Debates of Sept. 19th, 1996

Auditor General

[The Speaker]

The hon. Minister of Finance.

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, immediately upon taking office the government dealt with the question of family trusts. It took away all of the abusive tax advantages that accrued to family trusts. We did that immediately upon taking office.

That is not the issue in this case. What happened in 1991 brought up the issue of how we should treat property owned by somebody who is a resident of Canada who is leaving Canada, of how we should treat the property of an immigrant. It was not a family trust question. It was really a question that dealt with very wealthy Canadians but every bit as much could have dealt with a widow of an immigrant who was returning to her homeland and how she should deal with that property. That is the basic issue at stake here.

The auditor general made a series of recommendations and the majority report made a very important series of recommendations which the government intends to study very carefully.

Fisheries

[Derek Wells, Liberal, South Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

Last week the annual meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization was held in St. Petersburg, Russia. Would the minister inform the House of the results of that meeting, of the impact on Canada's fishery and fishery resources that are so critical to my riding, my constituents, and all of eastern Canada?

[Fred Mifflin, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, I have to report on a meeting that took place in St. Petersburg two weeks ago. It was a very important meeting to us because of reasons everyone in this House will be familiar with, related to the importance of the fishery to Canada.

There were three points that were achieved through careful negotiation and a lot of homework. The first is that Canada will control the total allowable catch when the fish recovers in NAFO area 2J 3KL, which is adjacent to Canada's coast. The second is that the amount of total allowable catch for a NAFO non-Canadian will be restricted to 5 per cent. The third is that a dispute settling mechanism will be allowed to look at the difficulties we have experienced in the past.

These measures and the continuation of Bill C-29 will ensure that the uncontrolled fishing that has taken place in the past will cease.

Points Of Order

[Randy White, Reform, Fraser Valley West, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my point of order is with regard to the question I asked during question period.

As I understand it, it is the responsibility of the government and a minister to fairly distribute regional development grants. My question was related to the purview of the minister and the question went to the Prime Minister in that regard.

I was asking whether it was right or wrong for a Liberal MP to interfere with the minister's role. The Speaker called that question out of order and I would like you to review-

[The Speaker]

In the course of question period I give as much latitude as I can. But when I do not know where a member is going in his question, when and I give every latitude for him to get to the question and the question is not arrived at, I feel it is my responsibility to intervene. I made a decision and my decision stands.

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, for clarification, the question asked was about referring something to the ethics counsellor which is under the purview of the Prime Minister. Is it not appropriate to ask if something can be-

[The Speaker]

I invite the hon. whip to see me in my chambers. I will be happy to discuss this with him.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, during my speech yesterday you informed me that we should not use the word "hypocrisy". Today, during members statements, the hon. member for Saint-Denis used this word. I imagine you did not hear it. I would ask you to check the blues and then get back to us.

[The Speaker]

I can inform the hon. member that I did not hear the word but I will check.

I would ask all members of the House to please not use words like "hypocrite" or "hypocrisy", because members get angry and sometimes respond in ways the Chair considers out of order.

Business Of The House

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would ask one of my colleagues on the other side of the House to state the business of the House for the coming week.

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

Mr. Speaker, today the House shall consider third reading of Bill C-45 concerning section 745 of the Criminal Code. If this is completed, we will return to debate on Bill C-53, the corrections legislation.

Tomorrow we will deal with Bill C-54, the Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act. If this bill is completed, we shall return to the point where we left off today.

On Monday and on the days following, we shall pick up the list from Friday, followed by Bill C-41 respecting child support payments, Bill C-26 regarding oceans, Bill C-44, the marine bill, Bill C-47 respecting reproductive technologies, and Bill C-29 concerning fuel additives.

We shall likely designate next Thursday as an allotted day.

[The Speaker]

We will move directly to tributes.

The Late Arnold Peters

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to pay tribute to Arnold Peters, the CCF-NDP MP for riding of Temiskaming in Ontario from 1957 to 1980. Arnold died at the age of 74 on September 17.

I had the honour of being a colleague of Arnold's all too briefly from May 22, 1979 until he was not re-elected in the general election of February 18, 1980. During that time I came to appreciate him greatly as a happy warrior who knew Parliament well, who knew his constituents well and who knew where he stood.

Arnold stood on the side of working people and he made no bones about it. He was a rough but gentle person with strong roots in the mining and logging communities of northern Ontario. He loved the people of these communities and worked hard for their welfare. He had worked in various capacities as a union organizer and was very clear on who he represented when he came to Parliament.

