House of Commons Hansard #68 of the 35th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was life.
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 nine petitions.
Jan Brown Reform Calgary Southeast, AB
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present this petition on behalf of constituents and concerned parents across the country who support the effort to create a national pedophile registry.
The petitioners I represent are concerned with making our streets and homes safer for our children. They are opposed to the current status quo in the screening of pedophiles within our communities.
The petitioners pray that a federally implemented pedophile registry be established in order to help better protect our children.
Jim Abbott Reform Kootenay East, BC
Mr. Speaker, in response to concerns about the fee structure in our national parks, I am pleased to present the following two petitions: "We, the undersigned citizens of Canada, believe our national parks belong to all Canadians with a first priority to ensure that costs for Canadians and their families to use and enjoy the parks remain affordable". The petitioners wish to draw this to the attention to the House.
The petitioners ask that the standard fee for going into a park should be $2 for a passenger vehicle or $25 annually.
John Nunziata Liberal York South—Weston, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have several petitions I wish to present to the House.
The first petition deals with section 745 of the Criminal Code. As members know, that provision in the code allows those convicted of first and second degree murder with parole ineligibility in excess of 15 years to apply to have their parole ineligibility reduced.
The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to repeal section 745 of the code so that the parole ineligibility provisions are not reduced.
John Nunziata Liberal York South—Weston, ON
Mr. Speaker, the second petition deals with the Young Offenders Act.
The petitioners request that Parliament amend the Young Offenders Act to provide that young offenders charged with murder be automatically tried in adult court, and that if convicted they be sentenced as adults, and that their identity not be hidden from the public.
As the House knows, Canadians are demanding changes to the Young Offenders Act.
John Nunziata Liberal York South—Weston, ON
Mr. Speaker, the final petition calls on the Government of Canada to proceed immediately with amendments to the Criminal Code to ensure that the sentence given to anyone convicted of impaired driving causing death carries a minimum sentence of seven years and a maximum of fourteen years as outlined in private member's bill C-201 sponsored by the hon. member for Prince George-Bulkley Valley.
Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions. The first petition has to do with the taxation of the family and comes from my riding of Mississauga South.
The petitioners 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 eliminate tax discrimination against families that choose to provide care in the home for preschool children, the chronically ill, the aged or the disabled.
Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON
Mr. Speaker, the second petition comes from Kingston, Ontario. The petitioners would like to draw 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 on 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.
Dick Harris Reform Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present two petitions.
The first petition notes that 52 per cent of the price of gasoline is composed of taxes, that the federal excise tax has increased by 566 per cent in the last 10 years, and that the federal government actually reinvests less than 5 per cent of its fuel tax revenues.
Therefore, the petitioners request that Parliament not increase the federal excise tax on gasoline and strongly consider reallocating its current revenues to rehabilitate Canada's crumbling national highways.
Dick Harris Reform Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from constituents in British Columbia.
The petitioners draw the attention of the House of Commons to the fact that whereas elected members of the Parliament of Canada are duty bound to represent the interests of Canadians for the good of Canada, and whereas members of Parliament swear allegiance to the Queen and to Canada, and whereas members of Parliament have a moral and legal obligation to fulfil their duties in the best interests of all of Canada, therefore the petitioners humbly pray that the leader of the official opposition of the 35th Parliament of Canada and the caucus members of the official opposition party, having breached their allegiance and moral obligations as members of Parliament of Canada, be permanently ejected from the Parliament of Canada.
Deborah Grey Reform Beaver River, AB
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I would like to present a couple of petitions.
The first petition is signed by several people in the constituency of Beaver River from Thorhild and some from Edmonton. Who knows, Mr. Speaker, they may even be your constituents.
The petitioners ask Parliament to be aware of the fact that societal approval, including the extension of societal privileges, would be given to same sex relationships if any amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act were to include the undefined phrase sexual orientation. They find that frustrating and discriminatory.
They call on Parliament not to 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.
Deborah Grey Reform Beaver River, AB
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I would like to present a petition from several people in Alberta as well as B.C. and several places across the country. It talks about the wartime merchant marine navy.
