Debates of Nov. 18th, 1998

Foreign Affairs

[Jean Augustine, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the secretary of state for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean recently returned from Trinidad, Suriname and Guyana. Could he tell us what was accomplished to advance bilateral relations and Canadian interests in the region?

[David Kilgour, Liberal, Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa)]

Mr. Speaker, in all three countries I pursued co-operation on combating drug trafficking and organized crime, promoting trade and investments, and negotiating a free trade area of the Americas.

In Trinidad I participated in the launch of a Canadian trade and investment mission. In Guyana and Suriname I met with their presidents to discuss these and other subjects.

In short, I believe it was a useful trip for both Canadians and the residents of the three countries. I thank my hon. friend for the question.

Business Of The House

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

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that tomorrow, November 19, 1998, will be designated as an allotted day when we will debate a motion to be moved by a member of the Bloc Quebecois.

I also wish to advise the House that the last allotted day for the supply period will be Tuesday, December 1, 1998.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. I have the honour to inform the House that a communication has been received as follows:

November 18, 1998

Mr. Speaker:

I have the honour to inform you that the Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc, Governor General of Canada, will proceed to the Senate chamber today, the 18th day of November, 1998 at 15:00, for the purpose of giving royal assent to a bill of law.

Yours sincerely,

While we are waiting for the messenger to come from the Senate, I propose that we begin Routine Proceedings and I will interrupt Routine Proceedings when the time comes.

Administration Of The House Of Commons

[The Speaker]

I have the honour of tabling the performance report on the administration of the House of Commons for the period between April 1997 and September 1998.

Export Of Military Goods

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32 I am pleased to table, in both official languages, the annual report for 1997 on the export of military goods from Canada.

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 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.

Government Response To Petitions

[Peter Adams, 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 20 petitions.

Interparliamentary Delegations

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, two reports by the Canadian section of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie and the accompanying financial report.

The first report is of the office meeting held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on July 4, 1998 and the second, the 24th ordinary session held from July 7 to 9, 1998 in Abidjan as well.

Tobacco Industry Responsibility Act

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

moved that Bill S-13, an act to incorporate and to establish an industry levy to provide for the Canadian Anti-Smoking Youth Foundation, be read the first time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to move first reading of the Bill S-13, an act to incorporate and to establish an industry levy to provide for the Canadian Anti-Smoking Youth Foundation. Bill S-13 is important in that it provides for an industry levy that provides $120 million to combat youth smoking through educational programs.

The funds from the levy are to provide an arm's length foundation, the Canadian Anti-Smoking Youth Foundation, and are controlled by its board made up of specialists in the area of advertising to children. I am pleased to be the sponsor of this bill in the House of Commons.

(Motion agreed to and bill read the first time)

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order concerning this issue. I am at the disposition of the Chair with regard to the fact that we could be interrupted momentarily. If it is the Chair's intention I could rise and express my opinion on the issue now or somewhat later.

[The Speaker]

I have information that the messenger will be here shortly. We will probably have a number of interventions on this point of order. That would be my deduction.

I would like to hear all of the information, if I could, at one time. I would propose to wait to hear the point of order of the government House leader. Then it is my intention to listen to members for advice as to how we should proceed.

With your indulgence that is the way we will proceed. We will hold everything in abeyance until after we have had royal assent.

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, could we continue with Routine Proceedings.

[The Speaker]

I am prepared to do that but I want to put it to the House.

Is there unanimous consent to continue with Routine Proceedings and then come back to the point of order?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Committees Of The House

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

Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among all parties in the House and I believe you would find unanimous consent for the following motion to be adopted without debate:

That the first report of the Special Joint Committee on Child Custody and Access, presented to the House on November 17, 1998, be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to)

Petitions

[Rose-Marie Ur, Liberal, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am honoured to present a petition signed by residents of Grand Bend, Forest and Sarnia who note that the use of MMT in gasoline has been proven to stall emission control devices, resulting in higher smog levels which will hurt our Kyoto climate change policies.

The petitioners call upon parliament to ban the use of MMT.

[Howard Hilstrom, Reform, Selkirk—Interlake, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions from constituents of mine who say that the Government of Canada has yet to comply with article 11 of the Canadian Human Rights Act regarding equal pay for work of equal value.

The petitioners feel that this parliament should instruct the government to immediately comply with the orders of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in the matter of pay equity.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present two petitions today. The first petition is signed by residents of British Columbia and expresses concern about APEC involving an economic relationship with countries that have deplorable records of human rights abuses.

The petition notes that APEC provides no forum for discussion of social conditions, including human rights and labour, that APEC is undemocratic and involves only business and political elites who meet behind doors.

Therefore, the petitioners call on parliament to discontinue APEC and its discussions until APEC includes issues of human rights, labour and other social concerns, and to democratize the process by including representatives from labour and other segments of society to participate in the discussions.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a second petition which notes that the Constitution Act of Canada guarantees freedom of conscience and religion in the charter of rights, and that even before this the recognition of conscientious objection existed in Canada. The petitioners urge parliament to establish peace tax legislation by passing into law the conscientious objection act which I have tabled.

This bill recognizes the right of conscientious objectors to not pay for the military and within which the government would declare its commitment to apply the portion of taxes that was to be used for military purposes toward peaceful purposes such as peace education, war relief, humanitarian and environmental aid and housing.

A message was delivered by the Usher of the Black Rod as follows:

Mr. Speaker, it is the desire of His Excellency the Governor General that this honourable House attend him immediately in the Senate chamber.

Accordingly, the Speaker with the House went up to the Senate chamber.

And being returned:

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Earle)]

I have the honour to inform the House that when the House did attend His Excellency the Governor General in the Senate chamber, His Excellency was pleased to give, in Her Majesty's name, the royal assent to a certain bill:

Bill C-37, an act to amend the Judges Act and to make consequential amendments to other acts—Chapter No. 30.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise pursuant to Standing Order 36 to present a petition on behalf of a number of residents of Kamloops, British Columbia, who have analyzed the tax system and have a set of recommendations for tax reform.

Rather than go into each one individually, I will simply say that they are calling for a major change to the tax system along the lines of the Carter Commission of the 1960s.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on another topic petitioners from various communities of central British Columbia point out their concern regarding the courts' rather lackadaisical approach to people who inflict various forms of cruelty upon animals.

They feel that the sentences that have been meted out are woefully inadequate and judges should have a course on the seriousness of this crime.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have another petition on the APEC gathering. The petitioners are concerned that the implications of the potential agreements coming out of APEC inevitably eliminate any concerns about human rights or environmental or labour standards.

They point out that hopefully all agreements taken by the Government of Canada in the future will include these crucial elements.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I want to say as a fellow Nova Scotian how heart warming it is to see you in the chair today.