Debates of Dec. 13th, 1996

Petitions

[Jack Ramsay, Reform, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am pleased to present 11 petitions.

The first 35 petitioners request that Parliament not amend the Constitution as requested by the Government of Newfoundland and allow educational reform to take place within the context of the framework agreement in that province.

[Jack Ramsay, Reform, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the next three petitions represent 245 citizens who urge the government to reduce spending instead of increasing taxes and to implement a taxpayer protection act to limit federal spending.

[Jack Ramsay, Reform, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have one petition containing 66 signatures. The petitioners call on Parliament to return the rights to the citizens of Canada from the criminals.

[Jack Ramsay, Reform, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the remaining six petitions which I wish to present pertain to sexual orientation. More than 400 petitioners call on Parliament not to include sexual orientation in the Canada Human Rights Act, but to define this phrase and consult the Canadian people on this issue.

[Jack Ramsay, Reform, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present an additional four petitions containing approximately 1,550 signatures.

The petitioners request that Parliament amend the Criminal Code to prohibit any type of lap dancing in any place to which the public has access. They do so because they believe obscenity distorts human sexuality and can be linked to violence.

[Paul Devillers, Liberal, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, and on behalf of my colleague the hon. member for Don Valley West, I am pleased to present a petition which was received from the riding of Don Valley West.

The petitioners pray and request that Parliament support the immediate initiation, with the conclusion by the year 2000, of an international convention which will set out a binding timetable for the abolition of all nuclear weapons.

[Antoine Dubé, Bloc, Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to table a petition signed by fewer people than the one tabled by my colleague for Kamouraska-Rivière-du-Loup. Still, people are starting to talk about this. The 77 petitioners want the Senate

abolished, mainly because of its high cost, that is, $43 million. They think we could do without this expenditure.

[Antoine Dubé, Bloc, Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a second petition with only 26 names but the petitioners want it to be tabled. They ask the government to get involved in funding the upgrading our national highway system.

[Bill Gilmour, Reform, Comox—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I pleased to present the following petitions from my constituents in Comox-Alberni.

The petition is signed by over 2,100 signatures, bringing the total number to 7,600. This represents 15 per cent of the voters in my riding.

The petitioners request that Parliament allow Canadian citizens to vote directly in a national binding referendum on the restoration of the death penalty for first degree murder convictions.

[Susan Whelan, Liberal, Essex—Windsor, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table petitions submitted to me by 2,400 residents of Windsor and Essex County. The petitioners are objecting to the mandatory 25 per cent tax being withheld by the United States on their U.S. social security benefits.

These petitioners call on the Canadian government to renegotiate the Canada-U.S. tax treaty to stop this inequity. I know the government is working on a solution to this problem and I would urge the government to find it soon.

[John Cummins, Reform, Delta, BC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have two petitions I would like to present this morning.

In the first, the undersigned residents of Canada draw to the attention of the House that 38 per cent of the national highway system is substandard, that Mexico and the United States are upgrading their national systems and that the national highway policy study identified benefits of the proposed national highway program.

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

[John Cummins, Reform, Delta, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in the second petition, the undersigned believe that the application of the 7 per cent GST to reading material is unfair and wrong. The petitioners urge all levels of government to demonstrate their commitment to education and literacy by eliminating the sales tax on reading materials. They 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.

[Philippe Paré, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Automobile Association reminds us that 38 per cent of the highway system is substandard and that both the United States and Mexico are now upgrading their own systems.

Finally, the petitioners call on Parliament to press the federal government to work with the provinces toward upgrading our national highway system.

[John Finlay, Liberal, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by a number of my constituents who call on Parliament to urge the federal government to join with provincial governments to make the national highway system upgrading possible.

Questions Passed As Orders For Returns

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, if Questions Nos. 9 and 16 could be made Orders for Return, the return would be tabled immediately.

It is certainly in accordance with what I said to my hon. colleague yesterday that he would have the answers before Christmas. Christmas greetings and some Christmas readings. Merry Christmas.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Milliken)]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Question No. 9-

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

What is the total dollar amount spent on advertising by the government and its Crown Agencies in fiscal years 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994 by province, in each of the following mediums: television, radio, daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, monthly newspapers, billboards and direct mail?

Return tabled.

Question No. 16-

[Bernie Collins, Liberal, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Regarding the amount of Federal Government (including Crown Corporations) spending on advertising in all forms of media (radio, television, daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, magazines): please specify, by type of media, and by province, where Federal Government advertising funds were allocated for the years 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995 and what amount was spent on each medium in each of those years, in

particular the amount spent on weekly newspapers, for all of Canada and broken down by province?

Return tabled.

Questions On The Order Paper

[Stephen Harper, Reform, Calgary West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that we currently have nine questions still sitting on the Order Paper with regard to the airbus fiasco. All of these are designated 2, meaning the response was requested within 45 days. Our Questions Nos. 62 to 70 were put forward by the member for Beaver River, the member for Lethbridge and me. Six were put forward on June 19 and my three questions are dated September 12.

We have not received responses to any of these and the government has missed the deadline. These questions are to be answered within 45 days and today is day 55.

Will the government tell us why it has missed the deadline and when it plans to respond?

While I am on my feet, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to point out that we also have concern about the lack of response to our Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers, again related to the airbus fiasco, the role of former Prime Minister Mulroney and this Liberal government in those particular contracts. We currently have 17 such notices and have not received anything from the government on any of them. We gave notice for two of these on March 19 and for the other 15 on September 12.

Given that this is or at least is supposed to be the last day of sitting before Christmas, we would have appreciated a response from the government. So can the government tell us when we might get some action on these matters?

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague could tell by the 48 pounds worth of documents that his colleague from Kindersley-Lloydminster's order required, we have busy elves over here preparing the information for the hon. member for Kindersley-Lloydminster.

I am happy that we were able to provide the important information that our colleague was looking for and I will look forward to perhaps getting the information that my hon. colleague is looking for next week.

We will look into the matter with due diligence and we will look forward to having that information some time before Christmas.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Milliken)]

If the Chair might be permitted a personal remark, it is to say how pleased the Chair is that the question of the hon. member for Kindersley-Lloydminster has been answered. I know that my past involvement in securing the answer was one that interested the hon. member.

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Fundy Royal, NB]

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

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Milliken)]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Resuming consideration at report stage of Bill C-60, an act to establish the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and to repeal and amend other Acts as a consequence, as reported (with amendments) from the committee, and of the motions in Group No. 7.