Debates of Feb. 25th, 2000

Post-Secondary Education

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I think we all appreciate the confidence of the hon. member in the Liberal government. She is looking to the government to do the right thing. The government will do the right thing. I cannot say what the details will be or whether they will cover this exact subject, but her vote of confidence is appreciated.

Human Resources Development

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the government is caught in the past, but can the Minister of HRDC please explain why four companies, owned or partly owned by three members of the executive of the Ministry of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, received $385,000 in HRDC grants for job creations in 1997?

Many of the companies which received over $2.5 million in Kenora—Rainy River, courtesy of the overtaxed Canadian, funnelled $16,000 back to the government member in political donations.

If this is not blatant patronage, what is it?

[The Speaker]

I understand the question. It deals more with party matters. I see the hon. Deputy Prime Minister on his feet. If he wishes to respond, I will permit him to do so.

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we cannot let anything stay on the record of the House of Commons which is linked to the allegations of the hon. member when he talks about money from the government being funnelled back. Those are assertions for which he has provided no foundation, as far as I am aware. We are all aware that there is no foundation. If he took his job seriously he would get on his feet and withdraw those unwarranted allegations.

Government Response To Petitions

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Parliamentary 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 25 petitions.

Canadian International Development Agency

[Eugène Bellemare, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages and on behalf of the Minister for International Cooperation, the list of companies supported by CIDA between April 1, 1996 and March 31, 1999, grouped by company, as requested in the House yesterday.

[Jim Pankiw, Reform, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

Mr. Speaker, as you know, I have submitted an application for an emergency debate regarding an international event which falls within the scope of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Because of the urgent nature of this matter, I seek the unanimous consent of the House to move immediately past the daily routine of business directly to applications for emergency debates.

[The Speaker]

Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Speaker]

The hon. member can revisit this matter at the end of Routine Proceedings. We have received the application.

[Rick Borotsik, Progressive Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I request through your good graces that you use your office to facilitate the settlement of a difficulty which is disrupting the work of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.

I know that you cannot intervene, Mr. Speaker—

[The Speaker]

You are correct. I cannot intervene unless there is a report before the House. As far as I know, there is no report before the House, so your point of order is out of order.

Canada Foundation For Innovation

[John Cannis, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour today to table, in both official languages, the Canada Foundation for Innovation annual report for 1998-99. Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), this report will be referred to the Standing Committee on Industry.

Committees Of The House

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this is the first time I have had an opportunity to speak from my place in the House in this parliament and I am tempted to make a speech. However, I will resist that urge because it would be out of order.

Pursuant to order of reference of Thursday, February 10, 2000 your committee has considered Bill C-20, an act to give effect to the requirement for clarity as set out in the opinion of the Supreme Court of Canada in the Quebec Secession Reference, and has agreed, on Thursday, February 24, 2000, to report it without amendments.

[Some hon. members]

Democracy, democracy.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on chapter 1 of the April 1999 report by the Auditor General of Canada on “Correctional Services of Canada: Reintegration of Offenders”.

I also present the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts relating to the public accounts of Canada, 1998-99. Pursuant to Standing Order 109 of the House of Commons the committee requests the government to table a comprehensive response to these two reports.

An Act For The Recognition And Protection Of Human Rights And Fundamental Freedoms

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-437, an act to amend an act for the recognition and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and to amend the Constitution Act, 1867.

Mr. Speaker, this is the fourth time I have introduced my property rights bill in the House.

The government has such disdain for any legislative protection for property rights that thus far it has refused to make my previous attempts votable, and it has refused all attempts to even have my proposals reviewed by the standing committee.

Individual property rights need strengthening because they were intentionally left out of the charter of rights and freedoms. Recent court cases have proven that Canadians have no protection whatsoever from the arbitrary taking of property by the federal government.

My bill would make up for this mind-boggling omission from the charter by strengthening the property rights provisions in the Canadian bill of rights. My bill would also require a two-thirds majority vote of the House whenever the government passes laws that override fundamental property rights, like it did when it passed the Firearms Act and the Canadian Wheat Board Act.

