Debates of May 27th, 1994

Association Canadienne-Française De L'Ontario

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, we believe that this organization is a very important one indeed. I do not have any detailed answer to give you about the timetable of the various ministers and the possibility that they may be able to attend that convention, but I will look into this matter, because this organization is very important to us, and I speak both as a minister and a member from Ontario.

Points Of Order

[Jim Silye, Reform, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, earlier in question period when the hon. member for Don Valley North asked a question of his finance minister in such glowing terms, I need a ruling. The question was so flagrantly biased in a way I need to know-

[The Speaker]

Questions that are put forward by all members in my view are legitimate questions. I know that all members are seeking information during question period. Of course that question was in order.

A message from His Excellency the Governor General transmitting supplementary estimates (A) for the financial year ending March 31, 1995, was presented by the Minister of Finance and read by the Speaker to the House.

Committees Of The House

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 23rd report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership of committees.

If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in this report later this day.

[Francis Leblanc, Liberal, Cape Breton Highlands—Canso, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the second report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development regarding the main estimates for 1994-95 under human resources development. The committee has considered the estimates and reports them without amendment.

Excise Tax Act

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-32, an Act to amend the Excise Tax Act, the Excise Act, and the Income Tax Act.

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

Canada Elections Act

[Tom Wappel, Liberal, Scarborough West, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-252, an act to amend the Canada Elections Act (review of nomination papers).

Mr. Speaker, section 82.1 of the Canada Elections Act requires that each person seeking election have their nomination papers signed by 100 electors resident in the riding in which they seek to be elected.

In the last federal election in Scarborough West there were eight people on the ballot. Four of those people at least had not complied with section 82.1 and had not in fact had their nomination papers signed by 100 electors resident in the riding of Scarborough West. There was absolutely no mechanism to deal with this flagrant abuse of the Canada Elections Act.

Accordingly I have proposed this bill which would amend the Canada Elections Act. It would allow an elector of an electoral district to request the review of a nomination paper when the elector has reasonable grounds to believe that one or more persons who signed the nomination paper are not qualified electors resident in the electoral district. A nomination paper that had not been signed by the required number of electors resident in the electoral district provided for by the Canada Elections Act would be declared invalid.

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

Criminal Code

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-253, an act to amend the Criminal Code (abortion).

Mr. Speaker, this bill is really a conscience bill. It is designed to protect health care workers who wish not to participate in the procuring of abortions. It makes it an offence for anyone to attempt to dismiss these people from their jobs if they refuse to do so on moral or religious grounds.

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

Supplementary Estimates (A), 1994-95

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Orders 81(5) and 81(6), I move:

That the forecasts contained in the Supplementary Estimates (A) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1995, tabled today, be referred to the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development, votes 1(a), 5(a), 10(a), and 35(a).

(Motion agreed to.)

Committees Of The House

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

Mr. Speaker, with leave from the House, I move that the 23rd report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, which was tabled in the House today, be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to.)

Petitions

[John O'Reilly, Liberal, Victoria—Haliburton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I am pleased and honoured to present a petition signed by a number of tenants in the Flynn Gardens apartment building at 48 St. Paul Street, Lindsay, Ontario. The apartment building is classified as a seniors and handicapped building.

The petition calls upon Parliament to consider locating a mailbox in the vicinity of 48 St. Paul Street for the convenience of the residents of the building and the surrounding residential district. I fail to understand the role of Canada Post in not providing the opportunity for people to be able to mail a letter with some convenience. I fully support this petition.

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

Mr. Speaker, these petitioners in my riding are no doubt joined by thousands of Canadians throughout the land who want the CRTC to regulate excessive abuse on radio, television and other media. They believe the use of foul language, significant violence or explicit sex is not necessary in order to entertain or to inform.

[Translation]

Abuse in the media often goes against parents' values, and that is why they are asking that it be controlled.

[Jerry Pickard, Liberal, Essex—Kent, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to stand today pursuant to Standing Order 36 to present a petition on ethanol. In my riding many people are very concerned about the direction our government is going with regard to the ethanol industry. Certainly Kent and Essex counties are areas that do need a boost.

