House of Commons Hansard #106 of the 35th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was election.

Topics

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

Presence In GalleryOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

The Speaker

I wish to draw to members' attention the presence in the gallery of a parliamentary delegation of the Parliament of Bangladesh led by Mr. Suranjit Sen Gupta, member of Parliament and adviser to the Prime Minister on parliamentary affairs.

Presence In GalleryOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear.

Presence In GalleryOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

The Speaker

I would also like to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of a delegation of chairmen of regional assemblies from the North West Region of Russia led by Mr. Vladimir A. Torlopov.

Presence In GalleryOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear.

Government Response To PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Fundy Royal New Brunswick

Liberal

Paul Zed LiberalParliamentary 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 six petitions.

Order In Council AppointmentsRoutine Proceedings

November 25th, 1996 / 3:05 p.m.

Fundy Royal New Brunswick

Liberal

Paul Zed LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages, a number of order in council appointments which were made by the government.

Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 110(1), these are deemed referred to the appropriate standing committees, a list of which is attached.

Criminal CodeRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Dennis Mills Liberal Broadview—Greenwood, ON

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-353, an act to amend the Criminal Code (Internet lotteries).

Mr. Speaker, this bill to amend the Criminal Code will allow the Government of Canada to take advantage of the online gaming industry which is emerging as a very exciting form of entertainment around the world. It will provide an opportunity through proper regulation for Canada to take advantage of the opportunity to raise billions of dollars that would otherwise not come into the coffers of Canada.

It will create employment. With all of the new technologies in terms of security and privacy issues, we will have an Internet capability which will allow Canada to lead the world. I hope in the not too distant future we can have this bill before the House.

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

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Mac Harb Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I wish to present a petition signed by many constituents throughout the national capital region calling on the government to remove the 7 per cent GST on books. I understand the government has taken action in this area, but the people who signed the petition want it to go further.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Reform

Deborah Grey Reform Beaver River, AB

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I too have a petition to present concerning the removal of the GST from reading materials.

I would like to mention to the hon. member as I table my petition that the government, in fact, has not eliminated the 7 per cent sales tax from reading materials but has done so for a few special people.

The petitioners call for the complete elimination of the GST on reading material.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Reform

Deborah Grey Reform Beaver River, AB

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I would like to present a petition signed by several people in Alberta stating that the undersigned residents of Canada draw to the attention of the House that there be stricter

penalties for young offenders who commit crimes causing bodily harm or death.

The petition further states that these individuals should be held in custody pending their court hearing and that young offenders age 16 and older who take the law into their own hands and cause death should be charged and treated as adults and tried in adult court without the consent of judges.

That adds more fully and completely to the small changes that were made in Bill C-37. Of course, it is not the case that 16 and 17 year olds automatically are tried in adult court, as the petition suggests.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

John Finlay Liberal Oxford, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. The first petition is signed by 26 of my constituents.

They call on Parliament to urge the federal government to join with the provincial governments to make a national highway system upgrading possible.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

John Finlay Liberal Oxford, ON

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is signed by 49 of my constituents.

They request the House of Commons enact legislation or amend existing legislation to define marriage as the voluntary union for life of one woman and one man to each other to the exclusion of all others.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Georgette Sheridan Liberal Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the honour to present a petition signed by several hundred people in my constituency.

It urges the government to do what it has done in the recent announcement of the minister of public works to restrict the delivery of junk mail to their homes.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Reform

Bob Mills Reform Red Deer, AB

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. The first is with regard to the removal of the GST.

The petitioners ask the Prime Minister to carry out his party's repeated and unequivocal promise to remove the federal sales tax from books, magazines and newspapers.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Reform

Bob Mills Reform Red Deer, AB

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is with respect to our national highways.

The petitioners call on Parliament to urge the federal government join with provincial governments to make the national highway system upgrading possible.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

George Proud Liberal Hillsborough, PE

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I wish to present a petition duly certified on behalf of my constituents of the riding of Hillsborough.

The petitioners ask that the Prime Minister declare that Canada is indivisible and that the boundaries of Canada, its provinces, territories and territorial waters may be modified only by: (a) a free vote of all Canadian citizens and; (b) through the amending formula stipulated in our Constitution.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Joe McGuire Liberal Egmont, PE

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition from quite a number of people who are concerned about the 7 per cent GST on reading materials.

The petitioners urge all levels of government to demonstrate their support of education and end literacy by eliminating the sales tax on reading materials. They ask Parliament to zero rate the GST on books, magazines and newspapers and that the provinces and Ottawa should consider harmonizing their sales tax regarding materials which must be zero rated under the provincial sales tax as well as the GST.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.

The first comes from Kelowna, B.C. The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that our police and firefighters place their lives at risk on a daily basis as they serve the emergency needs of all Canadians. They also state that in many cases families are left without sufficient financial means to meet their obligations.

The petitioners therefore pray and call on Parliament to establish a public safety officers compensation fund to receive gifts and bequests for the benefit of families of police officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from Miller Lake, Ontario.

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 therefore pray and call on Parliament to pursue initiatives to assist families who choose to provide care in the home for preschool children, the chronically ill, the aged or the disabled.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Reform

Stephen Harper Reform Calgary West, AB

Mr. Speaker, it is my duty to present a petition signed by 100 residents of the city of Calgary. These petitioners believe that the 7 per cent GST on reading material is unfair and wrong.

They ask Parliament to zero rate books, magazines and newspapers under the GST and the proposed harmonized sales tax. They ask the Prime Minister to carry out his party's repeated and unequivocal promise to remove federal sales tax from books, magazines and newspapers.

[Translation]

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Bloc

Yves Rocheleau Bloc Trois-Rivières, QC

Mr. Speaker, I would like to advise you that two months ago, on September 27 to be more specific, I put on the Order Paper three questions about family trusts. I have yet to receive a reply, although the 45-day period provided under the Standing Orders has expired.

This is a matter of considerable interest and concern to both Quebecers and Canadians. I just got back from a series of prebudgetary consultations with the finance committee, and many witnesses raised the issue of family trusts before the committee. This is a matter of considerable public interest.

I am counting on you, Mr. Speaker, and on the Parliamentary Secretary to shed some light on a situation that has been with us since 1972.

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Fundy Royal New Brunswick

Liberal

Paul Zed LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his intervention. I believe you are referring to Questions Nos. 87, 88 and 89. I have taken a note of your representation today. I can only tell you that those matters are being reviewed at the moment and we hope they will be before the House soon.

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

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker

Is that agreed?

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.