Document Information

Date: 1980-07-11
By: Canada (Parliament)
Citation: Canada, House of Commons Debates, 32nd Parl, 1st Sess, 1980 at 2799.
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[Translation]

REGIONAL ECONOMIC EXPANSION

ADMISSIBILITY OF TENDERS ON JOINT PROGRAMS IN QUEBEC

Mr. Eymard Corbin (Madawaska-Victoria): Madam Speaker, I should like to put a question to the Minister of Regional Economic Expansion. In view of his absence, I shall put it instead to the right hon. Prime Minister. As many official documents of the Quebec government prove beyond a doubt that only such contractors as have their head offices in Quebec can tender for projects financed jointly and often mostly by the federal Department of Regional Economic Expansion, while the province of New Brunswick opens its doors to all comers for such projects, can the right hon. Prime Minister tell us how, with regard to the freedom of movement of persons, goods and services it will be possible to put an end to that type of balkanizing discrimination through the constitutional reform?

Hon. Pierre De Bané  (Minister of Regional Economic Expansion): Madam Speaker, I must say to the hon. member that he has raised an extremely important question indeed. All provinces are in the process, directly or otherwise, of putting up non-tariff barriers. Naturally, a province cannot expect to benefit simultaneously from free access to the whole Canadian market when it suits it, and when the prosperity of its industries depends on the rest of the Canadian market, while in other cases denying to other provinces free access to its own market. That problem is fundamental and I am very happy that the right hon. Prime Minister has made a priority of it in the constitutional review.

[English]

Madam Speaker: The hon. member for Yukon (Mr. Nielsen) has given notice of a question of privilege.

Hon. Erik Nielsen (Yukon): Madam Speaker, the question of privilege of which I gave notice yesterday I am unable to put today as I have not yet received the final printed copy of the final report of the committee prior to its making its report.

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