House of Commons Hansard #242 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was culture.
The Deputy Speaker
I wish to inform the House that there is an error in the notice paper. A bill entitled, an act to amend the Criminal Code (impaired driving causing death), in the name of the Minister of Justice, should have been under the heading “Introduction of Government Bills”.
I regret any inconvenience this may have caused hon. members.
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 83(1), I wish to table a notice of ways and means motion to amend the Customs Tariff. I am also tabling explanatory notes. I ask that an order of the day be designated for consideration of the motion.
Julian Reed LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House to table, in both official languages, international treaties that entered into force for Canada in 1993, a list of which is also tabled.
Julian Reed LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(1), I have the honour to lay before the House, in both official languages, the five year review of the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development, 1993 to 1998.
The centre is an independent organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights and democratic development. The review covers the activities and organization of the centre and its role in the international human rights community.
Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent for the following motion:
That any recorded division requested on the concurrence to Government Orders Ways and Means Motion No. 28 later this day be deferred until the end of Government Orders today.
Business Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings
The Deputy Speaker
Does the hon. government House leader have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?
Business Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings
The Deputy Speaker
The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to seven petitions.
House Of CommonsRoutine Proceedings
The Deputy Speaker
I have the honour to lay on the table the document entitled “Individual Member's Expenditures” for fiscal year 1998-99.
Bill Graham Liberal Toronto Centre—Rosedale, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour of tabling in both official languages the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade entitled “Canada and the Future of the World Trade Organization: Advancing a Millennium Agenda in the Public Interest”.
Mr. Speaker, as you can see from the size of this report, it represents a considerable amount of work which was done by committee members in a very short, compressed period of time. I want to thank members of the committee for the tremendous amount of work they put into it and for the enormous energy that went into preparing this report.
In addition to the report, we have produced a citizen's guide to the WTO that I will be presenting to the House which we, the members of the committee, hope will be of use to the citizens of this country in understanding the importance of this organization to the future prosperity of Canadians.
Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests a comprehensive response to this report.
Clifford Lincoln Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), I have the honour to present in both official languages the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, entitled “A Sense of Place: A Sense of Being: The Evolving Role of the Federal Government in Support of Culture in Canada”.
Having heard from a large number of Canadians over three years, the committee's report looks at culture from the perspective of key elements of cultural activity, creation, training, production, distribution and consumption, and makes 43 recommendations which call for better co-operation between federal departments and other orders of government.
The report attempts to capture the importance which Canadians place in the role of the Government of Canada in the promotion, protection and support of our culture and federal cultural instruments and institutions. A government response is requested pursuant to Standing Order 109.
I wish to thank members for their collegial and non-partisan effort, witnesses and those who submitted briefs and, last but not least, our staff.
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.
This is the report of the Subcommittee on the Status of Persons with Disabilities which I had the pleasure to chair. This report will also be available in alternate formats.
I am also pleased to table the report of the recipient of the Centennial Flame Research Award for the year 1998, pursuant to subsection 7(1) of the Centennial Flame Research Award Act, chapter 17, Statutes of Canada, 1991.
We believe this has been an interesting exercise. We have called 12 ministers. We have embarked on a wonderful new methodology for parliament to be a tribune of the people and there will be a relevant role for parliament and stakeholders to contribute to the policy development of the government.
We thank all members of the committee, in particular the Bloc member, whose dissenting opinion is one of the most gracious and kind. We all want to move this agenda ahead.
Brent St. Denis Liberal Algoma—Manitoulin, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Government Operations. In accordance with its mandate under Standing Order 108(2), the committee has considered forest management practices in Canada as an international trade issue and has agreed to this interim report.
I want to point out that the committee intends to continue this work in the fall, having had a chance, first, to visit British Columbia.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members who participated. They did a terrific job. I would also like to thank our witnesses, as well as our clerk, Richard Rumas, and our researcher, Jean-Luc Bourdages, for the excellent work they have done in support of the committee's work. I emphasize that this is an interim report. More work needs to be done, but our committee felt that the facts about Canadian forest harvesting practices need to known in the international marketplace, as well as the fact that Canada is a world leader in forest management practices.
With that, Mr. Speaker, we wish you a great summer.
