Dick Harris

[Supply, May 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, we could accept the changes the Liberal government put forward in criminal justice programs if they were concrete steps, if they were steps that moved the prevention of crime ahead. There has been little more than tinkering done with the justice system since 1993 and prior thereto.

The member talked about how the Reform Party would not support some of the justice bills that were brought in by the Liberal government. The reason for that, and he knows it very well, is that within all the pages of changes there might be one minute piece of legislation, one clause that we could consider to be something that was a positive step. The rest was simply window dressing. In many cases it was a backward step in dealing with criminals and the crime situation. That is why we could not support the Liberal bills.

He talked about Bill C-41. There was one small good part in it which, if they had separated it out, we would have supported. They would not do that and we had to vote against the bill.

[Supply, May 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. Is it appropriate for the minister herself to say no, that she would not extend the—

[Supply, May 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I seek the unanimous consent of the House to extend this portion of the debate. We have the minister with us. I am sure the minister would love to be here for an extended time to answer the many questions—

[Supply, May 26th, 1998]

Madam Speaker, listening to the NDP member makes it very clear to me why we have such an unacceptable level of crime in this country.

It also makes it very clear to me that the Liberal philosophy on justice—and the Liberals have held power in this country for the majority of the last 30 years—is the reason we have crime in this country to the extent we have.

The NDP member talked about the rampant gang related crime in Winnipeg. He talked about personal instances where he was affected directly, yet he offers no solutions. Why does the member not suggest that perhaps the authorities should go after the people who are committing the crimes and put a stop to them?

All we hear from the NDP and from the Liberal government are phrases like “We have to look into it. We have to do this. We should do this. We must do this”. When is the government going to start saying “We will do this”? Better yet, just do it. Start addressing crime in this country like it should be addressed, instead of talking about it with weak kneed analysts and advisors who tell the government that the protection of society and the people of this country is not the main priority of the criminal justice system, but rather it is the protection and rehabilitation of criminals and their reintegration into society.

Where do the law-abiding citizens come into this fuzzy, feel good attitude of the Liberals toward crime?

The Liberal government talks about the new legislation that is coming in. There is no legislation. There is only more talk. The NDP is already supporting this more talk philosophy. There is nothing happening from the Liberal government. Yet the NDP is already supporting it.

It is this type of philosophy that we have had in the House for the last 30 years. It has brought the country to the crime ridden state that exists. Until we change things it will go on. It will simply not stop.

How on earth can the member stand there and talk about the gang related crime in the inner cities without offering any solutions about what to do with the people committing the crimes?

[Supply, May 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. We are quite willing to listen to the hon. member make her presentation, but she is misleading the House because there is no legislation.

[Petitions, May 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am pleased to present a petition from citizens of Prince George—Bulkley Valley and also from Prince George—Peace River who are concerned about the growing trend of explicit public nudity and the effect it is having on children.

There are laws in Canada to protect our children against this form of nudity in all media, but currently there are no laws protecting our children in public places.

Therefore, the petitioners call on parliament to enact legislation to amend the Criminal Code, specifically subsections 173 and 174, the indecent act and public nudity provisions, to clearly state that a woman exposing nudity in a public place, her breasts in particular, is an indecent act.

The petition is signed by several hundred petitioners from our ridings.

[Supply, May 5th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, it is quite a chore to sit and listen to the hon. member across deliver, and I am trying to think of the word for it but I guess it was a diatribe on how the Liberal government and particularly his hero the Minister of Health were the ones that were the leaders in getting compensation for the hep C victims.

The member forgot that the Minister of Health only obtained compensation for half of them. What about the other half? That has been the question in this House for the last two or three weeks. What about the ones that were so conveniently forgotten by this disgraced Liberal health minister and his colleagues? We watched the Minister of Health sink deeper and deeper into the pit of disgrace and we wondered whether he would have the courage to show his head again.

Just the other day when the provincial governments were talking about how they wanted to take a second look at the forgotten hep C victims, the Minister of Health and the Prime Minister had the audacity to condemn the provincial health ministers for the compassion they were showing to the forgotten hep C victims. That was disgraceful. The Minister of Health had the gall to label their compassion as the lowest form of cynicism. The actions by the Minister of Health and the Liberal Party toward these hep C victims is, in a word, reprehensible. They should be ashamed of themselves.

[Supply, May 5th, 1998]

When you lie you really take offence to it.

[Supply, May 5th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. While the Liberal member opposite was delivering his speech he made an accusatory statement against the Reform Party in which he said that we were exploiting the victims of hepatitis C—

[Supply, April 28th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I am surprised at the irresponsibility and the naivete of the member for Winnipeg—Transcona. I would like to remind him that this is a country of 30 million people who produce far more in a year than we could ever consume. Therefore it is an absolute necessity that Canada trade with other nations and take part in the global marketplace. That is what fuels the economy of this country.

In case the member does not know it, if it was not for the NAFTA and the free trade agreement right now the economy of this country would be in disastrous shape because we do not have a buoyant domestic market.