Rex Barnes

[Hazardous Products Act, October 31st, 2003]

Madam Speaker, it is with pleasure that I rise to speak to Bill C-260, the private member's bill to amend the Hazardous Products Act. I thank the member for Scarborough East for bringing such an important matter before the House of Commons in the form of this bill.

Let me state at the outset that this bill deals with property damage caused by careless smoking, but most importantly, it deals with saving lives. In 1992, careless smoking in Canada accounted for 68 fatalities, 385 injuries, $37 million in damages and 3,199 fires. On average Canadians consume approximately 56 billion cigarettes annually and the damage caused by them is substantial.

The solution to this may be found in what are known as flammability standards. When I read over this piece of legislation, the first thought that came to mind was that the bill is not trying to get Canadians to stop smoking, because smoking is an addiction that requires help. Rather, what this bill is saying and what it is trying to do is make it safer for people to smoke and safer for the people around them.

Essentially what this bill would do is compel the Minister of Health to report to Parliament and explain why the Hazardous Products Act should or should not be amended to include cigarettes under the category of flammability standards. Clearly this is an issue that affects all of us in the entire country, regardless of age or region. Further, members would no doubt agree that saving lives of smokers and non-smokers alike is of significant public interest to all of us here in the chamber.

One lit cigarette left unattended can have dire consequences and devastating impacts. Dangerous smoking may seem to be a non-issue; however, it is a very important one, which Canadians from coast to coast must be encouraged to take seriously. Over the years, cigarette fires have caused a large number of fatalities. The terrible tragedy is that most of these deaths could have been prevented if smokers had just taken a few simple precautions.

One thing that Canadians must be aware of is that it can happen to anyone, young or old, and at any time. If one is smoking late at night or after a drink, it is only natural that one's reactions tend to be slower. As such, this is a time when extra care must be taken while smoking.

A smouldering cigarette is the biggest cause of fatal fires, causing one-third of all deaths from fires in the home. These fires are more likely to start during the night. Some of the most common places for them to start are sofas, beds and carpets. A cigarette burns at up to 780 degrees centigrade, so I would remind all Canadians to ensure that when they put out their cigarettes they really are out.

There is good news in all of this, because cigarette-related fires can be prevented by taking a few simple precautions. Some of these include: avoid smoking in bed; avoid leaving lit cigarettes unattended; always use a proper ashtray and make sure it cannot be knocked over; take special care when one is tired or drinking; keep matches and lighters away from children; and fit and maintain a proper smoke alarm.

Although these personal safety precautions can be taken, more can and must be done. It is for this reason that I applaud my colleague for bringing forward this private member's bill. Cigarettes should be included in the Hazardous Products Act and flammability standards should be applied to them.

It is worth noting that currently in the United States the Massachusetts legislature has before it a unique opportunity to move Massachusetts out front in its efforts to save lives, lives lost to cigarettes.

Smoking materials are the leading cause of fatal fires in the United States. Recent statistics from the National Fire Protection Association show that there were 900 fire-related deaths, 2,500 injuries, and $410 million in property damage caused by smoking materials in one year in the United States.

In Massachusetts in 1990, there were 178 deaths, 763 injuries related to burns and $75 million in property damage caused by such fires. During the same period, these fires caused 677 firefighter injuries in Massachusetts.

The legislature has before it the Moakley bill, a state version of the federal legislation first introduced in Congress by Joe Moakley in 1979 which would require that all cigarettes sold in Massachusetts have strict fire safety standards. When left burning unattended they would extinguish themselves or burn at temperatures that would not ignite furniture or mattresses, thereby lessening the chance of fires.

This is a very good idea and a very worthwhile piece of legislation. Lessons can be learned from the Massachusetts approach. Also, New York State has recently passed a similar bill while unanimously stating that all cigarettes sold in the state had to meet flammability standards by July 2003.

It remains my solemn opinion that this is certainly the right thing to do.

We learn from statistics in Great Britain that smoking can be more dangerous than we think. Every three days someone dies because of a cigarette fire. The highest injury rate in smoking material fires is among young people between the ages of 25 to 34. Men are more likely to be killed or injured in cigarette fires. Six out of ten of those killed are men and over half of those injured are men. Six out of ten smokers say cigarettes are one of the top causes of house fires, but every year fewer people are taking steps to prevent these fires.

Only four out of ten smokers say they check their ashtrays before going to bed each night. Nearly half of all households have a smoker living in them. These households are nearly one and one-half times more likely to have a fire than non-smoking households.