We realize that ethanol will create a very stable agriculture industry in our country. Realizing all of the environmental positives ethanol will bring, I humbly ask the government to exercise its ability to present the exemption on excise taxes on fuel and forgo that tax for the next 10 years so that this industry may become strong and survive well in this country.

[John Cummins, Reform, Delta, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased and honoured to rise today to present a petition from some of my constituents. I fully support this petition which reads, in part: "We, your humble petitioners, therefore pray that Parliament not repeal or amend section 241 of the Criminal Code in any way and to uphold the Supreme Court of Canada decision of September 30, 1993 to disallow assisted suicide, euthanasia.

[Len Hopkins, Liberal, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have some petitions here dealing with Canada's having enacted legislation providing for the two official languages.

The petitioners call for a referendum of the people binding upon Parliament to accept or to reject two official languages.

As their member of Parliament, I am duty bound to present this petition to the House. It is signed by people from Pembroke, Eganville, Renfrew, Victoria, British Columbia.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition which was handed to me by residents of the Gaspé Peninsula during public hearings held by Rural Dignity. The petitioners are asking for a moratorium on the abandonment of rail lines as well as public hearings on this issue.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me pleasure, on behalf of some of my constituents, to present two petitions to the House.

The first petition deals with the drug RU486 which has been used in the abortion of human children at an early stage of development.

Their concern is that the administration of RU486 has caused the death of at least one woman to date and has caused serious health problems in other clinical trials in France, and that the only proven use of RU486 is in the abortion of young human beings.

Therefore, they petition the House to withhold the approval of RU486 and prevent the marketing and testing of this drug.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is also from some of my constituents. It is with regard to section 745 of the Criminal Code of Canada whereby convicted murderers sentenced to life imprisonment without chance of parole for 25 years are now able to apply after 15 years, and whereas they feel that the murder of a Canadian citizen is a most reprehensible crime, they request that Parliament repeal section 745.

[Rose-Marie Ur, Liberal, Lambton—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my duty to present the following petition, pursuant to Standing Order 36, which has been duly certified by the clerk of petitions.

Constituents in Lambton-Middlesex and the surrounding area pray and call upon Parliament not to extend the spousal privileges and benefits to same sex relationships which society accords to heterosexual couples.

[Rose-Marie Ur, Liberal, Lambton—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise in the House today to present a second petition, pursuant to Standing Order 36, which has been duly certified by the clerk of petitions.

Constituents in Lambton-Middlesex and area humbly pray and call upon Parliament to maintain the present exemption on the excise portion of ethanol for a decade, allowing for a strong and self-sufficient ethanol industry in Canada.

[Tom Wappel, Liberal, Scarborough West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions. The first petition is signed by well over 700 residents of Scarborough and the surrounding areas of metropolitan Toronto. It deals with the increase in violent crimes in Canada and also with the Young Offenders Act.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to amend the Criminal Code of Canada and the Young Offenders Act to provide heavier penalties for those convicted of violent crime.

I am pleased to note that our government is going to be moving precisely in that vein in June of this year.

[Tom Wappel, Liberal, Scarborough West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is also from residents of my riding and surrounding areas and it prays 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.

[Tom Wappel, Liberal, Scarborough West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition is also signed by people in Scarborough. It calls upon Parliament not to 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 Jordan, Liberal, Leeds—Grenville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from citizens in my riding asking the government to place a ban on serial killer board games.

The people who design these games must indeed be sick. Here is a description, it is very short, on one game: "This game comes with a body bag, 25 babies and four serial killer figures". The object of the game is to commit murder and the person who has the highest body count in the body bags is the winner.

The game is not in the best interest of children; indeed it is not in the best interest of the community or the nation. The petitioners are asking that the government ban serial killer board games in Canada immediately.

[Dale Johnston, Reform, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, it is my duty to table a petition in the House today dealing with doctor assisted suicides. These 33 petitioners are in favour of doctor assisted suicides. Therefore, these petitioners request that Parliament change the existing law to enable doctors to direct an act of euthanasia without fear of prosecution.