Debates of May 3rd, 1995

Members Of Parliament Retiring Allowances Act

[Dan McTeague, Liberal, Ontario, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask for unanimous consent to withdraw private member's Bill C-236.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is it agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

(Bill withdrawn.)

Petitions

[Georgette Sheridan, Liberal, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the honour to present today, in the name of a number of Saskatoon residents who describe themselves as ordinary, law-abiding citizens, a petition pointing out that some 1,400 Canadians die of gunshot wounds each year and that both legally owned and stolen firearms contribute to such fatalities.

The petitioners urge the Government of Canada to pass Bill C-68 as soon as possible.

[Alex Shepherd, Liberal, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from 180 Canadians, from the provinces of Quebec and Saskatchewan, who note that Canadian citizens are opposed to more restrictions and prohibitions on legal firearms. They note the 1993 auditor general's report indicated that many firearms regulations were brought in as a matter of public policy with no regard to future effectiveness or potential benefits.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon Parliament not to enact further firearms control legislation, regulations or orders in council.

[Roger Pomerleau, Bloc, Anjou—Rivière-Des-Prairies, QC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I would like to table a petition on behalf of residents of my riding. The petition reads: We, the undersigned residents of the Province of Quebec, wish to call the attention of Parliament to the following: that the government should be made aware of the unfair treatment of seniors in implementing the elimination of the capital gains exemption. The fictitious capital gain which must be reported this year will count as a real gain, thereby forcing thousands of seniors who cannot afford to do so to pay back to the federal government their old age security benefits.

Therefore, your petitioners humbly pray Parliament to ask the government not to consider as real the fictitious gain made by taxpayers who chose to protect, in 1994, the capital gains exemption they had been entitled to until then.

[Len Hopkins, Liberal, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have several hundred names on a petition. These Canadians note that the Canadian Emergency Preparedness College in Arnprior, Ontario, provides training in several aspects of emergency preparedness, including earthquakes, hurricanes, forest fires, civil disobedience, railway accidents, floods, et cetera.

The petitioners request that Parliament recognize that the Canadian Emergency Preparedness College is essential to training Canadians for emergency situations and that the facility should stay in Arnprior, as promised by the government, in order to provide the necessary training to Canadians past and present.

[Ronald J. Duhamel, Liberal, St. Boniface, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the petitioners believe that unnecessary violence and abuse in all of their forms-be they verbal, physical, or other-in society in general and on radio and television have become major concerns in Canadian society. They also believe that abuse and violence are not necessary to inform or to entertain.

The petitioners want government to ensure the CRTC regulates abuse and violence in all of their forms in all of the media. The petitioners also applaud some of the recent progress made in this area.

[Fred Mifflin, Liberal, Bonavista—Trinity—Conception, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition from my constituents from Badger's Quay, Lumsden, Templeman, Brookfield and Wesleyville. There are 57 of them.

They note that the majority of Canadians are law-abiding citizens who respect the law. They further note that the majority of Canadians respect the sanctity of human life and that the majority of Canadians believe that physicians in Canada should be working to save lives, not to end them.

They are asking that Parliament make no change in the law that would sanction or allow the aiding or abetting of suicide or active or passive euthanasia.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have four petitions to present today on behalf of the residents of Simcoe Centre.

The first petition deals with the subject of fiscally responsible government. The petitioners request that Parliament reduce government spending instead of increasing taxes, since Canadians are already overburdened with taxation due to high government spending.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition concerns the use of a legal defence that has become known as the drunk defence.

The petitioners believe that in committing the act of choosing to consume alcohol the individual must accept all responsibilities for their actions while under the influence, and I certainly agree.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition is on the subject of abortion.

The petitioners request that Parliament reconsider amendments to the Criminal Code to extend protection to the unborn child.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the final petition is on the subject of euthanasia.

The petitioners request that Parliament not sanction or allow the aiding or abetting of suicide or euthanasia.

[Val Meredith, Reform, Surrey—White Rock—South Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have one petition to present today.

