Debates of June 16th, 1994

Gun Control

[Jay Hill, Reform, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice. We have been told that law abiding firearms owners are the primary source of guns used in crime because their firearms can be stolen. Accurate information regarding the sources of guns for criminals is necessary to determine if further firearms controls will reduce gun related crime, yet the statistics are unavailable.

Will the minister undertake a comprehensive national study to determine the source of firearms for criminal activities and will he make the information readily available to all Canadians?

[Russell MacLellan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, we do not have accurate statistics on the availability of firearms for illegal purposes. As the hon. member has said there are those who say that most of the firearms that get into the

hands of criminals are stolen, but the Official Opposition yesterday said that firearms smuggled across the border were the main concern.

The Ministry of Justice is looking into this. The minister has given his undertaking that he will get as much information on this question as he possibly can and make it available to the House.

Transport

[Audrey McLaughlin, NDP, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transport. Recently the minister gave an address outlining the government's plans to systematically dismantle the transportation system in this country. It should have been entitled "Goodbye to the National Dream". The minister calls his plan commercialization but it is clear that he means privatization and it will affect 75 per cent of the department's activities.

I ask the minister to be clear with Canadians. His policy clearly follows the Tory royal commission on transport.

I would like to ask the minister to explain how his plan to commercialize is different from the plan of the Tories to privatize which he opposed so vehemently in the last Parliament?

[Douglas Young, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my hon. colleague that there is no intention to dismantle the transportation system. We are trying to ensure that an integrated, affordable transportation system is available for Canadians to move both people and products.

I want to say to my hon. colleague that many people who follow the transportation scene will recognize in the commercialization approach that we are trying to maintain the involvement of the Government of Canada in a supervisory, a regulatory, a policy way in the work we are doing in transportation. We also understand that business and commercial practices have to be applied to the way we administer the transportation system.

The people who have been around here for some time have seen former ministers of transport of a Liberal stripe attempt to do these kinds of things. It is not a Tory agenda. It is an agenda designed to provide Canada with a transportation system that will support the economy that is required to pay for the social programs that are at the heart of Liberal policy.

Business Of The House

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Saint-Léonard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order. I think you will find unanimous consent to put forthwith all questions necessary to dispose of the report stage of Bill C-28 without further debate and to dispense with the ringing of the bells on any recorded division.

[The Speaker]

Is there unanimous consent?

(Motion agreed to.)

The House resumed consideration of Bill C-28, an act respecting the making of loans and the provision of other forms of financial assistance to students, to amend and provide for the repeal of the Canada Student Loans Act, and to amend one other act in consequence thereof, as reported (with amendments) from the committee.

Canada Student Financial Assistance Act

[The Speaker]

Is the House ready for the question?

[Some hon. members]

Question.

[The Speaker]

The question is on Motion No. 3. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Speaker]

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

[Some hon. members]

Yea.

[The Speaker]

All those opposed will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Speaker]

In my opinion the nays have it.

And more than five members having risen:

[The Speaker]

Pursuant to Standing Order 76(1)(8), a recorded division on the motion stands deferred.

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred divisions at the report stage of the bill now before the House.

The first question is on Motion No. 1.

(The House divided on the motion, which was negatived on the following division:)

[The Speaker]

I declare Motion No. 1 defeated.

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Saint-Léonard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I believe that you will obtain unanimous consent to apply the vote just taken to Motions Nos. 2 and 3 and to apply it in reverse to the motion at report stage.

[The Speaker]

Does the House agree?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[George Baker, Liberal, Gander—Grand Falls, NL]

Mr. Speaker, point of order. I wonder if you could include my name as voting with the government on these motions as well as, I think, a couple of other members here behind me.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Put mine there, too, Mr. Speaker.

[Julian Reed, Liberal, Halton—Peel, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to have my name added to that too.