Art Hanger

[Criminal Code, October 31st, 1997]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-269, an act to amend the Criminal Code (no parole when imprisoned for life).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to reintroduce this private member's bill. It amends certain provisions of the Criminal Code relating to life imprisonment. It will eliminate any provision for early parole, early release or parole eligibility for a criminal who is sentenced to life.

For the families of victims, knowing that the offender will never walk the streets again as a free person will bring a sense of relief and an element of closure to a sad chapter in their lives.

My bill sends a clear message to murders that if you take the life of another, you will be locked away for the remainder of your natural life. Life will mean life.

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

[National Defence, October 31st, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the information and investigation in this particular incident have been ongoing. There appears to be no total conclusion to it. I think this minister, along with his predecessor, should be very much aware of what has happened.

I have in my possession documents received through access to information. They outline a series of events between September 7 and September 9 which indicates stolen property and certainly reflects an aspect of arson taking place there.

I remind the minister again, property was stolen and damaged. Why were no criminal charges laid? According to the minister—

[National Defence, October 31st, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week the defence minister, in referring to a lack of disclosure about a missile incident, said the following: “If there was any injury to person or property then of course it would be made public”. On September 7, 1995 Canadian Vandoos in Croatia set fire to their own mess in an apparent attempt to cover up a theft of some video equipment. Property was stolen and damaged. Why was the public never informed?

[National Defence, October 29th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is trying to confuse the issue by talking about a couple of other matters that happened on the Vancouver . I am talking about what happened on the Huron . The minister is trying to confuse the issue. He knows it.

In the past few months the privacy commissioner, the information commissioner, the Somalia commissioner all reported there is a lack of openness at defence headquarters. I do not know how much more evidence the minister is going to need.

The next time a missile goes astray is the minister going to get a ship to shore or is the message going to come via carrier pigeon?

[National Defence, October 29th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the defence minister likes to talk about this new era of openness in his department, yet yesterday in committee I asked the defence minister about an incident involving a stray missile in the Pacific. Surprise, surprise, neither the defence minister nor his chief of defence staff had any idea of what I was talking about, but his department sure did.

If the department is so open, why was the minister kept in the dark?

[Criminal Code, October 22nd, 1997]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-255, an act to amend the Criminal Code (prohibited sexual acts).

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to reintroduce this private member's bill in the House today. The bill would amend the section of the Criminal Code dealing with prohibited sexual acts with children under the age of 14 or in the presence of children under the age of 14.

If implemented the bill would raise the age of a child as defined for this purpose from the current age of 14 to 16 years of age. In effect, the bill would allow for criminal charges to be brought against any adult who engages in sexual relations with a person younger than age 16.

I urge all members of the House to seriously consider this bill, its intent and purpose and to lend their support accordingly.

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

[Canadian Armed Forces, October 22nd, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, soldiers and their families at the food banks, slashes to training programs, old equipment and threats of more cuts; with the morale in the forces already at an all time low, why is the minister intent on demoralizing our troops even further?

[Canadian Armed Forces, October 22nd, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, while the defence minister is concentrating on Operation Minerva, in this country some Canadian soldiers are already forced on to the bread lines. Now the government is going to cut the support program that pays for soldiers and their families to move by one-half.

My question is a simple one. Why?

[Somalia Inquiry, October 20th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that those reports will end up in the lap of the minister. The defence minister has a responsibility to prove to Canadians that his department is accountable. National defence gets one bad report card after another and what does the minister do? He turns a blind eye. Our troops deserve better.

Why will the minister not create an office of an inspector general and force his department to account to Parliament? Is the minister afraid of someone looking over his shoulder maybe?

[Somalia Inquiry, October 20th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the aftermath of the Somalia report is far from over.

The defence minister knows there is a coverup in his department. The information commissioner, the privacy commissioner, the Somalia commissioners tell of deliberate attempts to hide the truth from the public, yet this minister tossed aside the one recommendation in the Somalia report which would have cleaned up the whole mess.

Why is the minister afraid of creating an accountable, independent inspector general? What is he hiding?