Debates of Feb. 7th, 2003
House of Commons Hansard #55 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was claims}.
Topics
- Report of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Manitoba
- Business of the House
- Specific Claims Resolution Act
- Health
- Chinese New Year
- Housing
- Dorothy Rungeling
- National Library of Canada
- Queen's Jubilee Medal
- Black History Month
- Riding of Jonquière
- International Development Week
- Species at Risk
- Canadian Coast Guard
- Canadian Alliance
- World Social Forum in Pôrto Alegre
- Black History Month
- Veterans Affairs
- Fisheries
- Iraq
- Border Security
- Justice
- Iraq
- Health
- Firearms Registry
- Child Pornography
- Agriculture
- The Environment
- National Identity Card
- Goods and Services Tax
- Softwood Lumber
- Government Contracts
- Health
- National Defence
- Aboriginal Affairs
- Gasoline Prices
- Child Pornography
- Homelessness
- Foreign Affairs
- National Defence
- Health
- Employment Insurance
- Human Resources Development
- The Environment
- Human Resources Deelopment
- Taxation
- Presence in gallery
- Privilege
- Points of Order
- Government Response to Petitions
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Question No. 100
- Questions Passed as Orders for Return
- Question No. 48
- Specific Claims Resolution Act
- Solicitation Laws
Points of Order
Oral Question Period
12:10 p.m.
Bloc
Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral Laval Centre, QC
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It is unfortunate that we only have two questions during oral question period.
In an attempt to set the record straight, following the answer from my colleague, the member for Brampton Centre, regarding the position I took yesterday with the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, I have three things to say for the benefit of the House and also for the benefit of the public.
Obviously, debate, no matter what the topic, is always essential in democracy. Debate is what enriches democratic life. A debate on the identity card is certainly necessary.
The second thing I said is that, as far as I am concerned, I accept the idea of an optional identify card. However, there are some very clear things that this identity card should not contain, which I indicated to the minister, such as the place of birth, and other information. In other words, I do not want the card to contain all kinds of information. I want it to be optional. I am happy to have had the chance to clarify my views on this.
Points of Order
Oral Question Period
12:15 p.m.
The Deputy Speaker
With all due respect for the hon. member for Laval Centre, her comments do not warrant a point of order. She did get to clarify things. That is fine, but it did not turn out to be a point of order.
On another point of order, the hon. member for Portage--Lisgar.
Points of Order
Oral Question Period
12:15 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Brian William Pallister Portage—Lisgar, MB
Mr. Speaker, during question period, a particularly well crafted and pertinent question of mine was directed to the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, to which he chose to respond in I think a rather thin-skinned way. In his answer, in his bombastic display of vitriol, he unfortunately put erroneous information on the record.
That might not be very relevant to him, but it certainly is to me, because of what he implied in his answer very clearly. I do not know the exact words, but I tried to get the gist of what he said written down: what he said was that if I bothered to show up from time to time for committee.
Mr. Speaker, he is referring to my absence from committee and that is not right. I pride myself on doing my job for my constituents and the people of this country and I resent it when a member refers to my absence from committee, particularly when I have been at over 90% of the meetings this session. All the minister has to do is ask any other member of committee and he would know that.
I do not believe that is fair or right and I also believe that all of us deserve to be treated with respect under the rules of the House.
What I would also say is that this kind of arrogant response is the reason that virtually every submission to our committee regarding the minister's legislation, by people from across Canada, is opposed to his legislation: because he has taken such a thin-skinned approach. He has offended virtually every person who understands and has read the legislation, which I am afraid the minister has not done.
Points of Order
Oral Question Period
12:15 p.m.
The Deputy Speaker
I must reply to the hon. member for Portage--Lisgar with the greatest of respect that this does not constitute a matter of a point of order, but in fact we are prolonging the debate, if I might. If in fact we just took a moment to address the issue of the comment about one's absence, clearly with regard to the House itself we have a certain standard. I am not certain, and I stand to be corrected, but I do not believe it also extends itself to committee.
Is anything fair around here? I will let everyone else be the judge of that, but clearly at this time I must rule that it is not a point of order.
I do this with reluctance, but very briefly, I will hear the hon. member for Portage--Lisgar.
Points of Order
Oral Question Period
12:15 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Brian William Pallister Portage—Lisgar, MB
May I ask you humbly, Mr. Speaker, you expressed in your response, Sir, that you were not totally sure if it is permissible for a member of Parliament to imply that another member was absent from committee. I do not want it left on the record. Clearly if it is against the rules of the House of Commons or not, I do not want it left on the record that I have not been doing my work for my constituents, Sir.
