Debates of Oct. 18th, 1995

Witness Protection Act

[Tom Wappel, Liberal, Scarborough West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I do so for the following brief reasons.

Members will recall that my private member's bill was debated and passed unanimously at second reading in the House of

Commons and referred to the justice committee. Since that time my government has brought forward Bill C-78 on exactly the same subject.

In my judgment the bill contains virtually the same items that are in my private member's bill. It is designed to protect and relocate witnesses to crimes in Canada. As such, it seems a waste of time to proceed with two bills with identical material. Accordingly I am quite prepared, with the consent of the House, to have my private member's bill withdrawn.

I ask for unanimous consent of the House that the order of reference to the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs for the consideration of Bill C-206, an act to provide for the relocation and protection of witnesses, be discharged and the bill withdrawn.

(Order discharged and bill withdrawn.)

Committees Of The House

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

Mr. Speaker, I think you will find unanimous consent for the following motion.

I move that the 91st report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier this day, be concurred in.

[Diane Ablonczy, Reform, Calgary North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of information. I wonder if the parliamentary secretary could tell the House what the contents of the report are.

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there are name changes for various committees, as I announced when I presented the report. There were changes naming associate members to certain committees and a change in the membership of the Library of Parliament committee. All was approved by the whips of the three parties in the House in accordance with normal practice.

(Motion agreed to.)

Petitions

[Peter Thalheimer, Liberal, Timmins—Chapleau, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, pursuant to Standing Order 36, to present a petition signed by 175 people asking Parliament to support the people of 150 communities dependent on mining for their livelihood.

The Government of Canada has a responsibility to encourage investment in mineral exploration and the petitioners are asking that Parliament take action to keep mining in Canada.

[Elwin Hermanson, Reform, Kindersley—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by about 50 of my constituents who are in the teaching profession. It has been duly certified pursuant to Standing Order 36 to be in order.

My constituents in the province of Saskatchewan object strongly to the present status of Canada's Young Offenders Act. They feel that the Young Offenders Act has failed to address the issue of youth crime and has negative results in our schools, communities, and society in general.

Therefore they petition the House to enact legislation to significantly toughen the Young Offenders Act as quickly as possible, with a view to making young offenders responsible for their actions, making the names of young offenders public and increasing the severity of consequences for repeat offences.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I wish to present a petition that has been circulating all across Canada. This portion of the petition has been signed by a number of Canadians from my riding of Mississauga South.

The petitioners draw to the attention of the House that managing the family home and caring for preschool children is an honourable profession, which has not been recognized for its value to our society. They also state that the Income Tax Act discriminates against families who make the choice to provide care in the home to preschool children, the disabled, the chronically ill and the aged.

The petitioners therefore pray and call upon Parliament to pursue initiatives to eliminate tax discrimination against families who decide to provide care in the home for preschool children, the chronically ill, the disabled or the aged.

[Jim Silye, Reform, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise and present a petition of 28 names on behalf of Nola Newitt, who, along with residents of Rockyford, Strathmore, and Chilliwack, call upon the government to amend the Income Tax Act to provide a child care expense deduction that is available to all families, regardless of the income level of the parents, the amount of the child care expenses incurred or the form of child care chosen.

[Tom Wappel, Liberal, Scarborough West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions today. The first petition contains some 450 signatures from across Canada.

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 that

would sanction or allow the aiding or abetting of suicide or active or passive euthanasia.

[Tom Wappel, Liberal, Scarborough West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition contains the signatures of approximately 150 people, primarily from the province of Ontario, praying that Parliament act immediately to extend to the unborn child the same protection that is extended to born human beings.

[Tom Wappel, Liberal, Scarborough West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition is in connection with the CRTC and signed primarily by people from the province of Ontario. They pray and call upon Parliament to ensure that the CRTC recognizes that Canadians do not need to be shocked to be entertained. Foul language, excessive violence and explicit sex are not necessary to provide quality entertainment.

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions today. Two of the petitions call on Parliament to request the federal minister responsible for Canada Post to consider bringing in legislation requiring all unsolicited mail and flyers to use recyclable materials and post-consumer fibre, and amending the Canada Postal Act so that Canada Post would have to comply with no flyers signs at personal residences, with the exception of material from political parties and charities. The two petitions contain many names.

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition calls upon Parliament to act quickly to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and to adopt all necessary measures to recognize the full equality of same sex relationships in federal law.

[John Duncan, Reform, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure today to present three different petitions from my constituency.

The first is signed by 33 of my constituents who pray that Parliament enact Bill C-206 at the earliest opportunity so as to provide a statutory foundation for a national witness relocation and protection program.

[John Duncan, Reform, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is signed by 40 of my constituents who 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.

[John Duncan, Reform, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition is signed by 41 constituents who pray that Parliament ensure the current 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.

Questions On The Order Paper

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

[The Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Motions For Papers

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers be allowed to stand.

[The Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Points Of Order

[Ken Epp, Reform, Elk Island, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order to assist in the maintenance of proper decorum in the House. I refer to a review on September 18 in which the Acting Speaker referring back to a ruling in June said: "We would hope and call upon members of both sides of the House to be mindful of the ruling of the Speaker in June regarding exhibits, lapel pins, et cetera".

Mr. Speaker, I draw this to your attention and ask you to remind members to refrain from wearing pins today. Perhaps we could all agree to do this. The members for Winnipeg South, Kent, Algoma, Verchères, St. John's West, and Kingston and the Islands are wearing exhibits.

[The Speaker]

I take the hon. member's advice à coeur. I noticed some members today are wearing a flower or a pink pin. I remind members members that whatever pins or parliamentary buttons we

wear, my general rule is I am guided by the House in virtually everything I do.

As long as it does not cause a disorder and is in keeping with the dignity of the House, I use these as general criteria for what we do. I encourage all hon. members to look at what they are wearing in the House. For the most part much of it is accepted and we take that for granted.

I will keep vigilant and I hope all hon. members will keep that in mind when in the House.

[Jim Silye, Reform, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I remind you the Chair has the right to request that certain pins or items not be worn. On the night we voted on MP pensions certain members of the Reform Party were asked to remove them.