Hon. Ralph Ferguson (Lambton-Middlesex):

Mr. Speaker, I rise under Standing Order 36 to present a petition in the House of Commons. The petition is from the undersigned residents of Canada who avail themselves of the ancient and undoubted right thus to present a grievance common to the petitioners and with a certain assurance that the honourable House will therefore provide a remedy.

There are 29 names on this petition, 27 of them from my constituency and the other 2 from the constituency of Sarnia-Lambton.

Hon. Ralph Ferguson (Lambton-Middlesex):

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to be given the opportunity to take part in this debate today to establish the fixed link between Prince Edward Island and mainland Canada, a permanent link. The Fathers of Confederation in 1867 came to the agreement that made this nation the country it is and established the foundations of Confederation that have served us so well since that time.

Efforts to connect Prince Edward Island to mainland Canada go back to 1885. Prior to Prince Edward Island joining Canada, the question of the fixed link was first raised in the 1830s. From the 1830s onward summer steam vessels and winter ice boats provided a sporadic kind of link between Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. When Prince Edward Island finally became a province of Canada in the spring of 1873, one of the terms of confederation dealt with that link. In it Canada assumed a constitutional obligation to provide a continuous connection to the mainland. The terms of union clause reads:

That the Dominion Government shall assume and defray all charges for the following services, vis., efficient steam service for the conveyance of mails and passengers to be established and maintained between the island and the mainland in the Dominion in winter and summer, thus placing the island in continuous communication with the intercolonial railroad and the railroad system of the Dominion.

June 14. 1993

Government Orders

In 1885 the idea of a tunnel under the Northumberland Strait was proposed. This was supposed to ensure year round communication. The tunnel concept was studied and analysed off and on for the next 30 years but never really got beyond that stage.

In 1966 construction was actually begun on a bridgecauseway combination. Access roads were built. Before work on the actual bridge-causeway got started the project was scrapped. That is when the province of Prince Edward Island signed a development agreement with the federal government in lieu of continuing with the causeway bridge concept.

The latest round of discussions began with a Public Works study in 1982. On January 18, 1988 Islanders voted. The results were 60 per cent in favour of the link and 40 per cent opposed.

On June 10, the premier of Prince Edward Island, a former member of this House whom I respect and admire not only because I know her and the work she did here in the Parliament of Canada and her principles and dedication to hard work, took on the premier's mantle in Prince Edward Island as the first elected lady premier in this country. She introduced a measure before the Prince Edward Island legislature to comply with a March court ruling and these measures clear the last obstacle for this project.

The Northumberland Strait crossing project, or as it is commonly called the fixed link, is without a doubt the single most important project to be undertaken involving Prince Edward Island since it joined the Canadian Confederation.

It is estimated that over 90 studies have been conducted on various aspects of the project. Most of these were in the last five or six years. Since 1987 there have been 55 studies by Public Works Canada on the Northumberland Strait crossing project itself. There have been 19 studies done by Public Works Canada for the Northumberland Strait bridge project and the concept assessment supplement, including documents. There have been 4 studies through FEARO and related reports. There were 3 miscellaneous reports, 7 through Environment Canada and related documents and 4 from Strait Crossing Incorporated and related reports. This does not include the days when the causeway was being considered or the days when the tunnel was considered back at the turn of the century and even earlier.

Prior to the vote former Premier Ghiz wrote to the public works minister, Stewart Mclnnis, November 6,

1987-that was the actual date of the letter- and indicated on behalf of the Government of Prince Edward Island that the support for the link was contingent upon the satisfactory address of 10 principles. The 10 principles had to do with: highways; the Woods Island ferry; the submerged lands; tolls and how they would be arrived at; the displaced workers at Borden-Cape Tor-mentine; economic development for the town of Borden; the Atlantic content in the materials that would be used and the labour required; an environmental impact study; the fisheries that were very important to Prince Edward Island and the utilities. That was the utility corridor to be used at no cost to the province.

These 10 points have been addressed to the satisfaction of both Premier McKenna and former Premier Ghiz. On the list of concerns the environment has moved to the fore. In fact the environment has always been one of the main concerns of building a fixed link of any sort across the Northumberland Strait. To show environmental compliance the following clauses were included in the federal-provincial agreement. I think these clauses are extremely important and I will quote them in their entirety. Clause 6(1) reads:

Public participation in the federal Environmental Assessment and Review Process, commonly known as EARP, was undertaken to the satisfaction of Canada, P.E.I., and New Brunswick.

Canada through its Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Environment Canada and Transport Canada, in conjunction with the provinces of RE.I. and New Brunswick, had deemed that a fixed crossing can be constructed in an environmentally friendly and acceptable manner.

