Carole-Marie Allard

[Literacy, December 12th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the Maison des mots des Basses-Laurentides will receive $15,000 for its realizing intellectual potential project in order to develop educational activities tailored to each literacy group with which the organization works.

The Maison des mots will provide training to teachers, educational materials, and tools for evaluation. The project began October 21 and will continue until March 31, 2003.

I would like to congratulate all those who believe in the cause of literacy and wish a merry Christmas to all the associations working to improve the well-being of the voters of the Mille-Îles area and also to all the residents of Laval.

Merry Christmas and all the best in 2003.

[Television Transmission Services, November 21st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Canadian Heritage tell us whether she feels that Canadian television transmission services are being jeopardized by the satellites operating illegally in Canada at this time?

[Community Safety and Crime Prevention, November 4th, 2002]

November is National Community Safety and Crime Prevention Month.

If we are all more aware of safety, our communities will be safer places to live. We can take action to fight crime as part of our daily activities. Just ask the people at la Maison des Jeunes de Marigot, in Laval East.

Many school children are bullied, while others are either bullies themselves,or witnesses.

I encourage schools, parents and students to take action and to learn more about the National Community Safety and Crime Prevention Strategy.

Together, we can reduce crime in our communities.

[Supply, October 29th, 2002]

Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to express my views on this motion. I find it surprising that the Bloc would use its allotted day to ask for changes that have already been made in our Standing Orders.

The fundamental question being asked today is how should governments go about appointing the many people who are needed to ensure the proper administration of the country and ensuring that candidates are chosen for their qualifications and not out of whim or patronage? In this kind of debate, I think it is impossible to please everybody.

In the 1980s, I was a journalist. We had a Progressive-Conservative government in Ottawa then, and the debates were the same. Naturally, it is easy for the Bloc to ask for anything and everything, because it will never hold power.

We answered these questions when we amended the Standing Orders, our rules in this House.

Extensive consultations were held to find a mechanism that would allow for a more active participation in the examination of appointments. Several recommendations were made and were included in the Standing Orders of the House. Thus, the ability of members of Parliament to examine many of the appointments mentioned in today's motion was increased.

For example, in accordance with the current Standing Orders:

A Minister of the Crown shall lay upon the Table a certified copy of an Order in Council, stating that a certain individual has been appointed to a... non-judicial post, not later than five sitting days after the Order in Council is published in the Canada Gazette. The same shall be deemed to have been referred to a standing committee specified at the time of tabling, pursuant to Standing Order 32(6), for its consideration during a period not exceeding thirty sitting days.

During this period, the minister may be asked to provide the resume of the appointee, to show his or her ability to carry out the duties.

Committee members may ask that the appointee or the nominee appearsbefore them to answer their questions on the subject.

Where the Government intends to appoint an Officer of Parliament, the Clerk of the House or the Parliamentary Librarian, the name of the proposed appointee shall be deemed referred to the appropriate standing committee... not more than thirty days following the tabling of a document concerning the proposed appointment.

The committee then has thirty days to make a motion to ratify this person's appointment.

The purpose of the Bloc Quebecois motion is, therefore, met by the Standing Orders we already have. The Standing Orders are, in fact, even more complete than the Bloc motion, in that they apply not only to the appointments listed in the motion, but to all order in council appointments.

SInce this government came to power in 1993, it has proposed some 4,300 appointments. I strongly recommend that any members unfamiliar with the procedure take the time to get familiar with House of Commons Procedure and Practice by clerks Marleau and Montpetit.

As I have already pointed out, the wording of the Bloc Quebecois motion is still more limited than the Standing Orders. I would like to stress that point and also to make a detailled comparison.

The motion proposes that the appointments of ambassadors, consuls general and heads of regulatory bodies and Crown corporations should automatically be referred to committees. The Standing Orders provide for this, but as well includes all Deputy Minister appointments, which the Bloc Quebecois motion does not specify. The Standing Orders do.

The motion also refers to administrators of regulatory bodies such as the CRTC, the Canadian Transportation Agency and the National Energy Board.

Some quasi-judiciary appointments are proposed based on House precedent, namely appointments to the Employment Insurance Board of Referees, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, and the Canadian Human Rights Commission. There is no mention of these whatsoever in this motion.

The present Standing Orders are, therefore, in line with the motion presented today. They are, however, more thorough, because they do not apply only to the appointments listed in the motion, but to all appointments by order in council.

Why are we being asked to address this motion today? We also need to ask ourselves whether we want to adopt an American-style system, which will politicize the appointment process and lead us to the media frenzies my colleagues have already mentioned.

The McGrath committee, which proposed changes to the Standing Orders, analyzed this system. They told us it was not desirable in Canada—

[Man Booker Prize, October 29th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Yann Martel for winning the coveted Man Booker Prize on October 24 for his book Life of Pi . The prize is awarded for the best work of fiction. It is one of the most prestigious literary prizes in the world and symbolizes the ultimate recognition of a work.

After having travelled for several years throughout Europe and Canada, Yann Martel studied philosophy at Trent University and began writing. His second novel, Life of Pi , is a story of adventure and a reflection on religion and the nature of animals, the two-footed, and the four-footed kind. According to Martel, “it is a story that will make you believe in God, or question your lack of faith”.

Canada remains a force to be contended with in the field of literature throughout the world. We are proud of our authors and of all of our artists.

[Literacy, October 25th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday was Literacy Day on Parliament Hill. As we know, reading and writing skills are key to individual growth and development.

Could the minister inform the House of the role played by the Government of Canada in supporting literacy organizations such as Alpha Laval and in ensuring that all Canadians have the necessary skills to participate actively in the knowledge-based economy?

[National Block Parent Week, October 25th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, this is National Block Parent Week. This organization works to prevent crime in our country.

Through its distinctive red and white sign in the window of homes, Block Parent helps out hundreds of Canadians every year. Whether children, seniors or others who are lost, frightened, or in distress, everyone benefits from the services of the Block Parent program.

The commitment of some 50,000 volunteers enhances the security and compassion of Canada's communities. It is important to acknowledge their contribution and their importance.

I wish to pay tribute to the Block Parent volunteers. Knowing they are there is most reassuring.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, October 3rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask a question to my colleague. I read eloquent articles in Le Devoir concerning his position on the drug addiction issue and, particularly, on the decriminalization or rather the legalization of marijuana.

Could my colleague clarify somewhat his thoughts on what the throne speech says on this?

[Africa, May 30th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, Africa will be on the agenda during the Kananaskis summit, on June 26 and 27.

Could the Secretary of State for Latin America, Africa and the Francophonie tell us what he is currently doing to make Canadians aware of this issue?

[Prix Galien Canada Research Award, May 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to congratulate the three recipients of the Prix Galien Canada research award, who were honoured last night in Montreal.

They are, first, Drs. Julia Levy and David Dolphin of British Columbia, for Visydune, a drug used to fight blindness and distributed in 52 countries, and Dr. Anthony J. Paulson, for his drug, Gleevec, used to treat leukemia.

The Galien Canada award is a prestigious honour in the field of pharmaceutical research and innovation. Galien, also known as Galen and Claudius Galenus, is considered the father of experimental physiology and the precursor of modern pharmacology.

The Government of Canada's $7.4 billion contribution to research and development was also celebrated by the industry, particularly for the creation of the institutes for health research, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, Genome Canada and the research chairs.

I congratulate—