Debates of Sept. 21st, 1998

Competition Act

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Acting Speaker (Ms. Thibeault)]

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

[Some hon. members]

Yea.

[The Acting Speaker (Ms. Thibeault)]

All those opposed will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Acting Speaker (Ms. Thibeault)]

In my opinion the nays have it.

And more than five members having risen:

[The Acting Speaker (Ms. Thibeault)]

The recorded division on the motion is deferred.

[Antoine Dubé, Bloc, for Ms. Francine Lalonde]

moved:

Motion No. 9

That Bill C-20, in Clause 22, be amended by adding after line 10 on page 23 the following:

“74.091 (1) A person, other than a corporation, who is resident in Canada and at least 18 years of age, or a group of persons, none of whom is a corporation, who are resident in Canada and at least 18 years of age may address a request to the Commissioner that the Commissioner make application for an order under this Part.

(2) The request must be in a form approved by the Minister and must include a solemn declaration containing

(a) the name and address of the person making the request;

(b) a statement that the person making the request is a resident of Canada and at least 18 years of age and is not a corporation;

(c) a statement of the nature of the reviewable conduct and the name of each person alleged to be involved;

(d) a summary of the evidence supporting the allegations in the request;

(e) the names and addresses of each person who might be able to give evidence about the reviewable conduct, together with a summary of the evidence that each such person might give, to the extent that this information is available to the person making the request; and

(f) a description of any document or other material that the person making the request believes should be considered in the application for an order and, if possible, a copy of the document.

(3) The Commissioner shall acknowledge receipt of the request and shall make application for an order under this Part.

(4) The Commissioner shall not make application for an order if the request is frivolous or vexatious.

(5) If the Commissioner decides not to apply for an order, the Commissioner shall, within 60 days after the request is received, give notice of that decision, including the reasons for it, to

(a) the person who made the request; and

(b) each person alleged in the request to be engaging in or to have engaged in reviewable conduct for whom an address is given in the request.”

Motion No. 10

That Bill C-20, in Clause 22, be amended by adding after line 10 on page 23 the following:

“74.091 (1) Any person, other than a corporation, who is resident in Canada and at least 18 years of age, or a group of persons, none of whom is a corporation, who are resident in Canada and at least 18 years of age may address a request to the Commissioner that the Commissioner make application for an order under this Part against a person who is engaging in or has engaged in reviewable conduct.

(2) As soon as possible after receiving a request under subsection (1), the Commissioner shall make application for the order, unless the request is frivolous or vexatious.”

Motion No. 11

That Bill C-20, in Clause 22, be amended by replacing lines 11 and 12 on page 23 with the following:

“74.1 (1) Where, on application by the Commissioner, by a person, other than a corporation, who is resident in Canada and at least 18 years of age or by a group of persons, none of whom is a corporation, who are resident in Canada and at least 18 years of age, a court determines that a”

Madam Speaker, we brought in these motions because, as a result of Bill C-20, in future no one but the new commissioner will be able to ask the court whether someone's conduct is or has been reviewable. This leaves a great deal of power in the hands of a single person, a power that is far from commonplace, since it is the ability to convene a court in order to determine whether there has been deceptive telemarketing or advertising.

In the past, there were rules that allowed people who felt they had been unfairly treated to call upon that court.

Too much power is entrusted to this commissioner, will report only to the minister, we would remind members, and not to the House of Commons, as the auditor general does. This person is going to report only to the Minister of Industry.

The Reform members are saying that this is a complex bill and that the proposals we have just made would complicate things still further. They admit that this bill is a complex one,

When something is complex, it needs to be clarified. Some sense must be made of it. Sufficient detail must be given to allow the public to understand what it is all about, otherwise how can they organize any defence?

We would like any individual who feels he has been harmed by misleading advertising or telemarketing to be able to appeal to a court. We do not wish this to be left up to the judgment of one person who does not even report to the House of Commons, but instead depends on the power of a single minister.

All this has been added. I think it is worthwhile quoting them:

74.091 (1) A person, other than a corporation—

—who is resident in Canada and at least 18 years of age, or a group of persons, none of whom is a corporation, who are resident in Canada and at least 18 years of age may address a request to the Commissioner that the Commissioner make application for an order under this Part.

(2) The request must be in a form approved by the Minister and must include a solemn declaration containing

(a) the name and address of the person making the request;

(b) a statement that the person making the request is a resident of Canada and at least 18 years of age and is not a corporation;

(c) a statement of the nature of the reviewable conduct and the name of each person alleged to be involved;

(d) a summary of the evidence supporting the allegations in the request;

(e) the names and addresses of each person who might be able to give evidence about the reviewable conduct, together with a summary of the evidence that each such person might give, to the extent that this information is available to the person making the request; and

(f) a description of any document or other material that the person making the request believes should be considered in the application for an order and, if possible, a copy of the document.

(3) The Commissioner shall acknowledge receipt of the request and shall make application for an order under this Part.

(4) The Commissioner shall not make application for an order if the request is frivolous or vexatious.

If the chairman or the commissioner is of the opinion that it is frivolous, this could be dropped.

