Debates of March 1st, 1995

Points Of Order

[Ray Speaker, Reform, Lethbridge, AB]

Sometimes the Chair is faced with both positions being correct.

In this particular instance we had an hon. member saying that it was said that he held a meeting of some kind in his riding. I now have the minister involved who says he accepts that it was an error.

I accept the minister's statement and I consider the matter to be closed.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a different point of order. I think you would agree that one very controversial issue facing the House at the moment is the gun control legislation.

Because of the imprecise nature of the discussion a lot of my constituents are wanting access to the legislation. I have been told that I am only allowed to get 10 copies. Could you indicate that this is not true and where my constituents can go to get more copies of the legislation?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as the spokesman for the Board of Internal Economy I informed the House last Friday that in addition to the copies being made available by the minister, the House had taken it upon itself to purchase an additional five copies per hon. member according to a decision taken last week unanimously by the Board of Internal Economy.

[Ray Speaker, Reform, Lethbridge, AB]

This then is the response. I do not want to get into a debate about the matter but I will hear the hon. member for Kamloops.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would not want to get into a debate on the issue. I appreciate the decision that has been made. I am seeking confirmation though.

In the words of the member who just spoke, he said that it was a unanimous decision. Does that mean that all political parties represented on the Board of Internal Economy agreed to limit

the amounts of information given to our constituents on this critical issue?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Members of the Board of Internal Economy are well known; those appointed to the board are well known. It was unanimous among members of the board as are all decisions of the board.

I believe the hon. member once sat on the board. I think he is familiar with the procedure.

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

Mr. Speaker, just to add briefly to this information session in the House, last week when I raised the issue in the Chamber and the member speaking on behalf of the board responded to me, he gave information about additional copies being available should I wish to purchase them out of my office budget.

I inquired about the purchase price and discovered that although I was willing to purchase copies from my office there were not enough printed in any case for me to purchase them. Then I found that the price itself would be exorbitant to absorb within my budget.

I approached the printing office on Parliament Hill and asked how much it would cost to print that number of pages, double-sided, one staple in the top, and I was informed the cost was roughly one-third the cost of buying it from the government.

I can print through the House of Commons. I have a quote from the House printing unit to print enough copies to satisfy my demands in my constituency for close to $400. I am prepared to pay that amount if the House will allow me to ask printing to produce that copy.

[The Speaker]

With regard to the copies that are made available to members of Parliament, these copies are available at distribution. They are for legislative use, not for general distribution.

However the point the hon. member raises might be of interest to all hon. members in terms of the costs. I would ask the House spokesperson to the Board of Internal Economy if it might be possible to have that discussion raised at the next meeting of the Board of Internal Economy.

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we could bring the issue to the attention of the board. If the member would correspond with the board, I am sure we would be pleased to receive his representation.

I have a point of order on another issue.

[The Speaker]

The point will be brought up at the next meeting of the Board of Internal Economy.

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, earlier in question period today an hon. member asked a question of a minister in relation to the responsibility of the minister being responsible for a province.

I want to refer members to article 412 of Beauchesne's which reads as follows:

A question may not be asked of a Minister in another capacity, such as being responsible for a province, or part of a province, or as spokesman for a racial or religious group.

That is a 1968 decision of the Speaker. I would submit the question was in fact out of order. I believe there were a number of cries across the way as to why the minister did not respond to a question that was clearly out of order.

[The Speaker]

It is also clear that any question put is directed to the government. As such, it is my understanding and has been the practice for years in the House that any minister of the crown can answer the question.

Although the question may be put to a specific minister, another minister who so desires can answer the question.

[Stephen Harper, Reform, Calgary West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I would just note for the Chair's enlightenment that in this case the question was put to the Minister of Natural Resources. This matter is a natural resource matter, broadly speaking.

[The Speaker]

My colleagues, I repeat that it is the longstanding tradition of this house that any question that is put to the government per se can be answered by any minister on the government side. I would like to let that rest at this point.

