House of Commons Hansard #81 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was offenders.

Topics

Human Rights Tribunal Annual ReportOral Question Period

3 p.m.

The Speaker

I also have the honour to lay upon the table the 2002 Canadian Human Rights Tribunal annual report.

Government Response to PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3 p.m.

Halifax West Nova Scotia

Liberal

Geoff Regan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the 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.

Criminal CodeRoutine Proceedings

3 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

James Moore Canadian Alliance Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-424, an act to amend the Criminal Code (consecutive sentences).

Mr. Speaker, this bill is in response to the Inderjit Singh Reyat case, where somebody who was convicted of a violent crime did not receive consecutive sentencing, but rather received concurrent sentencing for being involved in the deaths of a number of people.

This bill calls for the changing of concurrent sentencing to consecutive sentencing for those who commit violent crimes, so that those who do commit violent crimes will be held accountable under law.

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

Criminal CodeRoutine Proceedings

3 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, last week the House dealt with Bill C-13 at report stage. This morning I have asked for a copy of the bill, as amended, and understand that Bill C-13 is not to be reprinted. Notwithstanding that there were seven or eight motions to amend, I would ask for the unanimous consent of the House that Bill C-13 be reprinted so that members could understand what they are speaking to at third reading stage, which is scheduled to start this week.

Criminal CodeRoutine Proceedings

3 p.m.

The Speaker

Is there unanimous consent?

Criminal CodeRoutine Proceedings

3 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Criminal CodeRoutine Proceedings

3 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3 p.m.

Bloc

Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC

Mr. Speaker, in the aftermath of the many demonstrations which have taken place in Quebec, denouncing the Government of Canada for its reluctance to get involved in any way in the war in Iraq, I have a petition to present.

I am presenting a petition signed by 1,011 persons, calling on the Canadian government to ask the United Nations to remove the harsh economic sanctions imposed on Iraq, because these sanctions are contrary to the interest of the Iraqi people and even constitute a crime against humanity.

Will we ever know how many Iraqis have died because of these sanctions?

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Bloc

Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC

Mr. Speaker, I have a second petition to present to the House, concerning Lornécia Jeune Sylvain and Érilus Sylvain, two people originally from Haiti, who are requesting the intervention of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

Since 1999, the Sylvains have been receiving training at Lis-moi tout Limoilou, a literacy organization, which shows their desire to become part of Quebec society.

It would be difficult for them to return to their home country, since they no longer have any family there.

The 3,537 persons who signed this petition have done so to show their support, and to request that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration intervene.

The Sylvains have shown courage and determination in integrating into Quebec society. I have had the honour of meeting them, and I want these people to be able to live in Quebec.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Cheryl Gallant Canadian Alliance Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON

Mr. Speaker, today I am presenting a petition on behalf of the people of Canada, in particular from the Stittsville, Braeside and Arnprior area, asking that Parliament recognize that the Canadian Emergency Preparedness College is essential to training Canadians for emergency situations; that the facility should stay in Arnprior; and that the government should upgrade the facilities in order to provide the necessary training to Canadians.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

John Cannis Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the honour to present petitions signed by over 2,000 Canadians representing various ridings across our country. There were other petitions on the same issue presented in the past.

The petitioners today call the attention of the House to the most important issue of the Parthenon Marbles. They are asking that every effort be made to return the marbles to their rightful home in Greece where they were taken without the consent of the Greek people almost 200 years ago and, hopefully, to arrive in Greece before the 2004 Olympic Games hosted by Greece.

Therefore the petitioners call upon Parliament to urge the United Kingdom to return the marbles to where they belong, with their rightful owners and the Parthenon in Athens.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Bloc

Richard Marceau Bloc Charlesbourg—Jacques-Cartier, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to submit a petition signed by 321 people.

The petitioners are calling upon Parliament to oppose any plan to limit access to the disability tax credit and to ensure that the government does not pass any measure in the House of Commons without prior consultation of organizations representing the disabled and of health professionals.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

James Rajotte Canadian Alliance Edmonton Southwest, AB

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, it is my pleasure and duty today to present, on behalf of many constituents of Edmonton Southwest and the surrounding area, a petition of great concern to them about the creation and use of child pornography.

The people who signed this petition call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia involving children are outlawed.

It is my pleasure to present this petition.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Beauport—Montmorency—Côte-De- Beaupré—Île-D'Orléans, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to submit two petitions signed by a total of 170 people.

The petitioners are calling upon Parliament to oppose any plan to limit access to the disability tax credit and to ensure that the government does not pass any measure in the House of Commons without prior consultation of organizations representing the disabled and of health professionals.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition signed by a number of Canadians, including from my own riding of Mississauga South, on the issue of stem cells.