(5) If the Commissioner decides not to apply for an order, the Commissioner shall, within 60 days after the request is received, give notice of that decision, including the reasons for it, to

(a) the person who made the request; and

(b) each person alleged in the request to be engaging in or to have engaged in reviewable conduct for whom an address is given in the request.

This is a clear and precise statement that ordinary citizens can understand. This is the kind of legislation expected from any government, including the federal government.

[The Speaker]

I see the hon. member for St. Catharines on his feet. If this is to take part in the debate, I recognize the hon. member but I also call upon him to perhaps wait until after question period. We will go directly to Statements by Members now but the member will have the floor when we come back to debate.

Louis Rasminsky

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

Mr. Speaker, on September 14, 1998 Mr. Louis Rasminsky died. He was 91.

He will be remembered as a former governor of the Bank of Canada who also became one of Canada's international economic statesmen. He will also be remembered as one who helped articulate government policy on several social issues.

Upon becoming governor in 1961 he undertook the delicate task of drafting legislation that would clearly define the relationship between the federal government and the governor of the Bank of Canada. Eventually legislation established the principle that in the event of a policy difference between the Minister of Finance and the governor, the government has to instruct the bank and to do so publicly. This requirement for transparency and accountability in monetary policy has served Canadians well over the years.

Mr. Rasminsky will always be remembered as a proud Canadian who served his country to the best of his abilities. We offer our condolences to his family and his friends.

Joey Haché

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker,

At age 15 for most Canadian teens This summer was full of joy, A swimming hole, a trip away Brought smiles to girls and boys.

I can recall the laughter now As my own kids, healthy and fair, A summer filled with memories Spent without a care.

But there is one young lad I know Who rode his bicycle cross this nation, He had a cause, a major task For him no relaxation.

In cold and rain, in heat and wind He pedalled day after day, To keep his issue in our minds He ended his ride today.

A giant of a lad is he It couldn't be much clearer, That Joey Haché with hepatitis C Is a genuine Canadian hero.

Financial Institutions

[Stan Keyes, Liberal, Hamilton West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, congratulations to Dr. Harold MacKay and members of the task force for successfully completing the challenging task of reporting on the future of Canadian financial institutions.

Congratulations to the Minister of Finance for insisting that public discussion and full debate take place on the task force's recommendations. Special hearings by the Standing Committee on Finance will allow Canadians from coast to coast to coast to share their views and their concerns on the two bank merger proposals.

This government has clearly demonstrated that it has the best interest of Canadians at heart.

Last September 10, Canadians learned that a merger between the Bank of Montreal and the Royal Bank would result in a boost in small business lending. With one eyebrow raised my constituents say “nice timing” and ask “Why put off until tomorrow what the banks should be doing today?”

Radio-Nord

[Guy St-Julien, Liberal, Abitibi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, several days ago, the unionized employees of Radio-Nord in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region began an indefinite general strike.

Since 1997, I made representations on a number of occasions to ensure that Radio-Nord maintained adequate services for the people back home. Radio-Nord provides only a minimum of local information, leaving the public largely unaware of the initiatives taken by its elected officials and leaders at the municipal, school board, sports, federal, provincial and regional levels.

The public is now asking for proactive radio and television services that will truly reflect the reality of our local communities. Radio-Nord is not fulfilling the commitments it makes when it goes before the CRTC to renew its licences. Therefore, the CRTC will have to discipline Radio-Nord, on behalf of the residents of the riding of Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik and of the whole Témiscamingue region.

Official Languages

[Sophia Leung, Liberal, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the ministers of heritage, justice and the treasury board who sponsored the recent National Symposium on Canada's Official Languages.

This celebration and examination of Canada's Official Languages Act assessed official bilingualism policies in Canada.

This year marks the 10 year anniversary of the 1988 Official Languages Act legislation which recognized the equal status of English and French in federal institutions.

Congratulations to all involved with this excellent initiative.

Jewish New Year

[Peter Goldring, Reform, Edmonton East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, each year at this time the arrival of the Jewish New Year is welcomed. This time of reflection and renewal, starting with Rosh Hashana and ending with Yom Kippur, is the highlight of the Jewish calendar.

To my good friends in Edmonton, James and wife Ricki; to my good friends in Montreal, Hilda and her late husband Richard, as well as to Howard and his wife Ann; and to all the Jewish faith, nationally and internationally, I say that these are important days for them and their families, a time for reflection and resolve.

With the opening of this session I ask members of this House to recognize and embrace this spirit of reflection and annual renewal. I am sure that the upcoming year will be enriched by such resolve.

Swissair Crash

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on September 2, a terrible plane crash in Nova Scotia killed 227 people, that is 213 passengers and 14 crew members.

Yves de Roussan, a Quebecker working for UNICEF, was among the victims.

On behalf of my colleagues, I wish to extend my most heartfelt sympathy to the families and friends of the victims. This tragedy demands that we as a community take measures to provide maximum safety to those who use the various modes of transportation.

But for the time being, my thoughts are with those closest to the victims. I share their overwhelming grief.

