Debates of March 6th, 1996

Law Commission Of Canada

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, for the Minister of Justice]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-9, an act respecting the Law Commission of Canada.

Madam Speaker, I wish to state that this bill is in the same form as Bill C-106 of the first session of the 35th Parliament at the time of prorogation. I therefore request that it be reinstated as provided in the special order adopted March 4, 1996.

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

[The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Ringuette-Maltais)]

The Chair is satisfied that this bill is in the same form as Bill C-103 was at the time of prorogation of the first session of the 35th Parliament.

Accordingly, pursuant to order made Monday, March 4, 1996, the bill is deemed to have been read the second time, considered by the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, and reported with amendments.

Citizenship Act

[Warren Allmand, Liberal, Notre-Dame-De-Grâce, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-223, an act to amend the Citizenship Act.

Madam Speaker, I wish to move this bill to amend the Citizenship Act with respect to the oath of allegiance.

At present, those persons who present themselves to become new citizens of Canada must pledge alliance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs and successors. This is confusing to some and objectionable to others. Many individuals are ready and willing to pledge their allegiance to Canada and to the Canadian Constitution, but not to Queen Elizabeth whom they associate with the United Kingdom, another independent country.

This bill would replace the present citizenship oath with a new oath which would read:

I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Canada and the Constitution of Canada and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.

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

Criminal Code

[Myron Thompson, Reform, Wild Rose, AB]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-224, an act to amend the Criminal Code (arrest without warrant).

Mr. Speaker, it gives me pleasure to introduce this private member's bill today on behalf of the request of a number of policemen throughout the country who at various times have witnessed and seen people on parole willingly and unconditionally break all conditions of the parole they have been released on.

This bill would authorize these peace officers to arrest without warrant, which would prevent a number of crimes. They know it will. There have been a number of incidents where that kind of intervention would have prevented some very serious things from happening.

We hope this will receive the full support of the House to give the police the power to protect those we are obligated to protect.

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

Canadian Human Rights Act

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

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-225, an act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act (Indian Act).

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to introduce for first reading my private member's bill, an act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act.

The purpose of the bill is to repeal section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which reads: "Nothing in this act affects any provision of the Indian Act or any provision made under or pursuant to that act".

Because of this section, a federal court judge in 1994 in his decision was unable, as he said, to uphold the human rights of a young Indian student from British Columbia to attend a Catholic boarding school away from her reserve.

The judge has termed the Indian Act racist and one of the causes is that the Indian Act is exempt from the Canadian Human Rights Act. The judge went on to say that if the Indian Act were not exempt from the Canadian Human Rights Act, human rights tribunals would be obligated to tear apart the Indian Act in the name and spirit of equality of human rights in Canada.

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

Criminal Code

[Pierrette Venne, Bloc, Saint-Hubert, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-226, an act to amend the Criminal Code (self-defence).

Madam Speaker, this is a bill on self-defence. At the present time, the Criminal Code allows the instigator of a fight to claim that he acted in self-defence, even if he kills his victim. That anomaly has resulted in a controversial decision being handed down by the Supreme Court on February 23, 1995.

According to the chief justice of Canada, the decision gives illogical and absurd results, since the worse the aggression is, the more the instigator can use the wider ground of defence. Under my proposed bill, the instigator of a fight would no longer be able to use that defence when the victim dies. Only individuals who do not start the fight would be able to say that they acted in self-defence.

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

Committees Of The House

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

Madam Speaker, if the House gives its consents, I move that the third report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs presented to the House earlier this day be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to.)

Petitions

[Rose-Marie Ur, Liberal, Lambton—Middlesex, ON]

Madam Speaker, I table a petition signed by constituents in the riding of Lambton-Middlesex initiated by George Skinner on behalf of neighbours in Strathroy, Mount Brydges and Komoka, duly certified by the clerk of petitions pursuant to Standing Order 36.

The petitioners state that whereas the Young Offenders Act fails to act as a deterrent, is abused by young people predisposed to committing crime and encourages them the manipulation of children who are too young to be subject to the act, that Parliament undertake a complete and thorough review of existing legislation and amend the Young Offenders Act to reflect the concerns of this petition.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have two petitions. The first has to do with the family.

Petitioners from Sarnia, Ontario 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 society. They also state the Income Tax Act discriminates against families that make the choice to provide care in the home to preschool children, the disabled, the chronically ill or the aged.

The petitioners therefore pray and call on Parliament to pursue initiatives to eliminate tax discrimination against families that decide to provide care in the home to preschool children, the disabled, the chronically ill or the aged.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Madam Speaker, the second petition is from Strathroy, Ontario. The petitioners bring to the attention of the House that consumption of alcoholic beverages may cause health problems or impair one's ability. Specifically, fetal alcohol syndrome and other alcohol related birth defects are 100 per cent preventable by avoiding alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

The petitioners therefore pray and call on Parliament to enact legislation to require health warning labels to be placed on containers of all alcoholic beverages to caution expectant mothers and others of the risks associated with alcohol consumption.

