February 5, 2004

Honourable senators...

I am pleased today to respond to the Speech to the Throne. I find it particularly gratifying that the Throne Speech had the freedom to focus so clearly on Canada’s social needs and aspirations. I credit that freedom to the difficult work that was done to eliminate the federal government’s dependence on deficit financing. Clearly, we have come a long way in a short time.

Less than 10 years ago, our economy was in decline, our deficit and debt were rising, national unity was being threatened and our confidence was wavering. Today, because of our collective efforts, Canadians look with pride on our country’s success. Deficits have been replaced with social and economic investments, tax cuts and debt repayment.

In freeing ourselves from the constraints of the bottom line, even as our national economy prospered and thrived, and in freeing ourselves from the constant pressure of overspending, I believe that Canada has entered a new phase.

Over the past number of years, a remarkable social transformation has begun to take place in Canada. The freedom to embark on this social evolution is due in large part to the fiscal discipline upon which we have come to depend. That is why I agree with the statement from the Throne that reads as follows:

Canadians have already taken up that challenge. They have embraced change with a new confidence. Canadians know who they are and what they want. They want a government that helps shape that course, that leads the way – and that also engages then in building the future.

We want governments to reflect our values in the actions they take. This includes living within our means; investing as we can afford; and looking to the future.

Canadians want their government to do more than just settle for the status quo. They want a government that can lead change, develop a national consensus on common goals and have the wisdom to help all of us achieve them.

Major commitments have been made to the health care system, and it now appears that billions more will be invested shortly. Programs like the National Child Benefit have assisted thousands of Canadian families and children by helping to provide them with access to services and, in many cases, additional dollars to avoid the worst pitfalls of poverty.

With all that being said, honourable senators, we must guarantee that the benefits of this new prosperity touch every region, every province, community and citizen. This is why I agree with the following statement in the Speech from the Throne:

We want a Canada with strong social foundations, where people are treated with dignity, where they are given a hand when needed, where no one is left behind. Where Canadians – families and communities – have the tools to find local solutions for local problems.

I believe we must pursue our social and economic success together, as it is an essential part of the fabric of Canadian society. While there is much to applaud in the speech, I have some concerns as well, particularly, as they evolve around the large municipalities and the regions. There is no doubt that Canada is urbanizing at a rapid rate. This trend had been obvious for many years, and there are strong arguments for the federal government to invest in municipalities.

However, honourable senators, I would like to raise a cautionary flag. I am concerned that the municipal agenda may be too closely focused on the half dozen or so major centres. It is important to recognize the trend towards urbanization, but if tremendous resources are invested at the expense of our smaller communities, then we may dim the aspirations of smaller cities and reduce the attraction of the less prosperous provinces. Therefore, a municipal agenda must be inclusive; it must help our urban areas – large and small.

Clearly, honourable senators, part of our obligation is to protect the needs of minority interests. In this particular case, I believe we need to be vigilant that the large does not overwhelm the small and that the small continues to enjoy the protection of the great. Therefore, I applaud the government’s commitment to working with Canada’s municipalities, but as someone from a small but thriving urban community. Charlottetown, I trust this commitment will be inclusive of the many diverse urban interests in our country.

Additionally, as a senator from the Maritimes, I would also caution that an agenda that seeks to focus on the needs of the regions and the legitimate concerns of the West does not drown out the equally legitimate concerns in the East.

Honourable senators, I also wish to speak in support of the reintroduction of Bill C-34, to amend the Parliament of Canada Act. I believe the package that was introduced, debated and passed in the House of Commons was an excellent and overdue step towards improved institutional accountability and transparency to Canadians.

In many ways, honourable senators, the onus on us is much greater because, of course, we are appointed and we hold no particular obligation to specific constituencies. In my opinion, that freedom promotes the role of the Senate by allowing its members greater latitude in the study of public policy and debate over that policy. However, as all senators know, there are sharp edges to that freedom.

First, the Canadian public is often unaware of the work we do in the Senate, and, as a result, the public often does not understand our role. The valuable work of the Senate is lost amid public misunderstanding and media criticism. These are realities, and, unfortunately, these specific realities in turn can damage the public’s perspective on the full scope of the work of the Senate. In my experience, all parliamentarians, whether they work within the federal or provincial systems, must be extremely cautious when they are engaged in debate over internal affairs. The ethics package is designed to enhance public confidence in our parliamentary affairs, but the nature of our system demands that we take the first step, and, at that point, the public may view our debate as one of self-interest. This is difficult territory, and, in the context of public misunderstanding over the Senate’s role, the potential to encourage the old criticism and misunderstandings is once again provoked.

Last fall, I heard a number of honourable senators speak against some of the elements included in the package. There were concerns raised about independence, about the fundamental nature of the Senate’s relationship to the other place, about the formation of public policy. However, I do think that our responsibility to this institution demands that we do everything reasonable to enhance public confidence in our work.

Honourable senators,I believe that, when it returns to us, we must pass the ethics package that was agreed to in the House of Commons and help to ensure that Canadians have full confidence in our ability to regulate our affairs in a way that is fully open, accountable and transparent.

