Debates of March 13th, 1998

The Senate

[Val Meredith, Reform, South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister committed his government to a triple E Senate. Talk is cheap. The Prime Minister's commitment seems pretty hollow when he has appointed almost one-third of the current Senate seats. When will he initiate an elected, equal and effective Senate? Or maybe I should ask the person sitting in the Prime Minister's chair when he will initiate an equal, elected and effective Senate.

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thought the hon. member was going to praise the Prime Minister for appointing more women to the Senate than any other Prime Minister in Canadian history.

Rwanda

[Maurice Dumas, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of International Co-operation.

In February, Father Curic, a missionary from Quebec, was savagely murdered in Rwanda. Father Curic worked with CIDA managing a program providing assistance in rebuilding this country so hard hit by genocide. The CIDA program was to end in 1998.

Would the minister tell us what measures have been taken following the assassination of Father Curic to ensure that the program he was managing will be completed?

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

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my colleague the Minister for International Co-operation, I can tell you of the government's interest in helping to rebuild Rwanda.

I chaired two meetings, in my former position, one in Geneva and one in Rwanda, to help in the reconstruction. It is in our general interest to continue our efforts to rebuild this country.

Agriculture

[Rick Laliberte, NDP, Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the minister of agriculture. It is reported that chemical products are contaminating water supplies across the prairies. In Saskatchewan fifteen thousand family farms have been affected by the risk of bad dugout water and contaminated rivers and streams.

What is he doing to protect farm families from this growing risk and ensure prairie communities are well informed of this condition and the sources of this contamination?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, the quality of water in agricultural areas of Saskatchewan is being studied. It is part of the Canada-Saskatchewan agricultural green plan agreement and the national soil and water program announced by this government a year or so ago. There is $3 million there for water quality issues. The Canada-Saskatchewan agri-food innovation agreement will continue to study water quality in Saskatchewan.

Year 2000

[Jim Jones, Progressive Conservative, Markham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, thousands of dollars are being spent to try to fix the problem of the year 2000. The year 2000 task force agrees that many small businesses and enterprises may risk putting themselves into massive debt to address this problem. Many companies cannot afford to start working on the millennium problem but at that same time they cannot afford not to.

Will the Minister of Finance state now that he will introduce and implement a tax neutral initiative to encourage small and medium size enterprises to act immediately?

[Walt Lastewka, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, the government initiated the year 2000 project some two years ago. It has been reported to the House and the Standing Committee of Industry. A number of promotional conferences have been held to get the message to business that it is very important to be aware of what has to be done for the year 2000.

What is very critical is that it is not the year 2000. Many specific points need to be met this fall, this December and next April in preparation for the year 2000.

Point Of Order

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, during the period set aside for statements by members, the member for Laval East made an erroneous statement.

First, I would point out to her that I share her opinion concerning the caricature she referred to in her statement. Where she is mistaken, however, is in saying that Option Canada paid the travel costs of thousands of people from here who went to Montreal to express their appreciation of and their affection for their fellow citizens.

They paid their own way, as I did in fact, and to say the opposite is mistaken, if not something else.

[The Speaker]

This is not a point of order, but a point of debate. We will end this matter here.

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 30 petitions.

National Defence Act

[Robert Bertrand, Liberal, Pontiac—Gatineau—Labelle, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-376, an act to amend the National Defence Act and to make related amendments to other acts (Department of National Defence).

Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I rise today to introduce my private member's bill entitled an act to amend the National Defence Act and to make related amendments to other acts.

This bill is terminological in nature, its purpose being to change the name of the Department of National Defence. The department would henceforth be known as the Department of Defence; the restrictive adjective national would be dropped. The new designation would thus reflect more accurately Canada's military role, which involves not just national, but also international, security.

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

[Janko Peric, Liberal, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after discussions with all the party whips and critics, I think you would find unanimous consent for the following motion:

That Bill C-321, an act to amend the Immigration Act (improvement of enforcement in the case of those who commit offences), be referred to the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration where it died at the time of the dissolution of the 35th parliament.

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am very surprised to hear that this has a prejudicial effect. The prejudicial effect is the same for all members who find themselves in the same situation, that is all those whose bills die on the Order Paper . We cannot talk about a prejudicial effect. These are the rules of the game.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Yes, but the issue is whether the hon. member has the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion. Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House?

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Deputy Speaker]

There is no consent.

[Ken Epp, Reform, Elk Island, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I did not fully understand what the motion was. I would like to have a copy of it or to have it reread, as it was hard for me to hear.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Perhaps the motion could be brought to the Chair.

I am going to stand the matter down rather than put it to the House. The motion, as drafted, does not make complete sense to the Chair. I suggest the hon. member approach the table officers to discuss the content of his motion with them to see exactly what he is intending to do before we proceed with the motion.

I do not think there is a Bill C-321 at the moment in this parliament. I think the motion needs to be adjusted. The hon. member should check that out. We will deal with it later.

Petitions

[Lee Morrison, Reform, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to present four petitions today, three of which are identical in form and content. They are signed by 371 of my constituents from the districts of Gull Lake, Cabri and Eastend, Saskatchewan.

The petitioners are petitioning the House because of the serious difficulties with the Young Offenders Act. They ask that the act be abolished and that new laws be brought in, in its place.

[Lee Morrison, Reform, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the fourth petition is signed by 186 constituents mainly from the city of Swift Current.

These constituents express deep concern about the availability of pornography in our society, which they say is detrimental to the individual, the family and the community.

They ask parliament to ensure that our decency laws are vigorously acknowledged both in spirit and in fact.

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Toronto Centre—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to present two petitions with signatures gathered from concerned citizens throughout Toronto.

The first petition calls upon the federal government to proceed with caution when making any arrangements with the province of Ontario to assume administrative and funding responsibilities for social housing until consultation with co-op housing stakeholders has taken place.

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Toronto Centre—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition involves the possible deportation of Mr. Suresh to Sri Lanka.

The Toronto Tamil community is very concerned that Mr. Suresh, if deported, will face danger to his life and freedom in Sri Lanka. They therefore urge the government to seriously review the potential threat to Mr. Suresh.

[Murray Calder, Liberal, Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition from members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, in particular Local 577, and other residents in my riding of Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey.

The petitioners request that parliament restore the rights of free collective bargaining for all postal workers.

[Andrew Telegdi, Liberal, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions to present.

Two petitions signed by 190 people relate to the provisions of the Criminal Code respecting nudity.