House of Commons Hansard #80 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was billion.

Topics

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11 p.m.

Liberal

John Maloney Liberal Welland, ON

Madam Chair, the hon. member has raised a very penetrating question.

There is no question what happened in Mayerthorpe was certainly a tragedy and our thoughts and prayers went out to the families at the time of the incident and they still go out to the families. That matter is under a criminal investigation. It is under investigation by the RCMP.

I am very happy that this is going forward because we will learn from these investigations. We will learn what happened so that hopefully it will never happen again, not only for the police forces in Alberta, but the police forces across the country. We have to know what happened so we can institute measures so that this tragedy will never happen again, that we will never lose officers in this nature ever again.

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11 p.m.

Conservative

Kevin Sorenson Conservative Crowfoot, AB

Madam Chair, the hon. member said that there will be an inquiry and we will learn what will happen. That is the point of our take note debate tonight.

I believe this gentleman could have sat on the committee, but in 2000 we had a corrections and conditional release study where 52, maybe even 54, recommendations were made to help protect society in a much greater way. The government to this day has not moved on those recommendations.

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11 p.m.

Liberal

Roy Cullen Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

It's coming, it's coming.

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11 p.m.

Conservative

Kevin Sorenson Conservative Crowfoot, AB

The parliamentary secretary says that it's coming, it's coming. It is five or six years later and we know how the government acts. The Air-India issue has gone on for 20 years.

The Canadian Police Association has made some recommendations. We have had a tragedy the likes of which we have never seen before and yet the government is just sitting still. The government is caught in neutral and is spinning its wheels.

Am I to believe the hon. member that we should just wait for the inquiry and do nothing, not be moved to any action? Is that what the government is going to do, just sit around and wait and not be moved to take any action?

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11 p.m.

Liberal

John Maloney Liberal Welland, ON

Madam Chair, as the member opposite has just heard from the parliamentary secretary, these 52 recommendations the committee brought forward will be acted upon by the government very soon. What more can we say? As long as this Parliament is allowed to continue to do its work and the member's party does not prematurely call an election, he will see actions resulting from those recommendations.

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11:05 p.m.

Liberal

Denis Paradis Liberal Brome—Missisquoi, QC

Madam Chair, my comments this evening will deal more specifically with the services provided by the RCMP in the regions and will, of course, refer to the closure of the nine RCMP detachments in Quebec.

First, I would like to thank those who were with us in the previous Parliament and who were actively involved in this issue, namely Diane St-Jacques, for Shefford, David Price, for Compton—Stanstead, and Gérard Binet, for Mégantic—L'Érable. I thank my former colleagues who brought this issue to the forefront, in an attempt to avoid these closures at the time.

We saw what has happened since. The RCMP commissioner decided to close nine detachments in various regions of Quebec. It is important to understand that when the RCMP is present in a region, it must work with municipal police forces and with the provincial police force, including the Sûreté du Québec. A few years ago, I attended a meeting with officers from the RCMP, the Sûreté du Québec and various municipal police forces. They told us that, in order for the various police forces to work together, there has to be some chemistry between them. It is not just a matter of sending a couple of officers from Montreal to meet with their counterparts in a region, thinking that everything will be just fine. That is not how things work.

There is also the deterrence issue. How can we have a deterrent effect in rural areas? By ensuring that police officers are present. Someone who drives along the road but never sees an officer will be tempted to drive a little faster than the speed limit. It is the same in any other area. When the police are not visible, it is an indication to criminals that they can take advantage of the situation.

This is, I think, a very harmful consequence of the decision made by the RCMP commissioner to close these nine regional detachments in Quebec.

I feel quite justified talking about this issue, since there are 10 border crossings in my riding, but no RCMP detachment. The closest detachment is located in Granby and serves the 10 border stations in my riding.

One other element of police presence is that it can be part of the community and thus be aware of what is going on. For example, the little regional papers in my riding recently listed properties that had been sold for three times their municipal assessment value. According to real estate agents, what is more, these were cash transactions. If the police or RCMP were located in the area, they might see these reports and it would shorten their investigations.

