Ovid Jackson

[V-E Day, May 8th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the House that Edmund Burke said that all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men or women to do nothing.

Fifty years ago today one million Canadians took up the charge to fight the evil. I was reminded of this yesterday at a church service of the Branch 6 Legion, which had three Victoria Cross members. They were Billy Bishop, Tommy Holmes, and David Currie. David Currie was a second world war veteran who risked his life to defend a group of tanks in the army in 1944.

I would like to thank all Canadians and in particular the Grey and Simcoe Foresters and Branch 6 for their help during the war. I would like to thank their families as well for what they put up with in order to ensure that we have the democracy we have today.

[Petitions, April 26th, 1995]

Madam Speaker, the other petition requests that Parliament ensure that present provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada prohibiting assisted suicide be enforced vigorously and that Parliament make no change in the law which would sanction or allow the aiding and abetting of suicide, active or passive euthanasia.

[Petitions, April 26th, 1995]

Madam Speaker, I rise today to table two petitions on behalf of residents of my riding of Bruce-Grey.

The first petition calls upon Parliament to oppose any amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which provide for the inclusion of the phrase "sexual orientation".

[Tobacco Use, April 26th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, tobacco use is one of Canada's greatest public health concerns.

Each year tobacco causes over 40,000 preventable deaths. While the number of Canadian smokers has declined over the last 20 years, there are still 6.5 million smokers. Even more distressing, thousands of young people begin to smoke every month.

Tobacco use is a major risk factor for stroke, heart disease, circulatory disease, cancer of the lungs, larynx, pancreas, mouth, esophagus, bladder, kidney and cervix.

Pregnant women who smoke increase their baby's risk of premature birth, low birth rate, inhibited child development and sudden infant death syndrome.

In Grey and Bruce counties 26 per cent of the population continue to smoke. As a result, the Hamilton Regional Cancer Centre predicts that 287 residents in my riding will die this year from tobacco related illnesses.

[Firearms Act, March 28th, 1995]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to take the opportunity to comment on Bill C-68 respecting the Firearms Act on behalf of the constituents of Bruce-Grey.

Bruce-Grey is one of Canada's most blessed ridings with an abundance of clean air, pure water and excellent people. It is located in the beautiful Bruce Peninsula in southwestern Ontario. My riding has one of Canada's first underwater national parks.

The traditions of the people are very strong. I also have two native reserves in my riding, Saugeen and Cape Croker. I am pleased that the minister is going to take into account the traditional way of life of the native community.

Hunting still plays a very important economic role in my region for the service industries, outfitters and guides. Tourism is a major industry in my riding. Almost every farmer and many rural residents own firearms, not only for hunting or sport but also for the protection of their livestock from predators.

I have held several meetings with organizations in my riding such as hunting and shooting clubs and numerous meetings with individuals regarding Bill C-68. The greater majority of my constituents applaud the minister and support the call for stiffer penalties for the use of firearms in the commission of crime and for stiffer penalties for illegally importing and trafficking in firearms, as well as stricter border controls on firearms.

My constituents have two major concerns, the first dealing with the prohibition of the 105 millimetre or 4.14 inch barrel length handgun. I am pleased the minister has requested the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs determine which handguns in the prohibited class can be exempted due to their use in recognized shooting competitions. I feel the standing committee can resolve the issue and make recommendations to accommodate the legitimate user.

The other major concern of my constituents is the universal registration system for legal hunting rifles and shotguns. In all my meetings and discussions this portion of Bill C-68 elicits the most serious concerns and the strongest objection. Many of my constituents believe this system will make criminals out of innocent law-abiding citizens who do not register their legal rifles or shotguns or who are unable to do so.

These citizens are responsible, respectful people who enjoy hunting as a sport. They value their rifles and shotguns and take great care to secure them. As I said earlier, most of the rural residents do have a rifle or a shotgun. It is a necessity and legitimate tool of their everyday working and recreational lives. They are law-abiding citizens.

I do not wish to reiterate everything previous speakers said on this portion of the bill except to say that I feel the bill can be improved by removing from the Criminal Code the penalties under section 91 for non-registration. My constituents prefer that we have no registration of rifles and shotguns. That would be my preference also. However, if the standing committee determines registration is a necessity I hope it recommends the penalty for non-registration be removed from the Criminal Code under section 91.

