Debates of Oct. 20th, 1995

Breast Cancer

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we have done considerable work to ensure that more and more dollars are channelled toward research in breast cancer.

Within our department we have reallocated an additional $2 million a year. Better still, along with those additional dollars we are working very closely in partnership with other groups so that huge sums of money are now being expended on breast cancer research.

We are not only doing more in research for breast cancer; we are also funding such things as the breast cancer information exchange projects. We are participating in setting standards of care and professional education so that the women of Canada have uniform, first class care when they are diagnosed with breast cancer. We are participating in the Canadian breast cancer screening initiative, one method of early intervention so that more people can be cured when breast cancer is detected at an earlier stage.

We will continue to do everything we can with the resources of Health Canada. We will also work in partnership with many other groups which have a very big interest in seeing this disease minimized, if not completely abolished.

Points Of Order

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

Mr. Speaker, during question period I was asked a question by the critic for the solicitor general from the Reform Party, the member for Calgary Northeast. He alleged that in section 135 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act the solicitor general is empowered to direct the parole board to cancel or suspend parole.

I have before me section 135 of the act. I see no reference whatsoever to any power of that sort given to the solicitor general. It says rather that this power can be exercised by a member of the parole board or a person designated by the chairperson of the

board. The chairperson of the board is not the minister. I therefore ask that the member for Calgary Northeast have an opportunity to correct the record.

[The Speaker]

Would the member for Calgary Northeast like to add something to this point of order?

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I directed my question to the solicitor general indicating that under section 135 it was within his power to address the commissioner of the board to review and revoke the decision made at the parole hearing. I understand that is what section 135(1) indicates.

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

Mr. Speaker, with the utmost respect to the hon. member, he should read the section of the act before asking his question. It makes no reference to any power of the minister to give any direction to the chair of the board or any member of the board.

[The Speaker]

I thank both hon. members for their interventions. The point has been made.

[Michel Bellehumeur, Bloc, Berthier—Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, earlier today, in answer to a question from the official opposition, the Deputy Prime Minister said that Quebecers were not fools and that they would vote no on October 30.

That statement implies that 50 per cent of Quebecers, including all the Bloc members who intend to vote yes are fools. I ask-

[The Speaker]

This is a point of debate, certainly not a point of order. I thank the hon. member.

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

Mr. Speaker, since the member claims in his point of order that I made a derogatory comment regarding Quebecers, I want to point out that my remarks concerned the blatant contradictions contained in the separatists' policy.

In that context, I believe those comments are not only acceptable, but also understandable.

[The Speaker]

Dear colleagues, this is not a point of order. Both sides have had an opportunity to say a few words. This is not a debate. I thank you.

The hon. member for Laurier-Sainte-Marie has the floor on another point of order.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to ask you to clarify a point. What you just said is that both sides of the House can use the word "fool" in reference to people who do not agree with us. Is that so?

[The Speaker]

As I said before, there is no word which is unparliamentary in itself, and that applies to this word. The important thing is how a word is used. Today, the word "fool" was used. It has been before. I would appreciate it if we never used it again. Sometimes, words are used during a debate and then we try to justify them.

I gave an opportunity to both sides to express their views. I want to leave it at that. Again, this is not a point of order.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, relating to the solicitor general's earlier point of order regarding his intervention or involvement with parole board decisions, there is nothing in the act which prevents the solicitor general from approaching the parole board or the commissioner. It is on this basis under section 135 that I am appealing to him to intervene in those parole board decisions.

[The Speaker]

I thank all hon. members and I hope that clears the air a little.

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 55 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 93rd report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, which lists the members of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and the associate members of the standing committees.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move that the 93rd report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to.)

Petitions

[Beryl Gaffney, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have three sets of petitions to present.

The first petition has 56 signatures. The petitioners request that Parliament legislate a maximum level of profit taking from the private brokerage of all licences and permits.

[Beryl Gaffney, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition has 47 names. These petitioners request that Parliament commission the publication and study of a privately developed economic system by Mr. Roger Collver.

[Beryl Gaffney, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition has 43 signatures. The petitioners request that Parliament honour the treaties made between the settlers of this country and its original inhabitants.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have several petitions pursuant to Standing Order 36.

The petitioners in the first petition pray and request that Parliament not amend 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 Canadian Human Rights Act to include in the prohibited grounds of discrimination the undefined phrase of sexual orientation. The petition bears 169 signatures.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in the second petition the petitioners pray that Parliament act immediately to extend protection to the unborn child by amending the Criminal Code to extend the same protection enjoyed by born human beings to unborn human beings. This petition bears 175 signatures.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in the third petition the petitioners call upon Parliament to eliminate the right of a convicted pedophile to be let out of jail on bail pending an appeal. This would thereby ensure the protection and safety of victims and the community from such a convicted offender. This petition bears 250 signatures.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in this petition 262 petitioners 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 or euthanasia.

[Daphne Jennings, Reform, Mission—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am presenting yet again more petitions on behalf of grandparents throughout British Columbia. They ask this government to keep its commitment already declared to this House on May 4, 1995 and amend the Divorce Act to give grandparents access to their grandchildren.

[Bob Wood, Liberal, Nipissing, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I present a petition from residents of my riding of Nipissing.

My constituents' concerns deal with the interdepartmental committee on household goods removal services which is chaired by the Department of National Defence. The allocation of all moves to one bidder will cause more problems and cost more money than does the present system of allocation. They feel the proposal would force many small family owned businesses to cease operation, causing job losses in regions already hard pressed to maintain employment opportunities.

The petitioners humbly pray and call upon Parliament to direct the interdepartmental committee to drop this proposal and to work directly with the Canadian moving industry to develop other alternatives to reducing federal expenditures.