Debates of Oct. 5th, 1998

Transportation

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, that is a good question and the opposition would do well to listen to the answer.

The government is very concerned about the millennium computer bug and, as members know, the government is looking at its own computers as well as working with industry across the country.

A couple of weeks ago I convened a conference with transportation stakeholders from surface, marine and air and was certainly assured and comforted by a lot of the work they have been doing in order to be well prepared to deal with this issue. They do have some concerns in areas such as the electrical power supply to certain industry components that they use.

This is a matter of utmost priority for our government.

Presence In The Gallery

[The Deputy Speaker]

I wish to draw to the attention of members the presence in the gallery of Dr. Nikolaus Michalek, Federal Minister of Justice of the Republic of Austria and President of the European Union Council for Justice and Home Affairs.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[The Deputy Speaker]

I also wish to draw to the attention of members the presence in the gallery of His Excellency Nguyen Manh Cam, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Points Of Order

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to rise on a point of order resulting from a question asked by the hon. member for Wild Rose in question period.

He asked the Minister of Justice, in her capacity as a minister from Alberta, to answer a question based on that premise. In other words, it was in reference to the portion of the country that she represents in the House.

I want to remind the Chair that citation 412 of Beauchesne's sixth edition at page 122 states:

A question may not be asked of a Minister in another capacity, such as being responsible for a province, or a part of a province, or as spokesman for a racial or religious group.

Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, you will also know that it is improper to ask the Minister of Justice for a constitutional opinion on the floor of the House.

[Myron Thompson, Reform, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, surely the member from the other side of the House recognizes that what I used was a quote from the Minister of Justice from Alberta who called the Senate election a joke. I thought maybe she had a better idea.

[Randy White, Reform, Langley—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, there are times when the government House leader should get his nose out of Beauchesne's and look at the facts.

The facts are that the member from the Reform Party was looking at statements, as he said, that the minister had made. There is absolutely nothing in the standing orders or Beauchesne's which prevents that. If he would like this to be a point of privilege, the Reform Party would be happy to do so. Perhaps he should look at what really happens in the House of Commons rather than getting his nose into the technicalities of the issue.

[The Deputy Speaker]

The Chair is mindful of the comments and thanks hon. members on every side for their very useful contributions on this point. I may say that the citation from Beauchesne's that the hon. government House leader referred to is perfectly correct, sound and based, I am sure, on long practice in this House.

However, I think the question that the hon. member for Wild Rose asked had to do with the constitutional niceties of Senate elections. While it may have been directed to the Minister of Justice incorrectly in her capacity as a regional minister—and I agree with the citation that questions ought not be directed in that way—it did concern something of her duties as Minister of Justice in some vague way.

The Deputy Prime Minister chose to answer the question and I think everyone was satisfied with the answer, as they were with the question.

Everybody is happy. Beauchesne's has been complied with, the rules have been complied with, and we will continue with another question period on another day.

Committees Of The House

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to the sixth report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry: “The year 2000 problem: where is Canada now?”

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, pursuant to Standing Order 109, copies of the government's response to the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights regarding forensic DNA warrants.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I also have the honour to table the government's response to the 11th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts having to do with the custody of inmates.

Order In Council Appointments

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table in both official languages a number of Order in Council appointments which were made recently by the government.

Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 110(1), these are deemed referred to the appropriate standing committees, a list of which is attached.

Petitions

[Myron Thompson, Reform, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, it gives me pleasure to present a petition signed by approximately 100 signatories from the area of Canmore, Alberta and the Calgary area.

The petitioners are calling upon the House of Commons to enact Bill C-225, an act to amend the Marriage Act (Prohibited Degrees) and the Interpretations Act in order to define in statute that a marriage can only be entered into between a single male and a single female.

[Mac Harb, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to introduce a petition signed by many constituents of the National Capital Region and elsewhere which deals with the rights of grandparents to see their grandchildren.

The petitioners are supporting Bill C-340 which will make it easier for grandparents to see their grandchildren.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition signed by 1,600 people in my riding and several other ridings in eastern Quebec in response to a visit by Mr. Joey Haché, who told the Prime Minister that he was his conscience.

Mr. Haché has hepatitis C, and this petition seeks adequate compensation for all victims of hepatitis C.

[Svend Robinson, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by hundreds of British Columbia citizens who draw to the attention of the House the fact that the multilateral agreement on investment will disproportionately expand and entrench unprecedented rights to transnational corporations and foreign investors at the expense of the Canadian government's ability to direct investment policy.

The petitioners raise serious concerns about the implications of the MAI and they, therefore, call on parliament to consider the enormous implications to Canada with the signing of the MAI. They want it to be openly debate in the House and they call for a national referendum so the people of Canada can decide.

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition, pursuant to Standing Order 36, on behalf of the constituents of Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, which contains hundreds of names.

The petitioners call upon this government to not enact Bill C-68 and waste hundreds of millions of tax dollars, but instead to put that money toward frontline policing and more effective means of reducing crime in this country.

[Randy White, Reform, Langley—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the petition I wish to introduce was initiated by Ken Roffel of Langley, British Columbia. It has been signed by more than 25,000 people across Canada and more will follow.

These people want the House of Commons to change legislation to ensure that people do not drink and drive. It is called zero tolerance. Surely the justice committee looking into this matter will listen to so many people.

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from residents of Peterborough riding, particularly from village of Bridgenorth.

The petitioners are concerned about the conditions in which the Iraqi people find themselves, particularly the children of Iraq. They call upon parliament to reject any military action against Iraq and to call for an end to the embargo against necessities of life for the Iraqi people.

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a second petition from the people of Peterborough riding, particularly from the village of Havelock. These people are concerned about violent crime in urban and, in particular, rural areas. They call upon parliament to repeal Bill C-68.

[John Solomon, NDP, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present today, pursuant to Standing Order 36, a petition on behalf of constituents of mine from the communities of Strasbourg, Silton, Regina, Duval and Lumsden.

The constituents are concerned that the MAI is a very bad document. They are very worried about Don Johnston, who is trying to stick it to all Canadians and other international governments. They are concerned that the MAI will expand the powers of multinational corporations at the expense of the powers of government to intervene in the marketplace on behalf of our social, cultural and environmental goals.

They ask parliament to reject the current framework of MAI negotiations that Mr. Johnston is undertaking. They are instructing the government to seek an entirely different agreement by which the world might achieve a rules based global trading regime that protects workers, the environment and the ability of governments to act in the public interest.

[Werner Schmidt, Reform, Kelowna, BC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, it is an honour for me to present three petitions on two different subjects.

In the first, the petitioners ask that the House of Commons bring in legislation, in accordance with the provisions of the Referendum Act, 1992, which would require a binding national referendum to be held at the time of the next election to ask voters whether they are in favour of government funding medically unnecessary abortions.

[Werner Schmidt, Reform, Kelowna, BC]

Mr. Speaker, these two petitions deal with the same subject.

The petitioners request that government bring in legislation, in accordance with the provisions of the Referendum Act, 1992, which would require a binding national referendum to be held at the time of the next election. They ask that parents be allowed to raise their children in the way they see as being appropriate. They ask, in particular, that the government recognize the fundamental rights of individuals to pursue family life free from undue interference of the state, and to recognize the fundamental right, responsibility and liberty of parents to direct the upbringing of their children.

The petitioners urge the legislative assemblies of the provinces to do likewise.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I rise to present four petitions on behalf of the communities of Lower Sackville, Jeddore, Wellington and Mount Uniacke in my riding.

The petitioners pray that parliament will enact Bill C-225, an act to amend the Marriages Act (Prohibited Degrees).