Police are a very important presence in the regions. I am not the only one to think that. The Minister of Public Security and Emergency Preparedness said the following in her speech in honour of the four officers killed in Alberta recently.

These four officers served their community, but they were alsopart of the community. I have been struck, listening to the commentsof residents in the area, by how everyone has mentioned that thesefour men were not only police officers carrying out their officialfunctions, but they were very much part of the daily lives of localresidents. They were actively involved in local charitable events andrecreational activities

This is another hallmark of the force. To do their jobs, its membersbecome, and want to become, part of the communities in which theyserve.

Our Minister of Public Security and Emergency Preparedness said that on March 7.

A few days later, on March 10, our Governor General, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson said the following:

I have visited, in the last five and a half years, hundreds of these small towns and villages. In the north and all across Canada, it is wonderfully obvious how the local RCMP detachments contribute to the well-being and mutual understanding of their fellow citizens. Local newspapers print a welcoming article when a new constable comes to town; in Mayerthorpe and district, people were almost as likely to see an officer at the grocery store or a playing field as in uniform.

Those two testimonials are a clear illustration of how important it is to have the RCMP in the regions.

Let us take a look at the drug problems faced by our regions. More specifically in my riding, about one year ago, a mayor told me he was going to take his combine and run it through the fields of his 50 or so local clients. He asked me to guess in how many of these 50 fields traces of marijuana could be found; there were 45. That is insane. At a time when we are confronted with this renewed increase in marijuana production, a decision is made to move the RCMP out of our regions. I do not understand the rationale behind that, I do not understand it at all.

I also mentioned the 10 border crossings in my riding. A few years ago, a U.S. congressional committee, namely the Judiciary Committee’ssubcommittee on drugs, toured border crossings, and I met with its members. At the end of our discussion, the congressmen asked me this little question that said it all, “What about your Quebec gold?”

Clearly, the Americans are very aware of the fact that there are individuals in our regions who grow marijuana with total impunity. That does not make any sense.

Recently, we have been told that the problem had spread beyond high schools, to elementary schools, where pushers are now operating. That does not make any sense. The police have to be present and visible in our regions.

Some might argue that this is not part of the RCMP's mandate. As for the Sûreté du Québec, one must understand that, in Quebec, several municipal police forces have been amalgamated with the Sûreté du Québec. In addition, the mayors are complaining about inadequate presence of the Sûreté du Québec in their towns or cities. Therefore, I think that the RCMP has a major role to play, complementing that of the Sûreté du Québec and the municipal police services.

As for security, how many roads crossing the border are not guarded by customs officers? This evening, I want to pay tribute to all the RCMP officers who testified just how important it was for them to stay in the regions, despite the fact that the top brass wanted to take them out of the regions and send them to offices in Montreal or elsewhere. I also want to pay tribute to all these customs officers who do such an extraordinary job. However, this work is not supported by the RCMP but it should be to a much greater extent.

I want to give an example. In Noyan, in my riding, there is what is called an unguarded road. A customs office is located in a particular spot, but 500 metres away is an unguarded road. A small sign along this paved road advises that travellers must stop and report to the customs office down the road. People rarely make the detour and stop in to report to the other customs office.

The customs officers are therefore powerless, because we do not have what the Americans on the other side have, which are border patrols. We do not have this system. Previously, the RCMP patrolled the borders but it no longer does because the border stations have been closed and the resources reallocated.

Nine RCMP detachments are closed in Baie-Comeau, Coaticook, Granby, Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Joliette, Lac-Mégantic, Rivière-du-Loup, Roberval and Saint-Hyacinthe. All the local and municipal elected officials have told us it does not make sense to close these RCMP detachments. The public has said the same thing.

This evening, I am appealing to RCMP Commissioner Zaccardelli. I do not know if he is still watching at this hour—it is 11:15 p.m. I call upon him, if he is watching, to listen to the public and the elected representatives of Quebec who are asking him to keep these nine RCMP detachments open.

