Raymond Bonin

[Corrections and Conditional Release Act, February 21st, 2003]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-401, an act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to establish a Board of Management to oversee operations of the Correctional Service of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce this bill which is designed to reform our corrections system. The bill would enhance the accountability of Correctional Service of Canada. The legislation establishes a seven member board of management which would be responsible for the operations of the corrections system. Two members of the board would represent the interests of victims.

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

[The Environment, February 11th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian industry can meet the challenge in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and remain competitive in global markets. INCO Limited is doing it and has established itself as an industry leader.

In 2001, INCO successfully reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 8% from 1990 levels. In other words, the company has already met and surpassed Kyoto targets. The INCO experience clearly demonstrates that sound economic policy is not simply good public relations. It is good business with real benefits for the bottom line.

While reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the company has increased production, lowered energy consumption and remained competitive in global markets. As INCO officials readily admit, improving environmental policy has strengthened the company while making our environment safer.

I trust that the government will give credit where credit is due and properly reward industry leaders like INCO.

[Privilege, November 25th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I stand in response to a point of privilege that was raised in the House on November 21 by the members of the New Democratic Party, the Bloc Quebecois and the Progressive Conservative Party. I will scan through my notes because I will be providing you with documents supporting what I am about to present to the House.

The first document is a notice of the original notice of the meeting which was provided to the members at 11:45 on November 15. It clearly indicates that the meeting would be 11:00 to 12:30, a public hearing; 12:30 to 1:00 a clause by clause. This was decided by the members of the committee at a previous meeting by a vote.

The next document, the Speaker will notice that the notice of motion, in addition to being short of 48 hours notice, does not make reference to it being disposed of before doing clause by clause.

Further, the decision to do clause by clause at 1 p.m. that day was a decision of the committee. It was decided by a vote of members of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, you will then see an amendment to the notice of meeting to accommodate the notice of motion of the member for Windsor—St. Clair. You will that the notice of motion was received by the clerk at 4:21 p.m. on November 19. Forty-eight hours would have brought us up to 4:21 p.m. on November 21, 2 hours after the planned meeting to do clause by clause.

As a courtesy, we dealt with the notice of motion at 11 a.m., 5 hours short of the 48 hours, to accommodate the mover.

The Speaker will see the amendment to the agenda where it has been indicated that Greenpeace declined to appear and it was the choice again of the member for Windsor—St. Clair. The member asked that Greenpeace be replaced by the Sierra Club of Canada and again as a courtesy to that member I agreed.

In dealing with the notice of motion from the member for Windsor--St. Clair, the Speaker will note that the hour of 11:30 was quickly approaching and that the blues will reveal that the chair did bring this to the attention of the members, who chose not to allow others to speak on it.

There was a motion by a member of the committee to call the question. The chair did put the question to the committee, and I quote the blues:

I am asking the floor to vote. If you want me to call the question at this time or not.

The record reveals that seven members voted yes to call the question and one member voted no.

Mr. Speaker, you will further note that the members who brought this point of privilege to your attention were: the member for Acadie--Bathurst, who was nowhere near Room 237-C at the time of the meeting; the member for Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, who attends the aboriginal affairs and northern development issues; and his colleague, the member for Sherbrooke, who deals with natural resources issues, and who voted to call the question. The member for South Shore, who is one of 87 associate members, as is the member for Windsor--St.Clair, voted in favour of calling the question.

I feel that this filibuster has more to do with the leadership race of the fourth party than with the good work of the committee.

[Infrastructure, November 20th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry and the minister responsible for infrastructure.

As the minister knows, my constituents in the communities of northern Ontario are pressing for the completion of the four lanes on Highway 69. It is a matter of health and safety for travellers and of economic development for the region.

Could the minister tell the House whether federal funds could be made available under the Canada strategic infrastructure fund to accelerate the four lanes on Highway 69?

[Petitions, November 6th, 2002]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to present the following four petitions on behalf of my constituents.

All four petitions 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.

[Petitions, October 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to present the following petition on behalf of my constituents. The petitioners call upon Parliament to focus its legislative support on adult stem cell research to find the cures and therapies necessary to treat the illnesses and diseases of suffering Canadians.

[Dangerous Offenders, May 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the solicitor general.

Under Correctional Service of Canada policy, the country's most dangerous and violent criminals only have to spend the first two years of their sentences in maximum security.

Why does the solicitor general not make sure that justice is done for the victims and society and do what is right and increase the time violent offenders spend in maximum security? If he will not act, why does he not give judges the power to determine the time violent offenders spend in maximum security?

[Energy, May 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Minister of Natural Resources participated in the meeting of the G-8 energy ministers that was held last week in Detroit.

My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources. What were the outcomes of the meeting of the G-8 energy ministers and how will this outcome help Canada and other countries meet sustainable development objectives?

[Corrections and Conditional Release Act, May 1st, 2002]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-459, an act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to provide for the disclosure of certain information about offenders.

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to introduce the bill. The legislation is about transparency and about providing information to the public and victims on how justice is implemented in Canada. The legislation would make the security classification of offenders public information and would also greatly enhance the access of victims to information about offenders, like advance notice of prisoner transfers.

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

[Corrections and Conditional Release Act, May 1st, 2002]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-458, an act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to establish a Board of Management to oversee operations of the Correctional Service of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I stand to table another bill designed to reform our corrections system. The bill would enhance accountability at Corrections Canada. The legislation establishes a seven member board of management which would be responsible for the operations of the correctional system. Two members of the board would represent the interests of victims.

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