House of Commons Hansard #18 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was agreements.
Stéphane Dion LiberalMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, the position of the Government of Canada has not changed. We have not received any information that we need to change it so we will not change it.
House of CommonsRoutine Proceedings
The Speaker
I have the honour to lay upon the table the performance report of the House of Commons administration for 2003-04.
Eleni Bakopanos LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Social Development (Social Economy)
Mr. Speaker, during question period, the hon. deputy leader of the official opposition, the member of Parliament for Central Nova, referred in his question to the “ famiglia ” in a tone making reference to a former member of the House.
On behalf of my constituents of Italian origin and all Canadians of Italian origin, I am compelled to ask the member to withdraw unconditionally his remarks which I and my colleagues find to be offensive, unparliamentary and racist remarks.
Peter MacKay Conservative Central Nova, NS
Mr. Speaker, I think it is the old case of we doth protest too much.
If the hon. member is looking for some kind of an inference, she is drawing a long bow and if some negative inference to the Liberal Party or in fact, if some negative inference from organized crime being compared to the Liberal Party was drawn, then I would withdraw.
Eleni Bakopanos Liberal Ahuntsic, QC
Mr. Speaker, according to the statutes, and I have sat in that chair and you will agree with me that what the member said was not withdrawing the remark.
I consider the remark to be very offensive to all members of the House. It was said in a certain tone and there is reference in the statutes in terms of the tone that is used in the House.
I ask the hon. member again, on behalf of all members and all Canadians of Italian origin, to withdraw that remark.
Points of OrderRoutine Proceedings
The Speaker
Obviously the hon. member for Central Nova is not rising.
I must say the Chair is unfamiliar with the word. I do not know what to suggest. I am unable to form any conclusion. I am sorry, I do not know the word and therefore I will have to look into the matter and I will get back to the House in due course.
Points of OrderRoutine Proceedings
The Speaker
Order. We will move on to tabling of documents.
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, there is one thing for which I hope all members in the House strive and that is to keep a certain decorum.
To have the deputy leader of the opposition refer to a minister of the crown as a clown is totally unacceptable.
I would hope, Mr. Speaker, and on behalf of us all in the House, that you would demand certain decorum. Referring to members of the House and members of cabinet as clowns is just not acceptable language in the House.
Points of OrderRoutine Proceedings
The Speaker
It would be helpful if hon. members paid attention to the agenda. We dealt with the point of order and I said I would take the matter under advisement.
I was going through the routine proceedings for the day and instead of listening, members were yelling at one another. Apparently offensive words were used. I did not hear these words. I know there was yelling. I could hear a lot of noise and I did call for order. Instead of order we are having this yelling going on. It is not helpful to decorum in the House.
The deputy government House leader has said that the word “clown” was used in relation to a minister. I am afraid we have heard that word in the House before. I am not sure that it is unparliamentary but I will look into the matter and when I come back on the disorder that apparently was caused earlier in respect of the use of some other word that has been objected to, I will deal with the matter.
In the meantime, I would urge hon. members to show proper restraint--I will not say judicious; this is not a court--but proper restraint in their use of language.
Dale Johnston Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. In accordance with its order of reference of Friday, October 8, the committee has considered vote 5 under Parliament in the main estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2005, less the amount voted in interim supply, and reports the same.
I also have the 10th report from the same committee which is verbatim.
I also have the honour to present to the House the 11th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the provisional standing order governing petitions. If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 11th report later this day.
I also have the honour to present the 12th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the provisional standing orders governing private members' business. If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 12th report later this day.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-244, an act to amend the Interest Act (interest payable on repayment of a mortgage loan before maturity).
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to introduce the bill dealing with making amendments to the Interest Act. The purpose of the bill is to provide that a financial institution that makes a mortgage loan of $500,000 or less to a person must allow the person to repay the loan prior to it coming to maturity in return for the payment of interest in lieu of notice as prescribed by regulation.
This would provide relief to many homeowners who may be tied into long term mortgages but are able to pay off the loan earlier. It has come to our attention that it is of great interest to many Canadians who wish this change to the act to be put through.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-247, an act to provide compensation to first nations veterans on a comparable basis to that given to other war veterans.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of first nations veterans all across the country, given that we are coming close to Remembrance Day, I think it is very fitting we present this bill that would call for the House of Commons and for Parliament to revisit the compensation package for first nations veterans.
The recommendations of the task force were that first nations veterans should receive $140,000 to $350,000 in compensation in lieu of the benefits they would have received were they not aboriginal. The compensation package the federal government gave them was $20,000 per person and they had to sign a waiver that they could not ask for any more.
The bill would actually reopen the negotiations and allow the government to compensate first nations veterans fairly.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-249, an act to amend the Bank Act (bank mergers).
Mr. Speaker, the bill is put forward today due to what we believe is a pending interest of our five charter banks to conduct mergers. If the bill were enacted, it would prevent the merger of banks with each other or with other federally incorporated bodies to create one bank unless the superintendent of financial institutionsadvises the Minister of Finance that the merger is necessary to prevent an insolvency, or informs the minister that none of the applicants wishing to merge are about to become insolvent. In the latter case, the merger would have to be approved by a resolution of the Senate and the House of Commons.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-250, An Act to provide cost-of-production protection for the family farm.
Mr. Speaker, at the outset let me say that this enactment would not provide for support on a product by product basis to farmers and, therefore, is not a direct product subsidy. What the enactment would do is provide cost of production protection to family farms in cases where the weighted average input cost of products typically produced or suited to production in a farming zone exceeds the weighted average net back to farm gate of such products averaged over three years.
The costs would be calculated on the basis of the marketable product and take into account bad weather, pests and other crop factors. The calculations would be based on the normal crops or livestock produced for food or breeding and are to be approved by an independent auditor.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Dale Johnston Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 11th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier this day, be concurred in.
(Motion agreed to)
Dale Johnston Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 12th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier this day, be concurred in.
(Motion agreed to)
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Mr. Speaker, the petition that I present here today is from 244 people in my Saskatchewan riding of Saskatoon—Wanuskewin and some from beyond.
The petition calls upon Parliament to support the traditional, historic and sacred definition of marriage in the onslaught of a move to another direction. The support of the historic and sacred definition of marriage is asked for by these petitioners.
Dick Harris Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to introduce two petitions today from the great riding of Cariboo—Prince George.
The folks who have signed the first petition have seen the falling of Bill C-23 and want the government to amend it to allow for retroactive inclusion of sex offenders serving a sentence or on parole for sexual offences, and that sex offenders automatically be included in the national sex offender registry, removing the possibility of using the registry as a bargaining chip when going through the criminal justice system.
Dick Harris Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. Speaker, in my second petition, the petitioners in the riding of Cariboo—Prince George call upon Parliament to immediately hold a renewed debate on the definition of marriage and that it reaffirm, as it did in 1999, its commitment to take all necessary steps to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.
I support and agree with both of these petitions.
Randy White Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Speaker, I have several petitions. The first one is in line with Carley's Law, which is sponsored by myself and my colleague from Cariboo—Prince George.
The petitioners, many of them from across the country, are asking to amend the Criminal Code, failure to stop at the scene of accident, to make sentencing for hit and run offenders more severe.
We certainly hope that the House of Commons takes due note of that and that it will be coming to the House shortly.
Randy White Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Speaker, the second petition asks that Parliament pass legislation to recognize the institution of marriage in federal law as being a lifelong union of one man and woman to the exclusion of all others.