House of Commons Hansard #133 of the 36th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was nafta.

Topics

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

Noon

Bloc

Suzanne Tremblay Bloc Rimouski—Mitis, QC

But there is a problem, Mr. Speaker.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

Noon

The Speaker

Order, please. The member for Mercier.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

Noon

Bloc

Francine Lalonde Bloc Mercier, QC

Mr. Speaker, at the end of oral question period I considered I had been deprived of my right. The order agreed on among the parties and with you was that there was no NDP. There were the Progressive Conservative Party, the Liberals, the Reformers and the Bloc.

You recognized someone from the NDP. Perhaps there was a delay and you had to recognize him, but it seems to me that that should not have occurred to the detriment of the Bloc Quebecois.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

Noon

The Speaker

You are right. When I looked at the list, I saw that the name of the hon. member was there but I had missed the other member. I apologize; I do not know how to fix that. Perhaps we can correct things at the next question period.

Message From The SenateOral Question Period

12:05 p.m.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)

I have the honour to inform the House that a message has been received from the Senate informing this House that the Senate has passed certain bills, to which the concurrence of this House is desired.

Government Response To PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:05 p.m.

Carleton—Gloucester Ontario

Liberal

Eugène Bellemare LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Cooperation

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 11 petitions.

Standing CommitteesRoutine Proceedings

12:05 p.m.

Durham Ontario

Liberal

Alex Shepherd LiberalParliamentary Secretary to President of the Treasury Board

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to the 13th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:05 p.m.

NDP

Gordon Earle NDP Halifax West, NS

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present several petitions. The first concerns the Canadian public health care system. It is signed by many Canadians concerned about the fact that the government has reduced its contributions to the health care system.

The petitioners are calling upon the federal government to increase Canada's share of health care funding to 25% immediately and to implement a national home care program and a national program for prescription drugs.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:05 p.m.

NDP

Gordon Earle NDP Halifax West, NS

Mr. Speaker, the second petition I have the honour to present concerns employment insurance and the fact that changes were made to assist parents in the extended parental leave which will apply to children born on or after December 31, 2000.

This petition is signed by a number of people who are concerned that the parents of children born before that date will not have the same privileges.

The petitioners are calling upon parliament to make extended parental leave come into effect immediately so parents of children born before December 31, 2000, can benefit from it.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:05 p.m.

NDP

Gordon Earle NDP Halifax West, NS

Mr. Speaker, my third petition concerns saving the local public broadcasting system. A number of people have signed this petition. They are concerned about the massive cuts that have been made to the CBC.

The petitioners are calling upon parliament to take measures to restore adequate funding to the CBC and to allow the maintenance and the improvement of current local television news while improving the network for all Canadians.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:05 p.m.

NDP

Gordon Earle NDP Halifax West, NS

Mr. Speaker, my last petition concerns the public health care system. It is signed by a number of people who are calling upon the federal government to increase its share of funding to 25% immediately and to implement a national home care program and a national program for prescription drugs.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

October 20th, 2000 / 12:05 p.m.

Reform

Derrek Konrad Reform Prince Albert, SK

Mr. Speaker, I was interested to hear that the government has just answered 11 petitions.

I am pleased to present a petition signed by the good people of Nanaimo—Cowichan which I am presenting on their behalf at the request of their member. There are approximately 2,700 signatures on this petition.

The petitioners draw the attention of the House of Commons to the genetically modified organism issue. They talk about allowing these foods into Canada, non-labelling, no independent testing, and incidents occurring that indicate genetically modified foods are causing problems. The petitioners are calling on parliament to enforce labelling.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

Bloc

Jocelyne Girard-Bujold Bloc Jonquière, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today, the last day of this session, to present a petition.

It contains the signature of 2,000 petitioners from my region of Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. They join with the thousands of Quebecers who, over the last few months, have asked parliament to make all the arrangements required to consult the people and their representatives on the principle of importing MOX fuel.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

NDP

Angela Vautour NDP Beauséjour—Petitcodiac, NB

Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege to present a petition containing about 250 names with regard to the new EI boundaries.

Unfortunately the people in the villages of South Branch, Hillsborough and Elgin in my riding have been kept with the Moncton zone, which means they will need almost twice as many hours to qualify for only 15 to 17 weeks compared to 32 weeks in other regions. This is very unfair.

It is unfortunate that they still have to fight to get what is just. They should be zoned with the rural area and not with the urban. Hopefully within time that very unjust situation created by the Liberal government will be corrected.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Loyola Hearn Progressive Conservative St. John's West, NL

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from several hundred Newfoundlanders all over the province. They are expressing concern about the ungoverned use of Internet in public libraries where the participants in research and so on have access to degrading pornographic material.

They are asking that their tax dollars not be used in this way and that the government bring in legislation to govern the use of such materials in the public libraries of the province.

