Debates of Dec. 6th, 2002

Petitions

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions. The first petition is on the defence of marriage. The petitioners from across Canada, including from my own riding of Mississauga South, would like to bring to the attention of Parliament that social policies should be decided by elected members of Parliament and not the unelected judiciary, and also that the majority of Canadians do support the current legal definition of marriage.

The petitioners therefore call upon Parliament to use all possible legislative and administrative measures, including invoking the notwithstanding clause, section 33 of the charter, to preserve and protect the current definition of marriage of one man and one woman, to the exclusion of all others.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition has to do with the issue of stem cell research. The petitioners who believe, as I do, that life begins at conception support stem cell research. The issue for them is from where they come. from. They point out that adult stem cells have shown great promise, without the immune rejection or ethical problems associated with embryonic stem cells.

Therefore, they call upon Parliament to focus its legislative support on adult stem cell research to find the cures and therapies necessary for Canadians.

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

Mr. Speaker, the petitioners of Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke are petitioning the government to make good on its promise to renovate the Arnprior College for Emergency Preparedness. They recognize that the training for emergency situations is of national importance, especially in our heightened state of alert on terrorism at this point in time.

[Maurice Vellacott, Canadian Alliance, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, this petition is signed by several hundred petitioners who draw attention to the fact that thousands of Canadians suffer from various debilitating diseases and that Canadians do support ethical stem cell research. The petitioners point out that non-embryonic stem cells which are also known as adult stem cells have shown significant research progress without the immune rejection or ethical problems associated with embryonic stem cells.

They call upon Parliament to focus its legislative support and dollars on adult stem cell research to find the cures and therapies necessary to treat the illnesses and diseases of Canadians.

[Maurice Vellacott, Canadian Alliance, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have another petition to present today in respect of child pornography.

The petitioners draw attention to the fact that the creation and use of child pornography is condemned by the clear majority of Canadians and that the courts have not applied the current child pornography law in a way which makes it clear that such exploitation will always be met with swift punishment.

They call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking the necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed.

[Maurice Vellacott, Canadian Alliance, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my third petition is signed by residents of Canada who draw the attention of the House to the fact that modern science has unequivocally and irrefutably established that a human being begins to exist at the moment of conception.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to bring in legislation defining a human fetus or embryo from the moment of conception whether in the womb of the mother or not, and whether conceived naturally or otherwise, as a human being and to make any and all consequential amendments to all Canadian laws as required.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I wonder if I might ask the indulgence of the House to go back to the item on the agenda which deals with the introduction of private member's bills. I seek the unanimous consent of the House to do that so I may introduce my bill. I would appreciate that.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Does the hon. member for Vancouver East have the consent of the House to revert back to the introduction of private member's bills?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-329, an act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (student loan).

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank members of the House for giving their consent so I can present my bill.

I am honoured to present this bill in the House today. Its purpose is to reverse and stop discrimination facing students who are now required to wait ten years before they can declare bankruptcy. The new ten year rule means that unlike other consumers who wait two years to declare bankruptcy, students must face additional hardship and discrimination.

The overwhelming majority of students do everything they can to repay their student loans but when bankruptcy becomes the only option, the bill I am presenting today would ensure that students would get a fair deal and would not be discriminated against.

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

Questions on the Order Paper

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the following question will be answered today: No. 39.

Question No. 39

[Keith Martin, Canadian Alliance, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

With respect to the Air Travellers Security Charge announced in the December 2001 Budget that took affect on May 1, 2002, and subsequent announcements by the Ministers of Finance and Transport that the tax would be adjusted downward if the government collected more revenue than necessary to improve air security: ( a ) what are the revenues from the tax; ( b ) how much of the revenue collected since May 1, 2002 has gone into (i) the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, and (ii) general revenue; ( c ) if monies have gone into general revenue, how has this money been spent to improve air security; and ( d ) when will the Minister of Finance announce an adjustment to the tax?

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, Revenue from the charge is reported monthly in The Fiscal Monitor published by the Department of Finance. Revenue for the first four months of operation, April through July 2002,totals roughly $122 million, composed of monthly remittances of $20 million, $28 million, $34 million and $36 million, plus an estimated $1 million per month from the GST/HST. Based on collections to date, ongoing full year revenue from the charge, including applicable GST, is estimated to be in the range of $400 million to $420 million per year.

The total cost of the enhanced air travel security system is expected to be $2.2 billion through 2006-07. Budget 2001 provided that revenue from the charge would be maintained in line with expected expenditures on the enhanced air travel security system through 2006-07. The government is committed to reviewing the charge over time to ensure that revenue remains in line with the costs of enhanced security.

The government has begun the process of reviewing the charge. The government has indicated that if revenue is projected to exceed planned expenditures through 2006-07, the charge will be reduced.

Under the government’s current five year forecast, which is based on ATSC collections and air traffic data observed to date, revenue from the charge is not expected to exceed the cost of enhanced air security as set out in budget 2001. As such, there is little scope for reducing the charge at the present time. However, the government’s change to accrual accounting, possibly as early as budget 2003, could provide an opportunity for reducing the charge. Under accrual accounting, the costs to be recovered from the charge through 2006-07 may be lower than those set out in budget 2001.