Despite the dangers of falling asleep and setting bedding on fire, 70% of smokers confess to lighting up in bed. People 18 to 34 years old are even more likely to smoke in bed.

I think that my remarks today reflect the importance of implementing cigarette safety standards in Canada. The choices are simple: life or death.

We have a golden opportunity to support this private member's bill in the hope that the Minister of Health and the entire government will take notice of the widespread support for the bill and as a result will work hard toward implementing appropriate standards for cigarettes in the country.

[Petitions, October 31st, 2003]

Madam Speaker, I wish to present a petition to recognize the institution of marriage as being a lifelong union of one man and woman to the exclusion of all others.

Only a couple of the petitions here today fulfill the requirement but I have many others. I have close to 7,000 others in my office that will be sent to the minister. I submit these today for the record.

[Fisheries and Oceans, October 31st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, river guardians in Newfoundland and Labrador have had significant cuts in their hours of operation. It is expected that next year their hours will be further reduced by another 30% to 50%. Concerns are being raised that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is in the process of eliminating our river guardians entirely. Will the minister confirm today his department's position with respect to river guardians?

[Fisheries, October 30th, 2003]

Madam Speaker, it is a great pleasure to speak about such an important issue. Of course, the hon. member for St. John's West has always been front and centre on this. The member is probably the most experienced member I know. He understands the fishery and its relationship with Newfoundland and Labrador.

We are going through a very difficult time only due to the fact that the federal government has refused to take control, to show leadership and do something with a Canadian resource of which Newfoundland and Labrador is a part. As a result of it, we are now reliant on the federal government for programs. Our people should not have to worry about that.

In my area of Gander and Grand Falls, the groundfish licence fisher people and plant workers are struggling. As a result of that, we are now dependent on government for programs for EI eligibility. There is not enough work to be found.

The government is slow with programs. If only it would do the right thing, take control of the nose and tail of the Grand Bank and the Flemish Cap, then we would have control of our resource to do what we should do for the people who we represent. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians would benefit from our resource, get the full potential from it and as a result, we would not be dependent on Ottawa for anything.

Our resource is very rich. We have put a lot of dollars into the economy because of our fishery. It is similar to our oil industry. Everything leaves our province and Ottawa controls it. That has to stop. We have to ensure that we have control and leadership over that so our people will become dependent upon the ocean for their income rather than upon Ottawa.

For some reason or another, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians seem to have to beg all the time for what is rightly theirs, the fish and grounds we fish off. If we were part of the United States, and I said this before in the debate on the fishery, the United States would not let its product or its resource go to foreign nations without a fight.

We have no worries about Iceland blowing them out of the water or going out with the warships. Canada should do it. The U.S. would do it. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are very concerned that there is not enough of leadership.

We will hear all kinds of different views, but it is very important to realize that the people in Newfoundland and Labrador and the people in my riding, who depend on the fishery, want leadership from the federal government. They want it to take control so we can develop our resource for our people, not people of other nations.

I know we have to build with other nations, but an elderly gentleman said something to me 10 days ago when we were on the campaign trail in Newfoundland and Labrador. He asked me why the federal government was so concerned about helping other people in other nations rather than helping Canadians.

I do not know why, but one reason comes to mind. It is more concerned with diplomacy than taking care of its own people. We have to start taking care of our people in Newfoundland and Labrador and in the rest of Canada because we are the ones who are here for others.

I know we have to take care of the people in African nations, in Chile and in Afghanistan, but we have to take care of our own people first. We have to ensure that our resources in Canada stay within Canada, within Newfoundland and Labrador, within Alberta, within Nova Scotia and within all other provinces so we, as a group and as country, benefit the most. If the provinces benefit, people will be working and we will not have the worry about having to rely on EI programs.

It is a slap in the face to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to need handouts from Ottawa. We appreciate it when times are tough. That is why the federal government is here for us. When times are tough, yes, we must meet the demand and the challenge.

It is time for the federal government to realize that the fish resource in Newfoundland and Labrador should be there for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and on the coastline of Canada, not for other countries to tear apart and take home for their own benefit.

Scientists have said that the groundfish in Newfoundland and Labrador is at an all time low. The cod fishery has been closed. Then all of a sudden about eight weeks ago the fisheries minister said that the scientists were wrong. If I remember correctly, he said that there were five times the amount of cod in the ocean than had been anticipated.

