Mr. Ross Belsher (Fraser Valley East):

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present to the House petitions from Fraser

Valley East churches, including the Chilliwack Alliance Church, the St. Paul Lutheran church, the Chilliwack Seventh Day Adventist Church, and the Gillanders Road Neighbourhood Group. These petitioners urge the federal Government to establish clear obscenity legislation and enforce stricter control over pornography. They are truly concerned about maintaining community standards of decency.

Mr. Ross Belsher (Fraser Valley East):

Mr. Speaker, all Canadians mourn the recent tragedy of the crash of the DC-8 at Gander, Newfoundland. At the moment the Canadian Aviation Safety Board, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration are working together to determine the cause of this disaster. To date, the cause has not been found.

In wake of such a tragedy the Opposition have insinuated that with the Government's current proposals for economic regulatory reform of Canada's transportation sector, many more aviation accidents will occur. I find such insinuations morally reprehensible.

The Government will make a lot of changes to our regulatory framework but it will never allow safety standards for transportation services to be sacrificed for economic expediency. For the past several weeks the parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport has listened to the recommendations and concerns of many interested parties. During its entire lengthy proceedings, the committee stressed to all parties that safety standards would not be debated.

Canada's high level of safety standards is being maintained and has been enhanced. An example of this is the Government's passage of Bill C-36, an Act to amend the Aeronautics Act. As the Minister of Transport stated in the preface of his policy paper entitled Freedom to Move: "I would like to indicate unequivocally that the Government will neither propose nor permit any economic regulatory reform that might be detrimental to safety standards".

I hope that certain members of the Opposition who have an inclination for distorting the truth will take heed of the Minister's words and not try to induce panic into the Canadian public regarding transportation safety standards.

Mr. Ross Belsher (Fraser Valley East):

Mr. Speaker, for the last few days this House has been subjected to both Liberal and NDP rhetoric concerning the Government's sale of de Havilland to Boeing. Through their usual manipulation of the facts they give the Canadian public the impression that the Government is selling off one of our most prized possessions for a ridiculously low price. The Opposition has made de Havilland appear to be Canada's "Jewel in the Crown". Nothing could be further from the truth.

What the opposition Parties neglected to tell the Canadian public was that over the last 11 years the Canadian taxpayer has poured over $800 million into de Havilland and it is still losing money. Last year this company lost $40.3 million, and in the first nine months of this year it lost another $55 million. How long do Canadian taxpayers have to pump their hard-earned tax dollars into such a venture?

As reported in The Globe and Mail today, even the Liberal Premier of Ontario recognizes the necessity of selling Crown corporations, such as its Urban Transportation Development Corporation, which no longer fulfil a public policy purpose. It is interesting to note that in an edition of The Toronto Star this week it is mentioned that as far back as 1974 the federal Liberals pledged that they would sell de Havilland back to the private sector. Now the federal Liberals are crying about de Havilland's sale. What a bunch of hypocrites.

December 12, 1985

Unlike the Liberal and New Democratic Parties, which are both well known for incompetence in fiscal matters, we in the Progressive Conservative Party believe that Canadian taxpayers should get value for their money.

Mr. Ross Belsher (Fraser Valley East):

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present to the House petitions from The Reformed Congregation of North America, The Chilliwack Central Mennonite Brethren Church, and The Emmanuel Church. All of these congregations, which are located in Chilliwack, British Columbia, urge the federal Government to strive to establish clearer obscenity legislation and to enforce stricter control of pornography.

Mr. Ross Belsher (Fraser Valley East):

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present petitions to the House containing several hundred names from St. Mary's Church, Faith Christian Fellowship, Glad Tidings Fellowship on the Netherlands Reform Congregation and the Eden Mennonite Church. All of these congregations which are located in Chilliwack, British Columbia, in the beautiful Fraser Valley East, urge the federal Government to strive to establish clear obscenity legislation and to enforce stricter control of pornography.