House of Commons Hansard #167 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.

Topics

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Liberal

Douglas Young Liberal Acadie—Bathurst, NB

You did nothing.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Bloc

Lucien Bouchard Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

It is not over yet.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Liberal

Douglas Young Liberal Acadie—Bathurst, NB

That is for sure.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3 p.m.

The Speaker

Order. The hon. Leader of the Opposition has the floor.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Bloc

Lucien Bouchard Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Speaker, what happened yesterday is even more serious. It is so because I submit to the Chair that this inaccuracy was stated on purpose. The minister had the report in front of her at the time, and it indicates the date I just gave.

Moreover, the question was asked by one of her Liberal colleagues, the hon. member for Brome-Missisquoi, who, as a courteous man, certainly served notice of his question to the minister. She knew what to expect and she was able to prepare an answer.

A third point is even more serious than this. The minister altered the official report so that today, Hansard does not contain the words she used yesterday. According to Beauchesne, and more particularly citation 1117, no member is allowed to alter Hansard the way the minister did yesterday after the blues came out.

If you compare the blues and Hansard , you will notice that two substantive corrections were made, so that the words which were so injurious to me yesterday as a member of this House in front of the TV cameras and everybody, while the minister scored political points by heaping ridicule on me and making me look like an irresponsible minister, no longer appear in Hansard today. Therefore, those injurious remarks made publicly yesterday in this House, in front of the TV cameras, must be corrected today in a immediate public statement including apologies by the minister.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

Hamilton East Ontario

Liberal

Sheila Copps LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, given the gravity of the accusations of the hon. member, I would have thought he would at least have had the courtesy of serving me notice. Had he served me notice, I would have advised him as I did yesterday, as I did several months ago when I actually gave a copy of that particular report to the House. Unfortunately, his caucus I suppose did not advise him of it.

In fact, the Brander-Smith report to which I referred yesterday in the House was initiated by the Right Hon. Brian Mulroney when the hon. Leader of the Opposition was Minister of the Environment. There were several public hearings held while he was Minister of the Environment, including a public hearing that was held in Halifax, another public hearing that was held in Saint John and another public hearing held in Prince Edward Island, which specifically called on the Minister of the Environment in 1989 to act.

In fact, the minister did not act. He did not act; his predecessors did not act; his successors did not act. We acted within 100 days of coming to government.

I would have thought that rather than dragging out the issue-

-rather that resorting to petty politics, the Bloc Quebecois would have done better to recognize the fact that we have made a decision, a decision that neither the former environment minister, his predecessor, nor his successor made.

I will repeat in French so that he understands clearly. When he was environment minister, in 1989, three public hearings were held at which the refloating of the Irving Whale was advocated, and he did not respond. That is what I said in the House yesterday.

I will put my word on the line against his word any time.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

The Speaker

My colleagues, the Chair always takes very, very seriously any question of privilege which is raised by any and all hon. members in this House.

We have heard allegations on one side and a rebuttal on the other. We are getting into debate, perhaps on a question of the interpretation of facts. With your permission, seeing that this has taken place over two days, I wonder if you will give me the time to review the blues as to what was said.

I will come back to the House as soon as I can to give a decision as to whether indeed any hon. member's privileges have been breached in this case. With the time to think about it a bit, I will bring back a decision as soon as possible. For this question of privilege at least at this time, I would like to take the information I have and consider it for a while.

Government Response To PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Kingston and the Islands Ontario

Liberal

Peter Milliken LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to a number of petitions.

Immigration Enforcement Improvement ActRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Janko Peric Liberal Cambridge, ON

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-316, an act to amend the Immigration Act and the Transfer of Offenders Act.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce my third private members' bill entitled the Immigration Enforcement Improvement Act.

My bill aims to improve the way in which the deportation of violent offenders is carried out. The proposed changes will enable a court in addition to any other sentence to order the

removal of a non-citizen convicted of a serious criminal offence.

The bill does not apply to anyone who arrived in Canada before reaching 16 years of age, as long as that individual has been free of criminal convictions for a period of five years. The bill also provides for the removal of foreign offenders to host countries willing to accept them by court order.

I am pleased to announce that my bill has received the endorsement of the Canadian Police Association, Victims of Violence and CAVEAT. I would encourage all members of this House to support this important public safety initiative.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

LabourRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Kingston and the Islands Ontario

Liberal

Peter Milliken LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I seek the unanimous consent of the House for the following motion.