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, if Questions Nos. 26, 30, 31, 32 and 33 could be made orders for return, the returns would be tabled immediately.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Question No. 26

[John M. Cummins, Canadian Alliance, Delta—South Richmond, BC]

With regard to the risk management of the antimalarial drug mefloquine by Health Canada and the Department of National Defence: ( a ) what deployments since 1990 involved administration of the drug to members of the Canadian Forces; ( b ) did Health Canada receive from the Canadian Forces adverse drug event reports for each such deployment either during or immediately following deployment; ( c ) how many Canadians received the drug under Health Canada’s Lariam Safety Monitoring Study; ( d ) how many patients were the subject of monitoring reports received by Health Canada directly or indirectly from Roche under the Lariam Safety Monitoring Study; ( e ) what types of adverse events were identified by the Lariam Safety Monitoring Study up to the time the drug was licensed in 1993; ( f ) what is the total number of adverse events reported to Health Canada since the commencement of marketing in 1993; ( g ) how many adverse events were reported to Health Canada since the commencement of the marketing of the drug in 1993 involving each of the following reactions - hallucinations, panic reaction, hyper alertness, extreme excitability, convulsions, aggressive reaction, marked restlessness, suicide, suicidal tendency, suicide attempt, thoughts of self harm, abnormal dreams, emotional disorder, irritability, nightmares, abnormal thinking, anxiety, depressed state, aggravated depression, light-headedness, anxiety attack, mood swings, abnormal crying, psychosis, delusion, speech disorder, concentration impaired, fear, euphoria, hysteria, paranoid psychosis, memory impairment, emotional disorder, murder; ( h ) what measures have been taken by Health Canada to ensure that it receives notice of such adverse drug events from doctors administering the drug; ( i ) what changes to the product monograph have been approved by Health Canada since licensing of the drug in 1993; ( j ) how many Canadian Forces members deployed on special missions abroad since 1990 have committed suicide (i) during the mission, (ii) following the mission, (iii) of these how many had been required to take mefloquine; and ( k ) what action has been undertaken to investigate the nature and extent of combined mefloquine exposure and post traumatic stress disorder in current and former members of the Canadian Forces members both regular and reserve who have at one time been deployed on special missions abroad?

Return tabled.

Question No. 30

[Jim Pankiw, Canadian Alliance, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

With respect to the years 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, and 2001, what has the government through Treasury Board determined to be: ( a ) the number of federal civil service jobs located in Quebec, excluding the National Capital Region (NCR), expressed as a percentage of all federal civil service jobs in Canada; ( b ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs within Quebec, excluding the NCR, held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; ( c ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Management” within Quebec, excluding the NCR, held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; ( d ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Administrative Support” within Quebec, excluding the NCR, held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; ( e ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Administrative and Foreign Service” within Quebec, excluding the NCR, held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; ( f ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Scientific and Professional” within Quebec, excluding the NCR, held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; ( g ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Technical” within Quebec, excluding the NCR, held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; and ( h ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Operational” within Quebec, excluding the NCR, held by i) anglophones ii) francophones?

Return tabled.

Question No. 31

[Jim Pankiw, Canadian Alliance, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

With respect to the years 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, and 2001, what has the government through Treasury Board determined to be: ( a ) the number of federal civil service jobs located in Ontario, excluding the National Capital Region (NCR), expressed as a percentage of all federal civil service jobs in Canada; ( b ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs within Ontario, excluding the NCR, held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; ( c ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Management” within Ontario, excluding the NCR, held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; ( d ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Administrative Support” within Ontario, excluding the NCR, held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; ( e ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Administrative and Foreign Service” within Ontario, excluding the NCR, held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; ( f ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Scientific and Professional” within Ontario, excluding the NCR, held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; ( g ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Technical” within Ontario, excluding the NCR, held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; and ( h ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Operational” within Ontario, excluding the NCR, held by i) anglophones ii) francophones?

Return tabled.

Question No. 32

[Jim Pankiw, Canadian Alliance, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

With respect to census information compiled by Statistics Canada for the years 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, and 2001, what has the government determined to be the number of persons--expressed as a percentage of the overall population within each of the regions requested--in: ( a ) the National Capital Region (NCR), who were listed by mother tongue as i) English ii) French; ( b ) Ontario, excluding the NCR, who were listed by mother tongue as i) English ii) French; ( c ) Quebec, excluding the NCR, who were listed by mother tongue as i) English ii) French; and ( d ) the rest of Canada, excluding Ontario, Quebec and the NCR, who were listed by mother tongue as i) English ii) French?

Return tabled.

Question No. 33

[Jim Pankiw, Canadian Alliance, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

With respect to the years 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, and 2001, what has the government through Treasury Board determined to be: ( a ) the number of federal civil service jobs located in National Capital Region (NCR) expressed as a percentage of all federal civil service jobs in Canada; ( b ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs within the NCR held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; ( c ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Management” within the NCR held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; ( d ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Administrative Support” within the NCR held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; ( e ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Administrative and Foreign Service” within the NCR held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; ( f ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Scientific and Professional” within the NCR, held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; ( g ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Technical” within the NCR held by i) anglophones ii) francophones; and ( h ) the percentage of all federal civil service jobs designated as “Operational” within the NCR held by i) anglophones ii) francophones?

Return tabled.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

The House resumed from December 4 consideration of the motion that Bill C-4, an act to amend the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, be read the third time and passed.