Debates of Feb. 15th, 1995

Committees Of The House

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

Madam Speaker, I think you would also find that there is unanimous consent for the following motion:

That, regarding consideration of Bill C-64, an act respecting employment equity, the House authorize the necessary staff of the Standing Committee on Human Rights and the Status of Disabled Persons to travel within Canada in order to prepare and hold videoteleconference hearings during the weeks of February 20 and 27.

(Motion agreed to.)

Petitions

[Gaston Leroux, Bloc, Richmond—Wolfe, QC]

Madam Speaker, I would like to table before this House a petition on behalf of senior citizens from my riding of Richmond-Wolfe.

I would like to do so by stating the facts. It reads: We, the undersigned citizens of Disraeli, Danville, Lawrenceville, Maricourt, Valcourt, Saint-Élie d'Orford, Rock Forest, Richmond, Windsor, Saint-Claude, Stoke Centre, Chesterville and Saint-Denis-de-Brompton, wish to call the attention of Parliament to the following facts.

Whereas seniors are naturally more at a loss when faced with voice mail technology; whereas seniors are entitled to adequate service, particularly with regard to their income security enquiries; therefore, your petitioners humbly pray and call upon Parliament to ask the government to abandon its plan to introduce voice mail systems for seniors.

I table this petition, Madam Speaker.

[Ronald J. Duhamel, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Madam Speaker, this petition concerns excessive violence in our society, on the radio and on television.

Violence in our society is a concern of these petitioners: violence in general, violence on radio and television or wherever one finds it.

The petitioners ask the government and the CRTC to ensure that to the extent possible we diminish and remove violence. They point out that violence is not necessary to entertain or to inform, that it is counter to what many families are trying to do in their homes as they raise their children.

They point out however that there has been some progress made in this area and they applaud the government and the CRTC for their efforts.

[Paul Forseth, Reform, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Madam Speaker, I present today three petitions from constituents of New Westminster-Burnaby as well as from other parts of British Columbia.

In the first two, the petitioners state that physicians should be working to save lives and not to end them. They pray 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.

[Paul Forseth, Reform, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in the third petition, petitioners from B.C.'s lower mainland pray and request that Parliament not amend the Canadian Human Rights Act or the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in any way that would tend to indicate societal approval of same sex relationships or of homosexuality, including amending the Human Rights Act to include in the prohibited grounds of discrimination the undefined phrase sexual orientation.

[Gordon Kirkby, Liberal, Prince Albert—Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I present a petition compiled by Jamie and Janet Bassett from my riding of Prince Albert-Churchill River.

The petition has been signed by approximately 14,400 Canadians and requests that Parliament grant conditionally or unconditionally a pardon to Mr. Robert Latimer of Wilkie for a second degree murder conviction.

While I respectfully disagree with the petition, I hold the Bassetts in high regard. I respect their viewpoint and their right to express it, and the viewpoint of the many thoughtful Canadians who have signed this petition.

I present this petition on their behalf.

[Roseanne Skoke, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Madam Speaker, I have two petitions to table.

The first states that Canada's mining industry is a mainstay of employment in over 150 communities across Canada, an important contributor to Canada's gross domestic product in total exports and a cornerstone of our economic future.

Therefore, the petitioners call on Parliament to take action that will increase employment in this sector, promote exploration and rebuild Canada's mineral reserves, sustain mining communities and keep mining in Canada.

I concur with this petition.

[Roseanne Skoke, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Madam Speaker, in the second petition the petitioners 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 that 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.

I concur with this petition.

[Diane Ablonczy, Reform, Calgary North, AB]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of constituents of Calgary North, praying that Parliament ensure that the present provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada prohibiting assisted suicide be enforced vigorously.

This petition is signed by more than 25 members of the Calgary North constituency.

[Jesse Flis, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have a petition on behalf of my constituents and residents from the greater Toronto area. The petitioners claim that the majority of Canadians believe that the privileges society accords to heterosexual couples should not be extended to same sex relationships.

