House of Commons Hansard #136 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was extradition.

Topics

Committees Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings

12:30 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker

Is it agreed?

Committees Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings

12:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Business Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings

12:30 p.m.

Liberal

Bob Kilger Liberal Stormont—Dundas, ON

Mr. Speaker, discussions have also taken place between all the parties and the member for Pickering—Ajax—Uxbridge concerning the taking of the division on Bill C-235 scheduled for today at the conclusion of Private Members' Business. I believe you would find consent for the following motion:

That at the conclusion of today's debate on Bill C-235 all questions necessary to dispose of the said motion for second reading shall be deemed put, a recorded division deemed requested and deferred until the expiry of the time provided for Government Orders, Tuesday, October 20, 1998.

Business Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings

12:30 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker

Does the chief government whip have unanimous consent of the House to propose the motion?

Business Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings

12:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Business Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings

12:30 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Business Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings

12:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

(Motion agreed to)

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:30 p.m.

Liberal

Mac Harb Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by many constituents in the national capital region and from elsewhere across the country requesting that parliament amend the Divorce Act to include a provision, as supported in Bill C-340, regarding the rights of spouses, parents and grandparents to access or to custody of the children.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:30 p.m.

Reform

Philip Mayfield Reform Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition from the constituents of Cariboo—Chilcotin, primarily from the city of Quesnel, British Columbia.

My constituents petition parliament to support Bill C-225, an act to amend the Marriage Act and the Interpretation Act, so as to define in statute that a marriage can only be entered into between a single male and a single female.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:30 p.m.

Liberal

Ian Murray Liberal Lanark—Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition signed by approximately 16,000 Canadians from the Vancouver area.

They draw the attention of the House to the human rights abuses occurring in Indonesia. Over 1,300 people have been killed, hundreds of ethnic Chinese women have been brutally raped, and property has been destroyed and looted.

The petitioners call upon parliament to appeal to President Habibie of Indonesia to protect the rights of the ethnic Chinese and to bring to justice those who masterminded and participated in the racial riots.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:35 p.m.

Reform

John Duncan Reform Vancouver Island North, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from my riding of Vancouver Island North.

The petitioners are asking parliament to repeal Bill C-68 and to redirect the hundreds of millions of tax dollars being spent on the licensing of responsible firearms owners and registration of legally owned guns to more cost effective measures to improve public safety, such as having more police on the streets, providing more crime prevention programs and anti-smuggling campaigns, and to more resources for fighting organized crime and street gangs.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:35 p.m.

Reform

Paul Forseth Reform New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, BC

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I am pleased to present a petition today from 327 British Columbia residents who want to ensure that marriage, as it has always been known and understood in Canada, is preserved and protected.

The petitioners pray that parliament enact Bill C-25, an act to amend the Marriage Act and the Interpretation Act, so as to define in statute that a marriage can only be entered into between a single male and a single female.

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

12:35 p.m.

Ottawa—Vanier Ontario

Liberal

Mauril Bélanger LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Canadian Heritage

Mr. Speaker, I ask that the questions be allowed to stand.

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

12:35 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker

Is that agreed?

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

12:35 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

The House resumed consideration of the motion that Bill C-40, an act respecting extradition, to amend the Canada Evidence Act, the Criminal Code, the Immigration Act and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act and to amend and repeal other acts in consequence, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Extradition ActGovernment Orders

12:35 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker

The hon. member for Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough has nine minutes remaining in his allotted time.

Extradition ActGovernment Orders

12:35 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to conclude my remarks with respect to Bill C-40 which, as I mentioned at the outset, the Progressive Conservative Party is supporting in principle. I was at a point in my remarks where I was generally referring to the lack of resources that the Liberal government has committed to frontline police services.

Not to get into a rant on that particular subject, obviously there is a bit of contradiction when we see legislation brought forward that is aimed at improving the criminal justice system without a doubt. I do not in anyway castigate the government for its intent behind the legislation, but we have seen contradictory statements with respect to its true commitment to the issue of justice, in particular to the issue of resources for frontline police officers who are inevitably tasked with the extremely important role of protecting Canadians in an effective way.

Those brave men and women are constantly faced with high public expectations, the need to fight an ever increasing and complicated criminal element that exists and is growing out there.