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

Carleton—Gloucester Ontario

Liberal

Eugène Bellemare LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Cooperation

Mr. Speaker, Question No. 110 will be answered today. .[Text]

Question No. 110—

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Greg Thompson Progressive Conservative Charlotte, NB

With respect to employment insurance benefit applicants in the Restigouche—Charlotte, employment insurance region, for each of the 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 fiscal years: ( a ) how many workers qualified for employment benefits with the minimum number of required hours; ( b ) how many of these workers were female; ( c ) how many were male; ( d ) how many were female and over 60 years of age; ( e ) how many were male and over 60 years of age; ( f ) how many employment insurance benefit applicants did not qualify for benefits; and ( g ) what was the average number of hours worked by those who qualified for employment insurance benefits?

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

With respect to employment insurance, EI benefit applicants in the Restigouche—Charlotte employment insurance region, for each of the 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 fiscal years:

(a) During the fiscal year 1998-1999, 124 claims were established with the minimum number of hours required to qualify for employment benefits in Restigouche—Charlotte. This represents 0.18% of the 70,666 claims established in that period.

During the first nine months of the fiscal year 1999-2000, the latest available data for that period, 93 claims were established with the minimum number of hours required to qualify for employment benefits in Restigouche—Charlotte. This represents 0.16% of the 56,766 claims established in that period.

(b) During the fiscal year 1998-1999, the number of claims from women, among the total amount of claims that qualified for employment benefits with the minimum number of required hours, was 47 in Restigouche—Charlotte.

During the first nine months of the fiscal year 1999-2000, the number of claims from women, among the total amount of claims that qualified for employment benefits with the minimum number of required hours, was 49 in Restigouche—Charlotte.

(c) During the fiscal year 1998-1999, the number of claims from men, among the total amount of claims that qualified for employment benefits with the minimum number of required hours, was 77 in Restigouche—Charlotte.

During the first nine months of the fiscal year 1999-2000, the number of claims from men, among the total amount of claims that qualified for employment benefits with the minimum number of required hours, was 44 in Restigouche—Charlotte.

(d) During the fiscal year 1998-1999, the number of claims from women over 60 years of age, among the total amount of claims that qualified for employment benefits with the minimum number of required hours, was 2 in Restigouche—Charlotte.

During the first nine months of the fiscal year 1999-2000, the number of claims from women over 60 years of age, among the total amount of claims that qualified for employment benefits with the minimum number of required hours, was 6 in Restigouche—Charlotte.

(e) During the fiscal year 1998-1999, the number of claims from men over 60 years of age, among the total amount of claims that qualified for employment benefits with the minimum number of required hours, was 3 in Restigouche—Charlotte.

During the first nine months of the fiscal year 1999-2000, the number of claims from men over 60 years of age, among the total amount of claims that qualified for employment benefits with the minimum number of required hours, was 7 in Restigouche—Charlotte.

(f) Administrative data is primarily geared toward those who qualify as many claimants self access and do not apply for benefits. An alternative source is the employment insurance coverage survey, conducted by Statistics Canada on behalf of Human Resources Development Canada, HRDC. This survey provides information on the unemployed who do not qualify for benefits. However, these data are not available by local EI region.

(g) During the fiscal year 1998-1999, the average number of required hours worked, according to all the claims that qualified for employment insurance benefits in Restigouche—Charlotte, was 1,111.

During the first nine months of the fiscal year 1999-2000, the average number of required hours worked, according to all the claims that qualified for employement insurance benefits in Restigouche—Charlotte, was 1,106.

Questions Passed As Orders For ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

Carleton—Gloucester Ontario

Liberal

Eugène Bellemare LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Cooperation

Mr. Speaker, if Question No. 54 could be made an order for return, the return would be tabled immediately.

Questions Passed As Orders For ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)

Is that agreed?

Questions Passed As Orders For ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed. .[Text]

Question No. 54—

Questions Passed As Orders For ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

Bloc

Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC

With respect to each of the programs for children (from infants to youth) delivered by federal departments and agencies, can the government indicate: ( a ),the year the program was introduced; and ( b ) since 1989: (i) a complete breakdown of the funding allocated for each fiscal year; (ii) the mechanisms established to evaluate the program's effectiveness; (iii) the follow-up and changes made to the program as a result of these evaluations; (iv) the annual administrative costs for the program's management; and (v) the mechanism(s) that the federal government has established to ensure these different programs are coordinated?

Return tabled.

Starred QuestionsRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

Carleton—Gloucester Ontario

Liberal

Eugène Bellemare LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Cooperation

Mr. Speaker, would you be so kind as to call Starred Question No. 89. .[Text]

*Question No. 89—

Starred QuestionsRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

Reform

Jim Pankiw Reform Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK

With respect to the Canada Foundation for Innovation, what has the government through Industry Canada determined to be the amount of additional funding attracted from: ( a ) provincial governments; ( b ) universities; ( c ) private sector; and ( d ) voluntary sector?

Starred QuestionsRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

Eugène Bellemare Liberal Carleton—Gloucester, ON

Mr. Speaker, I ask that it be printed in Hansard as if read.