House of Commons Hansard #38 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was environment.

Topics

BanksOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Willowdale Ontario

Liberal

Jim Peterson LiberalSecretary of State (International Financial Institutions)

Mr. Speaker, it is entirely up to the industry committee if it wishes to look into this issue.

We have the banks before the committee four times a year. It is quite capable of running its affairs. I am sure if the member were there he would be able to ask these questions.

Let me put a few facts on the table. Taxes for Canadian banks are 64% of net income. In the U.S. they are 54%, in the U.K. 52%. For Canadian manufactures the taxes are 47% and for our credit unions they are 45%.

We are the government that imposed the temporary surtax.

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Gilles Bernier Progressive Conservative Tobique—Mactaquac, NB

Mr. Speaker, at human resources development offices across the country people who are going in to pick up their cheques are getting something extra. They are being asked to sign a computer printout with the names and cheque amounts of everyone else in their community getting a cheque.

The privacy commissioner has already started an inquiry.

Will the minister put a stop to this practice immediately, launch a full investigation and prosecute those responsible under the Privacy Act?

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, as members know, there is a postal strike in this country. As shown in the House today, the opposition seems to be satisfied with the answers of my colleagues.

Our department has set up 500 sites across the country where people can collect their cheques. I will look into the allegations of the member. We ask people to identify themselves for security reasons. We need to protect the integrity of the system.

I will look into the hon. member's allegation. We want to serve Canadians well.

Quebec's Civil CodeOral Question Period

November 26th, 1997 / 2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Denis Paradis Liberal Brome—Missisquoi, QC

Mr. Speaker, the government is in the process of harmonizing its legislation with the provisions of Quebec's new Civil Code. Quebec is unique, not just for its language and its culture, but also for its legal tradition.

Can the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs tell the House what Quebeckers and Canadians can expect from this important harmonization?

Quebec's Civil CodeOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Saint-Laurent—Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Stéphane Dion LiberalPresident of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Mr. Speaker, Canada has the tremendous good fortune to be a bilingual country with both its languages international.

Canada is also a multicultural nation, giving us many footholds throughout the world. Canada has access to Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic civilizations. But Canada also has another strength that we can turn to the advantage of all Canadians, and that is Quebec's Civil Code, which makes us bijural.

In order to turn this to best account, the Government of Canada will intensify the process of harmonizing federal legislation with Quebec's Civil Code, a project without precedent in the history—

Quebec's Civil CodeOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

The Speaker

The member for West Kootenay—Okanagan.

Canada PostOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Reform

Jim Gouk Reform West Kootenay—Okanagan, BC

Mr. Speaker, in this secure building the Minister of Public Works, who last August promised business he would act swiftly to legislate posties back to work if they went out on strike, has a guard posted at his office door.

I would like to know if that guard is there to protect him from angry CUPW workers for promising to legislate them back to work or to protect him from angry business owners for reneging on that promise or to protect him from the Minister of Labour whom he keeps contradicting.

Canada PostOral Question Period

3 p.m.

The Speaker

The question is out of order.

My colleagues, that would bring to a close our question period for today.

Presence In GalleryOral Question Period

3 p.m.

The Speaker

I draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of some representatives from Canada's film and television industry.

We see you on our television and movie screens telling us our stories as Canadians, reflecting our values and playing out our dreams.

We are proud of your work and of your cultural achievements.

Dear colleagues, I present our Canadian stars.

I think today will be a rather busy day. I have a point of privilege. I received notice yesterday. I have at least one point of order that I know of. I will handle these matters before I get to the routine proceedings of the day.

The hon. member for Burlington.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Liberal

Paddy Torsney Liberal Burlington, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of personal privilege.

My rights and those of several of my colleagues have been violated by another member of this House of Commons.

On his instruction, the staff of the member of Parliament has deliberately harassed my colleagues and myself, thereby preventing me from doing my duties as a member of Parliament.

This is clearly an abuse of the facilities provided to all members of Parliament to fulfil their responsibilities to Canadians. There is no doubt that the staff member acted on behalf of his employer, the member for Yorkton—Melville.

The staff member has boasted of disrupting a private dinner comprised of duly elected members of this House, taking photographs and behaving in a threatening manner for the sole purpose of invading our privacy.

His antics need no further description as they are well documented in the Ottawa Sun . This is not a joke. It is a very serious harassment that needs your attention.

The member's staff clearly meant to intimidate and frighten my colleagues and myself. I must insist that this behaviour cannot be tolerated as appropriate activities by those people who are employed by us.

I believe I have a prima facie case of privilege, and if you so rule, I am prepared to move the necessary motion to refer this issue to the appropriate committee.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Burlington mentioned specifically the hon. member for Yorkton—Melville. I am not sure this is a question of privilege. I want to hear what he has to say.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

Reform

Garry Breitkreuz Reform Yorkton—Melville, SK

Mr. Speaker, this is the first I hear of this. I know nothing about it. I think the member is obligated to give me some details regarding what she is talking about. I know nothing about this.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

The Speaker

I need a little more information. I address the hon. member for Burlington. Could you identify for me, my colleague, which if any, parliamentary procedure was involved in this so-called intimidation?

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Paddy Torsney Liberal Burlington, ON

Mr. Speaker, I apologize. I have the wrong Mr. Breitkreuz. It is the member for Yellowhead.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

An hon. member

Apologize.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Paddy Torsney Liberal Burlington, ON

The part where I said I am sorry was an apology.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

The Speaker

Evidently, the hon. member in her statement has misidentified one member of Parliament for another. She has said from her seat that she apologizes, that in her statement she was talking about the hon. member for Yellowhead.

I am going to let you say something but then I am going to come back to this.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

Reform

Garry Breitkreuz Reform Yorkton—Melville, SK

Mr. Speaker, when a member rises on a question of privilege and accuses another member directly of this, is there not some obligation to have her in fact at least resemble something to the truth? I find this just abhorrent.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

An hon. member

Shame.

PrivilegeOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

The Speaker

My colleagues, it is a question of privilege of one of our colleagues here after all. We are all involved in this, all of us.

May I please ask for your indulgence. I want to get more information. I wonder if the hon. member would consider perhaps approaching me in my Chambers to give me more information. I will reserve judgment until I get more details.

I am going to go to a point of order.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

Reform

Randy White Reform Langley—Abbotsford, BC

Mr. Speaker, you called my colleague from West Kootenay—Okanagan out of order. I think as a matter of information to my colleagues and to the House, I would like you to explain to us what exactly the order was where he was out of order.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

The Speaker

It is not common practice for the Speaker of the House to give his reasons for what he does to the House. You have empowered me with this.

From what I could hear, the hon. member was talking about security. I, as Speaker of the House, am responsible for security in the House. From what I could make out in the preamble, he was talking about the security of the House. I ruled that to be out of order. From my understanding, that is where it was going. I have to make these decisions on pretty short notice. I stand by my decision.

Ways And MeansRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Willowdale Ontario

Liberal

Jim Peterson LiberalSecretary of State (International Financial Institutions)

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to lay upon the Table a Notice of Ways and Means motion to amend the Excise Tax Act and a related act, as well as explanatory notes on the preliminary bill and regulations pertaining to the GST and HST.

I ask that you designate an Order of the Day for the consideration of the motion.

Blood System In CanadaRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour today to table the final report by Mr. Justice Krever, in three volumes, entitled “Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada: Final Report”.