The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that hundreds of thousands of Canadians suffer from debilitating illnesses and diseases and that Canadians at large support ethical stem cell research which has already shown encouraging potential to provide cures and therapies for those illnesses and diseases.

They also want to 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.

The petitioners, therefore, call upon Parliament to focus its legislative support on adult stem cell research to find the cures and therapies necessary to treat the illnesses and diseases of suffering Canadians.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Bloc

Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC

Mr. Speaker, I want to submit two other petitions from my riding.

I am submitting in the House a petition signed by 35 people opposed to the Israeli army's occupation of Palestinian territories.

The petitioners are calling on Parliament to adopt a motion explicitly demanding Israel to immediately cease massacres in Palestine and withdraw without further delay from the territories its military has occupied since 1967, in compliance with UN resolutions.

There is now a war in Iraq for non-compliance with UN resolutions, according to the Americans, although they continue to support Israel, which has not respected UN resolutions since 1967. This is a case of double standards. It has gone on far too long and the Palestinians have suffered enough.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Bloc

Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC

Mr. Speaker, I wish to present another petition from my riding, signed by 2,225 people from Quebec who are calling on the House to oppose any projects that could limit accessibility to the disability tax credit.

Poverty is a scourge. The Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities tabled a unanimous report in March 2002 asking the government to reform the administration of the disability tax credit, in order to improve accessibility.

I am therefore asking Parliamentarians to ensure that no measures affecting the disability tax credit be taken without first consulting with advocacy groups and health professionals.

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Halifax West Nova Scotia

Liberal

Geoff Regan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 156, 157 and 159.

Question No. 156Routine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Stockwell Day Canadian Alliance Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC

Has any government of Canada department or agency provided any international assistance, either directly or indirectly, to the China State Shipbuilding Corporation during fiscal years 1993-1994 to 2002-2003?

Question No. 156Routine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Glengarry—Prescott—Russell Ontario

Liberal

Don Boudria LiberalMinister of State and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

I am informed as follows: According to the Government of Canada, no department or agency provided international assistance, either directly or indirectly, to the China State Shipbuilding Corporation during fiscal years 1993-94 to 2002-03.

Question No. 157Routine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Stockwell Day Canadian Alliance Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC

Has any government of Canada department or agency provided any international assistance, either directly or indirectly, to the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation during fiscal years 1993-1994 to 2002-2003?

Question No. 157Routine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Glengarry—Prescott—Russell Ontario

Liberal

Don Boudria LiberalMinister of State and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

I am informed as follows: According to the Government of Canada, no department or agency provided international assistance, either directly or indirectly, to the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation during fiscal years 1993-94 to 2002-03.

Question No. 159Routine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Garry Breitkreuz Canadian Alliance Yorkton—Melville, SK

With respect to the following statement in paragraph 10.29 of the Auditor General's 2002 Report to Parliament, “Further, in its Regulatory Impact Analysis Statements the Department of Justice did not provide Parliament with an estimate of all the major additional costs that would be incurred. This disclosure was required by the government's regulatory policy. The costs incurred by the provincial and territorial agencies in enforcing the legislation were not reported. In addition, costs that were incurred by firearms owners, firearms clubs, manufacturers, sellers, and importers and exporters of firearms, in their efforts to comply with the legislation were not reported.”, what is the total amount for each of these unreported costs since 1995?

Question No. 159Routine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Outremont Québec

Liberal

Martin Cauchon LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

The government’s regulatory policy requires a regulatory impact analysis statement, RIAS. A RIAS is prepared in accordance with a prescribed format, although the information in a RIAS will vary depending on the context of a specific regulatory proposal.

Regulations made under the Firearms Act must be tabled before both Houses of Parliament and may be scrutinized by House of Commons and Senate committees. There are three circumstances when such scrutiny is not required: (1) When an altered version of a proposed regulation has already been considered; (2) in cases of urgency, such as the amendments affecting the fee waiver in 2000; and (3) when “the Minister is of the opinion that the changes made by the regulation to an existing regulation are so immaterial or insubstantial” that committee review is not necessary.

In this case, the original set of regulations was considered by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs and Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs. Both committees heard evidence from numerous witnesses. Witnesses provided information on a wide variety of subjects including the cost impacts on their particular interests.

The RIAS stated that the regulations were in accordance with the government’s response to the committee report. Ordinarily, consultations are conducted by officials and reported to the public in the RIAS. In this case, the consultation was conducted by parliamentary committees and the entire body of evidence, including cost impacts, heard by the committee was readily available to both Parliament and the public at that time.

In light of the recommendations of the Auditor General and as indicated in the 2003-04 Report on Plans and Priorities, the program will report all revenues collected and refunds made in the future.

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Halifax West Nova Scotia

Liberal

Geoff Regan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, if Questions Nos. 146, 152 and 155 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately.