Debates of April 16th, 1997

Minister Of Canadian Heritage

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, it is ironic. I thought that in light of the fact that the member and his colleagues have not hestitated from associating themselves with any reception he might have hung his head in shame.

He made a reference yesterday to so-called MP junkets. I took the time to do a bit of research. The member who decried that we had approximately 20 young wheelchair athletes aged 14 and 15 at this reception is the same member who took a trip to Cambridge, England, Oslo, Norway, Tromso, Norway, Stockholm, Sweden, Copenhagen, Denmark.

I checked today on the business class ticket price, which is $5,000.

Housing

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

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister of aboriginal affairs and has to do with concerns expressed in northern Manitoba, particularly in the riding of Churchill, with respect to funding that was promised for housing. The minister knows this is a concern.

Could he tell the House and the people of northern Manitoba, particularly in the aboriginal communities, when that promised money will be forthcoming? Will there be an announcement in the next little while regarding how this funding will be forthcoming and how it will be received?

[Ron Irwin, Liberal, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his interest in aboriginal peoples which has been consistent.

I do not have the exact details because it is based on formula, but I will get them after question period and give them to the hon. member.

Immigration

[Stan Dromisky, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Atikokan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the hon. Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

The minister today tabled a 1996 annual report to Parliament on ministerial permits. Could the minister inform the House on how these numbers compare to those of previous years? What assurance could the minister give Canadians that these permits are being used responsibly?

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

Mr. Speaker, last year we issued fewer ministerial permits than the year before, fewer than ever before. There was a 27 per cent reduction.

We are achieving the goal of controlling the immigration program more efficiently. Ministerial permits allow people who would otherwise not be admissible to Canada to come in under specific circumstances or for specific reasons. Each case is looked at very seriously.

The safety and security of Canadians remain the priority in the final decision.

Points Of Order

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of personal privilege. During question period the Deputy Prime Minister showed very poor taste in her comments.

If she were to check further she would find that the trip she mentioned was not paid for by the Canadian taxpayers in any way.

I could provide the House with that evidence at a later date.

Government Response To Petitions

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

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 25 petitions.

Dene And Metis Land Claim

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, copies of the 1994 and 1995-96 annual reports of the implementation committee on the Shatu Dene and Metis comprehensive land claim agreement.

Gwitch'In Land Claim Agreement

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, under the provisions of Standing Order 32(2) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, copies of the 1994-95 and 1995-96 annual reports of the implementation committee on the Gwitch'in comprehensive land claim agreement.

Committees Of The House

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

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Health.

Pursuant to the order of reference dated November 5, 1996, the committee has adopted Bill C-47, an act respecting human reproductive technologies and commercial transactions relating to human reproduction, and amendments.

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Prince Edward—Hastings, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-food which deals with Bill C-72, the Canadian Wheat Board Act.

I am proud to report the bill with several amendments.

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

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present the 63rd report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding its order of reference from the House of Commons on Thursday, February 20, 1997, in relation to the main estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1998 with regard to vote 5 under Parliament, House of Commons. The committee reports the same.

Privacy Act

[Brenda Chamberlain, Liberal, Guelph—Wellington, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-405, an act to amend the Privacy Act.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to introduce this bill which seeks to amend the Privacy Act to allow parents and legal guardians the right to contact the RCMP for disclosure of whether or not an individual in trust or authority has been convicted of a previous offence, including sexual interference and incest.

The legislation is introduced following a tragic situation in my riding of Guelph-Wellington where a child was molested by an individual who had a previous conviction. The child's mother was unable to obtain any information regarding the individual. Parents must have access to prior records to ensure that this kind of situation cannot happen again.

The legislation is about access that will give our children much needed protection. Society must do all it can to prevent incidents of child abuse. I hope that my private member's bill will be another important step in the protection of our children.

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

Petitions

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Madam Speaker, I beg the indulgence of the House. I have quite a few petitions which I have grouped into several categories.

I am overwhelmed by the show of public support for my parental rights Motion No. 300. In just a few months I have received 41 petitions with 940 signatures which I am pleased to present to the House today.

The petitioners draw attention to their concerns that the government has used the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to create legislation, programs and bureaucracy which undermine the fundamental rights and freedoms of parents.