Interparliamentary Delegation

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34, I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian section of the International Assembly of French-Speaking Parliamentarians, on the meeting of the assembly in Porto-Novo, Benin, on January 19 and 20, 1995.

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 table the 64th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, which concerns the list of the associate members of the Standing Committee on Government Operations. With leave of the House, I intend to move for concurrence in this report later this day.

[Francis Leblanc, Liberal, Cape Breton Highlands—Canso, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development concerning Bill C-54 which was adopted with amendments.

[John Harvard, Liberal, Winnipeg—St. James, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations on Bill C-65, an act to reorganize and dissolve certain federal agencies, with amendments.

Parliament Of Canada Act

[John Solomon, NDP, Regina—Lumsden, SK]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-314, an act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (other pension income).

Mr. Speaker, the bill which I am introducing today is entitled an act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (other pension income). It will require all pension or retiring allowance payments received by a member of Parliament that are paid from public funds to be deducted from the member's sessional allowance.

This bill will deal with another dimension of the issue of double dipping. Members of Parliament who receive publicly funded pensions while at the same time receiving a full member of Parliament salary will be affected. The bill asks that the House of Commons subtract pension income from a sitting MP's salary, thus preventing double dipping, or receiving two incomes from only one taxpayer. This bill would make all MPs declare all public pension income they receive while sitting as an elected member of Parliament.

Those members with publicly funded pensions for previous service in: provincial legislatures; municipal governments; the public service at the federal, provincial and municipal levels; or as former judges; members of the Canadian forces; former peace officers; crown corporation employees; and former employees of school boards, hospital boards or any other publicly funded organization will forgo receiving two incomes for doing one job as a member of Parliament.

Canadians believe it is unfair to the tax paying public that a member of Parliament receive a full salary while also receiving a public pension.

This bill treats municipal, provincial and federal government-

[The Deputy Speaker]

Order, please. A succinct explanation of the bill is all that members are allowed to have.

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

Protection Of Personal Information Obtained By Certain Corporations Act

[Philip Mayfield, Reform, Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-315, an act to complement the present laws of Canada that protect the privacy of individuals with respect to personal information about themselves obtained by certain corporations.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to table my first private member's bill, an act to complement the present laws of Canada that protect the privacy of individuals with respect to personal information about themselves obtained by certain corporations.

For several years Canadians have enjoyed the protection offered under the Privacy Act giving them better access to the federally held personal information. Yet in the private sector the use and abuse of personal information continues.

In 1994 the Quebec government passed a historic privacy law, Bill 68. It gave Quebecers greater control over their personal information. My private member's bill would complement, not compete with Quebec's bill by extending privacy protection to businesses under federal jurisdiction. For the rest of Canada, citizens for the first time would be given the control they need over their privately held personal information as we speed toward the creation of an information highway.

I look forward to discussing this bill with my fellow members of Parliament in the weeks and months to come.

(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 move that the 64th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs presented to the House earlier this day be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to.)

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

Mr. Speaker, I move:

That members of the Standing Committee on Health be authorized to travel to hold hearings and community visits in relation to the committee's study on mental health and the aboriginal peoples of Canada, in Kuujjuaq, Povungnituk, Rigolet, Northwest River, Eskasoni, Halifax, Rexton, Big Cove, Pikangikum, Winnipeg, Fort Alexander, Edmonton, Hobbema, Buffalo Lake, Vancouver and Gwa-Sala-Nakwaxda-xw, from March 19 to 24, 1995, and that the necessary staff do accompany the committee.

(Motion agreed to.)

Petitions

[Pierrette Venne, Bloc, Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by my constituents, more precisely from the town of Saint-Hubert, that I would like to table today, in the hope of obtaining a favourable response.

The petitioners ask the government to abandon its plan to introduce voice mail for seniors. The petitioners point out that seniors are naturally more at a loss when faced with voice mail technology. That is why I hope that the government will take into consideration the requests of seniors, who have a right to receive services that are geared to their needs.

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, it is my honour to present petitions today on behalf of my constituents asking that Parliament not pass Bill C-41 with section 718 as presently written, especially not to include the phrase of sexual orientation.