Debates of Feb. 19th, 1997

Points Of Order

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, there is just one small point I would draw to your attention. I think you would find that the members of Parliament who were in the lock-up that was allowed by the Department of Finance were not allowed out of the lock-up until the minister stood up.

In the converse, the members of Parliament who were not in the lock-up, who are all honourable people and I am sure all had honourable intentions, nonetheless had the details of the budget prior to the time the minister stood up. I cannot imagine that anyone would have abused that privilege but it is possible that telephone calls could have been made from the lobby.

If members of Parliament are in the lock-up and are not permitted out, there has to be a good reason for it. Why then were the members of Parliament in the House given copies of the budget prior to the minister standing up?

[Barry Campbell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the first point I would make is that this is certainly not a matter of privilege.

The second point is that I would not question the behaviour of any member of the House. I recall being in the Chamber just before the minister rose to speak. All members on all sides of the House were receiving documents as the minister arrived. Some were flipping through those documents. All members of the House were treated alike. The documents were here within the safety and security, if you will, of this Chamber with no prospect whatsoever of any kind of opportunity for anyone to profit from it.

[John Nunziata, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is the budget documents were available in the lobby. There were people in the lobby who are not members of Parliament. I had two people with me who were not

members of Parliament and who had the budget document15 minutes before the minister started speaking.

[The Speaker]

I want to inform myself about the precedents. I understood this is being brought up as a point of order, not a point of privilege. Is that correct? I address myself to the hon. member for York South-Weston.

[John Nunziata, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I think it would be more appropriately phrased as a point of privilege than a point of order.

[The Speaker]

I will deal with everything that has been said in the context of a point of privilege.

I want to inform myself about the precedents. I want to inform myself about what went on yesterday. After I have informed myself, I will get back to the House and I will share with you what my findings are.

[John Williams, Reform, St. Albert, AB]

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

[The Speaker]

Is this a different point of order?

[John Williams, Reform, St. Albert, AB]

On the same point, Mr. Speaker.

[The Speaker]

As far as this point is concerned, I feel that I have heard enough. You are no doubt going to quote me something from the rules that we work by. I will familiarize myself with all of the rules that are involved.

Government Response To Petitions

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Parliamentary 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 15 petitions.

Interparliamentary Delegations

[John Maloney, Liberal, Erie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation to the fifth annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum which was held in Vancouver, British Columbia from January 7 to January 10 of this year.

The meeting was hosted by the Parliament of Canada and I can proudly report that it was highly successful and productive.

Parliamentarians from 21 Asia-Pacific nations met to discuss important regional and global issues. Twenty-one separate resolutions were adopted dealing with such matters as terrorism, drug trafficking, land mines and the environment. The Canadian delegation was most instrumental in proposing and having adopted important resolutions on education and literacy, on human rights, including the exploitation of children and women.

In conclusion, I want to draw the House's attention to the fact that the right hon. Prime Minister addressed the delegates at the opening plenary session. He spoke of the importance of the APPF and how parliamentarians are an essential part of the decision making process and should play an active role in international relations.

Committees Of The House

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table the 56th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, which lists the members and the associate members of the Standing Committee on Industry.

With leave of the House, I intend to move for concurrence in this report later this day.

Criminal Code

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-372, an act to amend the Criminal Code (protection of child before birth).

Mr. Speaker, our nation today has an epidemic of children who are born with fetal alcohol syndrome which is the result of the mother consuming substances that are deliberately and permanently injurious to the fetus.

In response to that I am introducing a controversial private member's bill. It would enable the courts to impose on the mother who is knowingly consuming substances injurious to the growth of the fetus. The courts would be able to have the individual confined to a hospital or another suitable facility where her access to injurious substances could be controlled for as long as the court deemed fit. This would ensure the protection of fetuses for nobody is speaking for their protection today.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

Committees Of The House

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

Mr. Speaker, with the leave of the House I move that the 56th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier this day, be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to.)

Petitions

[Nic Leblanc, Bloc, Longueuil, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition from a group of people on Montreal's south shore asking the government not to increase the federal excise tax on gasoline.

[Nic Leblanc, Bloc, Longueuil, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I also have a second petition. This one too is from a group of people on Montreal's south shore asking Parliament to exert pressure on the federal government so that it will work with provincial governments in order to improve the national highway system.

[Jan Brown, Reform, Calgary Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by Calgarians as well as people who live just outside of Calgary. They are opposed to the early release of sex offenders and pedophiles. They state that sexual abuse of our children or anyone in society is intolerable. They are concerned about making our streets safer for our children. The petitioners therefore pray that Parliament enact legislation to establish a pedophile registry.

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions today. This petition with 320 signatures asks Parliament to zero rate books, magazines and newspapers under the GST.

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition with 350 signatures on it that asks Parliament to legislate the prohibition in Canada of the use, production, stockpiling, sale, trade and transfer of all anti-personnel land mines and to work toward an international convention banning those activities.

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions in which the petitioners call upon Parliament to urge the federal government to join with the provincial governments to upgrade the national highway system in 1997.

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have another petition where the petitioners request that Parliament not increase the federal excise tax on gasoline in the budget.

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have another petition where the petitioners ask Parliament to take steps in keeping BGH out of Canada and to legislate a moratorium or stoppage on the use and sale of BGH until the year 2000, and to examine the outstanding health and economic questions through an independent and transparent review body.

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this petition calls upon Parliament to conduct a full inquiry into the relationship between lending institutions and the judiciary, and to enact legislation restricting the appointment of judges with ties to credit granting institutions.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Hon. member, there is an unstated rule of three to a customer. Perhaps the hon. member would not mind doing it next time.