Debates of Sept. 16th, 1996

Petitions

[Myron Thompson, Reform, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, it gives me pleasure to present four petitions from the Airdrie area, other parts of Wild Rose as well as the Three Hills area from an adjoining constituency regarding four different issues.

First, the petitioners pray that Parliament enact Bill C-205, introduced by the hon. member for Scarborough West, at the earliest opportunity to provide in Canadian law that no criminal profits are obtained from committing a crime.

[Myron Thompson, Reform, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition pertains to the human rights code, the human rights act and the charter of rights and freedoms, opposing the approval of same sex relationships or the inclusion of the undefined phrase sexual orientation. I know this has already passed, but they object to that through this petition just the same.

[Myron Thompson, Reform, Wild Rose, AB]

In the third petition, Mr. Speaker, the petitioners call on Parliament to reject any proposal of legalized doctor assisted suicide in Canada.

[Myron Thompson, Reform, Wild Rose, AB]

In the fourth petition, Mr. Speaker, the petitioners call on Parliament to exercise its authority and enact legislation halting abortion.

I am pleased to present these petitions on behalf of constituents of Wild Rose.

[Beryl Gaffney, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present.

The first is from 25 petitioners in the Nepean. Whereas the property known as Victory Hill was accorded to veterans of World War II in appreciation of their contributions to this great victory, and whereas the National Capital Commission has served notice to the residents of Victory Hill of eviction in order to demolish their homes at a cost to the residents, wherefore the undersigned petitioners humbly pray and call on Parliament to take the actions necessary to reaffirm its commitment to the war veterans of Canada by withdrawing eviction and demolition notices to residents of Victory Hill.

[Beryl Gaffney, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

The second, Mr. Speaker, is from 50 petitioners, mostly in Nepean, who pray and request that Parliament proceed immediately with amendments to the Criminal Code that will ensure that the sentence given to anyone convicted of causing death by driving while impaired carries a minimum sentence of seven years and maximum of fourteen years as outlined in private member's Bill C-201 sponsored by the hon. member for Prince George-Bulkley Valley.

The third petition, Mr. Speaker, is on the same matter signed by 75 petitioners.

[Jay Hill, Reform, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I rise today to present two petitions on behalf of the constituents of Prince George-Peace River and specifically from the city of Dawson Creek.

The petitioners pray and request that Parliament not amend the Constitution as requested by the Government of Newfoundland and refer the problem of educational reform in that province back to the Government of Newfoundland for resolution by some other non-constitutional procedure.

[Werner Schmidt, Reform, Okanagan Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition in accordance with Standing Order 36. It has to do with Bill C-7.

The petitioners suggest that although herbs, botanicals and natural extracts and other natural remedies are not explicitly mentioned in Bill C-7, it is ambiguous. For that reason the petitioners herewith call on Parliament and the parliamentary subcommittee to either drop the bill or implement wording that would clearly protect the traditional use of classic herbs and the right of Canadians to use the herbal remedies of their choice.

[Jesse Flis, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have three different petitions and pursuant to Standing Order 36 it is my honour to table them.

The first one is regarding newcomer veterinarians and other highly skilled professionals who are shut out of their professions by licensing bodies that protect their market from the entry of foreign trained professionals. Whereas there is no federal or provincial program to assist foreign trained veterinarians to enter the profession where there is a high demand in most provinces, the petitioners call on the Government of Canada to help integrate foreign trained veterinarians into the profession, reduce the power to restrict entry into the fields granted to the licensing bodies, remove all barriers that prevent foreign trained veterinarians from competing in a free and open labour market and create a national body that can assess foreign credentials and grant licences based on its findings.

[Jesse Flis, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

The second petition, Mr. Speaker, is 17 sheets of names asking Parliament to urge the Prime Minister and the health minister to commit to a renewal of the national AIDS strategy. These are in addition to the many petitions I tabled prior to summer break on the same subject.

[Jesse Flis, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

The third petition, Mr. Speaker, urges the Government of Canada to urge the Government of China to enter into meaningful dialogue with the Government of Taiwan at the highest levels such as through their respective foreign ministries with an eye toward decreasing tensions and resolving the issue of the future of Taiwan.

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions today that specifically ask Parliament to enact Bill C-205 introduced by the hon. member for Scarborough West. It is a bill that would prevent criminals from profiting from the heinous crimes which they have committed.

These petitions are from people in my constituency of Macleod and I am proud to present them.

[John O'Reilly, Liberal, Victoria—Haliburton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure, pursuant to Standing Order 36, to present a petition calling on Parliament to urge the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health to commit to a renewal of the national AIDS strategy at least at its current level of funding.