Recently, in committee, Commissioner Zaccardelli said that a police officer used to be able to process roughly 15 cases a year. Then he added that now they have changed their methods and it takes 15 police officers to handle one case. I do not get it.

When I came here as an MP 10 years ago, I was told it was important to see the police. It was important for the police to be seen. This is a complete about-face. I simply do not get it.

I invite Commissioner Zaccardelli to come to my riding. I invite him to visit the border crossings and to speak to the mayors in the hope that, at some point, common sense will prevail.

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11:15 p.m.

Conservative

Kevin Sorenson Conservative Crowfoot, AB

Madam Chair, is my colleague aware that the commissioner of the RCMP is like a deputy minister in the government? The gentleman blamed Commissioner Zaccardelli of the RCMP for not keeping those detachments open in Quebec.

We on this side of the House have been concerned and frustrated for a long time with what we call the politicization of the police force. In the APEC report, which came out 2201, Judge Hughes said that one of the things that had to be addressed in the federal government was the politicization of the police force, the fact that the commissioner of the RCMP sat as a deputy minister of his government.

It is easy to stand here on a night that we are trying to talk about changes to a judicial system and talk about our own little areas in our provinces. My colleague is in the government in power and it has not addressed any of the concerns that the judge brought forward about the politicization of the police force. If he really believes that Commissioner Zaccardelli is not listening, then maybe he should tell the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11:15 p.m.

Liberal

Denis Paradis Liberal Brome—Missisquoi, QC

Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for his question. This is not at all about the politicization of the police force. In fact, this issue is the subject of a debate. Our Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness says that she does not want to interfere in police matters and that the deployment of police forces is the responsibility of the commissioner of the RCMP. That is our minister's position on this issue.

As elected officials, I think that we can certainly speak on behalf of our mayors, of our municipal and regional elected officials who want the presence of the RCMP in their area. This is not about the politicization of this issue. The deployment of police forces is not the sole responsibility of the commissioner of the RCMP. Elected officials must have their say or, if at some point the commissioner is not being given the right feedback, it is important that we, as elected officials directly accountable to our constituents, have the opportunity to tell the commissioner that we need such police presence. I need it in my region. I have 10 border crossings that require the presence of the RCMP, and that is being taken away at this time.

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11:15 p.m.

Conservative

Bob Mills Conservative Red Deer, AB

Madam Chair, I have sat here for part of this debate and have listened to the members across the way. I had a great deal of difficulty when I heard the parliamentary secretary say that people in the community did not ask for any action, that the people did not know. I have here in my hand the record for Mr. Roszko from 1976 showing one offence after another, year after year. How would no one know? Everybody knew.

I go back to the situation in my own riding involving a pedophile who was released. In front of 300 parents the psychiatrist who examined and worked with this man said that he would reoffend within the year. The head of the RCMP in our community said that he would reoffend within the year. The prison warden said that he would reoffend within the year. What did we do? We let him out. He was not named an habitual criminal. We let him out so he could molest some more. We let a guy out so he could finally kill four police officers.

It is sickening to listen to those people. One guy was talking about prostitutes and how he should travel the world more to find out about them. Another guy defended the nobody knew attitude. Where are those guys? Why do they not get with it? People are concerned. They do not want to be victimized any more. They want a tough justice system.

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Liberal

Denis Paradis Liberal Brome—Missisquoi, QC

Madam Chair, I believe that these comments and this question were directed more to my colleague the parliamentary secretary than to me. I have not once mentioned the subject to which my colleague is referring.

I have said that we are in the regions in Quebec and that we need the RCMP. It must be present in our municipalities and in the regional offices in the province. As for the other comments made by my colleague, I will certainly let the parliamentary secretary, my colleague, answer that question.

