Mr. Epp:

He left right after his speech.

Hon. Jake Epp (Provencher):

Mr. Speaker, how he describes the tobacco industry is accurate. Experience, and bitter experience, teaches us that. On the one hand, it says it does not want young people to smoke but on the other hand it promotes smoking for young people.

I think we can say that Canada today is a leader in the anti-smoking crusade. We have had difficulty, for example, with tobacco farmers. I disagree with the hon. member that it is easy for tobacco farmers to switch over to other crops that are at least as financially beneficial to them as is tobacco. The land in the Delhi area is possibly not as suited to replacement crops. That is a reality we face.

Having said that though, there is a bottom line. I believe the tobacco industry is an amazing industry. It is the only industry that promotes death, destruction, fire, health loss, illness and a shortened life span and makes it glamorous. It is the only industry that is able to do that. It has a phenomenal marketing ability.

If one listens to my words they sound very harsh but they are absolutely accurate. Take a look. What next step does the member feel that Canada should take to promote public health policy, and particularly the reduction of smoking, especially among young people in Canada?

Hon. Jake Epp (Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources):

Madam Speaker, the hon. member has been very faithful in his promotion of his province and also for nuclear power.

Lepreau L-l in New Brunswick is without any question of a world-class standard. It was my hope that we would be able to develop an agreement with New Brunswick. New Brunswick has informed us that it will not need that type of power before well into the next century.

We have finalized a memorandum of understanding with Saskatchewan whereby, tied in with 25 per cent of the world's uranium production that is now located in Saskatchewan, we will put together a deal, especially

December 11, 1992

Routine Proceedings

now after the NDP in Saskatchewan has supported the nuclear industry.

What we will do is ask of the NDP in the memorandum of understanding the same consideration for the nuclear industry as we asked of the previous government in Saskatchewan. I think it is a good deal for Saskatchewan, for Canada and for the nuclear industry.

As I say to the hon. member, we ask of the NDP government in Saskatchewan the same deal as we asked from the Grant Devine government.

* *

Hon. Jake Epp (for the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources) moved

for leave to introduce Bill C-107, an act to amend the Explosives Act.

Hon. Jake Epp (for the Minister of Finance) moved

for leave to introduce Bill C-105, an act to implement certain expenditure restraint provisions of the economic and fiscal statement tabled in the House of Commons on December 2, 1992.