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am pleased to present two petitions. They come from people in my riding who are very concerned about the lenient way in which the courts are handling people who choose to drink and drive and as a result kill.

The first petition is signed by several hundred petitioners who pray and request that Parliament proceed immediately with amendments to the Criminal Code which will ensure that the sentence given to anyone convicted of driving while impaired or causing injury or death while impaired does reflect both the severity of the crime and zero tolerance by Canada toward this crime.

The second petition is signed by several thousand petitioners from British Columbia. They basically want Canada to embrace a philosophy of zero tolerance toward individuals who drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs.

The petitioners pray and request that Parliament proceed immediately with amendments to the Criminal Code which will ensure that a sentence given to anyone convicted of impaired driving causing death carries a minimum sentence of seven years and a maximum sentence of 14 years, as outlined in private member's Bill C-201, sponsored by Richard Harris, MP for Prince George-Bulkley Valley.

Questions On The Order Paper

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

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 29, 33, 34, 40, 41, 51, 54, 55 and 59.

[Text]

Question No. 29-

[Derek Wells, Liberal, South Shore, NS]

Have any tenders been awarded in the last twelve months by Public Works Canada, that were not accompanied by a deposit cheque, where the terms of the tender stated "a certified cheque payable to the Receiver General for Canada in an amount equal to 10% of the price offered must be submitted as a deposit with the offer to purchase" and, if so, why?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Insofar as Public Works and Government Services Canada is concerned, no tenders have been awarded in the last twelve months that were not accompanied by a deposit cheque, where the terms of the tender stated that "a certified cheque payable to the Receiver General for Canada in an amount equal to 10% of the price offered must be submitted as a deposit with the offer to purchase".

Question No. 33-

[Margaret Bridgman, Reform, Surrey North, BC]

With regard to the increasing use of Electric Shock Treatment (ECT) in Canadian hospitals and, specifically, in British Columbia hospitals, what: ( a ) are the numbers by province, by sex, and by age groups of people receiving ECT annually across Canada for the past ten years; ( b ) is the number of patients by age group who died while undergoing the ECT procedure, within fourteen (14) days of treatment, and within one (1) year of treatment; ( c ) is the cost of ECT in Canada including the cost of the shock and all related costs such as anaesthesia, associated pharmaceutical treatment, and hospitalization; ( d ) federally-funded psychiatric research involves the use of ECT especially with regard to senior citizens; and ( e ) psychiatric conditions appear to make ECT the treatment of choice?

[David Dingwall, Liberal, Minister of Health]

a) & b) Questions regarding the frequency of ECT use in British Columbia (B.C.), and outcome, should be referred to the B.C. Ministry of Health.

As for national statistics, Statistics Canada keeps information on procedures in general hospitals but not in psychiatric hospitals. They have advised us that:

(1) The information requested is not available "off the shelf". A user fee would be levied by Statistics Canada for analysis of the data.

(2) It may be possible to produce figures showing the number of general hospital separations following ECT in the past 10 years, broken down by province, age group and sex.

(3) It may also be possible to determine how many of these separations were discharges of living patients and how many were deceased.

(4) Before 1992-93, the absence of personal identifier data precluded the determination of the link between the number of separations and the number of patients involved: e.g., whether the same patient was (admitted and) discharged 5 times or whether, in the other extreme, five separations involved five different individuals.

(5) The following questions cannot be answered using Statistics Canada data: (i) total number of people receiving ECT annually for the past 10 years (because data exclude psychiatric hospitals, and data prior to 1992/93 relate only to separations, not individuals, as noted above); (ii) number of patients who were given ECT and who died within 14 days or one year of treatment (all that could be obtained are the number of separations of living patients and the number of deceased, in the same year that ECT had been administered in a general hospital, but the causal link could not be established).

c) There have not been any comprehensive Canadian studies on this issue. Statistics Canada have advised that they keep data on the number of separations following the administration of ECT in general hospitals (as above) and the average cost of a day of care in hospital, but the number of hospitals days actually attributable to ECT would not be known. As well, unknown is the cost of a day in a general hospital attributable to ECT administration compared to the average cost of a day in hospital for any treatment.

The interpretation of any cost study should include an estimate of the costs, both direct and indirect, of alternatives to the use of ECT for the severe conditions for which it is administered [see response to question (e)].

d) The only federally-funded research identified by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and by Health Canada's National Health Research and Development Program (NHRDP) was a three-year study at the University of British Columbia, currently funded by MRC, entitled ECT-induced Prolactin Release, the Mechanism of Action of ECT and Clinical Outcome.

e) According to the 1992 position paper of the Canadian Psychiatric Association on ECT, the main diagnostic indications for ECT include major depression, bipolar disorder, non chronic schizophrenia (especially when affective or catatonic symptomatology is prominent), schizoaffective disorder and schizophreniform disorder.

