Debates of Oct. 17th, 1994

Presence In Gallery

[The Speaker]

I draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of a parliamentary delegation from the Republic of South Africa led by Mr. Govan Mbeki, Deputy President of the Senate.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Points Of Order

[Preston Manning, Reform, Calgary Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During question period the member for Calgary West asked two questions of the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. One was on the constitutional position of the government on the legality of cessation. The other was on the question of whether the Government of Canada had the competence to allow or disallow a referendum on secession. Neither was hypothetical.

The minister declined to answer these questions on the grounds that they were hypothetical. We believe neither was.

[The Speaker]

I would point out that in question period questions may be asked but should not be of a hypothetical nature. Members will note at that time the Chair did not intervene and did not rule on whether it was a hypothetical question.

We all accept in this House that ministers have the right to answer a question or not to answer a question and take whatever form when they do answer a question to do so. In this case, if a question is posed it is up to a minister or a member of the government to answer as he or she sees fit.

If I judge a question to be hypothetical, as your Speaker I will intervene. I cannot control the response and for the most part I cannot control the question.

Order In Council Appointments

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages, a number of order in council appointments which were made by the government.

Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 110(1), these are deemed referred to the appropriate standing committees, a list of which is attached.

Government Response To Petitions

[Peter Milliken, 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 20 petitions.

World Food Day

[Fernand Robichaud, Liberal, Secretary of State (Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Madam Speaker, I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the activities organized to commemorate World Food Day, today, in Canada and around the world.

The World Food Day reminds us that we have not yet found a sustainable solution to the problem of hunger in the world. Today, the Canadian Association for the World Food Day is organizing various activities and, in particular, workshops in all provinces and both territories, and the theme this year is: Water, source of life.

Canada, richly endowed in this regard, has contributed through its expertise in agriculture and irrigation to the improvement of water supplies for families in rural areas around the world.

On October 16, 1945 the food and agriculture organization of the United Nations, the FAO, was founded in Quebec City. I think it is only fitting that the House be reminded of the historic role of a great Canadian, the Right Hon. Lester B. Pearson, chairman and one of the principal architects of the founding conference of the FAO.

Next year, Canada, Quebec and Quebec City, will be hosting events to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of the FAO.

In the last 50 years we have experienced dramatic increases in agricultural production. At the same time the world is faced with daunting population growth. If we are to succeed into the next millennium our efforts will have to be based on truly sustainable agriculture. This will be one of the challenges that ministers of agriculture of the 170 member countries of the FAO, their officials, industry representatives and non-government organizations from Canada and abroad will address when they meet in Quebec City next year.

[Jean-Guy Chrétien, Bloc, Frontenac, QC]

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Bloc Quebecois, I have the pleasure of joining our voice to that of the hon. member for Beauséjour, the Secretary of State for Agriculture and Agri-Food, Fisheries and Oceans. Water is the source of life. Everyday, on our blue planet, a third of the population goes hungry and every day, four out of ten people go thirsty or do not have access to proper drinking water.

It is said that human beings can go without food for around 40 days as long they can drink. But without food or water, they die within four days. We cannot live without water and if we compare the Earth to a grapefruit, a pinhead would represent our water supply, 98 per cent of which is made up of salt water, which leaves us with only two per cent considered freshwater. We are not taking very good care of this two per cent found in lakes, rivers, streams, clouds, glaciers, and underground springs.

No later than yesterday I saw someone putting out a cigarette butt by throwing it in a toilet bowl and flushing it out. What a shameful waste of water! Here in Quebec and Canada, groundwater, the water table, is getting deeper and deeper and is often of questionable quality. One must keep in mind that one litre of

gasoline, diesel fuel or oil is enough to pollute one million litres of groundwater.

I am very happy to see that Quebec City will be host to the 170 FAO member countries for a convention, next October.

I would also like to take this opportunity to stress the importance of the work carried out by the many organizations involved in finding lasting solutions to world hunger. Despite our collective wealth, hunger is a problem we know at home in Montreal and other major Canadian cities.

I want to congratulate the World Food Day Association of Canada which, through its numerous activities, helps raise the awareness of Canadians and Quebecers regarding world hunger.

I would also like to encourage farmers to share their experience by participating in joint projects with other countries. The Union des producteurs agricoles du Québec has set up projects of this kind, showing a sense of solidarity which I believe augurs very well.

Finally, 18 months or two years ago, I was shocked by a piece of news coming out of the home province of the secretary of state, which is the potato capital of the country. As he will no doubt remember, there was an overabundance of potatoes and to keep prices up, both governments had found an ingenious trick. I must specify that it was the previous government. Anyway, they decided to buy the potatoes and bury them in a dump. I wonder if the member recalls this incident. It did not happen on the other side of our planet, but in New Brunswick, 18 months or two years ago.

I cannot forget the photosynthesis formula I was taught in grade school; you too will remember that we were told that on Earth there are three life-giving elements: water, air and earth. I will remind you that without water for three to four days, it is the end of this world for us.

Therefore, it with pleasure that the Bloc Quebecois joins the hon. member for Beauséjour in saluting the World Food Day Association of Canada.

[Leon Benoit, Reform, Vegreville, AB]

Madam Speaker, October 16 marks the 14th celebration of World Food Day. Governments got together and said they were in favour of food. This is ridiculous. What do governments have to do with food? Farmers produce food, other business people process and market food.

In Canada every day is food day. In this country for the most part at least, with a few notable exceptions, markets operate as they should. Prices tell farmers what customers want. Prices tell farmers what should be grown. Prices tell stores what to sell and customers what to buy.

