Anne McLellan

[Canadian Human Rights Commission, May 16th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I applaud the Canadian Human Rights Commission for recognizing that it has a problem internal to the commission and to its management. I certainly commend it for initiating the workplace study, the report of which we became aware late last week.

Let me reassure everyone in the House that we take the role of the Canadian Human Rights Commission very seriously. I am reviewing the recommendations of former Justice Gérard La Forest and his committee. They made recommendations for structural change. We are looking seriously at those and I will be working with Madam Falardeau-Ramsay and others to ensure—

[Organized Crime, May 16th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe what I am hearing. That is the party that asked the government to consider invoking the notwithstanding clause to deal with organized crime in the province of Quebec.

What my colleague, the solicitor general, and I have done is introduce legislation after consulting with the provinces, including Quebec, with police forces, with other stakeholders and after listening to a subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights on which the Bloc had members. I would hope that the Bloc gets behind this legislation to protect—

[Organized Crime, May 16th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the hon. member is aware of the fundamental difference between a situation where a judge authorizes a warrant for a wiretap and the kinds of decisions that will be made in the context of the solicitor general or provincial counterparts as it relates to organized crime.

There is a more important issue here. We on this side have been listening to that party bleat on for months about why the government does not take action against organized crime. The government has taken action. We have given our police the necessary tools to do their jobs. I would ask them to support us.

[Marijuana, May 15th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, let me again say that the Minister of Health has made it plain that in fact as it relates to medicinal use, he has revised the relevant sections and regulations in and around medicinal use.

I think the government has taken an important step in clarifying for those who would use marijuana for medicinal purposes the rules surrounding that. I think we should all support the Minister of Health in his attempts to ensure this drug is available for medicinal purposes.

[Marijuana, May 15th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member is already aware, as it relates to medicinal use, my colleague, the Minister of Health, has facilitated those and their physicians who would choose to use marijuana for medicinal purposes.

We have also made it plain that at this point we have no intention of decriminalizing the use of or possession of marijuana. However, as the hon. member is probably aware, the Senate has commenced an important study of a number of aspects surrounding issues of drugs. I certainly look forward, as I know the government does, to the results of that study from the Senate.

[Justice, May 15th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, as I have already indicated, there is provision in the youth criminal justice act that permits provincial officials to provide information to school authorities.

I find it very interesting that in response to a question at committee asked by the hon. member for Provencher of provincial deputy ministers on whether or not they thought such a mandatory provision would be appropriate I believe they indicated no because it is provincial authorities who have to provide that information.

[Justice, May 15th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is undoubtedly fully aware there is a provision in the proposed youth criminal justice act that permits provincial officials to provide information to principals and others responsible for schools.

That is done in the name of safety. In fact I am very pleased to say that my department helped fund the pilot project with the association of school boards and others to develop a protocol under which information would be provided.

[Justice, May 15th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I am here to tell the hon. member that not only do Canadians care about the protection of their children but we care.

That is why I would ask the hon. member and the official opposition to stop their game playing on Bill C-15. It includes important provisions to protect our children. What do they want to do? They want to play their silly little games around firearms, their silly little games. They are supposed to protect the children of the country.

[Poverty, May 10th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the review of the Canadian Human Rights Act, undertaken by, among others, the former Mr. Justice La Forest, made some 160 recommendations.

My department, in conjunction with all other government departments affected, are reviewing these recommendations. We will be taking action in a timely fashion.

[Organized Crime, May 10th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said and as the hon. member should know, our tradition has been and, as far as we are concerned on this side of the House, will continue to be to keep the investigative phase and the judicial phase separate and apart. To do that which the member suggests would radically change the balance that has been part of our legal tradition.