Debates of March 25th, 1999

Committees Of The House

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Deputy Speaker]

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

[Some hon. members]

Yea.

[The Deputy Speaker]

All those opposed will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Deputy Speaker]

In my opinion the nays have it.

And more than five members having risen:

[The Deputy Speaker]

Call in the members.

And the bells having rung:

[Randy White, Reform, Langley—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to advise the House exactly why we are here and the circumstances.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Order, please. I am afraid that is not a point of order. I will proceed to putting the question to the House.

The question is on the adjournment motion.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Division No. 363

[The Deputy Speaker]

I declare the motion carried.

[Dick Harris, Reform, Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I move that the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, presented on Friday, May 15, be concurred in.

I am pleased to rise today to speak to the debate on this motion. It is particularly a pleasure to do so, as a result of the most disgusting performance I have ever seen in my life that happened in the justice committee yesterday when the member for Mississauga East had her private member's bill destroyed by a bunch of sheep Liberals who were following orders from their justice minister and from the Prime Minister.

This was on Bill C-251, a bill that was overwhelmingly passed in the House. It was approved by all but one Liberal member of the government; all but one voted for it to go to committee. In a matter of five seconds, following the orders of the government and the Minister of Justice, Bill C-251 in the name of the member for Mississauga East was destroyed.

Shall the first clause pass? No. Shall the second clause pass? No. Shall the title pass? No. It was destroyed by her own people, stabbed in the back by her colleagues, joined by Bloc members and NDP members. In disgusting solidarity NDP, Bloc and Liberal members voted down a very acceptable private member's bill.

I will read Bill C-251 for the pleasure of the Liberal government that destroyed it yesterday and for the interest of the Canadian public that is watching today. Her bill read as follows:

This enactment provides for the imposition of consecutive sentences where a person commits sexual assault and another offence arising out of the same events or where the person is already serving another sentence at the time.

The enactment also provides that a person sentenced to life imprisonment for first degree murder or second degree murder is not eligible for parole until this person has served, in addition to the portion of sentence that the person must serve for murder, one-third or a maximum seven years of any other sentence imposed on the person in respect for an offence arising out of the same events or that the person is already serving. The mandatory portion of each life sentence imposed on a person who is convicted of a second murder must be served consecutively before the person is eligible for parole.

In other words, the bill was presented to take the discount out of sentencing which the Liberal government supports. We are talking about getting rid of the discount sale of the government in its justice system if one commits more than one serious offence like murder or sexual assault. That is disgusting.

The Liberals destroyed private member's Bill C-251 by the member for Mississauga East in five seconds and then laughed. They laughed and joked in committee about how easy it was to destroy a colleague's bill in committee. They laughed and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice laughed as well. She laughed and all her colleagues laughed. They thought it was funny.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[Dick Harris, Reform, Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC]

They deny it, Mr. Speaker. Why would they admit to such a disgusting display as laughing at a bill as important—

[The Deputy Speaker]

Order, please. The Chair is finding it very difficult to hear the hon. member for Prince George—Bulkley Valley. Perhaps members on all sides could restrain themselves so we can hear the debate.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I distinctly heard the loud mouthed parliamentary secretary shouting “liar” on several occasions.

[Randy White, Reform, Langley—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I realize that debate in the House on issues such as this can be pointed and tough at times.

We talked a moment ago about the parliamentary secretary calling one of our members a liar. She reaffirmed that in the House. I would expect that we will be asking for a question of privilege that this member be asked either to take those words back or be removed from the House.

[The Deputy Speaker]

The Chair asks the hon. parliamentary secretary did she use the words that have been complained of? If so I ask her to withdraw them.

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I will withdraw my comments and my calling the member a liar if that member returns to what actually happened in the committee.

[The Deputy Speaker]

There are no ifs involved in this. The hon. parliamentary secretary is an experienced member. She knows that it is not in order to use the word liar. I ask her to stand up and please withdraw the word immediately and unequivocally.

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I said that was a lie. I did not call the member a liar. I said his facts were a lie.

[The Deputy Speaker]

I am afraid the parliamentary secretary cannot get out of this on that basis. I ask her to withdraw the word lie or liar unequivocally right now, please.

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, considering that I have great respect for this institution I withdraw the words.