37^th Parliament, 3^rd Session
(February 2, 2004 - )

Edited Hansard • Number 021

Monday, March 8, 2004

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

[Hansard – Page 1206]

Property Rights

    Mr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton—Melville, CPC): Mr. Speaker, last week several of our newspapers reported that communist China is changing its constitution to embrace the most fundamental principle of capitalism, that being the protection of private property rights.

    The question our Prime Minister must answer is: Why is Canada not doing the same? Surely he must know that the protection of private property was purposely omitted from the Canadian Constitution.

    The leader of the Liberal Party has so many things in common with the chairman of China's party. For example, chairman Paul has his CSL ships built in China, not Canada. Both Chairman Mao and chairman Paul wrote red books and then did whatever they wanted.

    Farmers on the Prairies, environmentalists and those analyzing Liberal legislation all recognize that the omission of property rights from our Charter of Rights and Freedoms has undermined the very fabric of our free and democratic society.

    Why does our Prime Minister recognize what China has just recognized; that property rights are the foundation of a strong, vibrant economy?