Debates of Dec. 15th, 1999

Points Of Order

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Roberval.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I did many things today but I did not table any document. I will do so now.

My thanks to my colleague who offered to do it for me because I am having a small problem but I am still able to talk to you.

Following the announcement by the Prime Minister of the tabling of a bill negating the fundamental rights of Quebec, I seek the unanimous consent of the House to table a copy of an editorial that the hon. members should read written by Alain Dubuc, a federalist who is against this bill.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to get unanimous consent for a motion congratulating the members from the Bloc Quebecois, who so generously represented the interests of Quebec.

[The Deputy Speaker]

I cannot allow that.

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have here a document that the members of this House will find extremely interesting. It is an explosive document, which shows how the government's bill on the clarity of the question is making relations between Quebec and Canada take a turn for the worst.

The Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs starts by saying that he is not promising any major constitutional reform and then says that—

[The Deputy Speaker]

The explanation is a bit long. Does the hon. member have—

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this is an explosive document.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is there unanimous consent of the House?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Yvan Loubier, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have here a document that I wish to table with the unanimous consent of the House.

It includes an excerpt of a book entitled Le pari de la franchise , something we have not got from the people across the way for some time now. I would ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table this document.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is there unanimous consent for the hon. member to table the document?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Louis Plamondon, Bloc, Richelieu, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a point of order.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Has the hon. member not asked to table something already?

All hon. members should get the opportunity to ask to table a document.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I do not want to come back to a point of order I made earlier, but you cannot foresee what my hon. colleague from Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour will say on his point of order.

You must take the time to listen to him. The standing orders stipulate that when an hon. member rises you have to recognize him or her.

[The Deputy Speaker]

That is not the case. The standing orders give the chair some discretion. I indicated that everyone should have the opportunity to ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table a document. We have done this. We have heard several points of order from a number of hon. members, including the whip of the Bloc Quebecois.

We now have to try to proceed to other business and maybe further down the road we will hear other points of order.

Defence Exports

[Denis Paradis, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I am pleased to table on behalf of the government, in both official languages, the 1998 annual report on Canada's defence exports.

This annual report provides greater transparency on the export of these goods from Canada.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

I wish to table a reflection on poverty which offers a clear explanation of the disastrous effect of the policies—

[The Deputy Speaker]

This is an abuse. I have already indicated that we will have one document tabled by each member. That we have already done, and we must get on with the business of the House.