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

[Joe Jordan, Liberal, Leeds—Grenville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I sit on the subcommittee on Private Members' Business. That member knows that it is a non-partisan committee. To accuse the government of making that decision is just—

[The Speaker]

That is not a point of order.

Competition Act

[Karen Redman, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-438, an act to amend the Competition Act (game of chance).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to introduce a private member's bill at first reading. This bill deals with printed material which conveys the general impression that the recipient has won a prize, but in order to collect that prize a fee must be paid.

The private member's bill would make it an offence under the Competition Act to deliberately circulate material which conveys the general impression that the recipient has won a prize; however, for them to be able to collect that prize they must pay money. Any individual or company which contravenes this legislation will be guilty of a summary conviction and can be fined up to $200,000 or sentenced to one year of imprisonment.

This is an important consumer issue. As members of parliament we have an obligation to address this matter. Therefore, I am pleased to bring this forward in legislation.

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

Members Of Parliament Retiring Allowances Act

[Jim Pankiw, Reform, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-439, an act to amend the Members of Parliament Retiring Allowances Act (rights ceasing to accrue after the end of 2000).

Mr. Speaker, the purpose of this enactment is simply to provide that the Members of Parliament Retiring Allowances Act shall cease to apply to service as a member after the end of 2000. Members will not be entitled to contribute or accrue any benefits for service after December 31, 2000.

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

Medically Unnecessary Abortion Referendum Act

[Jim Pankiw, Reform, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-440, an act to provide for a referendum to determine whether Canadians wish medically unnecessary abortions to be insured services under the Canada Health Act and to amend the Referendum Act.

Mr. Speaker, the purpose of this enactment is to provide for a referendum to be held on the question of whether public funds should be used for medically unnecessary abortions.

If the electors agree that this should not be the case, an amendment to the Canada Health Act would be brought into force which would allow a reduction in fiscal transfers to provinces that allow such funding.

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

Criminal Code

[Jim Pankiw, Reform, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-441, an act to amend the Criminal Code (consecutive sentence for use of firearm in commission of offence).

Mr. Speaker, the purpose of this enactment is to require that a sentence for the commission of certain serious offences be supplemented if a firearm is used.

The additional sentence is to be served concurrently to the other sentence and is to be a further minimum punishment of 10 years imprisonment if the firearm is not discharged, 20 years if it is discharged and 25 years if it is discharged and as a result a person, other than an accomplice, is wounded, maimed or disfigured.

The offences affected are those specified in the sections of murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, assault causing bodily harm with intent, sexual assault with a weapon, aggravated sexual assault, kidnapping, hostage taking, robbery and extortion.

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

Committees Of The House

[Jay Hill, Reform, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I move that the first report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, presented on Tuesday, February 22, be concurred in.

I appreciate my hon. colleague from Peace River seconding the motion to concur in this report today. I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Yorkton—Melville.

I am very pleased to have the opportunity to speak today about this very important issue, especially in light of the announcement that was made as recently as yesterday by the government. I am speaking about the agricultural crisis, especially as it relates to western Canada and producers in all four western provinces. As members will notice, I have included my own province of British Columbia.

Not many people understand that in the northeast corner of British Columbia, an area that I represent, there is an agricultural sector that is very similar to the three prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a very important issue in my particular riding of Prince George—Peace River and all across Canada, but especially on the prairies.

In the brief time that I have I must say that I feel the government has failed miserably in properly and adequately addressing the agricultural income crisis in Canada today. I say today because the most recent opportunity to address this problem in a very real way was as recent as yesterday and the government failed. The Liberals have failed once again. They have come forward with some ad hoc funding but no plan to get that assistance to the producers, especially the farmers who are beginning to prepare for spring seeding. The uncertainty producers are facing is whether they should even put a crop in the ground this spring. This is something the government needs to address in a comprehensive and very real way. It should not be done in some photo-op by the minister saying “Well, we have listened, we have heard the concerns emanating from western Canada and we intend to address this by throwing in another $240 million”.

This was another announcement just like the others we have seen over the last year and a half.