The petitioners pray and request that Parliament not amend the Canadian Human Rights Act or the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in any way that 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, sexual orientation.

[Len Taylor, NDP, The Battlefords—Meadow Lake, SK]

Madam Speaker, it my duty and privilege to present a petition signed by approximately 3,000 Canadians, the majority of whom reside in the Battlefords-Meadow Lake constituency.

The petition was collected and brought to my attention by the Woodrow family of Battleford, Saskatchewan. It notes the conviction of Robert Latimer for second degree murder with no chance of parole for 10 years.

The petitioners request that Parliament grant Robert Latimer of Wilkie, Saskatchewan a pardon conditionally or unconditionally for his conviction of second degree murder in the death of his daughter Tracy Latimer.

[Darrel Stinson, Reform, Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Madam Speaker, on behalf of my hon. colleague, the member for Calgary Southeast, I rise in the House on day eight to present petition number eight. These petitions are being presented on behalf of constituents who wish to halt the early release from prison of Robert Paul Thompson. April 11, 1995 is the date set for the parole hearing.

The petitioners I represent are concerned about making our streets safer for our citizens. They are opposed to the current practice of early release of violent offenders prior to serving the full extent of their sentences.

The petitioners pray that our streets will be made safer for law-abiding citizens and the families of the victims of convicted murderers.

[Dale Johnston, Reform, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the honour to present a petition.

The petitioners request that Parliament support laws that severely punish all violent criminals who use weapons in the commission of a crime; support new Criminal Code firearm control provisions that recognize and protect the right of law-abiding citizens to own and use recreational firearms; and support legislation that will repeal and modify existing gun control laws which have not improved public safety or have proven not to be cost effective or have proven to be overly complex as to be ineffective and/or unenforceable.

[Dale Johnston, Reform, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Madam Speaker, the second petition is from the constituents of Wetaskiwin.

The petitioners pray and request that Parliament not amend the Human Rights Act or the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in any way that 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, sexual orientation.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Madam Speaker, I rise under the provisions of Standing Order 36 on behalf of a number of residents of communities in western Canada.

The petitioners point out that the Canadian Mineral Industry Federation has proposed a 10-point plan of action to be addressed by both the mineral industry and the Government of Canada to keep mining in Canada.

They call on Parliament to take immediate action which would increase employment in this crucial sector, promote exploration, rebuild Canada's mineral reserves and sustain mining communities in order to keep mining in Canada.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Madam Speaker, I have another petition in which the residents point out to the House of Commons that a company in western Canada called Multinational Resources has indicated its plan to divert water from the North Thompson River near Valemount, British Columbia, in an effort to resell that water in San Diego, California. This is one of the many proposals from the North America Water and Power Alliance; that is, to divert Canadian rivers into the United States and northern Mexico.

The residents call on the government to introduce legislation that would categorically prohibit any permits allowing freshwater rivers to be dammed or diverted into the United States-

[The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)]

I am sorry. I think we are into debate.

Points Of Order

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

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order with respect to Question No. 93, which I tabled in this House on October 19, 1994. Usually, the response period is 45 days, but, in this case, 120 days have gone by since the question was raised.

I would like to know why it is taking three times the usual maximum time allowed. What is the point of having rules, if the government is not going to comply with them? Despite whatever excuses might be made, I would like to know when I will get an answer to Question No. 93.

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

Madam Speaker, as always, the government tries to prepare responses to questions as quickly as possible. In this particular instance, I am informed that the response is almost ready to be tabled in the House. I will table it as soon as I receive it.

Questions Passed As Orders For Returns

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

If Questions Nos. 112 and 113 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately.

[The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)]

Is it the pleasure of the House that Questions Nos. 112 and 113 be made orders for returns?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Question No. 112-

[White (None)]

What was the total number of full time employees at each job classification in the respective federal departments for fiscal 1993?

(Return tabled.)

Question No. 113-

[Charles Caccia, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

What is the total amount of federal public money given to the Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) since its inception?

(Return tabled.)

Questions On The Order Paper

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

Madam Speaker, I would ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.