Allan Rock

[Department Of Justice, June 2nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the hon. member that public safety should not be compromised on any basis. I insist that in this case it was not.

The agents who were appointed are competent for the task for which they have been retained. As to the comments of the police officers, I know only what I have read in the press and what has been quoted by the hon. member.

I can say that any concerns anyone in the administration of justice system has about the quality of any of our agents can be communicated to the regional office and their comments will be considered; but we are satisfied that the agents we have in place are competent to carry out work on behalf of the people of Canada.

[Department Of Justice, June 2nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, in British Columbia, as in the case of all other provinces where legal agents were appointed, suggested names for appointment were sent to the regional offices of the Department of Justice where they were vetted. We asked the regional justice offices whether they were satisfied the persons under consideration were competent for the work that was intended.

In the case of the agents under discussion, as in the case of all others who were appointed, the regional offices expressed their view that the individuals were competent for the work that was intended to be given to those lawyers.

If the hon. member will look at the record of agents appointed across the country he will find that in many cases agents appointed during the last regime are still doing work. Their appointments have been continued by the government because we thought they were appropriate to carry on the work in those cases.

[Human Rights, June 2nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, in fairness the member will know that the judgment of the court was released a week ago yesterday. As I mentioned, there are judgments both ways expressing a variety of views with respect to these matters and what flows from them.

The government should do what it is doing. It has reaffirmed its commitment to amend the human rights act. It is also going to look at the implications of the judgment. It is going to consult with caucus and determine the position that we will take on the wide variety of issues that arise on the subject of sexual orientation.

[Human Rights, June 2nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has referred to the recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Canada in which the court considered the equality provisions in section 15 of the charter as they relate to sexual orientation.

For the first time the court pointed out that sexual orientation is an analogous ground under the charter for the purposes of that section. We are considering the judgment. More than one judgment was issued by the court in its analysis and the judges expressed a variety of views.

Quite apart from the judgment, the government has long recognized the importance of amending the human rights act to provide that sexual orientation cannot be a basis on which discrimination occurs. We have long since made the commitment to do just that.

[Farm Improvement And Marketing Co-Operatives Loans Act, June 2nd, 1995]

moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.

[Farm Improvement And Marketing Co-Operatives Loans Act, June 2nd, 1995]

moved that the bill be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to.)

[Contraventions Act, June 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I well remember the delightful day I spent in the hon. member's riding last June. I remember the very pleasant meeting I had with the Muskoka Lakes Boating Association. I also recall that we discussed the Contraventions Act which is a statute passed in October 1992 by Parliament but not yet proclaimed in force.

The idea behind the Contraventions Act is to permit the enforcement of federal statutes by a ticketing scheme administered by officials at all levels of government.

We had hoped that statute would be proclaimed in force this month but through discussions with the provinces we have found that changes to the statute will be necessary in order for us to take advantage of the provincial contraventions procedures and save the taxpayers money. Therefore it will not come into force this June.

I can say that officials of the federal Department of Transport are in discussions with provincial authorities to see that there is effective supervision and enforcement on lakes this summer so safety of boaters is assured in the meantime.

[Government Appointments, June 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, when the government goes to the legal profession to hire agents to help us with legal cases the fundamental criterion is competence and merit. That is as true in

British Columbia as it is in Newfoundland and as it is here in Ontario.

I take this opportunity to tell the hon. member that during the last 18 months this government has made a number of significant changes in the way we retain agents in the legal profession to do work for us. They are changes that are very much in line with the principles he has described.

For example, there has been a significant decrease in government expenditures on agents. Spending was reduced by 25 per cent in 1994 compared to 1993, when the other government was in power. The number of agents was reduced over the country from 550 to 400. Agents have been replaced by staff counsel-

[Child Support Payments, May 29th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, while the judgment of the Supreme Court of Canada last week in the Thibaudeau case may have resolved the question with respect to the constitutionality of the present tax system in relation to child support, it remains for the government to determine whether that system is the fairest and most effective in providing for children.

I have been working with my colleagues, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Human Resources Development and the Minister of National Revenue and the Secretary of State for the Status of Women in reviewing not only the tax system but the importance of enforcement mechanisms as well, as the hon. member has pointed out.

We have also looked at and published proposals for the establishment of guidelines to assist in the determination of the amount of child support to be paid, depending on the income of the parties.

Before the House rises at the end of June, we hope to put before the House proposals for change in those areas.

[Human Rights, May 19th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, what is not an issue is the commitment of the government to the changes in the human rights act to which the hon. member has referred.

I must tell the hon. member today, as I have in the past, that commitment remains unchanged. We have long recognized the need to amend the human rights act as he has suggested, not only to add sexual orientation as a ground upon which discrimination is prohibited but in a variety of other important ways. This is to bring that act up to date to reflect improvements that have been introduced in provincial legislation on the same subject, to meet the needs identified by the chief commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, and to fulfil commitments the government has made. We will indeed proceed with those changes.