Debates of May 4th, 1994

Gun Control

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

Mr. Speaker, I have made clear that I am going to work with my colleagues in caucus and cabinet to bring forward proposals to achieve stricter gun control in the country. I think there is broad support for more effective control, and that includes particularly handguns which are not used in hunting.

Dealing more specifically with the question the hon. member has asked on compensation, that is one of the issues we have to look at. This party and this government are coming to these questions with an open mind. We are going to be sensitive to the ownership rights the hon. member has referred to and compensation is a matter we are going to be dealing with.

I am aware of the issue. I do not have a response today because caucus has not dealt with it, nor has cabinet. However, I can assure the hon. member that the process is going to be undertaken and that we are going to develop a position on this very important issue.

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

Mr. Speaker, for 20 years I had an occupational permit to carry a handgun as a field geologist in the mountains of British Columbia. I rarely used it. I rarely carried it but as a free man, as a Canadian, I had the right to make that personal decision myself.

There are legitimate reasons for civilians to own these weapons. To some working people, including timber cruisers, prospectors, trappers, bank messengers and the like, they are tools, not toys.

Will the minister listen to the advice of his own backbenchers and thoughtfully reconsider his position?

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

Mr. Speaker, I have three points very briefly.

First there is no right in the country to bear arms. The ownership of firearms is a privilege which is accorded by government under certain strict circumstances.

I do not wish to make light of the point made by the hon. member but the fact is we are not after those persons. Let me put it this way. The object of any such measures would not be to make life more difficult for those who have legitimate reasons connected with their occupation to carry firearms. Rather, it is in recognition of the fact that the use of firearms, handguns in particular, in the commission of homicides has risen from 33 per cent to 52 per cent in the last four years.

We will be thoughtful in the development of our policies through caucus, which is going to discuss these matters, and cabinet, which will form the policies that we will bring forward to the House.

Human Rights

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Saint-Denis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Yesterday, Lebanese Canadians demonstrated on Parliament Hill against actions in Lebanon that they consider oppressive and contrary to human rights and freedoms. I would like to ask the minister what the Canadian government's position is regarding these accusations?

[André Ouellet, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we have read the Amnesty International report and asked our ambassador to raise this issue with the Lebanese officials. When I receive further information, I will gladly pass it on to this House and to the hon. member in particular.

Presence In Gallery

[The Speaker]

I wish to draw to members' attention the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Anne Edwards, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources for the province of British Columbia.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Points Of Order

[Dave Chatters, Reform, Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on the same point of order I raised yesterday.

After making the request of the Speaker of the House, I consulted the recorder for Hansard who sits in the House during Question Period and I was assured that person heard the remark made and noted the remark on her paper. Yet it does not appear in Hansard . In my opinion that raises questions about the procedures of the House.

Again, I find the remarks offensive and insulting, particularly coming from the office of the Deputy Prime Minister. I would ask the Speaker again to have that member apologise and withdraw the remarks.

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the member makes reference to the fact that the comments did not appear in Hansard and somehow draws some references to the staff of the House of Commons.

Certainly from the perspective of the government staff of the House of Commons, in particular those people who record comments, they are doing a terrific job and should in no way be under any kind of a cloud because of this kind of comment.

That being said, what I said yesterday which I will withdraw if the Speaker finds it offensive, when there were questions raised and insinuations made about the status of the role of Indian chiefs in certain provinces, accusing them of everything ranging from assault to-

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order. I think I heard the hon. Deputy Prime Minister say at the beginning that if the statements were made she would withdraw the statements. Is that correct?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Hamilton East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what I said was that the questions involved were racist. If the Speaker finds offence at my characterization of a question I will so withdraw any comment.

[The Speaker]

The withdrawal of course is accepted categorically as it was said.

I wish to assure the hon. member that the procedures of the House were followed to a T. I informed myself of this. I would like to go to the next matter.

Library Of Parliament

[The Speaker]

I have the honour to lay upon the table the report of the parliamentary librarian for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1993.

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 five petitions.

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 20th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs relating to the list of members of committees.

With leave of the House I intend to move for concurrence in this 20th report later this day.

National Library Act

[Michel Dupuy, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-26, an act to amend the National Library Act.

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

Committees Of The House

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

Mr. Speaker, I believe I am moving with the unanimous consent of the House, seconded by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Solicitor General, that the 20th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs presented to the House earlier this day be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to.)

Petitions

[Elsie Wayne, Progressive Conservative, Saint John, NB]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the honour to present a petition that has been signed by over 100 residents of Saint John.

The petitioners pray and call upon the House to consider an inquiry into the time it is taking to process the applications of immediate family members who have been deported. Under the 1994 immigration plan the time required to process applications involving immediate family members has been reduced to less than six months.

Mrs. Lovella Szezendor-Grey from Saint John has undertaken the sponsorship of her husband, Antonio Grey, who was deported to Guatemala on April 21, 1993. Over a year has passed since Mrs. Szezendor-Grey started the proceedings with immigration for the return of her husband. I urge the House to look into this matter to expedite Mr. Grey's application.

This petition is presented with my concurrence.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Beaver River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 36, I would like to present a petition signed by many people from the constituency of Beaver River.

The undersigned residents of the province of Alberta draw the attention of the House of Commons to that whereas under section 745 of the Criminal Code of Canada convicted murderers sentenced to life imprisonment without chance of parole for 25 years are able to apply for review after only 15 years, and whereas the murder of a Canadian citizen is a most reprehensible crime, therefore your petitioners request that Parliament repeal section 745 of the Criminal Code of Canada as soon as possible.

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Témiscouata, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to submit a petition on behalf of citizens of Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! who want cuts in postal services to stop. These petitioners ask that postal services be restored to past levels.

[Jean-Paul Marchand, Bloc, Québec-Est, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour of submitting a petition signed by more than 600 residents from my riding of Québec-Est and the surrounding region.

The petitioners want to draw the attention of Parliament to the plight of the elderly in Quebec: 53 per cent of men and 82 per cent of women who reach the age of 65 need government assistance to make ends meet; 40 per cent of seniors aged 65 and over are entitled to the guaranteed income supplement, which merely keeps them at the poverty level. Moreover, only 5 per cent of people aged 65 and over have an annual income exceeding $50,000.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon Parliament to refrain from taking any measure to reduce any benefit, pension, social program, assistance or existing advantage for seniors, or to impose any tax or other levy having the effect of reducing their income.

I fully support this petition and I urge the government to act upon it.

[Jean Augustine, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a number of petitions from several of my constituents. These petitioners call on the House to amend the laws of Canada to prohibit the importation, distribution, sale and manufacture of killer cards and to advise producers of killer cards that their products if destined for Canada will be seized and destroyed.

[Harold Culbert, Liberal, Carleton—Charlotte, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure to present a petition, approved by the Clerk of Petitions, from my riding of Carleton-Charlotte.

This petition, presented to me on Friday afternoon past, states: "We the undersigned, being residents of the province of New Brunswick, draw the attention of the House to the following: That the Minister of Health is proposing legislation requiring plain packaging of tobacco products consumed in Canada, action which we feel is ill-considered and likely to have detrimental effects on ourselves and our community without demonstrable benefits to Canadians. Therefore, your petitioners request that Parliament refuse to enact any legislation requiring plain packaging of tobacco products to be consumed in Canada".

[Rex Crawford, Liberal, Kent, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House, pursuant to Standing Order 36, to present petitions of several hundred names from my riding of Kent requesting the continued exemption of the excise tax on ethanol fuels.

The petitioners cannot understand why the government is delaying this when in opposition it demanded the banning of MMT and the withdrawal of the excise tax on ethanol.