House of Commons Hansard #52 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was ice.

Topics

PensionsRoutine Proceedings

4:20 p.m.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)

There is not unanimous consent. On a point of order, the hon. member for York South—Weston.

PensionsRoutine Proceedings

4:20 p.m.

Independent

John Nunziata Independent York South—Weston, ON

Mr. Speaker, this motion was introduced on December 10 and through a miscommunication the motion was not carried at the time, notwithstanding the fact that I am in complete support of the motion.

The reason why the motion is back before the House today is because unanimous consent was not given on December 10. However, today, the hon. member for Burnaby—Douglas has sought unanimous consent. It is a motion that is worthy of complete and unanimous support in the House. I urge the prime minister and the government to go to bat for British pensioners living in Canada who have been discriminated against by the British government by having their pensions frozen.

PensionsRoutine Proceedings

4:20 p.m.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)

The Chair would presume it is a fairly long stretch to call that a point of order.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:20 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr Speaker, I am very pleased to present a petition on behalf of the constituents of Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough and the people of Nova Scotia pursuant to a call to parliament to initiate passenger rail service in Cape Breton and Eastern Nova Scotia.

It asks for a return of that service to the people of that part of Canada. I am very pleased to table it in the House today, pursuant to the standing orders.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:25 p.m.

Liberal

Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition from my constituents.

The undersigned residents of Canada draw to the attention of the House that incidents of explicit nudity in public places are becoming more and more frequent; that each incident of nudity harms the public, specifically children; that there are laws in Canada to protect our children against this form of nudity in all media but currently there are no laws protecting our children in public places; and that there would be fewer such incidents if certain legislative measures were taken.

Therefore the petitioners call upon parliament to enact legislation to amend the Criminal Code, specifically sections 173 and 174, so that indecent act and public nudity provisions clearly state that a women exposing her breasts in public is an indecent act.

I add my voice to that too.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:25 p.m.

Reform

Jake Hoeppner Reform Portage—Lisgar, MB

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present two petitions on behalf of my constituents.

The first group of petitioners asks parliament to recognize the fundamental rights of individuals to pursue family life free from undo interference by the state.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:25 p.m.

Reform

Jake Hoeppner Reform Portage—Lisgar, MB

Mr. Speaker, the second group of petitioners supports a national referendum to be held concurrently with the federal election on the question of government funding for medically unnecessary abortions.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:25 p.m.

NDP

Svend Robinson NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by several hundred residents of Burnaby.

The petitioners note that the Food and Drugs Act is designed to protect Canadians from potentially harmful effects related to food and drug consumption, that the consumption of alcoholic beverages may cause health problems, and that fetal alcohol syndrome and alcohol related birth defects are preventable by avoiding alcohol during pregnancy.

The petitioners therefore call upon parliament to mandate the labelling of alcoholic products to warn pregnant women and other persons of certain dangers associated with the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:25 p.m.

NDP

Nelson Riis NDP Kamloops, BC

Mr. Speaker, I would like to associate myself with the previous petition.

Pursuant to Standing Order 36 it is my honour to present a petition on behalf of thousands of people from the city of Kamloops and the region around that city.

They point out that it is time the GST be reduced. The GST was introduced because the government said we had a serious deficit problem. That deficit problem has essentially been eliminated.

Therefore they call upon parliament to urge the government to bring in legislation to begin phasing out the GST.

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

4:25 p.m.

Peterborough Ontario

Liberal

Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

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

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

4:25 p.m.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)

Is it agreed?

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

4:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Motions For PapersRoutine Proceedings

4:25 p.m.

Peterborough Ontario

Liberal

Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, would you be so kind as to call Notice of Motion for the Production of Papers No. P-6 in the name of the hon. member for Brandon—Souris.

That an Order of the House do issue for copies of all plans, drawings, documents and proposals initiated by the crown, or by others on behalf of the crown, surrounding the 1992 internal managerial review that was conducted by the Canadian Wheat Board.

Motions For PapersRoutine Proceedings

4:25 p.m.

Liberal

Peter Adams Liberal Peterborough, ON

Mr. Speaker, a search of the registry files of the Grains and Oilseeds Division International Markets Bureau did not uncover any plans, drawings, documents or proposals initiated by the crown or by others on behalf of the crown regarding the 1992 internal managerial review conducted by the Canadian Wheat Board.

In his appearance before the standing committee in its consideration of Bill C-4, an act to amend the Canadian Wheat Board Act and to make consequential amendments to other acts, first session, 36th Parliament, 46th Elizabeth II, 1997, Mr. Lorne Hehn, chief commissioner of the Canadian Wheat Board, indicated to the hon. member that he would not make the report public because in conducting the internal review the board indicated to its employees that it would guarantee confidence and confidentiality of their comments made during the review. Mr. Hehn also conveyed the same view in a letter to the hon. member.

I therefore ask the hon. member to withdraw his motion.