These concerned Canadians request that Parliament support Motion No. 300 which would add parental rights and responsibilities to section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Madam Speaker, the next group of petitions I am pleased to rise today to present are signed by concerned citizens across Canada.

They oppose the inclusion of the phrase sexual orientation in the Canadian Human Rights Act. These Canadians believe that freedom from discrimination is already protected in the human rights act without this amendment.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Madam Speaker, the next group of petitions I rise to present are signed by Canadian citizens from the province of Saskatchewan.

They request that Parliament amend the Criminal Code to ensure that sentences given to anyone convicted of driving while impaired or causing injury or death while impaired reflect both the severity of the crime and zero tolerance by Canada toward the crime.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Madam Speaker, the next group of petitions that it is my pleasure to present are three petitions representing 75 concerned citizens from Manitoba.

They wish Parliament to affirm the duty of parents to responsibly raise their children according to their own conscience and beliefs and therefore that section 33 of the Criminal Code be left as it is currently worded.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present another petition signed by Canadians concerned about our national highway system given that 38 per cent of national highways are substandard.

The petitioners request that Parliament urge the federal government to join with the provincial governments to upgrade our highways.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Madam Speaker, I am also pleased to rise today to present petitions signed by concerned Canadians who wish to draw to the attention of Parliament that over 100,000 therapeutic abortions are performed each year in Canada at a cost of over $50 million per year.

The petitioners and all Canadians deserve to have a voice in how their health care dollars are spent and which health care procedures they consider essential.

They call on Parliament to support a binding national referendum to be held at the time of the next general election to determine whether or not Canadians are in favour of federal government funding for abortions on demand.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise to present petitions on behalf of concerned Canadians.

They request that Parliament support the existing laws which will severely punish all violent criminals who use weapons in a crime, support new Criminal Code firearms control provisions which recognize the rights of law-abiding citizens to own and use their firearms, and will repeal and modify existing gun control laws that have not improved public safety or not proven to be cost effective or too complex.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Madam Speaker, I also wish to present petitions signed by Canadians concerned about the high percentage of taxes they are paying for a litre of gasoline at the pumps.

They request that Parliament not increase the federal excise tax on gasoline in the next federal budget.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Madam Speaker, I wish to present petitions signed by Canadians greatly concerned about recent court decisions that have declared the Criminal Code of Canada setting the age of consent for sexual intercourse with females at 14 years of age, and the age of consent for anal intercourse at 18 years of age is discriminatory on the basis of age.

The majority of Canadians believe our laws should protect children from exploitation and abuse and that age of consent laws are designed to control adults who want to have sex with minors.

The petitioners urge Parliament to amend the Criminal Code of Canada to set the age of consent at 18 years of age except for husband and wife relationships to provide protection from exploitation and abuse.

[Stan Dromisky, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Atikokan, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have the privilege and honour of presenting two petitions.

In light of the fact that 38 per cent of the national highway system is substandard, a group of citizens in Thunder Bay-Atikokan have signed a petition asking that the federal government join with provincial governments to upgrade the national highway system.

[Stan Dromisky, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Atikokan, ON]

Madam Speaker, I also have a very significant petition signed by 8,600 citizens from Thunder Bay, Terrace Bay, Kakabeka Falls, Ignace, Dryden, Winnipeg, Dyment, Red Rock, Sundridge, Dorion, Kenora, Pearl, Nolalu, Marathon, Manitouwadge, Azilda, Heron Bay, Kaministiquia, South Gillies, Garson, Sioux Lookout, Geraldton, Atikokan and Pass Lake.

This is the first batch of many individuals who are acknowledging the fact that there is no CPR passenger service between the cities of Sudbury and Winnipeg.

Therefore the petitioners call on Parliament to ensure that the federal government, the Canadian Pacific Railway Company and VIA Rail Canada Inc. co-operatively conduct a study to determine the feasibility of reintroducing VIA passenger service from Sudbury to Winnipeg and that VIA passenger service be revived on the CPR line from Sudbury to Winnipeg as soon as possible.

[George Proud, Liberal, Hillsborough, PE]

Madam Speaker, I wish to present a petition signed by 84 people in the Montreal area concerning the unity of Canada.

The petitioners ask Parliament to declare that Canada is indivisible within its boundaries, that the provinces, territories and territorial waters may be modified only by a free vote of all Canadians, including the amending formula stipulated by the Constitution.