Debates of Oct. 28th, 1999

Government Response To Petitions

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Parliamentary 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 five petitions.

Committees Of The House

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the associate membership of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in this fourth report later this day.

Canada Labour Code

[Claudette Bradshaw, Liberal, Minister of Labour]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-12, an act to amend the Canada Labour Code (Part II) in respect of occupational health and safety, to make technical amendments to the Canada Labour Code (Part I) and to make consequential amendments to other acts.

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

Competition Act

[Roger Gallaway, Liberal, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-276, an act to amend the Competition Act, 1998 (negative option marketing).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to give first reading this morning to this bill, which would amend the Competition Act to deal with negative option marketing.

I would point out that this bill dovetails with a report released by Industry Canada under the office of consumer affairs which identifies this type of marketing as being the area in which a number of industries have targeted growth. This is simply intended as a measure of consumer protection.

I would also point out that this bill is in the same form as Bill C-393, which existed on the order paper at the time of prorogation. I would ask, pursuant to Standing Order 86(1) and 92(1), that it be reinstated at the same stage at which it existed at the time of prorogation.

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

[The Deputy Speaker]

The Chair is satisfied that this bill is in the same form as Bill C-393 was at the time of prorogation of the first session of the 36th Parliament. Accordingly, pursuant to Standing Order 86(1), the bill is deemed read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Industry.

(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

Citizen-Initiated Referendum Act

[Ted White, Reform, North Vancouver, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-277, an act to provide for the holding of citizen-initiated referenda on specific questions.

Mr. Speaker, this bill, which would provide for the holding of citizen-initiated referenda on specific topics, took about two and a half years to prepare during the last parliament.

I introduced it during the first session of this parliament. It was drawn but made non-votable and, therefore, I refused to have it debated. I have put it back into the system again to wait for my name to be drawn and, hopefully, next time it will be made votable.

The bill is constructed from the best experiences of California, other United States, and New Zealand, which has a similar democracy as our own and allows citizen-initiated referenda.

I hope this time around the committee will see fit to make it votable.

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

Canada Elections Act

[Ted White, Reform, North Vancouver, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-278, an act to amend the Canada Elections Act (appointment of election officers).

Mr. Speaker, one of the most distressing aspects of the present elections act, and frankly the new Bill C-2 which is presently before the House, is that most of the field officers for Elections Canada are political appointees of the parties. In other words, it is patronage ridden.

Elections Canada does not even advise emerging democracies or third world countries to work under such a system.

This bill, when adopted, would get rid of the patronage in Elections Canada and allow the chief electoral officer to select his own staff.

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

[Ted White, Reform, North Vancouver, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-279, an act to amend the Canada Elections Act (election expenses).

Mr. Speaker, this bill, when adopted, would remove the ability of political parties and candidates to get the taxpayers to subsidize their election activities. Consistent with Reform policy, it would remove the reimbursement provisions of the elections act which returns taxpayers' money to political candidates and parties.

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

Copyright Act

[Steve Mahoney, Liberal, Mississauga West, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-280, an act to amend the Copyright Act.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce this bill. Currently in our education system when a teacher wants to use a document to teach his or her students and they need to photocopy it they are in violation of the Copyright Act.

This would not infringe upon an author's ability to have his material in the classroom. In fact, I believe it would enhance it. It would indeed support our education system at a time when it needs all the help it can get with its limited resources.

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

Divorce Act

[Roger Gallaway, Liberal, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-281, an act to amend the Divorce Act (child of the marriage).

Mr. Speaker, the objective of this bill is to declare that a child who has reached the age of majority is not a child of the marriage within the meaning of the Divorce Act by reason of only being enrolled in a program of studies at the post-secondary school level. Accordingly, a court would not be able, except for some other reason, to make a child support order in order to cover all or part of the child's post-secondary expenses if the child has reached the age of majority.

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

Committees Of The House

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I move that the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier this day, be concurred in. The report has been signed by each of the party whips in accordance with the standing orders.

(Motion agreed to)

Petitions

[Ted White, Reform, North Vancouver, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as I have been doing for the last few days, I am presenting yet another petition from people in North Vancouver and West Vancouver who point out to parliament that the recent arrival of ships bearing illegal Chinese migrants to Vancouver Island has underscored how illegal immigration is one of the most serious issues facing Canada today and that bogus refugee claimants cause undue hardship for honest bona fide refugees fleeing genuine political persecution.

The petitioners call upon parliament to enact immediate changes to Canada's immigration laws governing refugees to allow for the deportation of obvious and blatant abusers of the system.

This petition contains 520 signatures.

[Cliff Breitkreuz, Reform, Yellowhead, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to present a petition signed by people from the town of Grande Cache in the riding of Yellowhead.

The petitioners pray and petition that all references to the name of God and to the supremacy of God should remain in the constitution and in the charter of rights.

Questions On The Order Paper

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Supply

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

moved:

That athis House reaffirms its desire to maintain the provisions of section 6.1( a ) of the Air Canada Public Participation Act limiting ownership of the capital stock of Air Canada by any person or group to 10% of the voting shares.

[Bob Kilger, Liberal, Stormont—Dundas, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after discussions with the representatives of all of the parties, I believe that you will find unanimous consent for the following motion:

That, at the conclusion of the debate on today's Opposition motion, all questions necessary to dispose of this motion be deemed put and a recorded division be deemed requested and deferred until Tuesday, November 2, 1999, at the expiry of the time provided for Government Orders.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Does the chief government whip have unanimous consent to introduce this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

(Motion agreed to)

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There have been other discussions among the House leaders and I think you would find unanimous consent for the adoption of the following motion. I point out that the wording of this motion is identical to the wording of a motion passed by the House earlier this week governing speaking times. I move:

That, during today's sitting the member proposing a motion on an allotted day shall not speak for more than 20 minutes, following which, a period not exceeding 10 minutes shall be made available, if required, to allow members to ask questions and comment briefly on matters relevant to the speech and to allow responses thereto, and immediately thereafter a representative of each of the recognized parties, other than that of the member proposing the motion, may be recognized to speak for not more than 10 minutes, following which, in each case, a period not exceeding five minutes shall be made available, if required, to allow members to ask questions and comment briefly on matters relevant to the speech and to allow responses thereto.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Does the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Government House Leader have the unanimous consent of the House to propose the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.