Motions For PapersRoutine Proceedings

4:30 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Rick Borotsik Progressive Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB

Mr. Speaker, I do not withdraw my motion. I wish to transfer it for debate.

Motions For PapersRoutine Proceedings

4:30 p.m.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)

Is it agreed?

Motions For PapersRoutine Proceedings

4:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

(Transferred for debate)

Request For Emergency DebateRoutine Proceedings

4:30 p.m.

The Speaker

My colleagues, at 2.15 p.m. this day, I received an application from the hon. member for Sherbrooke for an emergency debate. It is in order at this time that I consider this request and I call on the hon. member for Sherbrooke.

Request For Emergency DebateRoutine Proceedings

4:30 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Jean Charest Progressive Conservative Sherbrooke, QC

Mr. Speaker, I make this application pursuant to Standing Order 52 to discuss an important matter, otherwise known as an emergency debate.

Mr. Speaker, you will find in the communication that I delivered to you, that the argument is based on the following. Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 52, I hereby give notice of my intention to move a motion for the adjournment of the House to provide the House with an opportunity to debate an urgent situation developing in Iraq and the response thereto of the Government of Canada.

It will be well known to you, Mr. Speaker, that the Iraqi government has refused to co-operate with the inspection teams mandated by the United Nations to eliminate the Iraqi ability to produce and use large quantities of chemical and other weapons of mass destruction.

In a statement to the British House of Commons on February 2, 1998, only a few days ago, the foreign secretary confirmed that Iraq “has developed the know how and equipment to produce biological and chemical weapons on an industrial scale” and that “without effective UN monitoring, Iraq could produce enough anthrax every week to fill two missile warheads and could within weeks be producing a large volume of nerve gas”.

To date, ministers of the crown, ministers of the Government of Canada, have failed to provide the House of Commons with a statement of its policies on this urgent and life threatening situation. As participants in the previous United Nations military action against Iraq, Canadians could very well be targeted by this action.

The Government of Canada has a duty to inform the House of Commons of its policy, and the House of Commons in return has a duty to consider and comment on that policy.

In light of the continuing refusal of Saddam Hussein to accept diplomatic intervention and the increasing possibility, Mr. Speaker, of a military intervention, it is appropriate, in fact urgent, that you use your discretion to permit the House of Commons to decide whether or not it wishes to debate this question under the procedure authorized by Standing Order 52.

This is an emergency situation. I do not have to remind you of the statement made today by the President of Russia, who said that a global conflict was a possibility. Some tried to pretend that his comment was meaningless. If so, it is even worse. The comment is from the President of Russia.

Given the importance of holding an emergency debate to sound out the opinion of the House, the rules provide that you can take this into account. I urge you today to make good use of your discretionary power and to allow an emergency debate.

In conclusion, after consulting the other parties, I believe our colleagues from the Reform Party, the Bloc Quebecois leader and NDP members also feel that it is important to express their views on this issue, and I think you would get the unanimous consent of the House to proceed in this fashion.

Request For Emergency DebateRoutine Proceedings

4:30 p.m.

The Speaker

As I said earlier, my colleagues, I received this letter at 2.15 p.m. today. The member of Parliament for Sherbrooke has read the gist of what is in the letter. There is no debate on this.

Excuse me, I did not hear the final comment. Would the hon. member for Sherbrooke please clarify. Did he ask that other leaders in the House of Commons be allowed to comment in his statement?

Request For Emergency DebateRoutine Proceedings

4:35 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Jean Charest Progressive Conservative Sherbrooke, QC

Correct.

Request For Emergency DebateRoutine Proceedings

4:35 p.m.

The Speaker

On that point, I will go to a point of order.

Request For Emergency DebateRoutine Proceedings

4:35 p.m.

Peterborough Ontario

Liberal

Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. This is the first we have heard of this. I would be grateful if you would reserve your decision until we have heard from the government House leader.

Request For Emergency DebateRoutine Proceedings

4:35 p.m.

The Speaker

My colleagues, I was in the process of saying that I find this to be, as all requests for emergency debates are, an important matter. I am going to give myself a little time to think about it.

I am going to make a decision on this before the end of this sitting day. I understand that we are going to be seized with a vote in the near future so I will reserve my decision on this particular matter. I will return to the House this day with an answer.

If I understand correctly, the hon. member who is the leader of the Conservative Party has asked for unanimous consent to put a motion to let the other leaders comment on this matter right now. That is what they have asked for.

First of all, does he have permission to put the motion? Is there the unanimous consent of the House for the member of Parliament for Sherbrooke to put the motion?

Request For Emergency DebateRoutine Proceedings

4:35 p.m.

Glengarry—Prescott—Russell Ontario

Liberal

Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I would not object if there were consultations along party lines. I understand there is already an adjournment debate for tonight but I would not mind a consultation between people so that we could establish perhaps if it could be done some other day. In terms of giving an agreement right now without consultation, we will have to deny that.