[The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Ringuette-Maltais)]

Could hon. members please be brief in their presentations.

[Yvan Bernier, Bloc, Gaspé, QC]

Madam Speaker, I will be brief, since there are many wishing to speak today.

I take pride in joining with several colleagues in presenting a petition bearing 94,000 names, at least 2,000 of those from the riding of Gaspé. The petitioners are calling upon the government to take steps to enable Québec Téléphone to have access to a broadcasting licence. This is essential for the economic development of Quebec. Despite its foreign ownership, Québec Téléphone is managed by Quebecers and the language of work is French. Québec Téléphone is an needed agent of regional development.

[Jean Landry, Bloc, Lotbinière, QC]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the pleasure of presenting a 200-page petition.

The petitioners are calling for the grandfathering of Québec Téléphone. Québec Téléphone has always been a key figure in the economic and technological development of the regions it serves.

[Mac Harb, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, I would like to deposit a petition.

[David Iftody, Liberal, Provencher, MB]

Madam Speaker, I draw to the attention of the House a petition provided by 1,000 people in the Lac du Bonnet-Pinawa area.

They draw to the attention of the House that the Canadian nuclear industry provides enormous benefits to Canadians for safe and environmentally sound power and research and development. Atomic Energy Canada is the government agency responsible for Whiteshell in Manitoba and Chalk River in Ontario. Whiteshell makes substantial contributions to the economy in eastern Manitoba.

Therefore the petitioners pray that the Government of Canada will not close or downsize the Whiteshell facility and make a public declaration of that support.

[Dale Johnston, Reform, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Madam Speaker, I present a petition, duly certified, signed by 39 constituents from my riding.

The petition has to do with families and children of divorced parents. The petitioners call on Parliament to pass legislation incorporating rights of children and principles of equality between and among parents.

[John Solomon, NDP, Regina—Lumsden, SK]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of my constituents as well as those from Assiniboia, Regina Beach, Pilot Butte, Riceton, Fort Qu'Appelle and Saskatoon, all in Saskatchewan. The petitioners are very concerned about the price of gas. They are very concerned because the increases have not been justified.

They are asking the House of Commons and the government to set up an energy price review commission to keep gasoline pricing and other energy products in check.

My second petition is also from many constituents in Regina-Lumsden. It pertains to the tax increases on gasoline. Fifty-two per cent of the cost of gas is taxes.

The petitioners are asking the House of Commons and the Government of Canada not to increase the taxes on gasoline in the upcoming federal budget.

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of residents of Peterborough riding who call to the attention of the House that an innocent spiritual man, Leonard Peltier, has been wrongfully held a political prisoner by the United States of America under the guise of a dangerous criminal. Leonard Peltier has been denied appeals over and over again.

Therefore the petitioners request that Parliament lobby and advocate to the United States judicial system on behalf of Leonard Peltier for a new trial and that justice be done in this case.

[Gilles Bernier, Independent, Beauce, QC]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues today in tabling a petition with 94,000 names, 24,000 of which are from the riding of Beauce, asking the government to take action to allow Québec Téléphone to have a broadcast license.

This is essential to Quebec's economic development and, although foreign owned, Québec Téléphone is managed by Quebecers. French is the exclusive language of work, and Québec Téléphone is a major instrument of regional economic development in Quebec.

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Témiscouata, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I join with my constituents in tabling a petition requesting the government to take the necessary steps to enable Québec Téléphone to have a broadcast license, as it is a major instrument of regional economic development in Quebec. To enable thers to present their petitions, I will stop there.

[John Maloney, Liberal, Erie, ON]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have four petitions to present to the House.

The first two petitions state that the availability of a low cost energy source is a natural advantage Canadians have to oil. Over the past 10 years, the excise tax on gasoline has risen by 466 per cent. They request that Parliament not increase the federal sales tax on gasoline in the next federal budget.

[John Maloney, Liberal, Erie, ON]

Madam Speaker, the third and fourth petitions are on the issue of a potential taxation of health and dental benefits.

The petitioners state that our dental and health care has contributed to Canadians enjoying one of the highest standards of health care in the world. The petitioners call upon Parliament to refrain from implementing a tax on health and dental benefits and to put on hold any future considerations of such a tax until a complete review of the tax system and how it impacts on the health of Canadians has been undertaken.

[Jean Payne, Liberal, St. John's West, NL]

Madam Speaker, on behalf of constituents in my riding I wish to present a petition that calls upon Parliament to consider the extension of benefits and compensation for veterans of World War II to the merchant navy wartime veterans.

[Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, Bloc, Laval Centre, QC]

Madam Speaker, were you to request it, you would no doubt find there is unanimous consent to extend the time usually allowed for petitions by ten minutes.

[The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Ringuette-Maltais)]

Is that agreed?