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Etobicoke North Ontario

Liberal

Roy Cullen LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Madam Chair, I want to direct a question to my colleague, but I feel obliged to respond. Hindsight is twenty-twenty. Everyone now knows that this chap would reoffend. Where were the public officials in that area? Were they beating down the door saying that we should do something with the criminal justice system then?

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Conservative

Bob Mills Conservative Red Deer, AB

I have been for years.

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Liberal

Roy Cullen Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

Perhaps the member should table those documents.

The members opposite talk about local issues. We have to be very careful about characterizing what took place in Mayerthorpe as a whole commentary on our criminal justice system.

As I pointed out earlier, crime is on a downward trend and it has been for the last nine or ten years. I know that is hard to accept. Frankly, it is hard for me to accept because I see crime in my own riding. However, those are the facts. The statistics show that crime and violent crime are on a downward trend and have been consistently for the last 10 years.

I would like to put a question to my colleague from Brome—Missisquoi. I have a lot of respect for his tenacity in the face of the closure of C division of the RCMP. However, it must be understood that the role of the RCMP is not to provide social programs. My colleague seems unable to understand that.

In Quebec, the role of the RCMP consists in providing the services of a federal police force in connection with the fight against organized crime and investigations involving national security. In that province, the RCMP does not provide a community police service or intervene on the front line, because these services are provided by the Sûreté du Québec or by the municipal police forces concerned.

I would ask the member to offer and consider that, while he may not see visibly the RCMP in his community, to be the front line police officers in the province of Quebec is not the intended role.

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Liberal

Denis Paradis Liberal Brome—Missisquoi, QC

Madam Chair,If we do not see the presence now, we have done so in the past. I must point out that the population has not decreased. The Constitution has not changed and removed functions from the RCMP that it did not have in the past.

It used to deal with customs. We used to see their members in the field, along with their Sûreté du Québec colleagues, but within federal mandates. Where national security is concerned, and there are people using border crossings, this is part of national security and so it is part of the RCMP's mandate. Where drug dealers are concerned, intercepting them is part of the RCMP mandate.

I do not want to see the RCMP turned into a community police force. I want it to look after its areas of responsibility, assume its responsibilities and not shirk those responsibilities.

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11:25 p.m.

Conservative

Kevin Sorenson Conservative Crowfoot, AB

Madam Chair, I rise tonight to take part in this debate in memory and out of respect for four fallen constables: Constable Anthony Gordon, Constable Leo Johnston, Constable Brock Myrol and Constable Peter Schiemann.

My sympathies and prayers are with the families, friends and colleagues of these fallen officers who were killed. My gratitude and admiration are with all those in this country who work and serve to make our communities a safer place to live and a safer place to raise our families.

The tragic death of these officers is a sad reminder of the all too often violent nature of our society and the reason that there is a growing need for more police officers all across the country.

No part in Canada is immune from violence in which innocent lives are destroyed or lost. Families are torn apart, police officers are murdered or injured in the line of duty.

In the wake of these murders, it is so hard to refrain from pointing fingers in fear that we would be accused of exploiting this tragedy.

After learning of the tragedy in Mayerthorpe, the media contacted me and we issued a press release condemning initially illegal marijuana use and the grow op industry. The commissioner had done it and the minister had done it. In hindsight, we were perhaps a little too quick and a little too harsh. However drug use, the drug trade and the carnage it causes are a harsh reality in this country that must be changed and cannot be denied.

What I did not mention out of respect was the firearm registry and the very simple fact that it did absolutely nothing to deter James Roszko, a man with a violent history, from acquiring and using his firearm. Roszko, as many other criminals, illegally bought and brought firearms across the border. Since the death of the four constables there have been numerous articles and editorials written about the Firearms Act not being a deterrent and therefore I am not going to belabour that point tonight.

There was also a mention of our lax sentencing laws and the failure of our justice system to convict and hold dangerous offenders such as Roszko. Over his 46 years, Roszko faced multiple charges and, although most were violent crimes, he was rarely convicted. For threatening to kill and sexually abusing a teenage boy over a 10 year period Roszko was given two years in prison.

