Debates of March 20th, 1997

Hong Kong

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, visa free access for Hong Kong people is very good news for Canada and for Hong Kong.

More than 100,000 Canadian people live in Hong Kong. More than 500,000 Canadians living in Canada have come from Hong Kong. Every year Canada has more than 200,000 visitors from Hong Kong. They come here for business, to visit family or for tourism.

After the assurances we received from the Hong Kong authorities and the Chinese government, it was very important that we were able to maintain the visa free access. That is very good news for everyone.

Tobacco Products

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

Mr. Speaker, I have a quote from a recent Health Canada study which shows that the nicotine content of tobacco used in Canadian cigarettes has increased 53 per cent in the last 27 years.

This government has invested $2 million in increasing the nicotine content of tobacco to make it more addictive in its Delhi plants in Ontario. I ask the Prime Minister, for the sake of all Canadians and in particular for the health of our youth, will he stop using taxpayers' money to fund research into increasing the addictive potential of cigarettes?

[Fernand Robichaud, Liberal, Secretary of State (Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, the premise of that question is completely false. For many days in the wording of their questions Reform members have tried to suggest that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada was doing research to enhance nicotine content. We have denied that in the answers we have given in this House. Again today they are wrong. There is no such research being done by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to enhance nicotine levels.

Business Of The House

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Témiscouata, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Deputy Leader of the Government to tell us what will be on the legislative agenda when we return from the Easter recess?

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Minister of Labour and Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, since this is the first time my hon. colleague has made the standard Thursday enquiry as House leader for the Bloc Quebecois, may I take this opportunity to congratulate her on her new duties.

Tomorrow will be the last day of debate on the budget.

When the House resumes after Easter, as soon as is procedurally possible it will be asked to deal with the three or four bills emanating from the budget.

In addition it would be helpful if I reiterate for the House the other items that will be given high priority: Bill C-82, the financial institutions legislation; Bill C-44, the courts; Bill C-32, the copyright amendment; Bill C-17, Bill C-27 and Bill C-46 which amend the Criminal Code; Bill C-5 representing bankruptcy; Bill C-65, the environment bill; Bill C-79; Bill C-55, the high risk offenders legislation; Bill C-66, the Canada Labour Code amendment; Bill C-38, the farm debt bill; Bills C-39 and C-40 which relate to flooding agreements; Bill C-49, the administrative tribunals bill; Bill C-67, the competition legislation; Bill C-72, the Canadian Wheat Board Act amendments; Bill C-81 respecting the Canada-Chile free trade agreement; Bill C-84 respecting citizenship; Bill C-86 respecting transportation acts; and Bill C-89 regarding powers of customs officers.

There is a lot of work to be done when we come back. I wish everybody a happy Easter so that we can come back in health to work hard.

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Témiscouata, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that was a very long list, and I did not hear C-17 mentioned. Was it forgotten, or was it on the list?

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Saint-Léonard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-17 is at the top of the list.

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

Mr. Speaker, I believe you will find there is unanimous consent for the following motion. There has been very good co-operation among all of the parties. On behalf of the government I wish to thank my colleagues on all sides of the House for their co-operation.

I move:

That the motion to amend the motion for second reading of Bill C-82 be deemed to have been withdrawn and the motion for second reading and reference to committee of the said bill be deemed to have been put and a division demanded and deferred to 5 p.m. this day.

That all questions necessary to dispose of the report stage and the third reading stage of Bill C-81 be deemed to have been put and adopted.

That all questions necessary for the disposal of the consideration of Senate amendments to Bill C-70 be deemed to have been put, and a division thereon requested and deferred to 5 p.m. this day.

And that no later than 4.59 p.m. this day, any proceedings before the House be interrupted and all questions necessary to dispose of the third reading stage of Bill C-32 be put without further debate or amendment.

[The Speaker]

Does the hon. parliamentary secretary have unanimous consent to put the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

(Motion agreed to).

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order. I wonder if I could seek unanimous consent of the House to revert to presentation of reports from committees.

[The Speaker]

Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Committees Of The House

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Special Joint Committee on a Code of Conduct.

[Ghislain Lebel, Bloc, Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I also wish to seek the unanimous consent of the House to table a report of the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations. Is it possible to obtain that consent?

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Ghislain Lebel, Bloc, Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the referral to committee set out in section 19 of the Statutory Instruments Act, the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations draws the attention of the House to the Regulation on notification of directions for treatment by the governor in council under subsection 672.6(1) and section 672.95 of the Criminal Code, November 19, 1992, under Registration No. SOR/92-665.

[The Speaker]

Colleagues, Bill C-81, an act to implement the Canada-Chile free trade agreement and related agreements is concurred in at report stage, read the third time and passed.

Points Of Order

[Jack Frazer, Reform, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, you have taken a fairly firm position with regard to character assassination in the House.

Twice during question period when the Minister of National Defence was responding to the member for Okanagan-Similkameen-Merritt, he queried the veracity of the member. On one occasion he said he thought the member spoke with forked tongue and toward the end of his answer he wondered why the member did not speak the truth.

To be consistent, Mr. Speaker, I believe that you should ask the Minister of National Defence to withdraw these comments.

[The Speaker]

My colleagues, I did not hear the minister say that it was an untruth. I did not hear the minister say "a lie". Would you let me review the blues and I will come back to the House on the two points that the member raised, if I find it is necessary.

[Daphne Jennings, Reform, Mission—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today I made reference to a letter in my Standing Order 31 statement. I would like you to seek unanimous consent of the House for me to table the letter.

[The Speaker]

Does the hon. member have the consent of the House to table the letter?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker]

Agreed and so ordered.