Armenia

[Sarkis Assadourian, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today, September 21, marks the seventh anniversary of political independence and the end of communist rule in Armenia.

Independence was first gained from the Ottoman Empire on May 28, 1918, following the tragic genocide of 1915. Unfortunately, the communist takeover on December 2, 1920 was the beginning of 70 years of tyranny which thankfully ended with the collapse of the U.S.S.R.

Today Armenia is a proud independent nation taking giant steps toward democracy, free to control its own destiny on the world stage and ready to do business with the world.

I am pleased to extend an invitation from the Armenian ambassador to my fellow members of parliament to attend a reception this evening from 6.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. in the Adam Room of the Chateau Laurier to wish Armenia a happy anniversary.

Liberal Government

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

Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers and Canadians are sick of a government and an arrogant Prime Minister who makes light of a violent RCMP intervention by talking about the pepper he puts on his food, a Prime Minister who has already grabbed a demonstrator by the throat, a Prime Minister who shows his disdain for provincially elected politicians by saying that they would have to have been elected Prime Minister of Canada to be entitled to comment on Canada's future. And that is just too bad for Jean Charest.

These Liberals, who counted on the Conservative leader's absence to win in Sherbrooke, got theirs. I would bet a golf ball that the Prime Minister is too arrogant to understand why. The Bloc Quebecois victory in Sherbrooke sends a clear message: the public is sick to death of the arrogance of the Prime Minister and his government.

Parti Quebecois

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, here we go again. The Parti Quebecois thinks democracy is fine as long as it calls the shots.

In recent weeks, we have heard the Premier of Quebec say that 50% plus one is enough for a democratic victory.

But the premier pushed through a resolution to overturn a motion adopted the previous day by his own rank and file regarding the holding of a referendum during the Parti Québécois' next term of office, if it is re-elected, something that does not bear thinking about.

On Saturday, however, well over 50% of PQ members voted in favour of the motion.

Long live the separatists' version of democracy. It suits us just fine!

Forest Fires

[Darrel Stinson, Reform, Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Mr. Speaker, lightening started more than 50 forest fires around my riding of Okanagan—Shuswap.

One month ago a fire like one of these got whipped up by 90 kilometre winds into an inferno. It moved so fast that many escaped with nothing but their lives and the clothes on their backs.

The Salmon Arm fire caused the biggest evacuation in the history of British Columbia, with more than 7,000 people moved on a 10 minute alert.

Today I want to say thank you to all the people from communities near and far who took in the evacuees, who donated or volunteered, who worked above and beyond the call of duty.

I also want to issue a solemn warning. Although 200 troops from Edmonton came to B.C. to help, they had to travel and then get up to two days of training before they could staff the fire lines. It is totally irresponsible for this government to abandon British Columbia with no land forces base since it closed Chilliwack.

Summer Recess

[Steve Mahoney, Liberal, Mississauga West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, many years ago in school we used to report to the class on what we did during the summer break. Frankly, my summer was not half as interesting as the Reform Party's, so I thought I would report on its summer.

Reform's summer to remember began with their leader's disastrous Asian vacation. The member for Calgary Southwest infuriated Canadians by becoming the first leader of the opposition to go overseas and criticize our economy in front of foreign investors.

Then, while some Reformers were recanting their previous attacks on the MP pension plan, others began discussing what most Canadians have known for some time, that Reform has no chance of forming government with its current leader. What about the so-called united alternative? Reform MPs are not united. Canadians do not see them as being much of an alternative.

The summer was not all bad. They managed to recruit a high profile Quebec separatist to their cause. I guess this means the marriage between—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour.

Sos Montfort

[Louis Plamondon, Bloc, Richelieu, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last weekend, under cover of an official languages symposium, the official languages commissioner decided to defend the anglophone minority in Quebec instead of denouncing the unacceptable conditions faced by francophone communities in English Canada.

It is unfortunate that the commissioner did not take the opportunity to urge the federal government and the governments of the English provinces to give francophone minorities the same treatment as the Government of Quebec gives its anglophone minority.

Regardless of our political stripe, however, we must support the efforts of Franco-Ontarians to keep Ontario's only francophone hospital alive.

The Bloc Quebecois urges all members of the House to give generously to the SOS Montfort funding campaign, to obtain campaign collection boxes and to set them out on their desks in Ottawa or in their riding.

Government Of Canada

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, as one can imagine, we in the NDP are anxious to get right down to work and have parliament hold this Liberal government accountable for acts of unprecedented arrogance.

This past summer should have been a summer of hope for Canadians. Instead it was a summer of disappointment. We are talking about Liberal disregard for human rights and revelations about the handling of security at APEC. We are talking about a deadbeat government when it comes to pay equity. We are talking about Liberal inaction in the face of huge bank mergers. We are talking about the cruel failure of Liberal leadership on health care.

Here we are again, right where we left off in June, with the government refusing to ensure fair compensation for all hepatitis C victims. Believe it or not, the Minister of Health is offering care that should be the right of every Canadian. He is offering no compensation to those who have lost their homes, jobs or businesses.

The summer of hope may be dead and gone, but the battle for justice for hepatitis C victims and for all—