House of Commons Hansard #141 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was riding.
Brian Pallister Canadian Alliance Portage—Lisgar, MB
Mr. Speaker, the minister tries to take credit for overtaxing working and low income Canadians by $45 billion.
Halloween is not until next week and he is already dressed up. He is dressed up in the disguise of a good manager, but under that disguise there is a pirate there, just like the previous finance minister, trying to take credit for stealing money from working Canadians.
Does Long John Silver--
Employment InsuranceOral Question Period
The Speaker
Order, please. I am sure the hon. member for Portage--Lisgar would not want to suggest that anybody is stealing money, even pirates. The hon. member for Portage--Lisgar has the floor. We will stick with the pirates and avoid the stealing.
Brian Pallister Canadian Alliance Portage—Lisgar, MB
Mr. Speaker, let me use a euphemism and say dutifully misappropriating $45 billion from working Canadians.
Does Long John Silver over there believe that a $45 billion EI overcharge belongs to Canadians or does he think it is his personal buried treasure?
John Manley LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, not only are we the only G-7 country with a surplus, but we have reversed decades of overspending. In fact, members of the opposition just appropriated a political party and drove the accumulated debt from $140 billion to almost $500 billion. That is part of their legacy.
I think good management is a good thing. As we move forward Canadians will recognize the benefit of the $100 billion in tax reductions that we gave them. They will see that we have repaid the debt, brought down our debt to GDP ratio, and they will thank us with a big majority.
Jean-Yves Roy Bloc Matapédia—Matane, QC
Mr. Speaker, I feel like I am listening to a flock of seagulls over Belledune.
People affected by the Bennett project in Belledune are in Ottawa today to share their concerns with the government. The Minister of the Environment incorrectly claims that we are asking him to intervene in an issue that is outside his jurisdiction.
I am asking this government to stop acting the fool and tell us why the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans does not want to use section 35 of the Fisheries Act, which gives him the authority to intervene in order to protect resources in Chaleur Bay.
David Anderson LiberalMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, it is very odd that the Bloc Quebecois would want the federal government to take measures in an area that falls under provincial jurisdiction.
The hon. member truly wants us to get involved in an area of provincial responsibility. That is really strange, coming from a party that has been saying for years that the federal government must stop encroaching on provincial jurisdictions. It is very clear, there is actually no political authority, constitutionally, at the federal level to do what the hon. member is asking me to do.
Rob Merrifield Canadian Alliance Yellowhead, AB
Mr. Speaker, yesterday at the health committee, officials from Health Canada indicated that the Treasury Board guidelines have been ignored within the department. The deputy minister refused to indicate where and how much.
Every day we see more corruption from this government. Why would the minister allow her department to break the rules?
Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of what the hon. member is speaking about, but let me reassure the hon. member that if in fact he is referring to the situation involving the Virginia Fontaine addictions centre, we took immediate action, both in terms of putting in place a forensic audit and turning over the results to the RCMP, and charges have been laid. Investigation continues. In fact, internally, I want to reassure the hon. member that we have put in place new safeguards, working with the Treasury Board, to ensure that this kind of thing does not happen again.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, a U.S. plan to divert water from Devils Lake, North Dakota, will result in the inter-basin transfer of water into the Red River and on into Lake Winnipeg. It is a serious threat to Manitoba's aquatic ecosystem and is in direct violation of the Boundary Waters Treaty act.
Will the government agree today to immediately refer this issue to the International Joint Commission? Will they help us fight the Devils Lake diversion come hell or high water?
Bill Graham LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I totally agree with the premise in the member's question that this is a serious matter. We are looking at it and taking it very seriously. The last time I met with the secretary of state of the United States I raised this matter with him. He has assured me that under his responsibilities in respect of the Boundary Waters Treaty act he is referring this to his authorities to ascertain whether it is in conformity with the Boundary Waters Treaty.
From there, there are other remedies. We will pursue them. We will protect Canadians. We always do. We are ensuring that the United States respects its obligations under the Boundary Waters Treaty act.