The petitioners believe that public safety is the number one priority of the criminal justice system. They believe the existing firearms regulations are more than enough to ensure public safety.

They are requesting that Parliament do three things: first, support laws that will severely punish all violent criminals who use weapons in the commission of crime; second, support new Criminal Code firearm control provisions that recognize and protect the right of law-abiding citizens to own and use recreational firearms; and, third, 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 so as to be ineffective and/or unenforceable.

[Sharon Hayes, Reform, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have four petitions to present to the House today.

The first petition is from a group within my constituency. It contains 25 signatures, mostly from residents of the Colony Farm facility. The petitioners call upon Parliament to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to protect individuals from discrimination based on sexual orientation.

In contrast to that, I have three more petitions, one with 2,200 signatures, one with 225 signatures and one with 400 signatures from Canadians across the country.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to oppose any amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which provide for the inclusion of the phrase sexual orientation. I certainly concur with this petition.

[Jim Jordan, Liberal, Leeds—Grenville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from the citizens of Leeds-Grenville who request that the current proposed federal gun control measures be withdrawn and that they be replaced with measures which deal directly with criminal offenders.

[Jim Jordan, Liberal, Leeds—Grenville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a second petition from the citizens of my riding who 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.

[Audrey McLaughlin, NDP, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions on the same subject, with thousands of signatures. These petitions deal with the serious health issue of breast cancer to which about 5,400 Canadian women lose their lives each year and another 17,000 are diagnosed.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to urge the government to work with the provinces and the territories to designate one existing cancer research centre per region in Canada. They also call upon Parliament to take action to establish a toll free number for information, support and public awareness of the disease. Finally, they call upon Parliament to urge the government to begin consultations with the provinces and territoriesto establish the parameters for a national registry of drugs,medical devices implanted in the body, and various forms ofbiotechnologies.

[Ted White, Reform, North Vancouver, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of the Reverend Sharon Copeman and 40 residents of North Vancouver who are members of the United Church of Canada.

The petitioners state that in 1994 the 35th general council of the United Church commended the federal government for resuming aid to Cuba and urged the government to continue its efforts to normalize relations between Cuba and its neighbours and strongly urged the removal of U.S. blockades.

They ask members of Parliament and the government to sponsor a joint resolution with the Senate of Canada urging the Government of the United States to lift the blockade against Cuba which causes undue suffering for the people of Cuba.

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I am pleased to present a petition which has been signed by 48 Canadians.

Part of their request is that the government not overburden Canadians with higher taxation. I believe this was signed prior to the budget and it may not be relevant because taxes did increase. However, there is a portion which is relevant, which states that the petitioners pray and request that Parliament reduce government spending instead of increasing taxes and implement a taxpayer protection act to limit federal spending.

[John Williams, Reform, St. Albert, AB]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I am honoured to present a petition on behalf of a number of constituents, organized by Lilly Lewis.

These petitioners request that Parliament ensure that the present provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada prohibiting assisted suicide be vigorously enforced 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.

Not only am I pleased to present this petition, I endorse it as well.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to present a petition today on behalf of residents of Blue River, Avola, Birch Island, Clearwater, Barrière, Darfield, Little Fort and Peneplain Lake.

The petitioners oppose Bill C-68, the bill referring to firearms legislation, and suggest that registration will do virtually nothing to limit the number of people who will be killed by firearms in the future.

I support the petition.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a second petition from citizens of the same communities.

This petition indicates that Canadians are becoming increasingly fearful of walking on the streets in their neighbourhoods. They believe that many convicted violent and sex offenders are being paroled prematurely. The petitioners simply ask the House of Commons and the Minister of Justice to take whatever steps are necessary to amend Canada's Criminal Code and parole system to ensure safety and peace in our neighbourhoods.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Pursuant to Standing Order 36, I wish to present a petition that has been circulating across Canada. The petition comes from the Calgary, Alberta, area.

The petitioners would like to 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.

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

Questions On The Order Paper

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Secretary of State (Parliamentary Affairs) and Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

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