House of Commons Hansard #23 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was samples.

Topics

Committees Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Peterborough Ontario

Liberal

Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

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

(Motion agreed to)

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions today. The first has to do with health warning labels on the containers of alcoholic beverages.

The petitioners would like to bring to the attention of the House that the consumption of alcoholic beverages may cause health problems and that fetal alcohol syndrome and alcohol related birth defects are preventable by avoiding alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

The petitioners therefore pray and call on Parliament to mandate the labelling of alcoholic products to warn pregnant women and others of the certain dangers associated with the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

The second petition, Mr. Speaker, has to do with our public safety officers, police officers, firefighters and RCMP.

The petitioners say that police and firefighters are required to place their lives at risk on a daily basis and that when one of them loses his or her life in the line of duty all of us mourn that loss.

The petitioners therefore pray and call on Parliament to establish a public safety officers compensation fund for the benefit of families of public safety officers, including police officers and firefighters, who are killed in the line of duty.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

NDP

Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions.

The first petition calls on the government to amend the charter of rights and freedoms to (a) recognize the fundamental right of individuals to pursue family life free from undue interference by the state and (b) recognize the fundamental right and responsibility of parents to direct the upbringing of their children. They furthermore urge the legislative assemblies of the provinces to do likewise.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

NDP

Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB

The second petition, Mr. Speaker, petitions Parliament to affirm the duty of parents to responsibly raise their children according to their conscience and beliefs and to retain section 43 in Canada's Criminal Code as it is currently worded.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

NDP

Nelson Riis NDP Kamloops, BC

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to rise, pursuant to Standing Order 36, to present a petition on behalf of a number of constituents, as well as a number of individuals from the Guelph—Wellington constituency, who have signed a petition which states they are deeply concerned about the government's decision to continue taxing reading with the GST.

They go on and on about all the reasons why we need to encourage people to buy books to practise their reading skills, and to encourage young people to buy books.

In particular, a young person points out that she has to pay the GST on her bibles that she sends off to people in developing countries. She is very determined to have that changed.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

NDP

Nelson Riis NDP Kamloops, BC

Mr. Speaker, the next petition is again about taxes. A great number of people from the city of Kamloops as well as the city of Clearwater, British Columbia point out their concerns that our tax system is unjust, biased and unfair and ought to have a complete and total overhaul.

I again endorse the comments of these constituents.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Brent St. Denis Liberal Algoma—Manitoulin, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have several petitions to present today.

I have dozens and dozens of petitions from my riding from people who are concerned about the decision made last year in Ontario concerning women being allowed to be in public bare breasted.

The petitioners call on the federal government to take measures to deal with this issue.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Brent St. Denis Liberal Algoma—Manitoulin, ON

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from constituents in the city of Elliot Lake in my riding who are concerned about the nuclear weapons that still exist in the world and ask that something be done about it.

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Peterborough Ontario

Liberal

Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

The Speaker

Is it agreed?

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Motions For PapersRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Peterborough Ontario

Liberal

Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers be allowed to stand.

Motions For PapersRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker

Is it agreed?

Motions For PapersRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Motions For PapersRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Peter Adams Liberal Peterborough, ON

Mr. Speaker, I think you would find unanimous consent for a motion with regard to committee travel.

Motions For PapersRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker

Does the hon. parliamentary secretary have the leave of the House to propose his motion?

Motions For PapersRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Committees Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Peterborough Ontario

Liberal

Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

moved:

That four members of the committee and one staff member of the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs be authorized to travel to Aviano, Italy; Zagreb, Croatia; Velika Kladusa, Coralici, Bihac, Druar, Zgon, Banja Luka, Sarajevo, Bosnia; and Zurich, Switzerland from November 2 to 13, 1997 in order to examine Canada's continuing involvement in the international stabilization force in Bosnia.

(Motion agreed to)

Parliament Of Canada ActGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker

The hon. government House leader on a point of order.

