House of Commons Hansard #41 of the 36th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was report.
Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, what a surprise this morning to learn that the federal government is refusing to give French a clear priority status at the Francophone Games to be held in Ottawa and Hull in 2001.
According to our information, these games were held in French in Morocco and in Madagascar, where French is not even the official language.
Is it too much to ask of the minister responsible that the Francophone Games be held in French, please?
Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, the question is ridiculous. Obviously, the Francophone Games will be held in French. As for the claim that they were solely in French in Madagascar, that is incorrect.
Gordon Earle NDP Halifax West, NS
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Veterans Affairs has two important files on his desk and I ask him if he will have cabinet deal with them today?
The first is to give approval to the compensation settlement agreed upon by the merchant mariners. Second, the German government appears to have made a decision to provide compensation for some prisoners of war.
Is the minister aware of this and will he ensure that those brave Canadian soldiers wrongfully sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp will finally receive a just settlement beyond the insulting pittance given a year ago? Will the minister and his cabinet bring joy at Christmastime to the merchant mariners and our Buchenwald survivors?
Veterans AffairsOral Question Period
The Speaker
I am sure all of us want to hear what will probably or possibly be the last question in this millennium.
George Baker LiberalMinister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the representatives of our veterans organizations who came to an agreement last night and presented to me a document today in which they are now all on board representing all our veterans.
I remind the hon. member who asked the question that we have arrived at this point because we have been careful and thorough. The hon. member stands in this place today and says that because Christmas is a-comin' he wants me to hop to the tune of Here Comes Santa Claus .
That is not the Liberal way of doing things. The Liberal way of doing things is to do it right and then we all sing the Hallelujah Chorus .
Maurice Dumas Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau, 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 delegation of the Canadian interparliamentary union group which represented Canada at the 54th General Assembly of the United Nations, held in New York from October 25 to 27, 1999.
I am seeking the unanimous consent of the House to table this report.
Chuck Strahl Reform Fraser Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, during question period I referred several times to and quoted from documents that I received through access to information requests some time ago.
The government questioned the validity of some of the statements I made. I would like to table those documents with the House now so that they can be quoted accurately.
Veterans AffairsOral Question Period
The Speaker
The hon. member needs unanimous consent. Is it agreed?
Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères, QC
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Am I to understand that, when you ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table a document, you wait until you get a “no”? Because to my knowledge, you had the consent of the House before.
Veterans AffairsOral Question Period
The Speaker
There was a “no”. I heard it and I saw it. But the answer to the hon. member's question is no.
Grant McNally Reform Dewdney—Alouette, BC
Mr. Speaker, I think we might have a few more questions in this millennium, and here comes one right now. I am sure the government House leader is ready for it.
The official opposition would like to know what the business of the government would be for the rest of this week, and if it has any idea or plan as to what it might be doing during the first week back in the new year.
Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. Negotiations are presently proceeding among the parties, but I would like to inform the House that this afternoon we will continue the prebudget discussions.
Should the House sit tomorrow we would propose to call Bill C-10, followed by the Senate amendments to Bill C-7. Then the House would stand adjourned, whether we adjourn tomorrow or today depending on negotiations, until February 7.
There are a number of bills that we will be proceeding with at that time, most particularly Bill C-2, the Elections Act. Bill C-20 is another possibility, but it is too early for the House to determine the exact order at this point.
Legislation was tabled earlier today as well, but I would endeavour to contact House leaders of all parties before the time in question to ensure that they are informed of the program for at least the first week, with a possibility of making a statement on opening day to give the exact order for the first week.
In the event that this is the last sitting day of the millennium I will take the opportunity to wish warm regards to everyone, and should we come back tomorrow I will do it again.
Gurmant Grewal Reform Surrey Central, BC
Mr. Speaker, I am sure all hon. members in the House in the last couple of days before the year ends believe the House should run more efficiently and we should look through the lens of issues rather than the lens of political stripes.
I bring to the attention of the House an incident that occurred at the scrutiny of regulations committee. This is a very unique and important joint committee of the House of Commons and the Senate. On Friday of last week I tabled a report and then I asked for unanimous consent to move concurrence in the report. The report was not concurred in because I could not get unanimous consent.
Today the committee meeting could not be held simply because we could not proceed with a reduced quorum. As a result the budget could not be approved and during this holiday season the salaries of legal counsel who are employees of the committee could not be approved.
When we ask for unanimous consent it should not create a situation where unanimous consent is refused because it is one against the other. Some members of the House feel they have different motives or different objectives. I seek some advice from the Chair on how to resolve the issue.
Points Of OrderOral Question Period
The Speaker
Usually the House finds a way around particular dilemmas. I do not have responses for every question that is put, but do I understand that the hon. member wants to ask for unanimous consent to table a document today? If so, I want him to forthwith tell me that and what the document is. I do not want any more debate on it. Is the hon. member seeking unanimous consent?
Gurmant Grewal Reform Surrey Central, BC
Yes, Mr. Speaker. In the spirit of the holiday season, if the House gives its consent I would move that the first report of the Standing Joint Committee of Scrutiny of Regulations, presented to the House earlier last week, be concurred in.
Points Of OrderOral Question Period
The Speaker
We might get around to killing two birds with one stone. As I understand it, and again I did not hear any others, when the hon. member for Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel asked to table his paper there was a no from over here. Am I to understand then that the hon. member for Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel would be disposed to try again after this one?