Albina Guarnieri Liberal Mississauga East, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, entitled “Looking Ahead: an Interim Report on Older Workers”.
The committee is united in its determination to respond to the re-employment crisis facing Canada's aging workforce. On behalf of all committee members, I express a special thanks to Danielle Bélisle and Kevin Kerr for their hard work. I would also like to express a heartfelt thanks to all committee members for their dedication and commitment.
Maurizio Bevilacqua Liberal Vaughan—King—Aurora, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 20th report of the Standing Committee on Finance, entitled “Productivity with a Purpose: Improving the Standard of Living of Canadians”.
I want to bring to the attention of the House that this is a very important document which deals with a very important issue, that of productivity, which is a key determinant in raising the standard of living for Canadians.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank the members of the committee who worked very hard throughout this session. The finance committee held 193 meetings to deal with different issues related to finance.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the clerk, the interpreters, the researchers and every one involved in making sure that the committee of finance functions as well as it does.
I want to reiterate that the finance committee will continue to pursue this issue in the coming years.
Monte Solberg Reform Medicine Hat, AB
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 35(2), I will respond to the report presented by my friend, the chair of the finance committee.
I simply want to point out that in our supplementary report, which we attached to the productivity study, we expressed some scepticism about whether the government would be able to pursue the course of action laid down by my colleagues on the finance committee.
I would point out that there were some good recommendations in the report, recommendations to pursue freer trade, lower taxes and de-regulation. Sadly, it looks like we were prescient because now we see the Prime Minister suggesting that there will not be any more free trade type agreements, that free trade will not be extended, that low taxes essentially are un-Canadian. It appears that this report is dead on arrival, which is sad because I think many Canadians rightly expect that we should have lower taxes in Canada, right now.
Finally, before we wrap up, I want to congratulate the chair of the committee and my colleagues for a productive year. I also want to extend my thanks to the pages who will be leaving us soon. We have certainly had a chance to get to know them and we appreciate the gallons and gallons of water that they have brought to us all over the course of year.
Don Boudria Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Mr. Speaker, I wish to seek unanimous consent to table, notwithstanding the fact that the notice was only served yesterday, an act to amend the Criminal Code (impaired driving causing death). I think you would find unanimous consent as it is pursuant to an agreement among House leaders yesterday.
Committees Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings
The Deputy Speaker
Is there unanimous consent to proceed with first reading of this bill at this time?
Don Boudria Liberalfor the Minister of Justice
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-87, an act to amend the Criminal Code (impaired driving causing death).
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Angela Vautour NDP Beauséjour—Petitcodiac, NB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-519, an act to limit the imposition of tolls on publicly financed highways, bridges and tunnels.
Mr. Speaker, the aim of this bill is to prevent the imposition of tolls for the use of roads, bridges and tunnels funded by the federal government.
As the House is well aware, tolled highways are a big issue in New Brunswick. This totally unfair tax is causing trade barriers, financial difficulties for trucking companies and extreme hardship on low income families, seniors and businesses.
The purpose of the bill is to prevent any future highway tax grabs by provincial governments, and to prevent friends of the Liberals from making millions on the backs of taxpayers.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Bernard Patry Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-520, an act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (employer's bankruptcy).
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to introduce today in the House a bill to amend the Employment Insurance Act in the event of an employer's bankruptcy.
This bill would make it possible to take into account, for the purpose of eligibility for employment insurance benefits, the hours worked by a contributor who has not been paid for the hours he worked for his bankrupt employer, which the employer obviously did not make the contributions necessary for these hours worked.
Having been penalized as a result of the employer's bankruptcy by the loss of his job and, second, by not being paid for the work done, the claimant is again penalized when the hours he did work without pay are not counted so he may receive benefits while he is looking for another job.
I think, therefore, that it is very important to change the Employment Insurance Act as quickly as possible in order to provide a balance for workers of good faith.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC
Mr. Speaker, I wish to present a petition calling on the House to pass the bill introduced by other members and myself for the purpose of overturning the conviction of Louis Riel for high treason and officially commemorating his role in advancing the cause of Canadian confederation and the rights of the Metis people and the people of western Canada.
I also wish to mention the exceptional work done by two of the 120 young students involved. Véronique Pilote-Charron and Jacinthe Desforges did a particularly fine job on this file.