I move:

That notwithstanding the usual practices and rules of the House, the government may immediately introduce and propose first reading of a bill entitled, "An act respecting the supervision of longshoring and related operations at west coast ports", and the said bill shall be disposed of as follows:

(1) Immediately after the completion of all items of business relating to ways and means this day, the House shall take up consideration of the second reading stage of the said bill.

(2) After being read a second time the bill shall be referred to a committee of the whole.

(3) Immediately after being reported from committee and concurred in at the report stage, the said bill shall be taken up at the third reading stage.

(4) The House shall not adjourn this day until the third reading stage of the said bill has been disposed of, but the House shall adjourn immediately after completing the third reading stage of the bill.

LabourRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

The Speaker

Does the hon. parliamentary secretary have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?

LabourRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

LabourRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.

LabourRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

The Speaker

Unanimous consent has not been granted.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Brent St. Denis Liberal Algoma, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure to present petitions on behalf of constituents in the central Algoma area of my riding, from towns like Richards Landing, Bruce Mines, north of Sault Ste. Marie, Goulais River and Echo Bay. These constituents have expressed concerns about government plans to include sexual orientation in Canada's human rights legislation.

It is my pleasure to present these on their behalf.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Alex Shepherd Liberal Durham, ON

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to present a petition from 190 of my constituents. Their concern is the addition of the phrase sexual orientation either in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms or the Canadian Human Rights Act.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Reform

Dave Chatters Reform Athabasca, AB

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present two petitions from my constituents.

The first petition requests that Parliament amend the Divorce Act, including the provision similar to article 611 of the Quebec civil code, which states:

In no case may a father or mother, without serious cause, place obstacles between the child and grandparents. Failing agreement between the parties, the modalities of the relations are settled by the court.

Further, they request an amendment to the Divorce Act that would give a grandparent who is granted access to a child the right to make inquiries and to be given information as to the health, education and welfare of the child.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Reform

Dave Chatters Reform Athabasca, AB

Mr. Speaker, the other petition asks that Parliament reduce government spending instead of increasing taxes.

I support the petitioners.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Bloc

Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table petitions signed by senior citizens in my riding. Because these people are less experienced with new technology, they ask the government to abandon its plan to install voice mail.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

NDP

Nelson Riis NDP Kamloops, BC

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present the first of many petitions organized by Nick Carter and others with the JC-55 Super Country Radio station in Kamloops.

The petition is signed by 14,000 people living mainly in the central interior of British Columbia. It calls for immediate changes to our justice system, including changes to the parole system to ensure that dangerous criminals not be allowed to return to our communities prematurely.

The bottom line is that they are seeking safety and security on our streets and in our neighbourhoods.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

David Iftody Liberal Provencher, MB

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today on behalf of people from Ste. Anne, Steinbach, St. Jean Baptiste, Altona and Plum Coulee in my riding.

It states that whereas the majority of Canadians believe that the privileges which society accords to heterosexual couples should not be extended to same sex relationships, therefore, your petitioners pray and request that Parliament not amend the human rights code, the Canadian Human Rights Act or the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in any way which would tend to indicate societal approval of same sex relationships.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

David Iftody Liberal Provencher, MB

Mr. Speaker, I have a second petition to present on behalf of other constituents in my riding.

It states that the concerned citizens of the province of Manitoba draw to the attention of the House that the proposed amendments to the firearms control legislation by the justice minister are unduly harsh and waste dwindling financial resources while attacking the rights of law-abiding citizens without affecting crime.

Therefore, the petitioners request that Parliament separate the provisions into two separate issues that Parliament may proceed to strengthen border controls and the criminal use of firearms, but not proceed with the proposed enhanced controls on legal ownership of firearms.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Reform

Jim Hart Reform Okanagan—Similkameen—Merritt, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have four petitions to present today. The first is from constituents in the beautiful city of Hedley, British Columbia. They realize that Canadians are already overburdened with taxation due to high government spending.

Therefore, the petitioners pray and request that Parliament reduce the federal deficit by reducing government spending and refrain from any form of increased taxation.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Reform

Jim Hart Reform Okanagan—Similkameen—Merritt, BC

Mr. Speaker, in the second petition the petitioners pray for two things: first, that Parliament ensure that the present provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada prohibiting assisted suicide be enforced vigorously; and second, that Parliament make no changes in the law that would sanction or allow the aiding or abetting or suicide or euthanasia.