It states that it was the fourth arm of the armed services; that veterans of the wartime merchant navy are under the civilian war related benefits act; that one in ten Canadian merchant seamen lost their lives, the highest proportional rate of all services; that merchant navy prisoners of war spent 50 months on average in imprisonment but only 30 months are recognized; and that these people were excluded from the War Veterans Allowance Act from pensionable benefits, from veterans' post-World War II free university education, housing and land grant benefits, small business financial aid and veterans' health care benefits.
They call on Parliament to consider the advisability of extending benefits or compensation to veterans of the wartime merchant navy equal to that enjoyed by veterans of Canada's World War II armed services. I am sure they would all say that fair is fair and let us get on with it.
Randy White Reform Fraser Valley West, BC
Mr. Speaker, I would like to table two petitions from constituents in Langley, Aldergrove and Abbotsford, British Columbia in my riding.
The first petition asks that Parliament enact Bill C-205, which was introduced by the hon. member for Scarborough West, at the earliest opportunity which would provide in Canadian law that no criminal profits from committing a crime.
Randy White Reform Fraser Valley West, BC
Mr. Speaker, the second petition asks that Parliament amend the Criminal Code to allow for post-sentence supervision and/or detention of those who have been convicted of sex offences involving children or serious personal injury offences. This should apply to those offenders who refuse treatment and/or are assessed at high risk to reoffend.
Second, to establish a procedure of public notification of a sex offender being released and to allow such notification to be made available for reviewing at RCMP stations and other government agencies.
Third, it would establish a registry including fingerprints of all convicted sex offenders.
Fourth, it would amend the Criminal Records Act to prohibit pardons for those convicted of sex offences involving children.
Fifth, it would amend the Criminal Code to prohibit for life all those convicted of sex offences against children from holding positions of trust and responsibility regarding children.
Beryl Gaffney Liberal Nepean, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present. The petitioners are mostly from the national capital region.
They 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 a maximum of 14 years as outlined in private member's Bill C-201, sponsored by the member for Prince George-Bulkley Valley.
Mr. Speaker, in the second petition, which contains 125 names, the petitioners pray and request that Parliament proceed immediately with amendments to the Criminal Code that 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.
Daphne Jennings Reform Mission—Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise today to present petitions of some 1,200 names.
The petitioners 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 a maximum sentence of 14 years as outlined in private member's Bill C-201, sponsored by the member for Prince George-Bulkley Valley.
I am presenting these on behalf of constituents of my riding and I am very pleased to do so.
Paul Zed Liberal Fundy Royal, NB
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I was wondering if I might seek the unanimous consent of the House to revert to the introduction of government bills. The Minister of Justice has the high risk offenders bill that needs to be introduced.
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-55, an act to amend the Criminal Code (high risk offenders), the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, the Criminal Records Act, Prisons and Reformatories Act and the Department of the Solicitor General Act.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)
Paul Zed LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, question No. 57 will be answered today.
Question No. 57-
Peter Milliken Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
What was the total cost of the Sound and Light Show on Parliament Hill in 1995, broken down by: ( a ) development costs, ( b ) production costs, ( c ) any other costs; how many performances took place over the summer season, and how many persons attended the performances?
Guy Arseneault LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Canadian Heritage
In so far as the National Capital Commission is concerned:
1995 Sound and Light Show on Parliament Hill
NCC Costs
Costs
Development Costs $165,009
Production Costs Cash expenditures 129,098 In kind expenditures 67,405 Total production costs $196,503
Total Costs $361,512
Revenues
Payment of partial costs of new visual component (fromPublic Works and Government Services Canada) $100,000
Media sponsorship (in kind) 67,405 Total Revenues $167,405
Net NCC Cost $194,107
Attendance
Number of Performances 145
Total Attendance 142,240
Notes:
Personnel costs are not included.
Development costs are the costs of the new visual component required due to the restoration work being done on the Centre Block.
Development costs were incurred over two fiscal years. Costs included above are costs incurred in 1995-96 fiscal year. Development costs of $148,057 were incurred in 1994-95.
Media sponsors supported this program providing promotional services in kind.
Paul Zed Liberal Fundy Royal, NB
I ask, Mr. Speaker, that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.