Ms. Mitchell:

Madam Speaker, the purpose of this bill is to limit the powers of the Governor in Council to ensure that the emergency powers in this act will not be used in an emergency to restrict the liberty of Canadian citizens and permanent residents on the basis of citizenship of a nation other than Canada.

We all will recall the shameful injustices that were imposed in World War I when Ukrainian Canadians were interned and again in World War II when those of German, Italian and Japanese descent were unjustly interned.

This bill adds the phrase "on the basis of-citizenship of a nation other than Canada" in addition to the existing prescribed grounds and it will not limit rights or impose obligations on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, citizenship of a nation other than Canada, colour or religion.

I think those groups that are pressing for redress for that shameful part of Canadian history have asked for these changes.

Ms. Margaret Mitchell (Vancouver East) moved

for leave to introduce Bill C-451, an act to amend the Emergencies Act (protection of ethnic minorities).

June 9, 1993

Ms. Margaret Mitchell (Vancouver East):

I would like to congratulate the member on her very passionate speech on a very important subject. I would like to ask her, since I have a special interest as she knows in multiculturalism, to relate a little bit about multicultur-alism and Canadian culture generally.

We know that part of our culture and our ethics in Canada is to respect diversity. But it seems to me that regardless of which ethnic group or which language group or which region of Canada we come from, we still must have some kind of common bond which is Canada,

Supply

which is greater than the sum of all of us. It is very hard to describe what that is.

I wondered if she would like to make a stab at saying whether or not Canada has a distinct culture and what this might consist of. Also what can we be doing to more effectively promote a distinct Canadian culture?

Ms. Margaret Mitchell (Vancouver East):

Madam Speaker, we join with all colleagues in the House in strongly condemning the racial violence that resulted from the Heritage Front event on Sunday evening. We ask the government to strengthen the Criminal Code to deter future hate related activities.

In the absence of the Prime Minister, my question is for the Minister of Multiculturalism. It concerns redress for Canada's racist legislation which imposed a head tax and an exclusion act on Chinese Canadians. Since elderly claimants after waiting nine years have totally rejected the government's redress offer and consider it an insult, particularly a pre-election medal to compensate lor years of suffering, will the minister meet with representatives of these elderly claimants and engage in good faith bargaining to find a fair compromise to truly redress the suffering of these elderly pioneers of which there are many?

Ms. Margaret Mitchell (Vancouver East):

Madam Speaker, I know the minister is sincere, but surely the Minister of Multiculturalism is there to be a strong advocate for people who have suffered this kind of discrimination over the years not just to appraise the government.

My supplementary question is for the same minister. Since the Italian and Ukrainian Canadians who suffered unjust wartime internment also have refused the government's redress package, will the government also negotiate individually, and I say negotiate not just consult, a compromise redress settlement with these groups rather than attempt to impose a clearly unacceptable package at the 11th hour before an election?