Debates of June 10th, 1999

Petitions

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise on behalf of the citizens of my community, Brooks, Alberta and the surrounding area who have asked me to present a petition respecting the appalling court decision in British Columbia that struck down Canada's child pornography law. There are over 500 names on the petition.

Petitioners pray that parliament take all measures necessary to ensure that the possession of child pornography remains a serious criminal offence and that federal police forces be directed to give priority to enforcing this law for the protection of children.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be able to present a petition this morning and, in so doing, also to pay tribute to you, Mr. Speaker, and all the table officers, staff and pages for serving the House so well in this past session.

I would like to present a petition signed by citizens of Winnipeg, Manitoba who are very concerned about the sale of Candu nuclear reactors to Turkey. They are concerned that high government subsidies will in fact represent an amount so high as to equal the income tax cuts of the last federal budget. They are also concerned that Turkey will probably use them to produce nuclear weapons of mass destruction and destabilize the eastern Mediterranean, a part of the world which has always been politically unstable.

The petitioners call on the government and parliament to oppose this sale and take all possible measures required to stop it.

[Charlie Penson, Reform, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure today to rise to present a petition signed by 50 people from Fairview in my riding of Peace River as well as others from Stony Plain.

They request parliament to enact legislation that will define in statute that marriage can be only entered into between a single male and a single female.

[Rose-Marie Ur, Liberal, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am honoured to present a petition signed by residents of Grand Bend, Zurich and Corbett who urge parliament to ban the gas additive MMT noting studies underway at the University of Quebec are showing adverse health effects, especially on children and seniors, and that car manufacturers oppose the use of MMT.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present a petition, and particularly when you are in the chair today.

The individuals who have submitted this petition from my riding ask that parliament enact legislation such as Bill C-225 so as to define in statute that a marriage can only be entered into between a single male and a single female.

Thank you for your consideration in this House, Mr. Speaker. It is pleasure to be here with you today.

[The Deputy Speaker]

The pleasure is mutual.

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a petition signed by 34 people from Alberta. These individuals call on parliament to pass legislation incorporating the rights of children and the principles of equality between and among all parents.

[Howard Hilstrom, Reform, Selkirk—Interlake, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition today from 75 of my constituents and constituents from all over Manitoba who feel that parliament should re-enact legislation and reinstate chiropractic services for aboriginal people. These services have been eliminated and are no longer available. The health of many Manitobans are affected by this decision. They pray that this be brought back for the use of Manitobans.

[Jim Hart, Reform, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and privilege to rise today, pursuant to Standing Order 36, to present a petition not only from the residents of Okanagan—Coquihalla but from all across British Columbia who draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following: “Whereas a majority of Canadians are in favour of a fair agreement with the Nisga'a people that is complete and equitable to all Canadians; whereas there are court cases presently outstanding”—

[The Deputy Speaker]

Order, please. I know the hon. member, in a spirit of co-operation today, will want to comply with the rule in every respect and that is that he give a brief summary of the petition, rather than read it. When I hear him read “whereas” and so on, I can tell that perhaps he is not giving a brief summary. I know he would not want to give that impression to the House.

[Jim Hart, Reform, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the people of British Columbia are concerned about the Nisga'a agreement and therefore are calling on parliament to reject the agreement.

There are 1,000 signatures today and by the time the House returns there will be over 100,000 from the people of British Columbia.

Child Pornography

[Roy H. Bailey, Reform, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I present today at least 300 more signatures from people in my constituency and across the province dealing with the same topic.

The petitioners pray that parliament will take all measures necessary to ensure that the possession of child pornography remains a serious criminal offence and that federal police forces be directed to give priority to enforcing this law for the protection of children.

Questions Passed As Order For Returns

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, if Questions Nos. 199 and 212 could be made orders for return, these returns would be tabled immediately.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed. .[Text]

Question No. 199—

[John Williams, Reform, St. Albert, AB]

With regard to the losses suffered by government departments and agencies of approximately $1.3 million dollars worth of laptop and desktop computers due to theft, as shown in the Public Accounts of Canada, pages 3.25 to 3.31, Volume II, Part II, for fiscal year 1997-98: ( a ) from which locations did these thefts occur; ( b ) were these cases of theft reported to a law enforcement agency; and ( c ) if so, what were the findings from the law enforcement agency's investigations?

Return tabled.

Question No. 212—

[Gilles Bernier, Progressive Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Can the Department of Human Resources Development provide for the constituency of Tobique-Mactaquac the following information for each of the past five years, regarding the application and appeal process for disability pensions under the Canada Pension Plan: ( a ) how many people made an initial application for a disability pension and how many of these applications were accepted/rejected; ( b ) following the initial application, how long did clients have to wait for a response; ( c ) how many clients requested a review and how many of these requests were approved/rejected; ( d ) in how many cases did the Department request a review and how many of its requests were approved/rejected; ( e ) following a request for a review, how long did clients have to wait for a response; ( f ) how many clients appealed to the review tribunal, and how many of these appeals were approved/rejected; ( g ) in how many cases did the Department appeal to the review tribunal and how many of its appeals were approved/rejected; ( h ) following appeals to the review tribunal, how long did clients have to wait for a response from the tribunal; ( i ) how many clients appealed to the Pension Appeals Board and how many of these appeals were approved/rejected; ( j ) in how many cases did the Department appeal to the Pension Appeals Board and how many of its appeals were approved/rejected; and ( k ) following an appeal to the Pension Appeals Board, how long did clients have to wait for a response from the Board?

Return tabled.

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

I ask, Mr. Speaker, that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Request For Emergency Debate

[The Deputy Speaker]

I am in receipt of a notice of motion under Standing Order 52 from the hon. member for Saint John.

[Elsie Wayne, Progressive Conservative, Saint John, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I filed a notice yesterday requesting an emergency debate to discuss the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs' treatment of the Canadian Merchant Navy.

The merchant navy men have been asking for compensation for 55 years and every national veterans organization in Canada supports the merchant navy's request.

I was asked to table my motion by the standing committee, the chairman, and veterans affairs for compensation until we dealt with whether they would come under the War Veterans Allowance Act. I did that. We were led to believe at the standing committee that there would be an open mind at that table by all committee members and that they would hear and listen to everyone who came forward.

I cannot believe that the members on the government side voted this down because there was not a person who came before the committee to speak against it.

There is a need to discuss this before we take our summer break. I ask all of our members to agree to have this emergency debate for these brave men who brought peace to us here and around the world. We would not be here in the House if it were not for them.

I ask that we have an emergency debate before we break this summer with regard to the merchant navy's compensation.

[The Deputy Speaker]

The Chair has carefully considered the point raised by the hon. member for Saint John. While there is no doubt that she feels she has a grievance in relation to proceedings that may have occurred in the committee at some point recently, of which the House at this moment is technically unaware, I know that the member, in reviewing the standing order under which she has moved her application, will recognize that the Chair has to examine it in the light of cold hard facts. In this case the Chair feels that the application does not meet the exigencies of the standing order.

Ways And Means

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, for the Minister of Finance]

moved that a ways and means motion to amend the Excise Tax Act and a related act, the Cultural Property Export and Import Act, the Customs Act, the Excise Act, the Income Tax Act and the Tax Court of Canada Act, laid upon the table on Friday, June 4, be concurred in.

[The Deputy Speaker]

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