Arnold and his CCF colleague Frank Howard were responsible for reforming Canada's archaic divorce laws in the late 1950s. As I understand it, divorces in some provinces used to have to come before Parliament, something that seems ridiculous to us now. By discussing or reading into the record each divorce claim that came before Parliament, Arnold and Frank made the ridiculousness of such a process obvious and it was soon changed.

Arnold knew the rules and he knew how to use them. He was not one to be pushed around politically or personally. He did not mince words, and stories abound about how direct Arnold could be with bureaucrats who were frustrating the legitimate needs and rights of his constituents. As a rookie MP, I always knew that we were in good hands when Arnold was around.

Arnold Peters also had a reputation as one who worked to reform the prison system in his day. He was also, I might add, an advocate for those who worked for the House of Commons without benefit of collective agreements.

I spoke with a long time colleague of Arnold's this morning, Mark Rose, who told me that Arnold at one time could fairly have been called an ombudsman for House of Commons security and other staff who needed someone to go to bat for them on many occasions.

During the second world war Arnold Peters served in the Royal Canadian Air Force, and we honour his service to his country in time of war, as we have honoured it in time of peace.

I last saw Arnold at the unveiling of the plaque in the Centre Block where the names of those who served in former Parliaments are inscribed. The name of Arnold Peters is inscribed there nine times. But more important, Arnold Peters' name and memory is inscribed in the hearts and minds and stories of all those who love justice and who fight for the common people. Arnold Peters was such a person and we loved him for it.

To his wife Alma, his sons and all his family, I express sincere condolences on behalf of the NDP caucus in Parliament. We

continue to be inspired by Arnold's legacy and we will honour his memory by continuing to fight the good fight that Arnold fought so well and for so long in the House of Commons.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute today to Arnold Peters who served with distinction for many years as the MP for the riding of Temiscaming in Northern Ontario.

I remember him well, for Arnold Peters was my member of Parliament during the years I was growing up in Kirkland Lake. Arnold Peters died on Tuesday.

Before his election in 1957 Arnold Peters had been a gold miner, a union activist and had served during World War II.

When Arnold Peters was first elected, in 1957, I was still quite young, but, as my family lived in Kirkland Lake, I remember very well when he became the member for our riding of Temiscamingue.

He very quickly made a name for himself in Parliament when he and his CCF colleague Frank Howard successfully managed to reform Canada's divorce laws. As a result he became known around here as one of the divorce twins.

As an opposition member first with the CCF and later with the NDP, he was certainly outspoken. I am sure some of my colleagues on this side of the House can still remember this northern Ontarion's spirited questions from his seat across the way.

He was rewarded for his dedication to his constituents in Temiscaming and for his service to all Canadians in the House of Commons by going on to win eight more elections. With 22 years in this Chamber he was the longest serving member in the riding's history.

On behalf of my colleagues on this side of the House, I would like to extend our sincere condolences to his family.

Again, we extend our most sincere condolences to the family of the late Arnold Peters.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as the Reform member from Ontario, I rise in the House today to join my hon. colleagues in paying tribute to Mr. Arnold Peters, who passed away this week.

Mr. Peters served in the RCAF during World War II and in 1957 was elected as the member of Parliament for the Ontario riding of Temiscaming, an office he held for 23 years, winning nine successive elections.

Mr. Peters served both his country and his constituents with distinction and honour.

On behalf of the Reform Party I want to give thanks for his years of service and to extend our sympathies and condolences to his family and friends.

[The Speaker]

Before we had Statements by Members today, we had a few more petitions that I said I would take in and also answers to Questions on the Order Paper.

Petitions

[Bonnie Hickey, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present pursuant to Standing Order 36 three petitions.

The first petition signed by my constituents calls on the Parliament of Canada to prohibit convicted criminals from profiting financially from book writing, setting up 1-900 numbers and producing video tapes.

[Bonnie Hickey, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition comes from two co-operative housing projects in St. John's, Odyssey House and S.O.D. Housing Co-operatives, which calls on Parliament to administer a financial and federally funded co-operative housing office for non-governmental organizations.

[Bonnie Hickey, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

The third petition calls on Parliament to extend benefits to veterans of the merchant marine equal to that enjoyed by veterans of Canada's World War II services.

Questions Passed As Orders For Returns

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

Mr. Speaker, if Question No. 10 could be made an Order for Return, the return would be tabled immediately.

Question No. 10-

[Bob Ringma, Reform, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

For the fiscal year 1995, and with respect to minority language broadcasting stations across Canada, what has the government determined to be: ( a ) the total amount of federal monies spent on providing these services and ( b ) the total amount of advertising revenue generated by these stations?

Return tabled.

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Fundy Royal, NB]

I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.

[The Speaker]

Is it agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.