House of Commons Hansard #57 of the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was airbus.

Topics

The BudgetOral Questions

Noon

Oxford Ontario

Conservative

Dave MacKenzie ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety

Mr. Speaker, that is the third good question from this side of the House today. As my hon. colleague from Fleetwood—Port Kells knows, Bill C-2 includes tough new penalties to crack down on gun criminals, repeat, violent or sexual offenders, impaired drivers and sexual predators targeting our youth.

Budget 2008 builds on previous efforts to deliver funding by providing funding for provinces and territories to recruit 2,500 new frontline police officers. As British Columbia finance minister Carole Taylor says, “I think an aggressive recruitment program for young police officers is a good thing”. We agree.

IranOral Questions

Noon

Liberal

Mario Silva Liberal Davenport, ON

Mr. Speaker, across the world human rights groups and labour leaders continue to express their concerns about the ongoing situation in Iran. Recently, two labour leaders, Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi, were arrested and imprisoned as a result of their efforts to create fair and safe working conditions for Iranian workers.

What has the Minister of Foreign Affairs done to help secure the release of these two labour leaders and to impress upon the Iranian government Canada's concern about human rights violations in Iran?

IranOral Questions

Noon

Calgary East Alberta

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, this government is very concerned by the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran, including the increased prosecution of minorities.

As my colleagues may recall, last year Canada successfully spearheaded a resolution at the UN highlighting the continued deterioration of the human rights situation in Iran. We will continue to ensure that Canada makes its position very well known to the government of Iran about the situation of human rights in Iran.

Official LanguagesOral Questions

Noon

Bloc

Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC

Mr. Speaker, the recent Conservative budget once again clearly shows the outright lack of respect of this government for official language communities. No funding appears under the heading “Action Plan for Official Languages”. This plan comes to an end on March 31.

Will the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages explain why she has completely abandoned the official language communities since there is nothing in the budget to meet their needs?

Official LanguagesOral Questions

Noon

Beauport—Limoilou Québec

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Status of Women

Mr. Speaker, our government is acting in the interests of official language communities and is ensuring the vitality of French and English in Canada.

A strategy to implement the next phase of the Action Plan for Official Languages is currently being developed. The amounts have not yet been reported because we are working on the second part of the plan. You will be informed in due course, Mr. Speaker, when it becomes available.

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

Noon

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of His Excellency Mirek Topolanek, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

Noon

Some hon. members

Hear, hear!

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

Noon

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I remind hon. members of the reception in Room 216 with the Prime Minister, to which all hon. members are invited immediately.

I would also like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of Mr. Fred Chartrand, a Canadian Press photographer who is retiring today after 38 years of service on Parliament Hill.

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

Noon

Some hon. members

Hear, hear!

Comments during Oral QuestionsPoints of OrderOral Questions

Noon

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

We have some points of order. I will start with the hon. secretary of state.

Comments during Oral QuestionsPoints of OrderOral Questions

Noon

Calgary Southeast Alberta

Conservative

Jason Kenney ConservativeSecretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity)

Mr. Speaker, during question period I used certain unparliamentary terms for which I apologize and which I retract.

Comments during Oral QuestionsPoints of OrderOral Questions

Noon

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I did not know who the culprit was. I did hear some words that were inappropriate. I am pleased the secretary of state has confessed.

The hon. member for Halton is rising on a point of order.

Comments during Oral QuestionsPoints of OrderOral Questions

Noon

Liberal

Garth Turner Liberal Halton, ON

Mr. Speaker, the hon. minister has beaten me to the point. I would like to thank him very much for doing that. I accept his apology.

Comments during Oral QuestionsPoints of OrderOral Questions

Noon

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

The hon. member for Abbotsford is rising on a point of order also.

Alleged Comments by Member for CharlottetownPoints of OrderOral Questions

Noon

Conservative

Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order and do so very reluctantly because it involves another member of this House.

As you know, Mr. Speaker, before question period there is a 15-minute period in which we as members have the opportunity to make statements about matters that are dear to our heart. It often involves issues in our riding. Sometimes it involves issues that we are dealing with in this House. We are given one minute to express our views on those issues.

I sit here in my seat right next to another member of the House, the member for Charlottetown. I am a Conservative member of this House. He is a Liberal member of this House. I often disagree with his views. He often disagrees with mine.

However, when we are given an opportunity to make member's statements, it is a one minute opportunity and we typically do not interfere with the ability of the microphones in this House to pick up those comments.

Yesterday I made a one minute statement in the House where I praised the fact that the tackling violent crime act had been passed finally. I expressed my view that it had taken much too long, there had been a lot of delay from the Liberals and the NDP in this House, but finally that act had passed.

During my statement the member for Charlottetown started heckling. I know most of us heckle in this House from time to time and we do it in a good-natured way. However, yesterday he leaned over the microphone which is on his desk and is supposed to pick up my voice, but he leaned over so far it was almost as though he were choking on it, as though he were swallowing it. No one in this House could hear what I was saying. As you know, Mr. Speaker, these proceedings are broadcast across Canada and my statement was not heard.

