House of Commons Hansard #114 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was judges.
Gordon Earle NDP Halifax West, NS
Mr. Speaker, this Liberal government has yet to take action and seek reparations for the 26 RCAF officers condemned by the Nazis to Buchenwald concentration camp.
Governments of 19 other countries have taken action, yet this Liberal government sits alone and silent still, assessing after so many years.
My question is to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Will this government take action now on behalf of these men who served Canada, yes or no? Justice delayed is justice denied.
Veterans AffairsOral Question Period
Bonavista—Trinity—Conception Newfoundland & Labrador
Liberal
Fred Mifflin LiberalMinister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. I know he has taken this on as an issue for veterans.
We were made aware of this fairly recently. I think we are all appalled by the idea that this has not been addressed until recently although it dates back over 50 years.
As the advocate for veterans, I will work very closely with my colleagues to get all the information and do the proper research so that appropriate action will be taken in a timely manner.
Bill Casey Progressive Conservative Cumberland—Colchester, NS
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transport.
The last two plane crashes in Canada occurred at Fredericton and Clarenville, Newfoundland and neither plane was equipped with an emergency locator transmitter, one because it was not required to in the first place and the other because it was removed for service.
Now that several weeks have passed since the last crash will the minister tell the House what new regulations he has introduced regarding emergency locator transmitters, and will he give his assurance that all scheduled passenger flights in Canada will have emergency locator transmitters, which I understand cost approximately $500?
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, the unfortunate accident in Fredericton did give witness to the fact that there were some improvements needed to aviation safety. That is why I appointed Dr. Vervon Grose, an expert from the United States, who will be reporting to me within the next week on various aspects of airline safety.
On the specific question with respect to the transmitters, the hon. member is right. There will be regulatory changes put in place very shortly that will make it compulsory on all planes.
Sophia Leung Liberal Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Speaker, in recent years many disturbing property crimes occurred in B.C. such as home invasion, mugging and robbing of homeowners.
Yesterday the government announced our crime prevention initiative. Could the Minister of Justice inform the House how this initiative will assist our communities to prevent such crimes?
Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, this is a government that puts the protection of society first. It is also a government that believes the prevention of crime in the first place is the best way to protect society.
That is why my colleague, the solicitor general, and I announced the government's new crime prevention initiative yesterday. It involves 32 million new dollars to work with local communities to get at the root causes of crime—
JusticeOral Question Period
The Speaker
The minister still has some time if she wants to use it.
Anne McLellan Liberal Edmonton West, AB
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all members of the House to take this opportunity to work with their local communities to develop grassroots crime prevention strategies.
Presence In GalleryOral Question Period
The Speaker
I draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of the Honourable Sergio Luis Henriquez Diaz, Minister for Housing and Urban Development of Chile.
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During the heat of debate and my answer I confused the name of two companies. I meant to say that it was BPS Imaging that has been paying its 121 workers for seven months, not Cape Shore.
I want to correct the record. The TJF is a very successful program for which we have leveraged a lot of private—
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Newfoundland is now in possession of the government's post-TAG policy even though this policy has not been presented in the House. There has been no tabling of a document and no ministerial statement.
The government has broken an important convention of the House that any policy involving public expenditures must be presented in the House first. It breaks with the specific pledge by the Minister of Human Resources Development to develop the post-TAGS policy in the House.
Points Of OrderOral Question Period
The Speaker
As I have on many occasions, I encourage all hon. members that if they are to make reports they should be done in the House if at all possible.
I do not know of the circumstances but once again I urge all hon. members, if they have reports or statements to make which are germane to the House, to do them here.
Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. The government has not made an announcement in that regard.
Any consultations the federal government may have or has had with its provincial counterparts to elaborate a policy is strictly that if in fact the provinces have in their possession such a document.
I would hope that all parties in the House would support the government in attempting to negotiate and to co-operate with provincial counterparts. Heaven forbid that one of us in the House would think the opposite.
Points Of OrderOral Question Period
The Speaker
I think we are getting a bit into debate here. We have heard from two interveners. I would find that it is not a point of order.
I have reiterated what I would hope would happen in the House. I would like to let it sit at this point.
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, copies of proposed tobacco regulations concerning seizure and restoration and copies of proposed tobacco access regulations.
Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to table in the House today, in both official languages, a number of order in council appointments which were recently made by the government.
Pursuant to Standing Order 110(1), these are deemed referred to the appropriate standing committees, a list of which is attached.
Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary 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 19 petitions.
Jacques Saada Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation of the Canadian section of the International Assembly of French-Speaking Parliamentarians, as well as the financial report of the meeting of the IAFSP political and administrative committee, held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, April 16 and 17, 1998.
George Baker Liberal Gander—Grand Falls, NL
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.
Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 34th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the allowances of members of the House.
I intend to move concurrence in this report later this day.
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-42, an act to amend the Tobacco Act.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Reg Alcock Liberal Winnipeg South, MB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-417, an act respecting Louis Riel.
Mr. Speaker, the bill is the result of many years of hard work by dozens and dozens of people: representatives of the Riel family, Metis leaders from across Canada, members of the House, lawyers, historians, and even a former chief justice of Manitoba.
The bill will not bring Louis Riel back to life. Nor does it change our history. What it will do is change our heritage, change what we learn from our history. It will do this by removing the stain of treason from Louis Riel's name.
At this time I ask for unanimous consent of the House, because of the unique nature of the bill, to broaden the names of the list of members supporting the bill.