Debates of May 5th, 1995

Quebec City Bridge

[Douglas Young, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Presence In Gallery

[The Deputy Speaker]

Hon. members, I would like draw your attention to the presence in our gallery of Jacques Bihozagara, Rwanda's Minister of Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Point Of Order

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, following question period, my colleague for Kindersley-Lloydminister rose on a point of order about the issue of sexual abuse of children on a reserve in Quebec.

When my colleague raised the point yesterday he was referring to the derisive and flippant reaction of government members to a question dealing with the serious issue of sexual abuse. However, the Speaker's ruling interpreted our point of order as being critical of the parliamentary secretary's use of language.

On behalf of my colleague, I want to assure the House that at no time we were referring to the fact that the parliamentary secretary was speaking in Inuktitut. We recognize his right to express himself in his native language.

We feel that the Speaker's interpretation-

[The Deputy Speaker]

I am reminded that the matter was dealt with yesterday and that really none of us should be raising it today. I thank the member for his submission.

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 60 petitions.

Committees Of The House

[Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Liberal, Secretary of State (Training and Youth)]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development, the report of the committee on disability issues of the Canada Pension Plan Advisory Board.

Cn Commercialization Act

[Douglas Young, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-89, an act to provide for the continuance of the Canadian National Railway Company under the Canada Business Corporation Act and for the issuance and sale of shares of the Company to the public.

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

[Douglas Young, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the House that I intend to move for referral of the bill to a committee, before second reading, pursuant to Standing Order 73(1).

Petitions

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present two petitions to this House today, which will add to the over 10,000 names of people who are calling for changes to be made to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and the Criminal Code to allow dangerous offender applications to be made just prior to the expiration of an offender's sentence, and then if the court accepts the application the court could issue an order for continued detention or supervision of the offender.

This petition is in support of private member's Bill C-240, which is asking for changes to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and the Criminal Code.

I would like to add another 900 names to the list of over 10,000 people who are asking for these changes.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I wish to present a petition from the Calgary, Alberta, area of Canada, which is signed by a number of petitioners.

The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that managing the family home and caring for pre-school children is an honourable profession, which has not been recognized for its value to our society. They also state that the Income Tax Act discriminates against families who make the choice to provide care in the home to pre-school children, the disabled, the chronically ill and the aged.

The petitioners therefore pray and call upon Parliament to pursue initiatives to eliminate tax discrimination against families who decide to provide care in the home for pre-school children, the disabled, the chronically ill or the aged.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House to present a petition signed by 295 people from the riding of Cariboo-Chilcotin, other areas of British Columbia, and even one from Alberta.

All who signed the petition are of the opinion that existing controls on law-abiding responsible firearms owners are more than enough to ensure public safety. They therefore call upon Parliament to support laws that will severely punish all violent criminals who use weapons in the commission of a crime; support new Criminal Code firearms control provisions that recognize and protect the right of law-abiding citizens to own and use recreational firearms; and support legislation that will repeal or 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 or unenforceable.

[George Proud, Liberal, Hillsborough, PE]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, it is my privilege to rise to present petitions on behalf of many Canadians who ask that Parliament, at the earliest possible time, initiate a wide-ranging public inquiry into the Canadian Armed Forces, including the reserves, which will investigate, report, and make recommendations on

all matters affecting its operations, taskings, resources, effectiveness, morale, and welfare.

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I would like to present to the House a petition signed by 66 Canadians who live in the riding of Ottawa South.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to oppose any amendments to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Human Rights Act that provide for the inclusion of the phrase "sexual orientation".

[Barry Campbell, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the pleasure of presenting two petitions to the House, which call upon Parliament to act quickly to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and to adopt all necessary measures to recognize full equality of same-sex relationships in federal law.

[John Cannis, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the pleasure of presenting three petitions today.

The first petition requests Parliament to 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.

[John Cannis, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the other petition requests 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".

[John Cannis, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the last petition requests 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.

[Bob Ringma, Reform, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition on behalf of many residents of Ontario in which they note that morale in the Canadian forces is in decline. They note the disbanding of the Canadian Airborne Regiment and other negative factors having bearing.

Therefore, they request that Parliament at the earliest time initiate a wide-ranging public inquiry, replacing many that are being convened piecemeal, into the Canadian Armed Forces, which would investigate, report, and make recommendations on all matters affecting its operations: tasking, resources, effectiveness, morale, and welfare.

[Stephen Harper, Reform, Calgary West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is my duty to present a petition signed by 25 people, mainly from the city of Calgary.

These citizens request that Parliament support laws that will severely punish all violent criminals who use weapons in the commission of a crime; support new Criminal Code firearms 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 so as to be ineffective or unenforceable.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to present four petitions today.

The first group of petitioners requests that the Government of Canada not amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to include the phrase "sexual orientation". The petitioners are concerned about including the undefined phrase "sexual orientation" in the Canadian Human Rights Act. Refusing to define this statement leaves interpretation open to the courts, a very dangerous precedent to set. Parliament has a responsibility to Canadians to ensure that legislation cannot be misinterpreted.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

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

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

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the third 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.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the final petition I wish to present is on behalf of the constituents who wish to halt the early release from prison of Robert Paul Thompson.

The petitioners 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.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to table a petition under Standing Order 36. This petition has been signed by individuals and Organizations in the riding of Berthier-Montcalm, and deals with voice mail systems installed by various departments.

Of course, the 500 or 600 individuals who signed this 33 page petition are totaly opposed to voice mail, and ask that the Government step in to humanize the departments, which have a very cool attitude toward them.