I am not saying things are perfect here in Canada. There is still far too much government involvement in our industry, there is no doubt about that. Governments have too much say in marketing boards. There are too many interprovincial trade barriers and too many bureaucratic hoops for farmers to jump through in order to make a decent living.

Here where people are free food is abundant. Throughout the world there is a large discrepancy between what is being produced and what is needed. Unfair trade practices, for example the export enhancement program in the United States and the common agriculture policies in the European Union, prevent free markets from operating as they should.

Why are the countries of the former Soviet Union suffering from hunger? It is because they are still suffering from the effects of a centrally planned economy.

When governments stay out of the way, people co-operate to produce plenty. When governments get involved things go wrong; supply is short, prices are too high and markets are skewed. Would you let the post office feed you? World Food Day is not a recognition of what governments have done. It recognizes what governments have failed to do. Government involvement in agriculture should be reduced to a minimum. This is essential to the growth of the future of the agriculture industry in Canada and indeed around the world.

If governments would get out of the way we would be well on the way toward minimizing world hunger.

Subcommittee On National Security

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, I believe that you will find unanimous consent of the House for the following motion:

That the House, pursuant to Standing Order 119.1(1), authorize the Subcommittee on national security of the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs to televise the meeting of Tuesday, October 18, 1994, in accordance with the guidelines pertaining to televising Committee proceedings.

[The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)]

Does the hon. parliamentary secretary have the unanimous consent of the House to move this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)]

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

(Motion agreed to.)

Petitions

[Lee Morrison, Reform, Swift Current—Maple Creek—Assiniboia, SK]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, it is my pleasure to present a petition duly certified by the clerk of petitions containing 60 signatures from residents of the town of Assiniboia and district in my constituency.

Whereas the library book postal subsidy is necessary for the continued operation of interlending services among libraries and plays a vital role in the distribution of cultural and technical information and whereas cancellation of the subsidy or changes in the amount of subsidy would result in severely hampering the public's access to information housed in libraries, wherefore the undersigned your petitioners humbly pray and call upon Parliament to continue the library book postal subsidy and to ensure that there will be no further erosion in the resulting library book postal rate.

[Jack Frazer, Reform, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, it is my duty and honour to rise in the House to present a petition signed by 105 constituents of Saanich-Gulf Islands and surrounding area which has been duly certified by the clerk of petitions.

The petitioners humbly pray and call on Parliament to ensure that the Victoria Commonwealth Games shooting facilities will be completely removed from Heal's rifle range by October 31, 1994.

[Philip Mayfield, Reform, Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to present a petition from constituents in Horsefly, Williams Lake and 150 Mile House, British Columbia.

My constituents call on the government to refrain from passing any legislation that results in additional gun control laws. My constituents also request that under existing laws Parliament act to increase penalties for the illegal possession of a firearm or for criminal use of any firearm.

This petition is presented with my concurrence.

[Jim Hart, Reform, Okanagan—Similkameen—Merritt, BC]

Madam Speaker, I rise today pursuant to Standing Order 36 to present two petitions.

The petitioners call on Parliament to reject any proposals which might add to the existing regulatory restrictions for firearms. These restrictions clearly punish law-abiding gun owners and do not address the real problem in Canada which is a crime problem.

The petitioners go on to urge government to provide strict sentencing guidelines and mandatory sentences for anyone convicted of a crime while in possession of a weapon or a firearm. Their message is get tough on criminals, not on law-abiding citizens.

I agree with these proposals.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, under Standing Order 36 I wish to present two petitions on behalf of the constituents of Simcoe Centre. The first is on the issue of euthanasia. These petitioners request that the current laws regarding active euthanasia be enforced.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

The second petition requests that the Government of Canada not amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to include the phrase sexual orientation. The petitioners fear that such an inclusion could lead to homosexuals receiving the same benefits and societal privileges as married people.

[Randy White, Reform, Fraser Valley West, BC]

Madam Speaker, I rise to present two petitions, the first one asking that Parliament ensure that the present provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada prohibiting assisted suicide be enforced vigorously and that Parliament make no changes in the law which would sanction or allow the aiding or abetting of suicide or active or passive euthanasia.

[Randy White, Reform, Fraser Valley West, BC]

The second petition asks that Parliament not amend the human rights code, the Canadian Human Rights Act or the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in any way which would tend to indicate societal approval of same sex relationships or of homosexuality, including amending the human rights code to include in the prohibited grounds of discrimination the undefined phrase sexual orientation.

[John Williams, Reform, St. Albert, AB]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I am honoured to present a petition on behalf of 1,252 Albertans, many of whom are my constituents.

These petitioners request that Parliament not amend the human rights code, the Canadian Human Rights Act or the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which would in any way indicate the societal approval of same sex relationships or of homosexuality. These petitioners also ask that Parliament not amend the human rights code to include in the prohibited grounds of discrimination the undefined phrase sexualorientation.

Not only am I pleased to present this petition but I endorse the petition as well.

[Ronald J. Duhamel, Liberal, St. Boniface, MB]

This petition is about young people. My constituents see our young Canadians as our greatest asset. They point out that youth today has many challenges, for example the breakdown of the traditional family which has caused certain problems. They see increasing violence in our society. These petitioners want the government to continue to ensure that training, retraining and jobs are a priority for all Canadians and certainly our young men and women.

Questions On The Order Paper

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, Question No. 79 will be answered today.

Question No. 79-