House of Commons Hansard #129 of the 36th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was firefighters.
Nelson Riis NDP Kamloops, BC
Mr. Speaker, the next petition from Kamloops is very lengthy. The petitioners are concerned about the unacceptable level of child poverty in Canada. They are urging parliament to fulfil the promise of the 1989 House of Commons resolution to end child poverty by the year 2000.
Gar Knutson Liberal Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have a petition to present on behalf of rural route mail couriers asking for the repeal of subsection 13(5). Such a repeal would allow the rural route mail couriers to unionize.
Peter Mancini NDP Sydney—Victoria, NS
Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to rise, like my colleagues from Burnaby—Douglas and Kamloops, only from the other side of the country, from the citizens of Sydney—Victoria, and present to the House six petitions all dealing with the issue of health care and calling upon parliament to stop for profit hospitals and restore federal funding for health care.
John Solomon NDP Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of many Canadians who are very concerned about the broken Liberal promises. The Liberals in the last couple of elections promised national programs for home care and prescription drugs. They promised to adequately fund health care.
The petitioners are very unhappy with the Liberals for having choked health care to the point where they are asking parliament to stop now the fourth plank of the Liberal platform to privatize hospitals and to set up a two tier health care system.
They are asking for a restoration of federal funding. They are asking the federal government to immediately implement a national home care program and a national program for prescription drugs.
John Solomon NDP Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Mr. Speaker, my second and final petition is related to crime.
The criminal code has not been amended by the Liberal government to defend our defenceless citizens from crime. They are asking the House of Commons to amend the criminal code to prevent persons convicted of serious crimes from being released from custody pending the hearing of their appeal, except in exceptional circumstances. This is in response to the fact that they believe it is too easy for convicted people to get out of their five year sentences and so on.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, I am very grateful to present, under Standing Order 36, a large petition from residents in my riding who are very upset about the rising cost of energy, specifically gasoline, and the seemingly arbitrary way in which oil companies can change the price of gasoline.
These many thousands of citizens in my riding are calling upon the government to institute an energy price commission to oversee and regulate the price of gasoline, home heating fuel and diesel fuel so that they are not vulnerable to the shocks and fluctuations in energy prices.
Derek Lee LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
Request For Emergency DebateRoutine Proceedings
The Speaker
I have two requests for emergency debates. They deal with basically the same subject. I will let hon. members make brief interventions.
Rick Borotsik Progressive Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
Mr. Speaker, my application for an emergency debate pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 52 concerns the devastating financial and mental stress affecting farming communities across the country.
As was mentioned in question period, over the past year more than 21,500 farmers have left. They no longer exist in western Canada. They no longer farm the land. We also recognize from question period that there will be an economic statement issued by the Minister of Finance.
This emergency debate would make sure that the government recognizes the urgency and priority of agriculture and places it in the economic statement by the Minister of Finance. I do not think the government recognizes the real urgency and the stresses on farming communities in rural Canada, particularly rural western Canada.
I stand before you, Mr. Speaker, to ask that you allow us an opportunity to have this open debate later today or tomorrow so that we can put that urgency on the floor.
Howard Hilstrom Reform Selkirk—Interlake, MB
Mr. Speaker, my application is also pursuant to Standing Order 52 and deals with agriculture.
Successive Conservative and Liberal governments have not been able to deal with the farm income crisis over their years in government. As a result I point out that for the last three years Canadian farm families have been struggling against foreign market interferences that have decimated our commodity prices.
The federal government has attempted to address falling farm incomes through such programs as AIDA, agriculture income disaster assistance. However these attempts have not addressed the needs of farm families. For example, only 42% of emergency funding promised in December 1998 has actually left the cabinet table in Ottawa and been delivered to farmers. That leaves an awful lot of money still sitting here.
The farm income crisis is being pushed to new levels of urgency because of escalating fuel costs. Energy costs make up a significant portion of farm input costs. For example, experts have estimated that a 10% increase in energy costs will cause a 6% decline in farm income.
Farm families already in the grips of an income crisis will not be able to withstand this further. As a result I think we need to have another discussion with regard to the farm issue facing the country at this time.
Request For Emergency DebateRoutine Proceedings
The Speaker
I thank the hon. member for Brandon—Souris and the hon. member for Selkirk—Interlake. Over the months and indeed years I have heard both these members and others from the other side of the House raise the matter of the problems faced by farmers in the west. However at this time I feel that the calls for an emergency debate do not meet our criteria.
Howard Hilstrom Reform Selkirk—Interlake, MB
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The only problem with your decision is that I was talking in a Canadian context and you indicated western only. I would like it considered in the context of all of Canada.
Request For Emergency DebateRoutine Proceedings
The Speaker
Perhaps I should have been a little broader in my statement. I would include all of Canada. My decision would stand.
Derek Lee Liberal Scarborough—Rouge River, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I wonder whether there would be consent of the House for me to provide answers to questions that have been tabled in the House.
Questions Passed As Orders For ReturnsRoutine Proceedings
Scarborough—Rouge River Ontario
Liberal
Derek Lee LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, if Questions Nos. 40, 69, 78 and 96 could be made orders for returns, the returns would be tabled immediately.
Questions Passed As Orders For ReturnsRoutine Proceedings
Some hon. members
Agreed. .[Text]
Question No. 40—
Wendy Lill NDP Dartmouth, NS
What funds, grants, loans and loan guarantees has the government issued in the constituency of Dartmouth for each of the following fiscal years: ( a ) 1993-1994; ( b ) 1994-1995; ( c ) 1995-1996; ( d ) 1996-1997; ( e ) 1997-1998; ( f ) 1998-1999; and in each case, where applicable: (i) what was the department or agency responsible; (ii) what was the program under which the payment was made; (iii) what were the names of the recipients if they were groups or organizations; (iv) what was the monetary value of the payment made; and (v) what was the percentage of program funding covered by the payment received?
Return tabled.
Question No. 69—
Eric C. Lowther Reform Calgary Centre, AB
Could the government provide a complete accounting of all Canadian taxpayer dollars transferred to, or in any way spent on, international organizations and agencies (including United Nations agencies and all other multilateral institutions) by any channel during the fiscal year 1998-99, listing clearly each item of expenditure by both the disbursing department and by the recipient organization or agency?
Return tabled.
Question No. 78—
Michelle Dockrill NDP Bras D'Or, NS
What funds, grants, loans and loan guarantees has the government issued in the constituency of Bras d'Or—Cape Breton for each of the following fiscal years: ( a ) 1993-1994, ( b ) 1994-1995, ( c ) 1995-1996, ( d ) 1996-1997, ( e ) 1997-1998, and ( f ) 1998-1999, and in each case, where applicable: (i) what was the department or agency responsible; (ii) what was the program under which the payment was made; (iii) what were the names of the recipients, if they were groups or organizations; (iv) what was the monetary value of the payment made; and (v) what was the percentage of program funding covered by the payment received?
Return tabled.
Question No. 96—
Gordon Earle NDP Halifax West, NS
What funds, grants, loans and loan guarantees has the federal government issued in the constituency of Halifax West from June 2, 1998 to June 1, 1999 and, in each case where applicable: ( a ) the department or agency responsible; ( b ) the program under which the payment was made; ( c ) the names of the recipients, if they were groups or organizations; ( d ) the monetary value of the payment made; and ( e ) the percentage of program funding covered by the payment received?
Return tabled.