This simple amendment would take nothing away from the strength of the bill. It would ensure that law-abiding Canadians are not recorded as having a criminal record due to an omission or oversight. This amendment would dispel much of the concern of my constituents.

An umbrella groups representing hunting and shooting clubs has requested an opportunity to appear before the standing committee. It will be bringing forward its positions. It is important that our legislation will achieve the goals for which it is intended, to make our communities and streets safe for our families and for all Canadians. There are many positive sections in Bill C-68 that will accomplish this.

I ask that the standing committee take into account my comments particularly about removing from the Criminal Code penalties in section 91 for non-registration.

[Petitions, March 15th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the fourth petition asks Parliament to extend protection to the unborn child by amending the Criminal Code to extend the same protection enjoyed by born human beings to unborn human beings.

[Petitions, March 15th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the next petition requests that Parliament ensure that the present provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada prohibiting assisted suicide be enforced vigorously and that Parliament make no change in the law which would sanction or allow the aiding or abetting of suicide, or active or passive euthanasia.

[Petitions, March 15th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I have four petitions today from constituents in my riding of Bruce-Grey.

Two of the petitions request that Parliament not amend the human rights code and the Canadian Human Rights Act or Charter of Rights and Freedoms in any way that would indicate societal approval for same sex relationships or homosexuality, including amending the human rights code to include in the prohibited grounds of discrimination the defined phrase sexual orientation.

[Borrowing Authority Act, 1995-96, March 2nd, 1995]

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Yorkton-Melville for his input. Many of us on this side listen to what they have to say. I know whenever there were good ideas that previous governments sort of gobbled them up and used them as theirs.

I will make a couple of comments and then I will ask a question. One comment I hear a lot in the House from Reformers is about the red ink book. I am the member for Bruce-Grey and I want to tell them that the word redd means cleaning up a mess and getting the house in order. That is exactly what the government is doing.

In the sixties we had problems with a fuel crisis. There were mechanics who fixed old fashioned cars with carburettors. However, modern cars from perhaps 1993 onward are distinctly different; they do not have carburettors. When drivers put their foot to the floor in cars with carburettors, a certain volume of air came in through the carburettor, mixed with the fuel, and the fuel was dumped out the exhaust.

Modern cars have from one to four computers. When drivers switch on modern cars the computers react to the temperature outside. If it is zero degrees they know exactly what kind of fuel is needed. There is no RPM from the RPM gauge. There is no air flow through the manifold pressure sensing devices. The computer plugs in the value. The car starts and goes into what is called an open loop. In that open loop the computer triggers. The oxygen sensing device senses the fuel coming out of the carburettor. It knows that maybe it is too rich and sends a message back to the computer. The RPM works and so on and so forth.

I am using this analogy because the government is like the modern devices on cars. We have people with the talent and ability, such as the finance minister, the Prime Minister, members of the cabinet and members of the government including the rump over there, to adjust to new conditions.

In the case of a brand new car, if drivers want to pass they put their foot to the floor. The air conditioning system and everything that is not necessary are shut down. That is the first thing that happens.

The government found itself in the position where there was debt that had been incurred over two decades at which time no government had the political will to do what we are doing. We are chopping $29 billion over the next three years. We have contingency funds. We have gold reserves. We have dollars to back up situations when the interest rates rise to make sure that we can look after that particular eventuality.

In addition, we are not like members opposite who open the hood of a new car and shut it because they do not know how to fix it. They come back with old-fashioned ideas, looking for the carburettor that is not there or looking for some other device that is not there. That is their problem. If they have great ideas to suggest to the House, I assure them we will accept them.

What would the Reform Party do to repatriate our foreign debt?

[Firearms Act, February 27th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to compliment the hon. secretary of state on her eloquent representation of her people. I have two native reserves in my riding of Bruce-Grey, the Saugeen and Cape Croker. The member quite eloquently represented the position they find themselves in.

As a rural member I must also speak on behalf of the hunters, trappers, farmers and other rural people whose lives are different from most people. They have needs. In this case they are a minority. If we took a poll perhaps the majority of people would be against guns, but rural people have a different orientation, a different history, a real need. This bill in its current state could constitute some hardships for them.

I must compliment the minister on the smuggling penalties and the penalties for the use of a firearm in the commission of a crime. I hope that somehow the concerns of rural people can be accommodated in this bill.

Does the hon. member not feel that rural people do have similar needs to aboriginal people, particularly in ridings such as Bruce-Grey?