In conclusion, honourable senators, I want to briefly recognize the important contribution made by Veterans Affairs Canada. In my home province of Prince Edward Island, the role of Veterans Affairs socially and economically has proved to be of fundamental and lasting importance. The presence of the national headquarters in Charlottetown is now often taken for granted. However, I believe the decision to relocate Veterans Affairs to Prince Edward Island back in the 1970s clearly demonstrated the far-reaching and positive impacts the federal government can have on all the regions of our country. That decision led to a great many positive developments in Prince Edward Island in virtually every sector of our society.

Socially, the presence of Veterans Affairs has broadened Prince Edward Island society to include a vast array of highly trained professional public servants who contribute their every working day to public affairs and every single day to Prince Edward Island society. Perhaps, the clearest indication of that contribution has been the remarkable growth in the use of the French language. Prince Edward Island has always had a thriving Acadian community, but the addition of Veterans Affairs deepened the role of French language within our island community to the point now that Prince Edward Island is third, according to Statistics Canada, after Quebec and New Brunswick, among the provinces in terms of knowledge of both languages. There is no doubt that the strength of the Acadian community assisted in that regard. There is no question that the Island tradition of looking outward to its neighbours in Quebec and New Brunswick also contributed to this evolution, but, to my mind, the greatest single contribution to the growing ability of Islanders in both languages is due to the presence of Veterans Affairs and the wisdom of federal policies that encourage Canadians to become fluent in both official languages.

Similarly, Veterans Affairs has grown remarkably in terms of its economic clout in Prince Edward Island.

Honourable senators, there are currently upwards of 1200 full-time public servants who work at the department’s national headquarters in Charlottetown. Allow me to put that in context. The December labour force in Prince Edward Island was about 78,000 people. Once in 65 working Prince Edward Islanders were employed at Veterans Affairs. The salary budget for those 1200 employees will grow beyond $68 million this fiscal year.

Additionally, many students obtain much-needed summer jobs at Veterans Affairs, and the global budget for the department spent throughout Canada in the current fiscal year is in the area of $2.5 billion. To put some of these figures in further context, especially the total budget of the department, the entire provincial government of Prince Edward Island will spend in the area of $1 billion this year.

Honourable senators can see that, economically, the role of Veterans Affairs is enormous in my home province, and when the social and economic factors are blended, Veterans Affairs also represents a thriving community. In tandem with its size and contribution to Canada, the jobs at Veterans Affairs in Prince Edward Island are among the best in the province. The department’s senior managers are in Prince Edward Island. These positions carry a high degree of responsibility and are paid accordingly. These good and secure positions contribute a great deal to our economy, but, just as importantly, Veterans Affairs offers a potential career path for future generations of Islanders who want to stay in Prince Edward Island and excel in the federal public service.

All that being said, it is important to point out that the decision reached in the 1970s to relocate the Veteran’s Affairs Department to Prince Edward Island was not without controversy.

Honourable senators, allow me to offer some background. In 1976, the government announced that it would be moving the department to Charlottetown. At the time, the former mayor of Ottawa went so far as to call the relocation a “mindless action”. Even on Prince Edward Island, many questions and criticisms were raised. Why this department? What was the department’s future after the passing of our nation’s veterans?

The president of the P.E.I. Real Estate Association at the time summed up the popular opinion. In a newspaper interview Mr. Keys said he was “cautiously optimistic, but certainly if it does come to pass, it is going to be a good thing for the entire province.” Then Mr. Keys went on to question the future of Veterans Affairs. He said:

“I just wonder what the size of the complement of the Department of Veterans Affairs will actually be in five years time. Will it in fact be a separate department in government?”

Of course, 27 years later, we know the answer, and on Prince Edward Island we know the wisdom of decisions taken many years ago to decentralize the role of the federal government in a way that benefits many Canadians. Not only is Veterans Affairs a separate department, it is thriving and evolving to meet the changing needs of the Canadian population.

The main purpose of the department is to contribute to the financial, physical and social well-being of veterans and their dependents. Additionally, the department is charged with much of the responsibility to ensure that the memory of veterans and their sacrifices on behalf of Canadians are kept alive. However, the department is also addressing those long-ago concerns about its future by expanding its client base. The department has evolved over the years to include pensions, disability issues, home care and members of the Canadian Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Canadians making a contribution to world peace in the midst of overseas conflict will become future clients of Veterans Affairs.

As the department changes to reflect the evolution of our society, its employees are responding with determined professionalism. In my experience, the employees serving at Veterans Affairs are among the most dedicated in the entire public service.

This year, Veterans Affairs has a major task before it. As all honourable senators know, this year will mark the sixtieth anniversary of the D-Day invasion. This is an important historical milestone, and the portion of the Veterans Affairs’ mandate requires it to provide leadership in remembrance planning will once again be called to the test.

I believe that Canadians are increasingly interested in their history and they are very concerned that our rich contribution to the conflicts of decades past be recognized and celebrated in a dignified fashion. As time passes and the shadow of those great conflicts in Europe and Asia begin to dim, Veterans Affairs will be increasingly called upon to shed light on the sacrifices of the past and to recognize the remarkable contributions of the present in places like Afghanistan and the Middle East.

Thank you.