I would strongly suggest that this type of lenient sentencing is courtesy of the Liberals who, over the last 10 years, have made reintegration the guiding principle of our corrections and parole system as opposed to the protection of society as being the guiding principle.

Now that the constables have been laid to rest, this tragic situation needs to be carefully examined and analyzed to determine all the factors so we can prevent such tragedies in the future. Police officers in this country deserve at least this much.

Last week, police officers all across the country came to Parliament Hill for their annual lobby day to bring forward their wish list or their list of concerns. Topping their list was a national drug strategy that would incorporate the balanced approach that we have learned about here with supply and demand of illicit drugs. They wanted more for prevention, more for education, more enforcement, treatment, rehabilitation and research. They recognize drugs as a major problem in our country.

Canadian police are calling on the Liberal government to improve our corrections and parole system and to restore confidence. In the name of officers killed in the line of duty, such as another officer, Sudbury Constable Joe MacDonald, the police are asking that first degree murderers spend a minimum of 25 years in prison, not in a club fed, not in a resort style prison, and with no eligibility of parole; a just improvement that the Conservative Party wholeheartedly supports.

They are asking that section 745, the faint hope clause, be repealed so that 80% of applicant killers who are granted early release serve their full life sentences; another measure that we on this side of the House endorse.

Before closing, I would like to touch on a concern that was brought to my attention by Chief Chalmers of the Camrose City Police and by Detective Lorne Blumhagen who was here in Ottawa last week, and that is the closure of the Edmonton forensic lab.

Forty per cent of Canada's forensic work is currently done in the Edmonton lab, and 100% of Canada's break and enter analysis is done in Edmonton. Yet it is being closed, much to the frustration of police in Alberta and all across the west.

A year and a half ago I stood in the House and repeatedly questioned the former solicitor general about the wisdom in closing the RCMP DNA forensic labs in Edmonton, Regina and Halifax. On each occasion I pointed out that the RCMP forensic scientists were frustrated, police were being hampered in their investigations, and court proceedings were being stalled because DNA testing for urgent cases was taking three times longer than the RCMP's mandated timeline. Unfortunately, the former solicitor general refused to listen.

Madam Chair, I am splitting the time with the member for Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre.

Last month we learned that the RCMP will one day have a massive five year backlog of requests for Criminal Code record checks if these obsolete processing systems are not replaced soon. The police are coming forward.

The Canadian Police Association and other associations have recognized the major concerns. Given this huge tragedy, if the government would move on at least some of the concerns, we would stand and applaud the government. The Liberals' snooze button has not been hit. They are still sleeping at the switch.

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11:30 p.m.

Etobicoke North Ontario

Liberal

Roy Cullen LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Madam Chair, the member for Crowfoot mentioned the closure of the forensic laboratory services in Edmonton. This decision is actually in line with the recommendation in the 2000 Auditor General's report that the RCMP rationalize the number of labs to improve the level of service. In fact there will be no long term impact on the processing of cases as a result of this decision.

I have a very simple question for the member for Crowfoot. He serves as vice-chair of the Subcommittee on Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and because of the unfortunate circumstances of my colleague from Saint John, he is in a position where, if he wants to look at sentencing and parole, the minister would be quite happy to bring it to that subcommittee.

Will he in his capacity as vice-chair, see if we can accommodate this request from the Deputy Prime Minister?

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11:30 p.m.

Conservative

Kevin Sorenson Conservative Crowfoot, AB

Madam Chair, our committee has been brought together to go through Bill C-36. We are mandated by Parliament to go through the anti-terrorism legislation. Why do we have to do that? We have to do it because it is mandated by Parliament, but one of the major reasons we have to do it is that the police came to the justice committee and said that because of the lack of police officers, they have had to take the officers who are dealing with the organized crime files and put them on the terrorism files. That is what is going on. We are risk managing terrorism in this country. We are risk managing files.

