Debates of May 16th, 2001

Immigration

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I would be very happy to give full details of the case if the member would give me a consent form and a release under privacy legislation. Until he does that I cannot answer his question as fully as I would like.

I can tell him this: No one is deported from Canada because of a $50 administrative error. I am pleased however to hear that he and his party support due process. I also hope that they support our ability to be able to remove those people who are failed refugee claimants, those who have no reasonable right to stay in Canada and have had due process.

[Inky Mark, Canadian Alliance, Dauphin—Swan River, MB]

Mr. Speaker, these people came from Poland in 1994 initially on a refugee claim on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. Two of their four children are Canadian born. There is no record of any illegal activity. Mr. Sklarzyk has even started a small company in Canada.

I find it impossible to believe that the minister is less intent on deporting criminals than innocent families. Is the Sklarzyk family not the kind of people we want to bring into Canada?

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the member knows full well that Bill C-11 in fact expedites and allows us to remove criminals, those who have committed serious crimes in Canada and those who are inadmissible to Canada because of criminal activity, even faster.

I will say to the member opposite that if he or any member of the House wants to make representation on an individual case where there is concern, I am always happy to share all the facts of the case and review that case to ensure that no one is improperly removed from this country.

If they should be given another opportunity, I am certainly prepared to hear that.

Road Infrastructure

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on May 9, the Quebec Minister of Transport wrote to his federal counterpart as follows:

During the last election campaign, your government announced investments in excess of $3 billion for Quebec highway infrastructures. There was not even a mention of completing Highway 50.

Can the minister make a commitment on Highway 50 and can he tell us how much money he is prepared to put into it, given the importance this project holds for the people of the Outaouais?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, over the past 30 years, we have invested $100 million in Highway 50 in Quebec. There is now an $11 million project for the extension of this highway.

It is obvious that the federal government is really doing its part in constructing this country's highways.

Organized Crime

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last year the federal government provided a host of tools to the RCMP to fight money laundering. It gave it a significant budget increase. It gave it tools. We also adopted money laundering legislation.

Could the solicitor general tell us what results Canadians can expect from the RCMP, our national police force, with what it has been given?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as we speak the RCMP is holding another news conference in Montreal to highlight the conclusions of a major police operation aimed at dismantling illegal activities of three international criminal organizations specializing in drug trafficking and money laundering.

This again highlights that when we give police forces the tools to do the job they do the job.

Presence In Gallery

[The Speaker]

I draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of his Excellency Carlos Quintanilla Schmidt, Vice-President of the Republic of El Salvador.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Points Of Order

[Cheryl Gallant, Canadian Alliance, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, not only did the Minister of Canadian Heritage use my name twice in the House, she incorrectly stated facts.

She made inference that the Canadian Alliance had conflicting views within the caucus on the point of the War Veterans Museum. I wish to say to that we do agree.

[The Speaker]

I caution that if we are to have a point of order there is no point in getting into debate. I chastized the Minister of Canadian Heritage for using the hon. member's name on the occasion I heard it. I heard rumours it was used a second time, which I missed because of the very substantial noise in question period today.

If the hon. member has another point of order I would be happy to hear it, but I do not want to hear about disagreement over facts because I am afraid that is a matter of debate, not of order.

Business Of The House

[Stan Dromisky, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Atikokan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I seek unanimous consent of the House to have Bill C-300, an act to amend the criminal code, wearing of war decorations, standing in my name on the order of precedence withdrawn and the order discharged.

[The Speaker]

Is there unanimous consent for the proposition of the hon. member?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker]

Accordingly the bill is withdrawn and the order for second reading discharged.

(Order discharged and bill withdrawn)

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I wish to designate Thursday, May 17, an allotted day.

Canadian Book Industry

[Sarmite Bulte, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to the report by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, tabled during the second sesssion of the 36th parliament, and entitled “The Challenge of Change: A Consideration of the Canadian Book Industry”.

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 five petitions.

Committees Of The House

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I have three reports to present today.

First, I have the honour to present the 17th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding its order of reference from the House of Commons on Tuesday, February 27, 2001, in relation to the main estimates for fiscal year ending March 31, 2002, vote 5 under Parliament, House of Commons. The committee reports the same.

Second, I have the honour to present the 18th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the associate membership of some standing committees.

Third, I also have the honour to present the 19th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding radio and television broadcasting of the proceedings of House committees.

These rules creating a test period would expand the potential for a television broadcast and recording of committee proceedings.

If the House gives its consent, I should like to move concurrence in the 19th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs at this time.

[The Speaker]

Does the parliamentary secretary have unanimous consent of the House to propose the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I should also like to move concurrence in the 18th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs at this time.

[The Speaker]

Does the parliamentary secretary have unanimous consent to propose the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.