I ask the minister to withdraw his comment. I ask that you, Mr. Speaker, instruct him to withdraw it and that he offer an apology for that response, which put misinformation on the record. Clearly that is not correct, it is not right, it is not fair, and the minister should not be given a lease to allow him to do that.
Points of Order
Oral Question Period
12:15 p.m.
The Deputy Speaker
I verified, in fact, as I did state earlier that I was not certain. I have consulted very briefly, but of course given the availability of our good officers, including the Clerk at the table, that standard of mentioning or referring to one's presence in the House and in committee is not held to the same standard. The reason is that in committee, of course, recorded participation of members is on the public docket. It is public information as to who is or is not present at any one time.
That information, as I said, is public whereas the presence or absence of anyone in the House is not recorded in a similar fashion. That is the reason for the different standard according to the presence or participation of a member in the House at any one time or in committee. I regret, this matter is closed.
Government Response to Petitions
Routine Proceedings
12:20 p.m.
Bras D'Or—Cape Breton
Nova Scotia
Liberal
Rodger Cuzner Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to four petitions.
Petitions
Routine Proceedings
February 7th, 2003 / 12:20 p.m.
Liberal
Mac Harb Ottawa Centre, ON
Madam Speaker, I have a petition signed by supporters of rural route mail couriers. They ask the government to take action in order to repeal section 13(5) of the Canada Post Corporation Act.
Petitions
Routine Proceedings
12:20 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Maurice Vellacott Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Madam Speaker, I have a petition with several hundred signatures. These citizens of Canada want to draw attention to the fact that marriage is the best foundation for families and the raising of children. The definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman is being challenged and they want the House to uphold the traditional definition of marriage as defined in June 1999.
They call for marriage to continue to be defined as a union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others. They bring this to the attention of the Parliament of Canada.
Petitions
Routine Proceedings
12:20 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Maurice Vellacott Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Madam Speaker, I have another petition presented by the undersigned residents who want the proper kind of ethical stem cell research. They acknowledge that many Canadians suffer from debilitating diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes and so on, and that there is encouraging potential in adult stem cell research.
They want to draw the attention that we should stay away from research on embryonic stem cells and that we should focus the legislative agenda on adult stem cell research to find the cures and therapies necessary to treat the illnesses and diseases of suffering Canadians.
Petitions
Routine Proceedings
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
Eugène Bellemare Ottawa—Orléans, ON
Madam Speaker, I would like to present a petition on the definition of marriage signed by over 500 constituents from my riding.
They ask that Parliament pass legislation to recognize the institution of marriage in federal law as being a lifelong union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.
Petitions
Routine Proceedings
12:20 p.m.
NDP
Svend Robinson Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Shut out again, Madam Speaker. I have the honour of presenting two petitions today. The first is a petition which is signed by some 52 residents of my constituency of Burnaby--Douglas. They are petitioning on the subject of child pornography. They draw to the attention of the House their concern that the creation and use of child pornography is condemned by a clear majority of Canadians, that the courts have not applied the current child pornography law in a way which makes it clear that such exploitation of children will always be met with swift punishment.
They call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed. This is signed by petitioners including Jenivere Peters, Helen Dirksen, Alex Robertson, Nola Robinson, Ying Wang and many others from Burnaby.
Petitions
Routine Proceedings
12:25 p.m.
NDP
Svend Robinson Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Madam Speaker, the second petition that I have the honour of presenting is signed by more than 500 residents of British Columbia, mainly from the Sunshine Coast, in particular endorsed by the Sunshine Coast peace group and Roger and Denise Lagassé-Birklein from Half Moon Bay. They point out that the terrible events of September 11, 2001, have shown how desperately urgent it is to address the underlying causes of violence and terrorism.
They speak in the petition about those underlying causes and they call for the establishment of a ministry of peace to signal to the world that, in this the third millennium, our commitment to global peace is a major priority deserving of serious attention and be an ongoing priority among our government objectives.
Petitions
Routine Proceedings
12:25 p.m.
NDP
Libby Davies Vancouver East, BC
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House to present a petition signed by a number of people in Vancouver, Victoria and the lower mainland, who are concerned that the rural route mail couriers earn less than minimum wage and have working conditions that are reminiscent of another era. They are not allowed to bargain collectively and this basic denial of rights is really unfair and discriminates against rural workers.
The petition calls upon Parliament to repeal section 13(5) of Canada Post Corporation Act to allow rural route mail carriers to collectively bargain and have fair rights.
Petitions
Routine Proceedings
12:25 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Ken Epp Elk Island, AB
Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present four petitions. The first three petitions, signed by some 792 individuals in my riding and surrounding areas, deal with the issue of child pornography.
The petitioners call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed.