Debates of June 22nd, 1995

Columbia River Treaty Permanent Engineering Board

[George S. Rideout, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Natural Resources]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I am pleased to table, in both official languages, the annual report of the Columbia River Treaty Permanent Engineering Board to the governments of the United States and Canada for the period October 1, 1993 to September 30, 1994, and the 1994 state of Canada's forests annual report.

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

Madam Speaker, there has been a delay in the receipt of the documents this morning. Perhaps we could revert to tabling of documents after the presentation of petitions. I expect the response to petitions to arrive momentarily.

[The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)]

Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

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

Madam Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to table, in both official languages, the joint report of the ad hoc parliamentary committee on light stations.

[The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)]

Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Madam Speaker, I have just returned from a conversation with the government whip about another matter and I did not hear what happened with respect to petitions.

[The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)]

We have not reached that point.

Safety In Transportation

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

Madam Speaker, this morning I am pleased to table, in both official languages, the government's response to the report by the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act Review Commission.

Committees Of The House

[Richard Bélisle, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 15th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. In this 15th report, dealing with the Atlantic Region Freight Assistance Program, the committee makes a series of recommendations to the National Transportation Agency, the Department of Transport, and the Treasury Board.

Appended to this report is the dissenting opinion by the official opposition containing the two following recommendations. I quote: "That the Department of Transport assess the impact on employment of abolition of the Atlantic Region Freight Assistance (ARFA) subsidy. The government should then emphasize job creation programs in the affected regions in a way that reflects the Department's findings".

There is also a second recommendation: "That the government review the amounts allocated under the 1995 Budget as compensation for abolition of freight subsidies, so that the assistance provided represents the same compensation:subsidy ratio for the Atlantic Region Freight Assistance Program".

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Saint-Denis, QC]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, dealing with refugees, immigration and gender. In recent months, the committee has considered the extent to which gender can prevent women from obtaining refugee status in Canada.

Our report encourages ongoing sensitization of those involved in the refugee selection process and considers how to reduce the systemic barriers which deny women an equal opportunity to obtain protection in this country.

In closing, I would like to thank all the members of the committee, as well as the staff of the House, for their contribution to this report.

[Osvaldo Nunez, Bloc, Bourassa, QC]

Madam Speaker, the Bloc Quebecois is tabling a minority report dealing with refugee status claims made for gender related reasons, as was proposed by the Bloc Quebecois members of the committee.

Even now we agree with the main orientation of this majority report. We cannot agree on its contents because it is too vague in the wording and too weak.

In particular, we cannot agree with the immigration tax. We would also like gender to be included in the legislation as a sixth prohibited ground for discrimination against women.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food examining the impact of the elimination of the Western Grain Transportation Act, the Atlantic Region Freight Assistance Act, the Maritime Freight Rates Act and the Feed Freight Assistance Act.

The report is entitled "Dismantling the Crow: Curbing the Impacts".

[Jean-Guy Chrétien, Bloc, Frontenac, QC]

Madam Speaker, the Bloc Quebecois members of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food have appended a dissenting report to the report that my colleague from Malpèque has just tabled. We wanted to table a dissenting report in order to highlight the inequity that now exists between western and eastern farm producers in Canada.

One thing we pointed out was discrepancies in the abandonment of rail lines. For example, in the west, the public interest is the criterion for closing a line, while in the east, economic cost effectiveness is the criterion. For several reasons of that sort, we had to append a dissenting report.

Customs Act

[Herb Gray, Liberal, for the Minister of Finance]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-102, an act to amend the Customs Act and the customs tariff and make related and consequential amendments to other acts.

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

Excise Tax Act

[Herb Gray, Liberal, for the Minister of Finance]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-103, an act to amend the Excise Tax Act and Income Tax Act.

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

Criminal Code

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-104, an act to amend the Criminal Code and the Young Offenders Act (forensic DNA analysis).

[The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)]

When shall the bill be read a second time?

[Some hon. members]

Later this day.

[The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu)]

Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

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

Canada Business Corporations Act

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-345, an act to amend the Canada Business Corporations Act (qualification of directors).

Madam Speaker, the purpose of this private member's bill is to amend the Canada Business Corporations Act to limit to 10 the number of concurrent directorships that one person can hold at any time.

The responsibilities of a director are broad and very serious and as such there must be a point at which one cannot fully discharge those responsibilities without jeopardizing the interest of investors, the company or its employees.

Therefore I look forward to debating the bill with my colleagues in the House.

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

Bell Canada Act

[Andy Mitchell, Liberal, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-346, an act to amend the Bell Canada Act (construction charges).

Madam Speaker, this bill specifically addresses inequities faced by many rural Canadians and stipulates that telephone service will be provided for customers up to 1,000 metres from existing lines and to recover their construction costs to provide that service only if the service is provided beyond 1,000 metres, and that an upward limit be established for that fee.

It also allows that subscribers be entitled to recoup their costs through rebates of additional customers signing up to the service for a period of up to 10 years.

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