Debates of June 22nd, 1995

Petitions

[The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)]

I am sorry, but personal comments are part of debate and are not allowed following the tabling of a petition.

[Diane Ablonczy, Reform, Calgary North, AB]

Madam Speaker, I have a petition to present on behalf of the citizens of the city of Calgary.

These citizens are concerned about the proposed closure by the government of CFB Calgary. They point out that for a number of economic and equitable reasons this is not a good decision and call upon Parliament to refrain from closing CFB Calgary.

[Gérard Asselin, Bloc, Charlevoix, QC]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am pleased to table in the House two petitions containing the signatures of several thousand voters in the constituency of Charlevoix.

In the first petition, the petitioners are asking the government to change municipalities in the regional county municipalities of Charlevoix-est and Charlevoix-ouest from area 16 in north central Quebec to area 25 in northern Quebec, for the purposes of unemployment insurance eligibility.

Since most jobs available in area 16 are seasonal, the petitioners are asking to be made part of area 25, which is better adapted to the kinds of jobs they are seeking.

[Gérard Asselin, Bloc, Charlevoix, QC]

Madam Speaker, in the second petition, the petitioners ask the government not to downsize the staff at the employment centre in La Malbaie, which would have the effect of jeopardizing the services provided.

Like most regional offices, the office in La Malbaie is crucial to the population of what some people wrongly describe as-

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have three petitions to present today on behalf of the constituents of Simcoe Centre.

The first petition concerns the use of an illegal 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 also accept all the responsibility for their actions while under the influence.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, the second petition involves section 718.2 of Bill C-41.

The petitioners are concerned that naming some groups in legislation will exclude other groups from protection and that sentencing based on the concept of hatred is very subjective and will undermine our justice system.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, the final group of petitioners are requesting that the Government of Canada not amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to include the phrase sexual orientation.

The petitioners are troubled about defining the phrase sexual orientation. They have a legitimate concern-

[The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)]

I am sorry, I have to ask members to be brief.

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

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the honour and the privilege to table petitions signed by 97 persons opposed to euthanasia and assisted suicide.

[John Duncan, Reform, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Madam Speaker, my first petition asks that this Parliament ensure that the present provision of the Criminal Code of Canada prohibiting assisted suicide be vigorously enforced and that Parliament make no changes in the current law.

[John Duncan, Reform, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Madam Speaker, the second petition asks that Parliament act immediately to extend protection to the unborn child by amending the Criminal Code to give this protection.

[John Duncan, Reform, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Madam Speaker, the third petition asks 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.

[John Duncan, Reform, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Madam Speaker, the last petition asks that Parliament enact Bill C-206 at the earliest opportunity so as to provide statutory foundation for a national witness relocation and protection program.

[Audrey McLaughlin, NDP, Yukon, YT]

Madam Speaker, I have several petitions here.

The first petition is from residents of Faro, Yukon, who did not receive vacation pay, severance pay, or pay in lieu of notice when the firm Curragh Resources was declared bankrupt.

Therefore, the petitioners request that the Minister of Human Resources Development investigate the situation and take the necessary steps to ensure that this worker and other workers who are laid off do not have severance packages, including earnings in the final calculation of UI benefits.

[Audrey McLaughlin, NDP, Yukon, YT]

Madam Speaker, the second petition is from a number of residents of the Yukon who are concerned that the harvest levels of Yukon forests are not economically or environmentally sustainable. They petition Parliament to mandate an immediate return to traditional timber harvest levels in the Yukon.

[Audrey McLaughlin, NDP, Yukon, YT]

Madam Speaker, the third petition regards BST. The petitioners from different communities in the Yukon suggest that Parliament desist from passing legislation legalizing the use of BST or rbGH in Canada.

[Audrey McLaughlin, NDP, Yukon, YT]

Madam Speaker, the final petition which I wish to present urges the government to table amendments to the Criminal Code to prevent the use of extreme intoxication as a defence in cases of assault.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Madam Speaker, I would like to present a petition from the Calgary, Alberta area.

The petitioners pray and call on 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 and the aged.

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by numerous residents of Kingston and the Islands who call on Parliament to refrain from taking any action involving recognition of the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia until such time as its government renounces the use of the name Macedonia, removes objectionable language from its constitution, abandons the use of symbols implying territorial expansionism, ceases hostile propaganda against priests and adheres fully to the norms and principles of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Questions On The Order Paper

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

Madam Speaker, Questions Nos. 175 and 190 will be answered today.

Question No. 175-

[Herb Grubel, Reform, Capilano—Howe Sound, BC]

Concerning the announcement in the last budget of a decrease in the number of civil servants by 45,000, what number of these positions are expected to be eliminated by ( a ) not refilling positions which are now vacant, ( b ) the commercialization of government activities like airports, ( c ) early retirement and ( d ) voluntary quits (attrition)?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister Responsible for Infrastructure]

The February budget announced a reduction in the size of the public service and the federal sector as a whole, including the military, separate agencies and crown corporations, as a result of program review. An estimated 45,000 positions will be affected over three years.

The figure 45,000 is not on its own a target but is the result of the government's program review decisions, whereby a number of programs and activities are being reduced, eliminated or re-engineered. It is an estimate based on the overall savings targets established in the budget and the structure of program costs.

During the government's program review some estimates were derived of how the downsizing is expected to unfold, broadly speaking.

For example, about 6,000 jobs will be transferred to the private sector. There will also be some natural attribution through voluntary departures and transfers.

Two separation programs have been put in place to assist organizations to cope with their personnel downsizing: early retirement incentive, ERI, and early departure incentive, EDI. Projected take-up for each program is included in the tentative allocation of projected reductions in personnel set out in the following table.

Question No. 190-

[Ted White, Reform, North Vancouver, BC]

With respect to the unemployment insurance program for the calendar years of 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994, ( a ) how many cases of fraud were reported each year, ( b ) how many convictions for fraud were secured each year, and ( c ) how many frauds were there as a total of overall claims?

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

Human Resources Development Canada, HRDC, has the option of penalizing unemployment insurance, UI, fraud by imposing an administrative penalty under section 33 of the UI act or by prosecuting under UI act or the Criminal Code of Canada. The vast majority of UI fraud cases are administratively penalized. Prosecutions are initiated only in the more serious or flagrant cases of fraud and in those cases that would have a special deterrent effect.

With respect to UI fraud the control branch of HRDC has provided the following statistics in response to the questions posed.

Questions Passed As Orders For Return

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Madam Speaker, I would also ask that Questions Nos. 109, 167 and 201 be made Orders for Return.