The decision to use ECT in the treatment of an individual patient is a medical one, based on the psychiatrist's assessment of the patient's illness and an evaluation of the merits of ECT versus alternative treatments. It involves a process of informed consent. The decision is based on factors, in addition to diagnosis, such as

the patient's prior treatment response, the severity of the disorder, the relative need for rapid response to treatment (e.g., when the patient is suicidal), the risks and benefits of ECT in comparison with other appropriate treatments and the patient's preferred treatment modality).

Additional questions on this subject may be addressed to the Canadian Psychiatric Association, 200-237 Argyle Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1B8.

Question No. 34-

[Vic Althouse, NDP, Mackenzie, SK]

Which Canadian institutions or agencies does the government consider to be "state trading entities" for purposes of the GATT negotiations which begin in 1999 and have departmental officials received such a list?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

The Canadian Government considers the following to be State Trading Enterprises (STEs) for the purposes of the GATT 1994, and, in accordance with the requirements under GATT Article XVII, has submitted notifications on them to the World Trade Organization (WTO):

-Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation; -Canadian Wheat Board; -Canadian Dairy Commission; -Provincial Liquor Boards.

The Canadian Government has not, therefore, "received" any list; rather, the Government has compiled its list of STEs as shown above, and has submitted the required notifications to the WTO.

In addition, it has been determined that, in order to complete the list, Canada should also submit a notification on the Ontario Bean Producer's Marketing Board; this will be completed in the near future.

Turning to the 1999 negotiations referred to in this Question: In the Uruguay Round, WTO Members reached an Agreement on Agriculture which establishes binding commitments in the following key areas: market access; domestic support; and export subsidies. There are no provisions in the Agreement on Agriculture relating to STEs. Members agreed to resume negotiations on the Agreement on Agriculture in 1999.

Question No. 40-

[Roger Simmons, Liberal, Burin—St. George's, NL]

With respect to the plain and generic packaging component of the Tobacco Demand Reduction Strategy: ( a ) is Health Canada continuing to study the effectiveness of plain packaging in reducing the uptake and consumption of tobacco products; ( b ) does Health Canada currently have evidence of the impact, either positive or negative, that plain packaging of tobacco products would have on tobacco uptake and consumption; and ( c ) when the federal government puts forward legislative measures to ban advertising of tobacco products as outlined in the Blueprint document of December, 1995, will the packaging of tobacco products be subject to control?

[David Dingwall, Liberal, Minister of Health]

a) At this time Health Canada's priority is to fill the gap in the federal tobacco control strategy resulting from the Supreme Court ruling. With respect to plain packaging, Health Canada is evaluating the international trade, legal and economic issues surrounding this possible legislative measure.

b) Health Canada commissioned an Expert Panel to conduct a series of studies on plain packaging. The Expert Panel released its report entitled, When Packages Can't Speak: Possible impacts of plain and generic packaging of tobacco products, in March 1995. These studies with other published research on plain packaging are being evaluated.

c) Packaging is an important element of the marketing strategies of the tobacco companies. Measures have been proposed in the Blueprint to control aspects of packaging. Legislative options regarding the control of packaging are being considered.

Question No. 41-

[Roger Simmons, Liberal, Burin—St. George's, NL]

With respect to Canada's Drug Strategy: ( a ) has this Strategy achieved its objective of reducing the demand for substances and the associated social, medical and economic costs; ( b ) will this initiative be renewed; and ( c ) what federal actions will continue to be taken for youth, women, seniors, and off-reserve Aboriginal people?

[David Dingwall, Liberal, Minister of Health]

The government is now evaluating the results of Canada's Drug Strategy (CDS). This work will be completed in March 1997. In the meantime, the government knows from the results of the second national survey on alcohol and other drugs issues conducted in the Fall 1994, there has been a decrease in the number of Canadians who drink alcohol, since 1989. Similarly there has been a reduction in the percentage of people who drive after consuming two or more drinks in the previous hour, and a reduction in the use of some illicit drugs. The findings of the CDS evaluation will guide decisions regarding future initiatives to reduce substance abuse. The evaluation will look at the harm caused by alcohol and other drugs and at the extent to which the needs of youth, women, seniors and off-reserve Aboriginal people with regards to substance abuse have been addressed.

The Standing Committee on Health is currently undertaking a study to review Canada's drug policy. The Committee plans to study substances that have the potential to cause harm to individuals when abused or misused, including legal drugs such as those contained in alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, solvents and prescription drugs as well as illegal drugs such as cannabis, heroin and LSD.

Question No. 51-