Was a fall fishery for cod opened? No. Was there more surveillance so that we could make sure that foreign countries and people are not taking fish illegally? No. They have cut back on prosecution. They have cut back on surveillance.

If we are to protect our resources, especially in the fishery, we have no other choice than to make sure that the fishery is there for the people we represent. The federal government has to take a different approach on surveillance. It has to take a different approach on management. It has to take a different approach when it comes to Canadians.

We do not want to become reliant on EI programs from year to year. We want fish in the plants. We want oil processed for the benefit of Albertans, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and Nova Scotians. We want to prosper in our own province and not become reliant. By taking control of the nose and tail of the Grand Banks, we will definitely make sure that it happens.

I want to make sure that members of the House realize that this is a very serious matter. I thank members for the opportunity to speak. I hope that other hon. members will say a few words because this is a very important issue for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and for all Canadians.

[Criminal Code, October 30th, 2003]

Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to be in the House tonight to speak on street racing. I will echo what the member just said about the excellent speech before hers, and her speech was also excellent. I do not know how anyone else could make such a great speech to try to convince government that something has to be done.

All I know is when I was younger, I could not afford a big car or a souped up car. Either the parents are doing something right or they are doing something wrong. I do not know how 18 and 19 year olds can have these cars unless they have lots of money. We as parents have to take some of responsibility and with responsibility comes different things in society. They are still children at 18. Although they may be outside the realm of parental guidance, as far as I am concerned we are still, as parents, responsible for their actions.

The first thing young people say is that it will not happen to them. I could tell stories. When I was younger, the big thing to find out was if a Ford could outdo a Chev or a Chev outdo a Dodge. We were young and we did not think we would have an accident or create a tragedy. We did it for fun.

The thing is when we drive a motor vehicle of any type, we always find out the unexpected usually will happen when we do not expect it. As soon as we lose control, who will be on the other end? Will we cause someone to die? I do not know if the young people realize that. Young people think that it will not happen to them, that they will not die. They think they are invincible.

Street racing does kill and it causes major injuries to many innocent people, besides those in the vehicles.

This legislation would treat street racing as an aggravated circumstance when sentencing anyone convicted of killing or seriously injuring someone with a motor vehicle if it is established that street racing was a factor at the time of the incident. Sometimes the law is not there to do what it should do. Sometimes laws should set an example to people who do things without realizing the consequences of their actions.

Just look at the young offenders act. I had a lady call me recently. She was so upset that someone had stolen her vehicle. After they caught the young person, the only thing that happened to him was a slap on the wrist. Our court system has to take things more seriously. Our court system has to ensure that the law is there for anyone who is involved with street racing, especially if someone is killed. The law should be there to ensure that the courts set an example, that they send a message to street racers that this is unacceptable.

Sometimes we have to blame the lawmakers, and the lawmaker in our country is the House of Commons. It is us, as the elected people. We are the ones who will have to try to make the difference. We are the ones who will have to ensure that we save innocent lives and the lives of the young people who street race.

Street racing has become a very popular pastime for many young people. The statistics vary from region to region. For example, in Toronto in a period of one year, 17 people were killed as a result of street racing, 17 unnecessary deaths for no reason at all. The grief caused by that is shameful. I am sure the families of the ones who have passed on because of these incidents are asking themselves why that happened to them.

These incidents are preventable. If we, as the lawmakers, are not going to do what is right by banning it, then we must accept it. If that is the case, we have to go one step further by providing a spot where people can race. Let us develop a spot for it. However, I do not think that is the answer. The answer is what we are discussing today.

More than lives of racers are at risk. Passengers and pedestrians may be killed or injured as a result of street racing. This is the unfortunate consequence of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If a person drives a vehicle at speeds of 160 to 170 miles an hour and gets a blowout at that speed, I can tell members that it is not a pretty picture. As a result of this, people are unnecessarily being put at high risk.

In my former profession I was a paramedic. I was always on what we called the tail end of the result of total carelessness, when we went to a scene of an accident where there had been a motor vehicle accident because people had been driving at high speeds. There was no explanation, but the answer was always “I did not think it was going to happen to me”.

Unfortunately, when people think that way, guaranteed it will come up and kick them in the behind. All of a sudden it does happen to them and as a result they realize they are in big trouble. When someone dies as a result of negligence, people pay a dear price, and that lives with them for many years down the road.

