Debates of Nov. 21st, 1994

Drug Industry

[Yves Rocheleau, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

During the Prime Minister's recent trip to Asia, a group of his Liberal members from Ontario proposed to the Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations that the regulations made pursuant to Bill C-91 be abolished. This unusual procedure used by the committee could have jeopardized major investments by brand-name drug manufacturers.

Is the Prime Minister dissociating himself from his colleagues' initiative and does he promise to immediately allay the concerns-

[Some hon. members]

Order!

[The Speaker]

My dear colleagues, from time to time, questions are asked which do not deal with the government's administrative responsibilities. Perhaps the hon. member could rephrase his question a little to make it admissible.

I would ask him to rephrase his question a little so that it deals with the government's administrative functions.

[Yves Rocheleau, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, is the Prime Minister dissociating himself from his colleagues or does he intend to keep the regulations made pursuant to Bill C-91?

[Some hon. members]

Order!

[The Speaker]

My dear colleagues, I will allow the question if the Prime Minister is willing to answer it. The Hon. Minister of Industry.

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows full well that questions must deal with matters for which the government is responsible and not with committee matters.

I would like to point out to the hon. member that if the Bloc Quebecois does not believe that parliamentary committees should scrutinize regulations, its members ought to say so. For my part, I believe I have stated many times in the House the position of the government on Bill C-91. Despite the fact that we have continually reiterated that position, the Bloc has difficulty understanding it. That I find very strange.

[The Speaker]

Does the hon. member have a supplementary question?

[Yves Rocheleau, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the regulations made pursuant to Bill C-91 cannot be reviewed before 1997. The Prime Minister said last spring that the government would not touch Bill C-91.

Can the Prime Minister assure us that the law will not be reviewed before the spring of 1997?

[The Speaker]

Again, dear colleagues-

[English]

The government does not control what is going on in the committees per se. However, in a very general way I will accept the question.

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, if I understood the question correctly, the member was asking whether we intend to reform

-Bill C-91 before the parliamentary review already provided for in the bill. We answered this question several times. We will honour our international commitments under NAFTA and under the Uruguay Round agreement.

As far as the matter of regulations is concerned, there is a parliamentary committee with the authority to review the regulations. This committee has the jurisdiction to do what it wants.

National Defence

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence has agreed to an open, civilian led inquiry into the allegations of gross misconduct during the Canadian Airborne Regiment's deployment to Somalia.

However I am concerned that he seems determined to delay this inquiry for several months. Such a delay will inevitably involve the events becoming more remote, the trail more cold and the truth more difficult to ascertain.

Why will the minister not initiate this inquiry immediately so that all the facts can be determined and the cases evolving from it settled in the full light of public scrutiny?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I answered this question in reply to the Leader of the Opposition last Thursday when I announced the inquiry.

It is imperative that all of us ensure that justice be done and the judicial proceedings involved with the court martials be concluded before any inquiry takes place. I have given assurances that once the judicial process is completed, the inquiry will be open and civilian, and will answer all of the questions that the hon. member has.

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister misses the point. No one questions that the military justice system is constitutional and generally effective, but the Somalia situation seems to be an aberration.

There is concern that evidence has been deliberately suppressed or destroyed. Some aspects have been described by Kyle Brown as a turkey shoot. Both those accused and the Canadian forces themselves have come under suspicion which can only be resolved by a prompt, open and absolutely unbiased investigation.

To ensure justice is done and seen to be done, will the minister order that the now scheduled court martials be delayed until after the civilian inquiry is completed?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, for the reasons I have already stated, no.

Criminal Code

[Pierre De Savoye, Bloc, Portneuf, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. In his Bill C-41, amending the Criminal Code, the Minister of Justice proposes harsher sentences for those who commit hate crimes, including those based on the victim's sexual orientation. A large of group of government members openly challenge this amendment and the authority of the Minister of Justice.

Does the Prime Minister intend to demand a party vote on Bill C-41 or will he submit to the sixty or so members of his caucus who oppose this bill and are calling for a free vote on this issue?

[The Speaker]

Once again we are getting into party things as opposed to administrative functions of the government. I would ask hon. members if they could raise their questions so that we deal directly with the administration of a particular department of government. It would facilitate matters.

I will permit the Minister of Justice to respond if he so wishes.

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, may I make it clear that the Prime Minister has already said that this is a government bill and it will be presented to the House on that basis.

[Pierre De Savoye, Bloc, Portneuf, QC]

Mr. Speaker, am I to understand from the minister's answer that the Prime Minister will force the sixty or so members who oppose the justice minister into line, reminding them that this is a government bill as well as a party promise?

[The Speaker]

I rule this question out of order.

Justice

[Gary Pillitteri, Liberal, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice.

The provincial government announced new measures which would crack down on under age strippers by fining club owners and having their licences suspended if they continue with their hiring practices.

In keeping with the Liberal red book promise of stricter penalties against youth exploitation, can the minister tell us what he plans to do?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, like all Canadians I was appalled to learn that adolescent or juvenile girls might be exploited in these strip clubs. It has to stop. All levels of government have to collaborate in making it stop.

As the hon. member knows, there are provisions in the Criminal Code which make it criminal conduct to present an obscene performance. The participation of a juvenile girl in such a show might itself be sufficient to render that performance obscene.

I would hope that those sections already in the criminal law would be enforced vigilantly by the province through prosecutions.

As the hon. member pointed out there are also provincial steps that can be taken in relation to licensing. Last, there are municipal zoning that steps can be taken. Working together all levels of government must bring an end to this deplorable practice.

Immigration Refugee Board

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister of immigration.

Despite the minister's call for a judicial inquiry into the performance of vice-chair of the Immigration Refugee Board, Michael, Schelew, it looks as though it might not get off the ground. After the announcement of the inquiry Schelew said he would not co-operate.

Given that Schelew thinks he is above the law, will the minister of immigration admit that the best way to deal with Mr. Schelew is not send a pretty please invitation to a judicial inquiry but send him a pink slip and immediately demand his permanent resignation from the board, like he did with his other friend, Inderjit Singh Bal?

[Sergio Marchi, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday we made public the fact that I had recommended under section 63(1) of the Immigration Act that we move to a judicial inquiry because enough questions had been raised about the response by the deputy chair and the initial report by the chair.

The matter is now in the hands of my colleague the Minister of Justice. The terms of reference and the judge will be appointed by him. No one is above the law. We are following the law and we expect everyone to participate.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I trust that the minister will recommend that the judge hold Mr. Schelew in contempt of court for refusing to appear.

Given that the minister has called a judicial inquiry, will he expand that inquiry to include IRB members who have been artificially inflating acceptance rates? Will the minister refer an investigation of the entire IRB executive to the Standing Committee on Immigration?