Debates of Feb. 28th, 2000

Drugs

[David Kilgour, Liberal, Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa)]

Mr. Speaker, the losses are far too great as my colleague knows. However, we are highly regarded in the world for having a balanced approach, namely, enforcement and education, and then reduction. In this hemisphere we have the lead in the development of the multilateral evaluation mechanism, an initiative by 34 OAS countries which is reducing the pressure in the drug control area.

Our Prime Minister and foreign minister initiated the foreign ministers drug dialogue, which has had enormous success during the past year in dealing with our neighbours in this hemisphere.

Apec Inquiry

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, when it is convenient for the Prime Minister when he talks about the APEC public complaints commission, he says that he has great confidence in the commissioner. Well, the commissioner has told the Prime Minister unequivocally in his judgment on Friday that there will be a cloud of public suspicion if the Prime Minister does not testify.

Why does he answer the question as to whether he is going to testify by running behind a smokescreen and saying he does not want to set a precedent? What does the Prime Minister have to hide?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should read all of the report. I gave a very good explanation.

The judge clearly said that there is no doubt at all in his mind that I was needed for the inquiry and he said it would be nice if I could be there. It might be nice, but for me the problem is that the Prime Minister of Canada is responsible in the House of Commons for everything he does, and I do it on a regular—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Drummond.

Human Resources Development

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the February 9 Ottawa Citizen we read that two years ago the Liberal member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke asked Human Resources Development Canada to stop giving grants to the Ottawa Valley Adjustment Committee and to launch an investigation into its operations.

We also read that approximately $100,000 was apparently used to pay the rent, rather than create jobs.

Was the minister aware of this case when she said that there was no problem with her department's management of funds?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, this file is being reviewed with the member of parliament. I can confirm that there has been a review of the particular grant and to this point things are in order.

Presence In Gallery

[The Speaker]

I draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of His Excellency Dr. Jan Carnogursky, Minister of Justice of the Slovak Republic.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Points Of Order

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During question period you ruled out of order a question put forward by the member for Calgary Northeast.

The question was in two parts. The first was about the correlation between the grants given in certain ridings and political donations and the correlation between the amount of grants given in the HRD department. I had asked a similar question earlier in question period which was not ruled out of order.

I ask, Mr. Speaker, if you would review the blues. I know you have to rule in the middle of question period, but it does seem to me that the question really is about grants and the inappropriate use of grants in a minister's department, which is within her departmental responsibility.

[The Speaker]

I always seek advice from the House and I will review the blues if the hon. member wants me to do so. If it is necessary, I will get back to the House.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, when we are trying to get ready for question period every day we go by Beauchesne's as to what is parliamentary language and what is not and by the new M and M standards.

I can appreciate that you try to referee this whole thing while it is going on, but at the same time, Mr. Speaker, if that kind of spending and giving of government grants does not fall under the administration of government then we do not have a clue what does. We need to know that before—

[The Speaker]

Order, please. As I said, I will review the blues. I am sure hon. members do put a lot of time, thought and energy both into the questions and into preparation for the answer. I have to make a call up here, as the hon. opposition House leader has said. I will review the blues and if it is necessary I will get back to the House.

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 50 petitions.

Committees Of The House

[Pat O'Brien, Liberal, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs.

The report deals with correspondence between me as chair and the auditor general involving questioning at the national defence committee by my colleague, the hon. member for Haliburton—Victoria—Brock. The committee dealt with this issue recently and is expressing some concern about the auditor general's letter and the possibility that there could have been a breach of the rights and privileges of my colleague from Haliburton—Victoria—Brock.

I present the report on behalf of the House and ask that the Chair deal with it accordingly.

Employment Insurance Act

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-442, an act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (section 15).

Mr. Speaker, I hope the bill I am introducing today at first reading will go through second and third reading faster than some of the bills, just as relevant, that were introduced by my colleagues.

It is aimed at correcting what are known as short weeks, which penalize seasonal or casual workers when they apply for EI benefits with respect to a given period of time during the year.