As I said, many things can go wrong, but usually accidents are caused by the inexperience of drivers, excessive speeds and the conditions of the road.

Street racing takes a number of forms. Some are very organized and involve many people. Some are based on nothing more than just two willing motorists in traffic. Sometimes common sense has to play into it. However, I spoke to some of the members. They told me some horror stories of drag racing on the main streets, with lots of traffic and lots of people. It is really frightening.

I know it does not happen in my part of the region very often. We do not have that problem as much as the bigger centres. As I said earlier in the first part of my speech, our key was to see if a Dodge could outrun a Chev or a Chev could outrun a Ford. Then there are people with souped up vehicles, which goes back to why parents would allow the young people under their control to have such vehicles. They got them for one reason and that is for high speeds for drag racing. If they want to drag race, set the perimeters for them so they can go out in the countryside where there are open areas. If they flip their vehicle, then the only ones they will hurt will be themselves and not innocent bystanders.

Penalties for street racing are at the discretion of the judge and range from a suspended sentence to life in prison. This is where it goes back to the courts having a lot of flexibility. If the courts do not send a message to people who are involved with such activities of street racing which causes death or major injury because of that, then nothing will ever change. We need to send a clear message and the courts need to send a clear message that this is unacceptable.

My son is 23 years old, and I will probably say that it will not happen to me. As soon as it happens to a person, it is a different story. Let us put ourselves in the place of someone who has been severely injured by street racing or a person who has had someone killed because of that. Then we would find out what it is all about. I am sure we can talk about all kinds of stories with the attitude that will not happen to us, but it will happen if we do not take a stand and do what is right.

It is difficult for police to catch the racers, as racers can easily outdistance police cars. Usually drivers are caught by violating regulations dealing with the vehicle and not the speed. Cars are often modified to provide the maximum amount of speed.

I will tell a quick story. When I was younger, a good friend of mine wanted to see how fast he could drive his car. He got up to 160 to 180 miles an hour. The joke was that the police car could not catch him, but the thing is nobody was killed. If somebody had been killed, it would have been a different story.

Many countries, such as the United States, New Zealand and Britain, have put provisions in place for street racing and I believe Canada should do the same.

On behalf of the PC Party I thank the member for his bill. We definitely look forward to supporting it.

[Transport, October 30th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transport recently announced $700 million in new funding for VIA Rail. The decision was immediately put in doubt by the member for LaSalle—Émard whose staff insisted that VIA had better not spend those funds.

Could the Minister of Transport guarantee that the funds needed to make these cars accessible for disabled people will be there or will these funds have to be reviewed by the member for LaSalle—Émard as well?

[Transport, October 30th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, VIA Rail's controversial purchase of 139 second-hand British railway cars in 2000 has suffered yet another setback. The Canadian Transportation Agency has ordered VIA to make major changes to the coaches to make them more disabled-friendly.

What will the cost be to taxpayers for this makeover to do what is right for the disabled community?

[Government of Canada, October 30th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Canadian Transportation Commission condemned the government's decision to purchase used rail equipment for VIA Rail, another $35 million and equipment still not in full service.

Yesterday, the 40 year old Sea King helicopter fleet was put out of service because it cannot fly safely.

Yesterday, the Minister of National Defence committed half a billion dollars for mobile guns that appear to compromise the needs of the military.

Yesterday, a Senate committee reported that our coasts are vulnerable because we do not have the ships nor the personnel to do the job. The costs of the used substandard submarines continue to escalate.

Yesterday, Canada dropped from 9th to 16th place in business competitiveness due to a perceived drop in the quality of its public institutions. Canada fell off the list of the top 10.

Yesterday, bargain basement decisions have come home to roost. This is the legacy of the Prime Minister. This will be the legacy of the member for LaSalle--Émard.

[Environment, October 1st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the Meteorological Service of Canada receives guidance from an advisory board on meteorological services. The president and CEO of Pelmorex Communications Inc. is on this advisory board. Pelmorex is the parent company that owns and operates the broadcasting licence for the Weather Network.

With the closure and downgrading of weather stations in this country, there is a potential for conflict of interest. What steps did the government take to ensure there was no conflict of interest?

[Transportation, September 26th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, in April of 2000 the Minister of Transport promised the disability community across Canada that new passenger rail cars would be accessible to all persons with disabilities. The Canadian Transportation Agency has ruled that these cars still present obstacles for persons with disabilities.

Why has the minister not kept his promise?