At the same time they are loosing confidence that those who are responsible, we in the House and particularly the government who give them the necessary tools to carry out that important task, are not behind them. It is demonstrable when they see significant cuts to their budget like, as I previously mentioned, the $74 million slashing of the RCMP crime budget. These figures are not imaginary by any stretch of the imagination. They come from the auditor general.

The auditor general is Canada's top accountant and the person charged with the crucial task of bringing forward the figures. One would hope, in light of the recent track record of the government, that we will not see the auditor general fired for being truthful in his statement and recitation of facts when it comes to the numbers and the budgets of particular departments.

I want to take a very brief moment in my remarks to pay special tribute to the law enforcement agencies, the fire services, the emergency response teams, those involved in the clean up and the initial rescue attempts at the crash site of Swissair Flight 111 near Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia. This week those individuals were given a very sad and in many ways gruesome task of cleaning up the wreckage on that site.

Individuals from my riding of Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough have been engaged in that exercise. They have been in the hangar going over material and remnants of the crash. They are engaged in this very heart-wrenching exercise.

Certainly the quality of mercy has not been strained for all of those who have given up their time and their effort to take part in the aftermath of this very tragic event. Individuals such as Constable Kevin Scott and Reverend Matheson of the town of New Glasgow and many others who, like the law enforcement agents themselves, are doing their very best at times with limited support and resources. They are doing their very best with their hearts, hands and minds. I certainly want to recognize that effort.

I look forward to giving my support to Bill C-40 and partaking in the scrutiny that will take place at the justice committee. I reiterate the hope I expressed earlier in my remarks. The government indicates a greater willingness to allow opposition amendments to improve legislation. That was articulated by the parliamentary secretary in her remarks on the bill.

On behalf of the PC Party I express support for the particular piece of legislation. It is a positive initiative, but there are certainly more questions that will have to be addressed at the justice committee. I hope a spirit of non-partisanship is now permeating the government benches when it comes to fundamental issues of justice.

Other private member's bills are coming forward by government members and opposition members alike, important legislative initiatives and changes such as changes to the consecutive sentencing provisions that currently exist in the Criminal Code. I again look forward to and anxiously anticipate the opportunity to partake in that debate both at the justice committee and in the House of Commons.

I will conclude my remarks with well wishes to you, Mr. Speaker, and to all for a happy Thanksgiving weekend.

Extradition ActGovernment Orders

12:40 p.m.

Reform

Rob Anders Reform Calgary West, AB

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak to the bill which deals with profound issues of justice and jurisdiction. We would all like to see Canada not used as a haven for criminal acts and we oppose other countries or other places being used as havens for criminal acts.

Numerous times we have talked in the House—not only myself, not only the opposition, but the government across the way—about the need for a fair process. The member for Edmonton West has stated that “Canada needs modern legislation to succeed”. She went on to add “laws over 100 years old no longer allow us to deal with” and then went on to describe the problems with the status quo. We need some change with regard to the issues of justice and jurisdiction, and I think it is good that she recognized that.

Calgarians and Albertans know this issue only too well. I think back to the issue of Charles Ng where there were serious concerns with regard to justice and jurisdiction. I could list off others.

Before I get into the meat of my debate I would like to have consent of the House to table 7,000 petitions that I have with me which deal with the issues of justice and jurisdiction so that all members can look through them to see what real Canadians feel about the status quo.

Extradition ActGovernment Orders

12:40 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker

Does the hon. member have unanimous consent of the House to table these petitions? Are these uncertified petitions or is the member asking for leave to revert to petitions?

Extradition ActGovernment Orders

12:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.

Extradition ActGovernment Orders

12:40 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker

It appears there is no consent in any event, but the hon. member may wish to clarify that point. If they have been certified he can table them the next time we are dealing with petitions on our first sitting day back.

Extradition ActGovernment Orders

12:40 p.m.

Reform

Rob Anders Reform Calgary West, AB

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately a lot of them are in the form of letters, e-mails and faxes and as a result are not in formal petition form. Therefore it would be much easier to submit them this way with unanimous consent of the House than go through the process through the Clerk. Can the question be now put?

Extradition ActGovernment Orders

12:40 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker

Does the hon. member have unanimous consent of the House to table these petitions?

Extradition ActGovernment Orders

12:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.