratulated me on my marriage and my re-election. It was wonderful just to have a few minutes with him. I had no idea it would be my last visit with Steve. Those memories are precious and I appreciate them.

My final memory of Steve was picking up the newspaper after church in Edmonton on Sunday, December 5. I picked it up and before I even grabbed it out of the machine I saw the headline stating that Steve Paproski had died of a heart attack.

It was almost as if my heart just gripped as well. Something had gone dreadfully wrong. Something was happening over which of course not I, his family nor anyone else had any control. He was dead. He is dead but his memory will continue to live on in this place.

On behalf of my caucus and all members here, I would like to pay my respects to his wife Betty and their family and say once again, as any tribute I have given in this House, thank you so much to the Paproski family for sharing Steve with us.

Hon. Jean J. Charest (Sherbrooke)

Mr. Speaker, I speak today on behalf of colleagues who have had an opportunity to sit with Steve Paproski in the same House. I also speak on behalf of a political party that quite frankly was privileged to have had the opportunity to have Steve Paproski as a candidate and as a member of Parliament representing us and also at one point in time a cabinet minister.

In the end, Mr. Speaker, as you will know, he reached the highest office of all. It is the one that in this place is recognized as a tribute to any of us. It is the privilege to sit in the chair you are sitting in today as one of the Deputy Speakers.

Steve Paproski, as a Canadian, had a great opportunity not only to sit here and make a contribution in the political field, but also, as was mentioned, as an athlete. There are few things that are not as well known about his career. One is that he studied at the University of Arizona on a scholarship.

I should also say something which I found out while listening to a eulogy delivered by His Excellency the Governor General. What he shared with us at the time is that during those days of his scholarship, given the fact that he had very little means, he supplemented his revenue by acting from time to time as an amateur wrestler. He was known because of his amateur status. He became known as the Masked Marvel. He would from time to time wrestle against a gentleman named Gene Kiniski. Of course Gene would win on one day and Steve, if you can believe the coincidence, would always win the next day and so on it would go. In some matches they in fact became a tag team. I should say that it sounds like quite an appropriate preparation for life in this place as I recognize my tag team member here today.

What was also remarkable about Steve Paproski was the love and understanding that he had for this place. I remember arriving here in 1984 and having the privilege of being one of the Deputy Speakers. Because we had other work to do and accomplish and because I was the youngest of the group I was often asked to sit on Fridays and often went to Steve to ask him whether he would or would not replace me. In his way he would sit in the chair and say: "What is it again, kid? What is it that you want?" to each and every one of us who had the privilege of knowing him. He would grumble but would always say yes. In that way I was more often than not one of the great beneficiaries of his great generosity.

I think we would all want to remember Steve for his joie de vivre and the fact that he always recognized that this country was a country of privilege. A small anecdote about Steve's life is that he would, as often as he could, bring people by the store that his father had opened in Edmonton. He had been born in Poland. I read the first speech he gave in the House of Commons and the references he made to his experience as a young Canadian born in another country where freedom was not what we experience here and what we take for granted. He had come to Canada, grew up here and took his place not only in this House but as a minister of the Crown. That says volumes about our country and about Steve Paproski.

In concluding I also want to offer our condolences to Betty and to his children and also a word and a smile because Steve Paproski had a million dollar smile. He will leave with us great, great memories.

Mr. Nelson Riis (Kamloops)

Mr. Speaker, I want to join with the others to say how shocked and saddened we all were when we heard on the news in December of Steve's passing.

Steve was a very different member of Parliament. One thing I remember about Steve was that whenever he was in the chair there always seemed to be a group of people around him chatting, coming and going and passing little stories back and forth. As my hon. friend here has indicated he was always filled with innocent little tidbits about his life.

I remember him telling me after seven elections how he was so successful with his campaign strategy. He said: "You have to spend a lot of time at home, Nelson. You have to get to know people. As an example, when I campaign I simply put a sign up on the highway that says `Steve's ahead'. I just stand on the road and everybody knows who Steve is". He just waved to his constituents as they went to work in the morning or returned at the end of the day.

That is the kind of person he was. Everybody knew who Steve Paproski was when he went into his constituency. In here we all felt very close to Steve Paproski. That was not a function of the fact that he was here for so many years. It was from the kind of person he was. It was his personality.

He loved his family. He loved his wife and his children and they loved him. He had a zest for life. Someone referred to his smile. He always seemed to be a very happy person. He always had a cheery comment to make and he was always willing to greet anyone in a very positive way. I think he was a great motivator for us even during those tense times in the House. When he was in the Chair he always had that comment that would calm everybody down with a little laugh.

We will miss Steve Paproski. Not only will those of us who knew him miss him, but Canada will miss him. He made a great contribution in so many ways. He was a new Canadian, elected seven times, served his country as we have heard in so many different capacities and he served this House and Canada so well.

Our hearts and our prayers go out today to his wife Betty and to his children.

Mr. David Berger (Saint-Henri-Westmount)

Mr. Speaker, I too remember Steve Paproski very well. I remember his smile. I remember the twinkle in his eye that people have referred to here today. I remember his service in the chair and the way he was very cordial and respectful of every single member in this House of Commons. He was always there to offer a word of encouragement.

I, as well as Steve, had some background in football. He was a player. I had some involvement in management. I often talked to Steve about football. In these days of turbulence in Canadian football I think perhaps it is worth mentioning that Steve dreamed of the day when Canadian football would return to Montreal.

He often said to me: "Why do we not put a team back in Montreal and we will go and manage it?" I think if there is anything he would rather have done than be in this place it would have been to manage a football team.

Reference has been made to his belief in this country. If I remember correctly, when he was a cabinet minister he was responsible for turning over Lotto Canada to the provinces and I believe he always regretted it. I think he understood that we needed national institutions to bind Canadians together and to provide a bit of cement to keep this country together.

I would like to join all other members in this House in expressing my condolences and in paying my respects to the members of his family

Mr. John Loney (Edmonton North)

Mr. Speaker, I rise to join with the other members of this House to convey to the family of the late Hon. Steve Paproski not only my personal condolences but also those of the constituents of Edmonton North which is the riding he served faithfully during his long term of office.

I can think of no more fitting tribute to Steve Paproski than the number of friends who have paid their respects at his passing. They are not only those who were at the church service but also the people of Edmonton North who have mourned his loss.

I would also add that Steve Paproski was respected and loved by the staff of the House of Commons. To his family and friends I would say that we are honoured to have known him.