Clause 6(2) reads:

The construction and operation of the fixed crossing shall comply with the environmental laws, regulation and relevant environmental codes of practice of the provinces of New Brunswick and P.E.I. and the government of Canada, as well as other specific requirements identified by means of the evaluation conducted under the federal Environmental Assessment and Review Process.

Clause 6(3) reads:

As a condition of the coming into effect of this agreement and prior to financial closing, the developer must obtain the necessary approvals under provincial and applicable federal environmental assessment legislation and complete an environmental management plan acceptable to Canada, New Brunswick, P.E.I. and the province of Nova Scotia.

June 14, 1993

In conclusion I do not think we can underestimate the positive economic impact that a fixed link would have on Prince Edward Island. Everything indicates that if we are to improve or even maintain our standard of living we must also become more self-sufficient. We must have a greater degree of economic independence and we must become more competitive. An improved transportation system is crucial to Prince Edward Island becoming more competitive whether it is for manufacturing, the processing sector, the agricultural sector, the fishing industry or tourism.

Economic activity will grow not only during construction but in the years afterward. The link will generate industrial expansion and create jobs. The link will generate growth and tourism. It will create jobs for that region of Canada.

I have always been very proud as a Canadian to sit in the House with colleagues from every province of Canada. This time is no exception. I am very proud of the people in Prince Edward Island and their contribution to the development of this nation.

It makes a lot of sense that we should work to pass this bill and let them establish a permanent, long-lasting, meaningful link to bring together the seat of Confederation with the rest of this country to pull it together at this time of uncertainty ahead of us.

Hon. Ralph Ferguson (Lambton-Middlesex):

Madam Speaker, I rise today under Standing Order 36 to present petitions signed by people from southwestern Ontario, from Dutton, West Lome, Fingal, Rodney, Springfield, Samia, Chatham and my own constituency and the village of Wardsville.

The petition calls on the government to the ban a board game being introduced into Canada called serial killer board game, number one edition, and the importation of serial killer cards.

Parents and grandparents strongly object to this game being allowed into Canada. The board game comes complete with a body bag, 25 babies and four serial killer figures. The object of the game is to commit murder and the person with the highest body count is the winner.

This ghoulish game is not in the best interests of children or Canadians of any age. The cards glamorize individuals who have wounded, raped and killed many people.

These petitioners humbly pray and call upon this House and Parliament to urge the Government of Canada to ban the sale of the serial killer board game and serial killer cards and any other such games, cards or materials made available in Canada in order to protect innocent children and Canadian citizens from violence.

Hon. Ralph Ferguson (Lambton-Middlesex):

Mr. Speaker, in the House on May 13, 1993 I asked the Minister of National Defence if he could tell us why the maintenance work on the Challenger military and executive aircraft was being done in Hartford, Connecticut, and why the government was ignoring our own Canadian skilled workers and letting these jobs go to the United States.

I should point out that the first aircraft arrived in Hartford for maintenance about mid-April 1993, well ahead of when I asked my question.

The minister admitted that the maintenance would be done in Hartford until a new contract was in place, which would be a matter of weeks. Now, almost four weeks later, we are aware this servicing in Hartford may go on until 1994, in fact well into 1994. Consequently the information given in the minister's answer is not correct.

I have in my possession copies of Business Opportunities of November 1992, May 7, 1993 and May 17, 1993. The request for proposals indicated that work would begin April 1, 1993 and end March 31, 1996, with an option for a further two-year period ending on March 31, 1998.

The closing date was amended as of the May 7, 1993 publication and again on May 17, 1993. Business Opportunities revealed that the closing date was amended yet again. In the meantime this work involving several thousand man-hours will take place in Hartford, Connecticut.

Let me refer to the issues. Why are Canadian military aircraft being serviced in the United States when our own skilled persons are facing lay-offs and our facilities are being underutilized? Second, why are we creating American jobs? The U.S. does not permit its aircraft to be serviced in other countries. Third, what are we paying in terms of an hourly rate to have this work done in the

Adjournment Debate

United States? Has the government looked at what it could be done for in Canada?

In light of the fact the Challenger jet was developed and built in Canada, I simply cannot believe we cannot get the maintenance work done in Canada at a cheaper rate than is currently being paid in the United States which would result in savings to our taxpayers. In fact I know this is the case.

Is this a repeat of the Conservative government decision of the late 1950s that resulted in the scrapping of the Avro Arrow and the world's first commercial jet passenger plane? This decision destroyed Canada's role as a leader in aircraft technology. Even today the Avro Arrow would still be a world leader in technology and design.

I would appreciate answers to these questions.

Hon. Ralph Ferguson (Lambton-Middlesex):

Madam Speaker, I have the hon. to present, in both official languages, the report of the legislative committee on Bill C-124, an act to amend the Currency Act with amendments.

[Editor's Note: See today's Votes and Proceedings.]