Debates of May 15th, 1996

Government Response To Petitions

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Parliamentary 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 two petitions presented during the first session.

Committees Of The House

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Algoma, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present in both official languages the first report of the Standing Committee on Finance, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 6, 1996.

Petitions

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition from the citizens of Brandon, Manitoba.

The petitioners would like to to bring to the attention of the House that the consumption of alcoholic beverages may cause health problems or impair one's ability and specifically that 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 upon Parliament to enact legislation to require health warning labels to be placed on the containers of all alcoholic beverages to caution expectant mothers and others of the risks associated with alcohol consumption.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Beaver River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I am pleased to table a petition today signed by several members of the Beaver River constituency from Thorhild and Radway, as well as several individuals from Edmonton.

The petitioners state that the majority of Canadians believe that the privileges which society accords to heterosexual couples should not be extended to same sex relationships, and that societal approval, including the extension of societal privileges, would be given to same sex relationships if any amendment to the Canadian Human Rights Act were to include the undefined phrase of sexual orientation as a ground of discrimination. They therefore pray and request that Parliament not amend the Canadian Human Rights Act or the charter of rights and freedoms in any way which would tend to indicate societal approval of same sex relationships or of homosexuality, including amending the Canadian Human Rights Act to include in the prohibited grounds of discrimination the undefined phrase of sexual orientation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure, pursuant to Standing Order 36, to present a petition.

A number of my constituents from Welwyn, Saskatchewan pray that the Government of Canada not increase taxes on gasoline.

[Sharon Hayes, Reform, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I would like to present four petitions concerning a bill which was recently passed in the House. Two of the petitions are from the constituency of Port Moody-Coquitlam and two are from Ontario.

All of the petitioners pray and request that Parliament not amend 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 or of homosexuality, including amending the Canadian Human Rights Act to include in the prohibited grounds of discrimination the undefined phrase of sexual orientation.

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

Mr. Speaker, the people of Quebec are extremely upset with the inaction and negligence of the Canadian government in the Tran Trieu Quan case.

The five thousand individuals who signed this petition are outraged by the imprisonment of this Canadian citizen in Vietnam

and they are asking the House of Commons to take responsibility for Mr. Quan's safety and to apply pressure on the government to release him.

[Clifford Lincoln, Liberal, Lachine—Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition signed by 25 citizens who request that the Prime Minister and the Parliament of Canada declare and confirm immediately: one, that Canada is indivisible; two, that the boundaries of Canada, its provinces, territories and territorial waters may be modified only by (a) a free vote of all Canadian citizens as guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, or (b) through the amending formula as stipulated in the Canadian Constitution.

[Diane Ablonczy, Reform, Calgary North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the honour to present two petitions signed by hundreds of my constituents who strongly object to the government's recent amendment to the Canadian Human Rights Act.

[Gurbax Malhi, Liberal, Bramalea—Gore—Malton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I have the honour to present a petition.

The petitioners draw the attention of the House to the fact that the amount of unsolicited direct mail or junk mail sent to private residences across the country is on the rise. Therefore the petitioners pray and request that Parliament ask Canada Post Corporation to change its guidelines so as to reduce junk mail.

[Dick Harris, Reform, Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the petitions I wish to present today are signed by hundreds of people.

The petitioners pray and request that Parliament proceed immediately with amendments to the Criminal Code which will ensure the sentence given to anyone convicted of driving while impaired or causing injury or death while impaired reflects the severity of the crime and reflects a zero tolerance toward this crime by our government.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have a large number of petitions which I have put into two groups.

I am pleased to present seven petitions today on the subject of gasoline taxes. The petitioners come from many areas of my riding.

Because the cost of a litre of gasoline is about 52 per cent government taxes and because excise taxes on gasoline have risen by 566 per cent in the past 10 years, the petitioners ask Parliament to not increase taxes on gasoline. They feel that we need to use the natural advantage of a low cost energy source to offset the high cost of transporting our goods over great distances to reach their markets.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the second group contains 59 petitions signed by concerned citizens from all across Canada.

They oppose the inclusion of the phrase sexual orientation in the Canadian Human Rights Act. The signatures number 1,471 in total and the petitions are still pouring into my office. These Canadians believe freedom from discrimination is already protected in the human rights act without this amendment. A brief summary of this petition indicates that they feel the inclusion of this category will infringe on the rights and freedoms of Canadians in the areas of religion, conscience, belief, expression and association.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

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

The first group of petitioners request that the Government of Canada not amend federal legislation to include the phrase sexual orientation. The petitioners fear that such an inclusion could lead to homosexuals receiving the same benefits and societal privileges as married people.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition concerns the age of consent laws.

The petitioners ask that Parliament set the age of consent at 18 years to protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse.

[Ian McClelland, Reform, Edmonton Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of presenting three petitions this afternoon, all of which deal with Bill C-33.

The petitioners pray that the Parliament of Canada not pass any legislation which would amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to include the phrase sexual orientation. The petitions are from Cilia Bergsma, the Victory Christian Center and Beulah Alliance Church.

Question Passed As Order For Return

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

Mr. Speaker, if Question No. 3 could be made an Order for Return, the return would be tabled immediately.

[The Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Question No. 3-

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

How many prisoners incarcerated in federal penitentiaries are infected with Hepatitis C, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) or have AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), ( a ) how is this information determined to be accurate, ( b ) if a prisoner becomes infected with Hepatitis C, HIV or AIDS while under the care of the federal government will the infected prisoner be able to make a claim for injury, damages or suffering claiming that the government failed to properly protect him or her from the infecting act, ( c ) what specifically is the government doing to protect federal prisoners and guards from becoming infected with Hepatitis C, HIV or AIDS, and ( d ) specifically how much has it cost the federal government, so far and annually, to implement each of the measures the government uses to prevent the spread of Hepatitis C, HIV and AIDS and to protect prisoners and guards from becoming infected with Hepatitis C, HIV and AIDS?

Return tabled.

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Fundy Royal, NB]

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

[The Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Michel Bellehumeur, Bloc, Berthier—Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on March 6, 1996, I put a question to the government regarding the existence within the Privy Council, or in the federal government, of an special emergency measures co-ordinating unit. Although more than 45 days have passed, I have still not received a reply. I wonder when the government will be good enough to give an answer to a lowly MP. The question was Q-19.

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I can respond to the hon. member that the information I have is that the answer is still being prepared.