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.

Topics

Federal ElectionOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, my hon. friend's question is purely speculative and hypothetical.

Report Of Information CommissionerOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Reform

Diane Ablonczy Reform Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Mr. Speaker, the information commissioner's report is very damning to the government. Especially troubling is a section that says:

The future careers in the public service of the Commissioner's staff have, in not so subtle terms, been threatened.

This development in inexcusably unprofessional and profoundly troubling. If members of the public service come to believe that it is career suicide to work, and to do a good job, for the Information Commissioner, the future viability and effectiveness of the Commissioner's office is in grave jeopardy.

Why is the government attacking—

Report Of Information CommissionerOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. President of the Treasury Board.

Report Of Information CommissionerOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Westmount—Ville-Marie Québec

Liberal

Lucienne Robillard LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, these are very serious allegations. It has always been a policy of this government to support the role of the information commissioner. It is very clear that if there are grounds for these allegations, we will act accordingly, but we will ask the commissioner to supply the relevant information.

Pay EquityOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Monique Guay Bloc Laurentides, QC

Mr. Speaker, the legislative provisions having to do with pay equity are still too timid and the way in which the legislation is now being applied is short-changing the majority of women.

My question is for the President of the Treasury Board. What is the government waiting for to abandon the judicial approach to pay equity and adopt proactive legislation that would speed up the resolution of disputes and force the parties, employees and employers alike, to sit down and negotiate pay equity in good faith?

Pay EquityOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Westmount—Ville-Marie Québec

Liberal

Lucienne Robillard LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy that we have resolved the pay equity dispute involving all employees of the Public Service of Canada.

When this dispute was resolved, the Minister of Finance and myself announced that we would be reviewing the legislation specifically with a view to a much more proactive pay equity mechanism. We are most certainly going to follow up on this commitment.

AgricultureOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

NDP

Dennis Gruending NDP Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK

Mr. Speaker, there is a disaster unfolding right before our very eyes on the Canadian prairies. We are told by Statistics Canada that we have lost 22,000 farmers in the past year. In Saskatchewan alone we have lost 12% of our farmers and Manitoba has lost 15%.

The Liberal government has to bear responsibility for this disaster. Will the agriculture minister commit today to a doubling of support to Canadian farm families?

AgricultureOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Prince Edward—Hastings Ontario

Liberal

Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Mr. Speaker, in the last two years we have increased the support and the safety net to Canadian farms by 85%. We said that we will pledge to continue to support Canadian farmers in every way we can, both domestically and internationally, in trade talks. It will take the work of all of us, and a very diligent and strong effort, to do so. We will continue to do that on behalf of Canadian farmers.

Gun RegistryOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, as costs skyrocket, the gun registry continues to be a cumbersome failure on the part of the government.

Can the Minister of Justice provide absolute assurances that there has been no breach in the security of the gun registry databank? Such a breach would provide a government sponsored road map for criminals who choose to steal guns. Could she provide that assurance today?

Gun RegistryOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, first let me take the opportunity to say that more gun owners in this country continue to comply with the gun registry than ever before.

As we always knew, legitimate gun owners are committed to gun safety and to complying with the gun registry and licensing provisions.

Let me inform the hon. member that to the best of my knowledge there has been no security breach. I would appreciate hearing from the hon. member rather than having him raising fears and scaremongering.

Government Response To PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3 p.m.

Scarborough—Rouge River Ontario

Liberal

Derek Lee 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 10 petitions.

Government Response To PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order with respect to statements by ministers. I am wondering if, given the volatility of the situation in the Middle East, we are going to hear a government statement in response to that situation.

Government Response To PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

The Speaker

That is not a point of order. That is a question. Perhaps the hon. House leader of the Conservative Party could approach his colleague to get that information privately.

Government Response To PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Reform

Howard Hilstrom Reform Selkirk—Interlake, MB

Mr. Speaker, my point of order is in relation to the letter that I delivered to your office as to whether you would consider, under Standing Order 52, having an emergency debate.

Government Response To PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

The Speaker

That is not a point of order, as the hon. member knows. I will deal with those two things under applications for emergency debates.

Hazardous Products ActRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough East, ON

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-506, an act to amend the Hazardous Products Act (fire-safe cigarettes).

