House of Commons Hansard #125 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was rcmp.
Peter Milliken LiberalParliamentary 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 nine petitions.
Ron Irwin LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 109, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs.
Art Eggleton LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages, the government's response to the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.
Art Eggleton LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, as was promised to the House on September 19, I wish to table at this time a summary report on the investigation of advance payments for internal government contractual arrangements with respect to the Canada Communication Group and Consulting and Audit Canada. This report is in both official languages.
Art Eggleton LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table, in both official languages, a summary report of the investigation of advance payments for internal government contractual arrangements with regard to advance payments to Statistics Canada.
A message from His Excellency the Governor General transmitting supplementary estimates (C) for the financial year ending March 31, 1995, was presented by the President of the Treasury Board and read by the Speaker to the House.
Art Eggleton LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages, supplementary estimates (C).
Bob Nault Liberal Kenora—Rainy River, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources regarding Bill C-48, an act to establish a Department of Natural Resources and to amend related acts.
John Harvard Liberal Winnipeg—St. James, MB
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations on Bill C-52, an act to establish the Department of Public Works and Government Services and to amend and repeal certain acts, with an amendment.
Peter Milliken LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 48th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs concerning membership of committees.
If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in this report later this day.
John Williams Reform St. Albert, AB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-289, an act to provide for evaluations of statutory programs.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce my private member's bill, the short title of which is the Statutory Program Evaluation Act. This bill will establish a process whereby all statutory program spending is reviewed by Parliament on a cyclical basis.
In his 1993 report, the Auditor General stated that some 70 per cent of all government spending is now statutory spending. Spending is not reviewed or even voted on by Parliament once the original bill is enacted. It has been many a long year since Parliament voted on some statutory programs, spending millions of dollars annually.
I believe this bill has significance in that it will turn the tide of authority which has been flowing from Parliament to government and cabinet back to the elected representatives and Parliament.
Spending without review or analysis is clearly unacceptable in these times of burgeoning debt. The Statutory Program Evaluation Act would cause the examination of all program spending based on the following objective criteria. First, is the program still required, is it relevant, or are we just spending money by virtue of habit? Second, is the program effective in meeting its objectives or are we spending money with the greatest of intentions but missing the mark? Third, is the program being delivered efficiently knowing that our resources are limited and that our taxpayers deserve good management? Fourth, can the purposes of the program be better achieved through different means?
The Auditor General stated that the program evaluation act has great potential to save millions of dollars and I call on my colleagues to support the bill.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)
Art Eggleton LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, I would like to move, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 81(5) and Standing Order 81(6):
That supplementary estimates (C) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1995 laid upon the table this day be referred to the Standing Committee on Finance.
(Motion agreed to.)
Peter Milliken LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, with the consent of the House, I move, that the 48th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, tabled today, be concurred in.
(Motion agreed to.)
Svend Robinson NDP Burnaby—Kingsway, BC
Mr. Speaker, following consultation with representatives of the parties, I seek leave at this time to move a motion, of which I gave notice yesterday. I seek unanimous consent to move the following motion:
That this House strongly condemn the recent shooting of Vancouver, B.C. doctor, Gary Romalis, extend its wishes for a full and speedy recovery to Dr. Romalis, and urge the appropriate authorities to take all necessary steps to prevent violence directed at those providing legal medical procedures in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, if there is unanimous consent to put the motion I would briefly clarify the purpose of it.
Janko Peric Liberal Cambridge, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table a petition containing approximately 170 signatures which was conveyed to me from my riding of Cambridge.
The petitioners pray and request 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.
Werner Schmidt Reform Okanagan Centre, BC
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I wish to present two petitions.
The first is signed by 665 constituents praying 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.
Werner Schmidt Reform Okanagan Centre, BC
Mr. Speaker, the second petition is signed by 1,146 constituents. Pursuant to Standing Order 36 I present it to the House. It states that your petitioners pray and request 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.
Jim Hart Reform Okanagan—Similkameen—Merritt, BC
Mr. Speaker, today I have a petition signed by 158 constituents of the riding of Okanagan-Similkameen-Merritt. The number of people who are opposed to additional legislation for gun control is growing.
The petitioners are calling on the House assembled to oppose further legislation for firearms acquisition and possession and to further provide strict guidelines and mandatory sentencing for the use or possession of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime. I agree with my petitioners.
Svend Robinson NDP Burnaby—Kingsway, BC
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table petitions signed by many residents of my constituency of Burnaby-Kingsway who draw to the attention of the House the fact that the current provisions of the Criminal Code deny people who are suffering from terminal or irreversible and debilitating illness the right to choose freely and voluntarily to end their lives with the assistance of a physician.
Therefore the petitioners call upon Parliament to amend the code to ensure the right of all Canadians to die with dignity by allowing people with terminal or irreversible and debilitating illness the right to the assistance of a physician in ending their lives at a time of their choice subject to strict safeguards to prevent abuse and to ensure that the decision is free, informed, competent and voluntary.
Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise under Standing Order 36 to present a petition to the House. The petitioners are from my riding of Mississauga South. They pray 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.
Chuck Strahl Reform Fraser Valley East, BC
Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions here today that I would like to present. The first calls upon Parliament to 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.
Chuck Strahl Reform Fraser Valley East, BC
Mr. Speaker, the second petition is concerned with the sanctity of life. The petitioners pray that Parliament act immediately 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. I share the concerns about the fact that there is no such law in Canada right now.
Chuck Strahl Reform Fraser Valley East, BC
The third petition, Mr. Speaker, is that the petitioners pray and request 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. I agree with these petitioners.