There is something even more disconcerting about the member for Charlottetown's behaviour. During his comments, as he was leaning over the microphone and trying to interfere with my statement, on five occasions in reference to the former prime minister, Mr. Mulroney, he said the following words, “hang Mulroney”. On two occasions he said “put a noose around his neck”.

That kind of language is unparliamentary under the best of circumstances. It was shameful behaviour on the part of my colleague in this House, the member for Charlottetown.

I would request that the member offer an unconditional apology for those remarks, as well as an apology for interfering with my statement. I have never leaned over his microphone to interfere. I will heckle from time to time, as most of us do, but we do it in a good natured way.

I would ask that you review the audio and the video tapes of yesterday's proceedings during statements by members and then determine whether an apology is warranted. I certainly believe an apology is warranted. Clearly it was shameful behaviour on the part of a member of this House.

Alleged Comments by Member for CharlottetownPoints of OrderOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

The Chair will be glad to review the tape of the proceedings yesterday. I admit that there was a great deal of yelling when the hon. member was making a statement. I turned and tried to quell the disturbance, but the member for Charlottetown was not the only one yelling. There seemed to be quite a number yelling, which is not infrequently the case in this particular corner of the House.

The Speaker is well aware that there is a lot of shouting back and forth.

I will examine the tape and come back to the House, if necessary, and deal with the hon. member's point of order.

Alleged Comments by Member for CharlottetownPoints of OrderOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Prince George—Peace River B.C.

Conservative

Jay Hill ConservativeSecretary of State and Chief Government Whip

On the same point of order, Mr. Speaker, I am going to be very brief. I think upon review you will see that this went way beyond the usual heckling and noise that you just mentioned in the House. As you correctly state, all members heckle from time to time and noise does get excessive and you do your best to try to quell that.

In this particular case though, it really does strike at the very privileges of each member of Parliament to be heard in this place. That is why it is very important that you do a good job of reviewing this, Mr. Speaker, because we do have in this House members from different parties who share desks from time to time. If we are going to allow that type of behaviour, then it is going to get indeed even more unruly.

Alleged Comments by Member for CharlottetownPoints of OrderOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I thank the Chief Government Whip for his assistance in this regard. I know that he is aware of the noise that happens from time to time in various places in this House and I sometimes have even looked to him for assistance in trying to quell disturbances with his ability to whip members.

I will examine the tape. It is my intention to do exactly that, as I have indicated, and if necessary, as I say, I will come back to the House.

The noise was excessive, I quite agree, but I have not seen the tape of the proceedings. I only saw what I saw sitting here.

Alleged Comments by Member for CharlottetownPoints of OrderOral Questions

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

Mr. Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. Very briefly, I have to put in my two cents on this.

I sit on this side of the House and the member for Charlottetown is my seatmate.

I do not want you to come to any conclusions based on just what happened yesterday, because this has been ongoing since there haven been members of the Conservative Party sitting on this side of the House. Therefore, if you are going to review tapes, I think you are going to have to review the tapes since there have been Conservative members sitting on this side.

Let us just be fair on all sides, Mr. Speaker.

Alleged Comments by Member for CharlottetownPoints of OrderOral Questions

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I intend to be fair on all sides, as the Speaker's obligation is to be.

Alleged Comments by Member for CharlottetownPoints of OrderOral Questions

12:10 p.m.

Conservative

Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON

Mr. Speaker, on the same point of order, actually I encourage you to do that because the hon. member for Bramalea—Gore—Malton did make a statement yesterday. All of the Conservative members, as we always are, were in their seats. I encourage you to look at that statement, Mr. Speaker, and compare the treatment he got with the treatment that my colleague got. I think you will find a big difference and a big disparity between how Conservative members acted and how Liberal members acted.

Alleged Comments by Member for CharlottetownPoints of OrderOral Questions

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I could sit and look at tapes for hours, particularly ones that involve members in this corner, because I sit so close I can hear a lot of what is going on in terms of noise at least, even if I cannot make out the words.

I assure the hon. member that I will review the matter and will get back to the House, if necessary. I think we have heard enough on this point.

Energy Science and Technology TreatyRoutine Proceedings

February 29th, 2008 / 12:10 p.m.

Calgary East Alberta

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, pursuant Standing Order 32, I have the pleasure to table, in both official languages, one treaty entitled “Agreement among the Government of Canada, the Government of the United Mexican States and the Government of the United States of America for Cooperation in Energy Science and Technology”. An explanatory memorandum is enclosed with the treaty.

Agriculture and Agri-FoodCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

Conservative

James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food in relation to Growing Forward entitled, “The Non-business Risk Management Programs under Growing Forward”.

Access to Information, Privacy and EthicsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, which met on February 28, 2008 in relation to the Mulroney Airbus settlement study and agreed to the following recommendation: As your committee has now completed its examination of witnesses in this matter, it recommends, as it did in its second report to the House, that the government immediately initiate a formal public inquiry into the Mulroney-Schreiber affair.