Parliament Of Canada ActGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Glengarry—Prescott—Russell Ontario

Liberal

Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I believe that you would find unanimous consent that Bill C-13 be dealt with at second reading, committee of the whole and third reading this day.

Parliament Of Canada ActGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker

The House has heard the proposal of the government House leader. Is it agreed?

Parliament Of Canada ActGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Parliament Of Canada ActGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Glengarry—Prescott—Russell Ontario

Liberal

Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

moved that Bill C-13, an act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act, be read the second time and, by unanimous consent, referred to a committee of the whole.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to briefly address Bill C-13, an act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act.

The discussions with the opposition parties have now resulted in an agreement for the membership of the Board of Internal Economy and to allow appropriate representation of all parties in a way that is responsive to the present composition of the House of Commons.

You will recall, Mr. Speaker, that since the opening of Parliament, the House leaders of the various political parties have taken steps to ensure that processes—for instance, the size and the number of standing committees—be adjusted to ensure that the work of parliamentarians is supported by a fair and reasonable system.

We have also taken measures, in co-operation with the Speaker, to ensure that a system is in place to have a question period that was functional, given the five political parties presently in the House of Commons.

We have adjusted budgets for research offices and support services for members of Parliament, reflecting the same kind of change.

This leads me to believe that those who predicted that this would be a form of pizza Parliament, with members of Parliament unable to co-operate with each other, were wrong.

We have different points of views in the House of Commons. We will disagree with one another on various issues of substance, but we were all sent here to represent our constituents. The members of the five parties were sent here by Canadians not to make this Parliament dysfunctional. We were all sent here to make Parliament work.

I want to congratulate the House leaders of all parties for their work in that respect thus far. I also congratulate the Speaker for his excellent work and for his guidance from time to time.

The proposed changes to the Board of Internal Economy will essentially do the following. They will create a situation whereby five members of the government will sit on the Board of Internal Economy: two ministers and three members. The Leader of the Opposition, or his delegate, will be represented on the board. In addition, a member of the official opposition caucus will be on the board and also a member from all other parties, duly recognized, in the House of Commons.

There is also a formula in the new bill by which such amendments will not be necessary in the future, were there to be more changes in the numbers of of parties sitting in the House of Commons, either after the next election or in the event that a party ceases to be a political party within this Parliament.

These changes have been made with the support of all the parties involved. I want to reiterate my appreciation for the support and co-operation of everyone.

Negotiations of this type are never easy. Still, it is important to note that all political parties, regardless of their ideology, agree that we must work together to ensure the proper operation of this Parliament and to provide the best possible government to Canadians, who sent us here to represent them during this 36th Parliament.

Parliament Of Canada ActGovernment Orders

3:25 p.m.

Reform

Randy White Reform Langley—Abbotsford, BC

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to speak to Bill C-13 which amends the Parliament of Canada Act.

This amendment provides for members of the Progressive Conservative Party and the New Democratic Party to be full-fledged members of the Board of Internal Economy.

I believe in any organization in our democracy, matters which affect employees or members of any organization should work by way of input from those members. I do not believe that the House of Commons should take a different approach than that which is taken by any other organization in our country. In fact, we should set the trend and the style for those kinds of things.

The act did not previously provide for membership on the board for those two parties and this amendment corrects that situation.

While we may differ in the House from time to time on many issues, I do not believe that the Board of Internal Economy is a place in which differences occur by way of motions. I believe it is a consensus organization. In fact, it is a management organization that keeps the members' interests at heart and, in particular, keeps the members' interests, on an ongoing basis, regardless of party politics. Presumably it is non-partisan.

New members should be reminded that the Board of Internal Economy operates on a consensus basis. Therefore, with the new membership and the more people we have on the board, it is imperative to keep the consensus building ideal and not get into motions and partisan issues. We should manage the way any good organization should manage. Hopefully that is what this amendment to the bill does.

We wholeheartedly agree that these two parties be active members of the Board of Internal Economy. We wish them well in future discussions and debates that will occur there.