Jack Ramsay

[Gun Control, November 29th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, on September 22 of this year the justice minister said in response to a question I asked him: "We read the report recently about the defects in the present registration system for restricted firearms and the need to improve the registration".

Was the Minister of Justice referring to the justice department report covering the review of the present handgun registration system submitted by Mr. Terence Wade or is there more than one report outlining the defects of Canada's registration system for handguns?

[Budgetary Policy, November 28th, 1994]

Who?

[Gun Control, November 28th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, my supplementary question is for the same department.

The Minister of Justice has not tabled the Terence Wade report with the standing committee on justice. He has not made it available to the public and the departmental officials have refused to release the report to members of Parliament.

Is the reason the report is being concealed the fact that it contains a devastating condemnation of the current handgun registration system, which not only reveals its failure to reduce the criminal use of handguns but also exposes the uselessness of the minister's plan to expand this failed registration system to rifles and shotguns?

[Gun Control, November 28th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice.

On September 22 of this year the minister said in response to a question I asked him: "We read the report recently about the defects in the present registration system for restricted firearms and the need to improve the registration".

Was the minister referring to the justice department report covering the review of the present handgun registration system submitted by Mr. Terence Wade, or is there more than one report outlining the defects of Canada's handgun registration system?

[Employment, November 28th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, last Friday it was implied both inside the House and outside that I would preclude women with children from working in my office because I was concerned that their family responsibilities would impair their ability to do their job.

That is simply not the case. I apologize for failing to make my position clear in my comments in the standing committee. Two of my staff are married women with children and I oppose bias in hiring, particularly on marital grounds. I asked applicants during the interview stage about their family situation but this was not a factor in the hiring decision. I selected people on the basis of their qualifications and experience.

I now understand this is against the rules and I will refrain from doing so in the future. However I think it is sad that an employer cannot discuss an employee's family situation to arrange support for them during family sickness or emergency.

[Smuggling, November 25th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, in the Auditor General's 1993 report it was indicated that police forces are concerned that a serious firearms smuggling problem exists and appears to be increasing.

Inasmuch as this government has been unable to stop the smuggling of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol into this country, how does the Minister of National Revenue propose to stop or reduce the smuggling of guns into this country?

[Supply, November 22nd, 1994]

Give it up, Don. You are losing, Don.

[Supply, November 22nd, 1994]

Unsuccessfully.

[Petitions, November 21st, 1994]

Madam Speaker, the second petition is from people who believe that if section 241 of the Criminal Code was struck down or amended the protection of our most vulnerable members of society would no longer exist and the disabled, the terminally ill, the depressed, the chronically ill and the elderly would feel an implied pressure to end their lives.

They therefore ask that Parliament not repeal or amend section 241 in any way and that it uphold the Supreme Court of Canada decision of September 30, 1993, to disallow assisted suicide.

[Petitions, November 21st, 1994]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I would like to present two petitions today, both of which I support.

The first is signed by over 300 constituents of Crowfoot. The petitioners would like to draw our attention to the fact that a natural and fundamental relationship exists between grandparents and grandchildren. However, grandparents as a consequence of the death, separation or divorce of their children are often denied access to their grandchildren by their guardians.

Therefore, they call upon Parliament to amend the Divorce Act to include a provision similar to article 6(11) of the Quebec civil code which states: "In no case may a father or mother without serious cause place obstacles between the child and grandparents" so that grandparents who are granted access to a child have the right to make inquiries and be given information as to the health, education and welfare of the child.