As we know, about six out of ten unemployed workers do not qualify for EI even though they have paid into the plan. If passed, my bill would amend the Employment Insurance Act and remedy the situation of thousands of low income workers who, because they unfortunately work on a seasonal or casual basis, have to show proof of the number of hours they worked or be penalized in their income.

On behalf of these workers and their families, I would appreciate prompt passage of this bill.

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

Criminal Code

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-443, an act to amend the Criminal Code (reimbursement of costs following a free pardon).

Mr. Speaker, this bill deals with a totally different topic. Unfortunately sometimes, luckily not too often, Canadian citizens are victims of judicial errors.

One of my constituents, Michel Dumas—I can name him because he allowed me to do so—was the victim of a judicial error. He spent many years in jail and today he is probably going to be granted a pardon under section 690.

In introducing this bill to amend the Criminal Code, we are only asking that, in the very rare occasions—is it necessary to emphasize how seldom it happens—where an individual is convicted and then pardoned pursuant to section 690 of the Criminal Code, 100% of the compensation goes to the victim of the judicial error.

Unfortunately, it happens much too often that part of the compensation money serves to pay legal fees. We believe, as do the victims of judicial errors, that this is unfair.

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

[John Nunziata, Independent, York South—Weston, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-444, an act to amend the Criminal Code (judicial review).

Mr. Speaker, in the last parliament I introduced a similar bill which had the effect of repealing section 745 of the criminal code. As hon. members know, that section allows convicted killers, in particular those convicted of first and second degree murder, to have their parole ineligibility dates reduced.

The bill received the consent of parliament at second reading in the last parliament. In light of the fact that parliament has already adopted the bill at second reading, I ask that you seek unanimous consent of the House to have this bill sent directly to the justice committee.

[The Deputy Speaker]

We will deal with that later.

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

[John Nunziata, Independent, York South—Weston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would ask that you seek unanimous consent of the House to have the bill I just introduced referred directly to committee and deemed to have been passed at second reading.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is their unanimous consent to treat the bill in the fashion outlined?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-445, an act to change the name of the electoral district of Rimouski—Mitis.

Mr. Speaker, I must introduce this bill because last year the government introduced another bill that permitted the members who wanted to change the name of their riding to do so.

Further to public consultation, two town hall meetings, a resolution from my executive and from the members' general assembly, plus a public meeting of a few mayors and aldermen of the Mitis, Mr. Fiola, mayor of Mont-Joli and Mr. Tremblay, mayor of Rimouski, two Liberal supporters, contacted the great democrat who serves as Leader of the Government in the House of Commons to ask him to block the bill supported by all the Canadian members of parliament who wanted to change the name of their electoral district. What they requested was agreed to. It was done on behalf of two Liberals who acted on their own.

At the public's request, I would like my constituency to be called La Mitis-et-Rimouski-Neigette. It is easy to understand why those two mayors would rather call it Rimouski et Mont-Joli, after their own municipalities.

Some democracy.

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

Employment Insurance Act

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-446, an act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (insurable employment).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce a bill whose objective is to correct a serious injustice affecting a great majority of students.

This bill aims at allowing full time students at secondary, college and university levels to decide whether or not they want to pay employment insurance premiums.

Many of these students do not work enough hours to qualify for the program. Thus, they pay premiums for nothing because they cannot get the benefits they would normally be entitled to if the system were based the number of weeks, instead of the number of hours of work.

Through this bill, students would be able to pay premiums if they considered it necessary to do so, or not to pay them if they thought they would not work enough hours to qualify. In this way, we would not deprive students who are able to get enough hours of work from being entitled to the benefits of the system.

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

Criminal Code

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-447, an act to amend the Criminal Code (false documents, etc. respecting a franchise).

Mr. Speaker, I also introduce a bill whose purpose is to amend the Criminal Code in order to protect persons from purchasing a franchise about which material facts have been falsified or not divulged.

To that end, this bill makes it a criminal offence to induce a person to purchase a franchise by circulating false material information about the franchise or by deliberately omitting to give the person material information about the franchise.

This bill is aimed at striking a balance in the relations between the franchisees and the franchisers.

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