Mr. Speaker, this bill, if accepted, will be an opportunity to reduce the hazardous effects of cigarettes and introduce fire-safe cigarettes.

This issue was brought to my attention by Mr. Doug Lennox, a lawyer representing a Brampton family who tragically lost a three year old child and two teenagers in a fire that was attributable to careless smoking.

Like many Canadians, I had no idea that the tobacco industry for years has known how to make fire-safe cigarettes. This is what the bill is designed to do: it will bring to Canadians' attention the fact that fire-safe cigarettes can be manufactured. Literally thousands of Canadians lose their lives and there is literally millions of dollars worth of property damage to Canadian property on an annual basis as a result of careless smoking. Much of this can be reduced if not eliminated by having fire-safe cigarettes. That is the thrust of my bill.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Defence Production ActRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette Liberalfor the Minister of Public Works and Government Services

moved that Bill S-25, an act to amend the Defence Production Act, be read the first time.

(Motion agreed to and bill read the first time)

An Act To Incorporate The Western Canada Telephone CompanyRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette Liberalfor the Minister of Industry

moved that Bill S-26, an act to repeal an act to incorporate the Western Canada Telephone Company, be read the first time.

(Motion agreed to and bill read the first time)

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

October 16th, 2000 / 3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Peter Adams Liberal Peterborough, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present three petitions on the same topic. I will present them all together. The petitions deal with bioartificial kidney research.

The kidney was the first human organ to be replicated by a machine. Dialysis is the result of that replication. Research is now in progress to develop a bioartificial kidney which will one day be placed inside the human body. The researchers hope that just as the kidney was the first organ to be approximated by machine, the bioartificial kidney will be the first case of a fully functioning artificial replacement.

I am glad to present these three petitions on behalf of the citizens of Peterborough who call upon parliament to work in support of the bioartifical kidney, which will one day eventually eliminate the need for both dialysis and transplantation for those suffering from kidney disease.

I thank Ken Sharp of Peterborough for his work on these petitions.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

NDP

Svend Robinson NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition which calls on the Parliament of Canada and the House of Commons to save the Canadian public health care system.

The petition is signed by hundreds of residents of my own constituency of Burnaby—Douglas and by other residents of British Columbia. It notes that the federal Liberals ignored the top priority of Canadians in the 2000 budget by giving only 2 cents for health care for every dollar spent on tax cuts.

It decries the small amount that the government has spent on health care, which has led to a shortage of nurses, hospital beds and emergency room spaces. It points out the concern about two tier American style health care and privatization being introduced by way of Alberta's bill 11. Finally, it notes that Canadians want immediate action to save public health care in Canada and to stop two tier American style health care cuts from coming to Canada.

I am tabling this on behalf of these petitioners who also call for a national home care program and a national program for prescription drugs.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

John Harvard Liberal Charleswood—Assiniboine, MB

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour and pleasure to present a petition signed by hundreds of Manitobans who seek abolition of the $975 right of landing fee for family class sponsorships.

These petitioners point out that immigrants contribute greatly to Canada's economy, that the right of landing fee is a burden to many families and that the fee is no longer applied against refugees.

Therefore, these petitioners call upon parliament to eliminate the landing fee for family class sponsorships.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Bloc

Hélène Alarie Bloc Louis-Hébert, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table four petitions today.

The first concerns the price of gas.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Bloc

Hélène Alarie Bloc Louis-Hébert, QC

Mr. Speaker, I also wish to table three other petitions containing 2,800 signatures. The petitioners call upon the government to make labelling of transgenic foods mandatory.

GMOs continue to be a hot topic and people are increasingly interested in knowing what they have on their plate.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

NDP

Nelson Riis NDP Kamloops, BC

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to stand and present some petitions pursuant to Standing Order 36.

The first petition is from people from the Kamloops and North Thompson Valleys. They point out their concerns with the existing health care system and are calling on parliament to do whatever is possible to stop for profit hospitals and restore proper federal funding for health care. They are particularly concerned about the necessary funding for home care and a national program for prescription drugs.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

NDP

Nelson Riis NDP Kamloops, BC

Mr. Speaker, on another topic, petitioners are concerned about the high price of fuels and are calling upon the Government of Canada to institute immediately a national highway priority whereby moneys from gas excise tax would go into the development and improvement of Canada's highway system.