Business of the HouseOral Question Period
The Speaker
It is my duty pursuant to Standing Order 81(14) to inform the House that the motion to be considered tomorrow during the consideration of the business of supply is as follows:
That, although the Prime Minister has a mandate and should be able to end it as he chooses, given the democratic imbalance that currently prevails and that results in the government's decision-making occurring outside this House, and more broadly outside any public institution, this House calls upon the Prime Minister to leave office as soon as possible after November 14, 2003.
The motion, standing in the name of the hon. member for Roberval, is votable.
Copies of the motion are available at the table.
Interparliamentary DelegationsOral Question Period
The Speaker
I have the honour to lay upon the table the report on the Canadian parliamentary delegation to Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay from August 5 to 17, 2003.
Government Response to PetitionsRoutine Proceedings
Bras D'Or—Cape Breton Nova Scotia
Liberal
Rodger Cuzner LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 38 petitions.
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Industry
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-52, an act to amend the Radiocommunication Act.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Electoral Boundaries Readjustment ActRoutine Proceedings
Glengarry—Prescott—Russell Ontario
Liberal
Don Boudria LiberalMinister of State and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-53, an act to change the names of certain electoral districts.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Paddy Torsney Liberal Burlington, ON
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 31, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the report of the Delegation of the Canadian Group of the Interparliamentary Union concerning the 107th conference and related meetings of the Interparliamentary Union, held in Marrakesh, Morocco from March 16 to 23, 2002.
Peter Adams Liberal Peterborough, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 49th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the associate membership of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 49th report later this day.
John Williams Canadian Alliance St. Albert, AB
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 23rd report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, on Chapter 7, “National Defence--Environmental Stewardship of Military Training and Test Areas”, of the April 2003 report of the Auditor General of Canada. Pursuant to Standing Order 109 of the House of Commons, the committee requests the government to table a comprehensive response to this report.
Bonnie Brown Liberal Oakville, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, two reports of the Standing Committee on Health.
First is the seventh report, here pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), wherein the committee, during its consideration of an act to amend the Hazardous Products Act, adopted the following motion:
That the Chair present to the House a report requesting that the Government table within six months regulations regarding fire-safe cigarettes.
Next, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Health is here in accordance with its order of reference of September 23, 2003, to say that the committee has considered Votes Nos. 1a, 5a, 10a and 15a under Health in the supplementary estimates (A) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2004, and reports the same to you.
Deborah Grey Canadian Alliance Edmonton North, AB
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament.
Dan McTeague Liberal Pickering—Ajax—Uxbridge, ON
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-460, an act to amend the Criminal Code (unsolicited electronic mail).
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce this bill today, which addresses the serious issue of unsolicited electronic mail, commonly referred to as SPAM, and the practice of selling electronic mail addresses without obtaining permission from the address owner.
The bill would amend the Criminal Code by creating two new offences: those of sending unsolicited electronic mail and selling electronic mail addresses without obtaining prior consent from the owner. The bill provides a sentence of imprisonment for up to two years or a fine of $250,000 or both for any person convicted of either of these new offences. For any second or subsequent offence, the penalties increase to imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of $500,000 or both.
Canadians are of course concerned and fed up with receiving hundreds of SPAM messages on their computers. Legitimate companies are also having a hard time doing business on the Internet, which is being flooded by SPAM. It is well past time to stop this unwelcome intrusion and enact appropriate penalties to deter those who would try to profit without any care for the damage they create.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Lorne Nystrom NDP Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-461, an act to amend the Competition Act (investigations by Commissioner and class proceedings) and to make a related amendment to another Act.
Mr. Speaker, my bill to amend the Competition Act would actually allow consumers to pool their resources or band together in a class action suit under the Competition Act. That does not exist today. Consumers, under my act, could initiate an investigation into their complaint and go through the whole process. If successful, they would qualify for compensation. I am sure it has the support of most members of the House.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Peter Adams Liberal Peterborough, ON
Mr. Speaker, I move that the 49th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs presented to the House earlier this day be concurred in.