House of Commons Hansard #43 of the 37th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was drugs.
Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, when the Minister of Foreign Affairs is questioned about the government's position on the missile defence shield, he keeps repeating empty phrases that confuse everyone and avoids giving a clear answer to the question.
Will the Prime Minister, who keeps saying that he wants to be clear, make it clear to President Bush, during his visit to Washington, that it is out of the question for Canada to take part in the creation of a missile defence shield?
David Pratt LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs has said on many occasions, we are committed to protecting the safety and security of Canadians. We are involved in discussions with the United States right now with respect to missile defence and those discussions are going well. We are involved as well with many allies in terms of discussing missile defence. This is something that we hope to bring to a conclusion in the not too distant future, and I think Canadians will be better protected as a result.
Elinor Caplan Liberal Thornhill, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the hon. Minister of Health.
Just over a year ago my constituents in Thornhill, their neighbours throughout York region, the GTA and in fact all Canadians lived through the SARS outbreak that affected Canada.
Given the recent emergence of SARS in China, what new precautions are being taken by the federal government, and particularly Health Canada, to ensure the residents of Thornhill and all Canadians that we are prepared so that we will not live through another outbreak?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, since the SARS outbreak we have made significant improvements to our public health capacity in several areas.
National and global detection and surveillance systems have been strengthened. We have quarantine services at the ready. Guidelines are in place for hospital and frontline health care workers; data sharing systems; and regularly updated information vehicles for Canadians.
Yesterday, Health Canada began distributing a SARS alert notice to passengers arriving from east Asia at the Vancouver and Toronto Pearson airports.
Francine Lalonde Bloc Mercier, QC
Mr. Speaker, on Friday, April 16, Guy-André Kieffer, a 54-year-old journalist with both French and Canadian citizenship, who was a Hill reporter for several years, went missing under mysterious circumstances in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He has not yet been found.
While French President Chirac has intervened directly and raised this matter on two occasions with Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo, what is keeping the Prime Minister from also intervening and insisting that Ivory Coast move on the investigation of this matter?
Dan McTeague LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I believe that the hon. member is well aware that the Government of Canada takes Mr. Kieffer's disappearance very seriously. She is also aware that the government and even our embassy have been involved in tracing Mr. Kieffer right from the time he disappeared.
We know that the government still has other means of access to information on this matter, one which we take extremely seriously, as we did the case of our friend Fadi Fadel, who is here in Parliament today.
Jim Karygiannis LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, in an exchange a few seconds ago, the hon. member for Calgary East pointed a finger at me. I wonder if you, Mr. Speaker, could clarify which finger he pointed.
Points of OrderOral Question Period
The Speaker
I did not see any finger pointing, aside from the usual. People do shake their fingers. I do not know whether the hon. member for Calgary East wishes to clarify the situation. I do not know if something happened.
Deepak Obhrai Canadian Alliance Calgary East, AB
Mr. Speaker, I was just following what his former prime minister did when he wanted to show he was not happy. I just wanted to show him that I was not happy with his heckling.
Robert Thibault Liberal West Nova, NS
Mr. Speaker, discussions have been held between the parties and I believe, were you to seek it, that you would obtain unanimous consent for the following motion:
On the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Samuel de Champlain in North America, I move that this House declare the year 2004 the Year of Acadia.
Year of AcadiaOral Question Period
The Speaker
Does the hon. member for West Nova have unanimous consent to introduce this motion?
Year of AcadiaOral Question Period
The Speaker
The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
Board of Internal EconomyRoutine Proceedings
The Speaker
I have the honour to inform the House that Mrs. Judi Longfield, member for the electoral district of Whitby--Ajax, has been appointed member of the Board of Internal Economy in place of Ms. Marlene Catterall, member for the electoral district of Ottawa West--Nepean, for the purposes and under the provisions of an act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act, chapter 32, Statutes of Canada 1997.
Andy Mitchell LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, under the provisions of Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, a copy of the 2002-03 annual report of the Lands Advisory Board.
Grain Handling and Transportation SystemRoutine Proceedings
Scarborough—Agincourt Ontario
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, a report entitled, “Monitoring the Canadian Grain Handling and Transportation System--Annual Report: 2002-2003 Crop Year”.
Nick Discepola Liberal Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Finance, concerning Bill C-30, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 23, 2004, as agreed on Tuesday, April 27, 2004, and to report it with amendments.
Peter Adams Liberal Peterborough, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 26th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, regarding matters relating to security on Parliament Hill.
Leon Benoit Canadian Alliance Lakeland, AB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-519, an act to amend the Farm Income Protection Act (crop damage by gophers).
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to once again present a private member's bill to help farmers deal with the problem of damage done through Richardson's ground squirrels, or more commonly called gophers.I have a motion in the mix which would return the appropriate concentration of strychnine to farmers so they could mix it themselves on their farms.
The bill would at least provide compensation for farmers for damage done because the effective product to control gophers has been removed from them.
I am looking forward to debating the bill. Hopefully, the government will, having removed strychnine, support my bill and return it.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Paddy Torsney Liberal Burlington, ON
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-520, an act to establish and maintain a national Do-Not-Call Registry.
Mr. Speaker, I am sure all hon. members in the House will be wanting to support this bill, since many of them, and many of their constituents particularly, have been pestered by unwanted telephone solicitation. What the bill seeks to do is establish, maintain and update a national registry of Canadian residential telephone subscribers who choose not to receive telephone solicitation.
I think the members opposite are just so keen to support this, they are all heckling, but I am having trouble even speaking and hearing myself.
Paddy Torsney Liberal Burlington, ON
I will be sure to let their constituents know that they do not support consumer protection and the protection of privacy, but others will be supportive.
Do-Not-Call Registry ActRoutine Proceedings
The Speaker
Order, please. This is an opportunity for the hon. member for Burlington to summarize her bill briefly and while debate is always something we appreciate in the House, this is not the time for it. We will do that later. The hon. member for Burlington.
Paddy Torsney Liberal Burlington, ON
Mr. Speaker, as long as they do not point any fingers my way.
The enactment would prohibit a merchant who engages in telephone solicitation from soliciting or causing a solicitation to a listed residential telephone subscriber and would authorize legal action against a merchant engaged in solicitation from an offence under this act.
I would like to particularly thank my staff for their hard work, my constituents who came up with this idea initially, the Minister of Industry and the Canadian Marketing Association for their support and consultation on this, and to my colleague who sits on our side.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)