Debates of May 29th, 1995

Infrastructure

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, earlier today the Minister of National Revenue, in answering a question about the Manitoba entertainment complex applying for charitable status, thereby extending the $20 million this government has decided to throw at a professional hockey team to a further loss of about an extra $22 million if it is granted charitable status, bobbed and weaved as though there was a jet going overhead.

Can he not take a position in this House that he will ensure there will be no charitable status, no additional money coming out of Canadian taxpayers' pockets for this professional hockey team?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, the premise of the hon. member's question is incorrect. No money from the federal government is going to the Jets hockey team, as has been said by the Prime Minister and

every other member of the government time after time. The basic premise of his question is incorrect.

With respect to the issue of whether any organization is entitled to charitable status, I have to tell the hon. member what I told my hon. friend from the Bloc a moment or two ago. That is, past decisions of the courts have said that organizations that are strictly for sporting purposes are not charities within the definition that has been put forward by the courts over the years. That is the situation in law. That is the law I must follow.

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the point is that this government, which is cutting $7 billion from public spending in the area of health care, social assistance, and post-secondary education, suddenly found $20 million to put into a building to house a professional sports team.

Why cannot the minister do something very simple? He has given us the definition. Will he absolutely guarantee as a minister of the crown that the people of Canada will not be putting any more in than they are already going to be putting in at the figure of $20 million?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, on a number of occasions it has been explained to the Reform Party that Calgary and Edmonton are using infrastructure money for hockey arenas. It is strange to me that in Winnipeg they want different rules. They want things to be done differently from the two Alberta cities that are receiving money in this regard.

With respect to the position in law, I cannot guarantee that I will refuse any application that comes before me. They are judged on the merits in accordance with the law. The hon. member may not like that, his party may not like the application of the law, but on this side of the House we obey the law in these situations.

Youth Employment

[Sarkis Assadourian, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development.

The government is restoring hope to young Canadians and delivering on promised initiatives made in the red book. Youth-oriented programs such as Youth Service Canada and the youth internship program are giving young people the tools to build better lives for themselves and for our society.

Will the minister outline for us some of the actions the government has taken to ensure that Canada's youth gain valuable work experience this summer?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development and Minister of Western Economic Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, the first thing I should point out is that we have made a substantial addition to the budget for youth employment this year. We have increased the actual employment program from $193 million to $236 million so that we could ensure young people would have effective work.

We have enough money to provide approximately 30,000 jobs and to provide wage subsidies to private business and community organizations. A major investment has gone into loans so that students can start their own businesses, thereby creating their own employment. There is a substantial amount going into the summer youth service corps in order that they will be able to work with the municipalities to provide better policing and better environmental controls.

Overall, we are providing direct employment through federal resources of well over 50,000 jobs for young people. That is an indication of our interest in ensuring that not only do they have a job, they have a job that will enable them to get the kind of training they will need for permanent employment in the future.

[The Speaker]

That concludes question period.

House Of Commons

[The Speaker]

I have the very pleasant task in the next few minutes to tell the House there are 507 parliamentarians who have served this House that are now outside of the House. Once a year they come back to Ottawa to meet with their former confrères, if you will, the former parliamentarians.

Today there are, on both sides and at the end of the gallery, 133 of our former colleagues who have come back to pay us a visit.

It is my pleasure on behalf of the House of Commons to welcome back our brother and sister parliamentarians from years gone by, and to thank you for the service you gave to Canada.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Naming Of Member

[The Speaker]

Colleagues, we are dealing as a House with a problem that affects all of us. During the course of question period one of the hon. members used the word lie in putting a question.

The word lie used in this context, the word lie used the way it was, I judge to be unparliamentary.

I ask the hon. member in the name of the authority that has been placed in me by the House, squarely will he withdraw the word lie, yes or no?

[Jake Hoeppner, Reform, Lisgar—Marquette, MB]

No.

[The Speaker]

Mr. Hoeppner, I have to name you for disregarding the authority of the Chair.

Pursuant to the authority granted to me by Standing Order 11, I order you to withdraw from the House for the remainder of this day's sitting.

Request For Emergency Debate

[The Speaker]

Colleagues, I have received notice of a request for an emergency debate from the member for Red Deer.

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, as you have mentioned, Standing Order 52(2) allows members to rise on a point of order when they feel it is in Canada's best interest that we debate a subject immediately.

For Canadians the lightning rod that created this urgency was the picture of Captain Patrick Rechner chained in that ammunition dump. That is the lightning rod that has Canadians demanding action. To them it was like that GI dragged through the streets of Somalia for the U.S. citizens.

The Canadian people have started to speak. Polls are asking us as parliamentarians to make-

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

Mr. Speaker, a point of order. I wish to draw to your attention, with the utmost respect, Standing Order 52(3) which reads as follows:

When requesting leave to propose such a motion-

That is for an emergency debate.

-the Member shall rise in his or her place and present without argument the statement referred to in section (2) of this Standing Order.

Section (2) states:

A Member wishing to move, "That this House do now adjourn", under the provisions of this Standing Order shall give to the Speaker, at least one hour prior to raising it in the House, a written statement of the matter proposed to be discussed.

I respectfully ask you, Mr. Speaker, to insist that the hon. member comply with the rules of the House.

[The Speaker]

The hon. House leader is quite correct. I did receive notification one hour prior to this time. I would ask the hon. member if he would put his case forthwith.

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the case that I am trying to present is why you should rule in favour of us debating this now. I am asking for your guidance. Can I present a case for why the Canadian people are asking for this to be debated immediately?

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I made the exact same request, therefore, I will join the member in asking, pursuant to Standing Order 52, if we could have an emergency debate tonight, after the adjournment, on the situation of the UN troops in the former Yugoslavia.

We know that the Minister of Foreign Affairs will be meeting with his NATO counterparts tomorrow. In this context, it is important for the House to give the minister its point of view.

The debate should enable us to assess the situation, analyze and evaluate the new developments and, finally, determine the conditions under which UN troops would remain in the former Yugoslavia.

It is in the public interest that parliamentarians be able to debate this matter before the government presents them with a fait accompli and, given the importance of the positions the government must take, it seems undeniable that there is every advantage in having this Parliament debate this matter tonight.

[The Speaker]

As my colleague said, I did receive a letter from the Official Opposition House Leader.

I would like to consider everything that has been said and everything that has taken place concerning this topic. I will return to the House as soon as possible, but I will return today before the adjournment motion.

Report Of Parliamentary Librarian

[The Deputy Speaker]

I have the honour to table the report of the Parliamentary Librarian for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1994.

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 10 petitions.

Committees Of The House

[Pierrette Ringuette-Maltais, Liberal, Madawaska—Victoria, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the second report of the Standing Joint Committee on Official Languages on concurrence with vote 25, Official Languages Commissioner, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1996.

Petitions

[Jim Silye, Reform, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to present a petition on behalf of 25 Manitobans.

The petition calls on 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 child care expenses incurred or the form of the child care chosen.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions. The first bears 100 signatures of petitioners from my riding.

They 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.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition bears 125 signatures.

The petitioners 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 human rights act to include in the prohibited grounds of discrimination the undefined phrase sexual orientation.