The minister has asked if we could start going through some of the things that we discussed five years ago, the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and all the different parole issues. It was done five or six years ago. It is time that the government took the recommendations, the ones that it has accepted, and put in place measures that would address the issues.

Let us do our terrorism law. We will address corrections if time permits. At the present time, as the hon. member has stated, the member for Saint John has had a heart attack, but we will keep working as hard as we can on that committee.

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11:30 p.m.

Conservative

Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK

Madam Chair, it is a pleasure to stand in this assembly tonight and speak to this take note debate because I feel a very special connection with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for several reasons.

The first reason is the Regina training depot, the home of the Mounties and where Mounties are born, which is in my home riding. The Regina depot of the RCMP is one of the most revered institutions in Canada and is one of the most respected training facilities for police forces worldwide. I can assure all members that everyone in Saskatchewan takes great pride in having the depot in Regina and in Saskatchewan.

The second connector, however, is far more personal than that. My late mother's first husband was an RCMP officer by the name of Norman Gleadow. Mr. Gleadow was killed on duty while patrolling on the Regina depot. A convict behind bars somehow got hold of a lead pipe, I believe, and was able to grab Mr. Gleadow by the throat as he was patrolling and killed him while he was on duty.

While I never met the gentleman, I certainly have heard about him from my mother and I feel a very deep empathy with the force. With the tragedy that we saw in Mayerthorpe most recently on March 3, it hits home even stronger to someone like myself because of what I had experienced when I was growing up.

The third reason, which I have to get on the record, and the the primary reason I feel such a strong connection to the RCMP is because of a gentleman by the name of William MacRae. Bill MacRae is a former superintendent of the RCMP depot in Regina and one of the finest gentlemen I have ever met.

During the memorial service for the slain officers in Mayerthorpe in early March, which I attended, I met with Commissioner Zaccardelli and spoke of Bill MacRae. Commissioner Zaccardelli told me that Mr. MacRae was a legend in the annals of RCMP history and an icon within RCMP circles.

The reason I mention Mr. MacRae's name is that he exemplifies all that is best about the RCMP. His honesty, his courage, his dedication to the force and his strength of character are attributes that I believe all RCMP recruits and officers strive to achieve.

The point I am trying to get at is that I believe the RCMP needs more recruits and more officers like Mr. MacRae and Norman Gleadow. However the reality is the force is suffering because of lack of resources and, I believe, a lack of commitment from the government to support the RCMP.

I have heard here tonight many times from members opposite comments stating that they have actually increased funding to the RCMP but it does not appear to be the facts because we see and we hear examples of DNA labs being closed down, detachments being closed down and massive vacancies within the force in provincial jurisdictions.

I think all I am looking for is some strong and clear and unequivocal signal from the government that it is firmly committed to supporting the RCMP, not just morally but financially.

We need to strengthen our RCMP forces across Canada. Communities need more RCMP officers. We have heard that tonight over and over again. Yet what we are experiencing is less and less RCMP officers being available for communities and for border security, which I think is a tragedy.

The RCMP in this country is one of our proudest and most significant institutions. We need, if nothing else, to support that institution with all of our will and all of our fibre. However I see no evidence from the government that it shares that conviction with myself. I see nothing to exhibit, by the government's actions, or I should more accurately say inactions, that it chooses to support the RCMP.

if we as Canadians, who hold the RCMP near and dear to our hearts as one of the finest police forces in the world, cannot support this police force then we should all be ashamed and we should all hang our head down.

Let us not forget the tragedy that occurred in Mayerthorpe on March 3 is one that affected all Canadians very deeply because that is the significance that the RCMP holds for every one of us. We must rededicate ourselves to a commitment of increasing the resources and financial capacity of this great police force.

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11:35 p.m.

The Assistant Deputy Chair

It being 11:39 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 53.1, the committee will rise and I will leave the chair.

RCMP and Law Enforcement in CanadaGovernment Orders

11:40 p.m.

The Acting Speaker (Hon. Jean Augustine)

It being 11:40 p.m., this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 11:40 p.m.)