Garry Breitkreuz

[The Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act, October 9th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, it appears by the member's speech and his reference to early American history that he strongly supports property rights. If he were really serious about this, he would do something meaningful in that regard and would urge his government to support strengthening property rights in Canada, but that has not occurred. Federally the legislation in that regard needs to be changed.

Why does his government not support the strengthening of property rights in Canada, rather than this approach which makes a mockery of the Canadian Parliament?

[Questions On The Order Paper, October 9th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I rise again to ask the government House leader when I can expect to receive an answer to my questions on the Order Paper, Nos. Q-4 and Q-52.

I requested an answer to both questions within 45 days. As of today, Q-4 has been outstanding for 225 days and Q-52 has been outstanding for 147 days.

Instead of giving answers to my questions, the government complains that the questions are too complex, even intimating that it should consider restricting an MP's right to ask such questions. That concerns me. Frankly, if the government was as interested in gun control, public safety and fighting the deficit as it says it is, it should have the answers to these questions at their fingertips.

I am willing to compromise with the government. Give me the information that you have obtained so far, and I will give you more time to answer it. Give me the information that you already have. If you need more time to get some information on the remaining items, I am willing to make that compromise. Would you be willing to agree to that?

[Petitions, October 9th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the fourth group of petitions I am pleased to present are 14 petitions signed by 300 concerned Canadians from the provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. They wish to draw to the attention of Parliament that over 100,000 therapeutic

abortions are performed each year in Canada at a cost of over $50 million per year.

These petitioners and all Canadians deserve to have a voice in how their health care dollars are spent and which health care procedures they consider essential.

The petitioners call on Parliament to support a binding national referendum to be held at the time of the next general election to determine whether or not Canadians are in favour of federal government funding for abortion on demand.

[Petitions, October 9th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the third group of petitions I am pleased to present are signed by 227 concerned citizens from British Columbia to Nova Scotia who oppose the inclusion of the phrase sexual orientation in the human rights act or any other federal legislation.

These Canadian believe freedom from discrimination is already protected in the human rights act and by Canadian law.

[Petitions, October 9th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the second group of petitions that I present are signed by Canadian citizens from the province of Saskatchewan.

They request that Parliament amend the Criminal Code to ensure that sentences given to anyone convicted of driving while impaired or causing injury or death while impaired reflects both the severity of the crime and zero tolerance by Canada toward this crime.

[Petitions, October 9th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions and I have grouped them into four separate areas.

The first group of petition is signed by residents of Saskatchewan who address the House of Commons requesting that Parliament not amend the Constitution as requested by the Government of Newfoundland and that it refer the problem of educational reform back to the Government of Newfoundland for resolution by some other constitutional procedures.

[Justice, October 8th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, during the last election campaign, on page 84 of its red book, the government made a promise "to take strong measures against violent and degrading pornography". This was part of a larger strategy to attack the factors that led to domestic violence and sexual deviancy.

The government has done nothing to curb the production, sale or possession of violent, degrading pornography.

Why has the Minister of Justice gone back on his commitment to take strong measures against this sort of filth?

[Questions On The Order Paper, October 8th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask the government House leader when I can expect to receive an answer to my question on the Order Paper numbered Q-52.

I would like to give the House a little background. The question was placed on notice on May 16, 1996.

I requested an answer from the government within 45 days. As of today, 146 days have passed. The answer to this question is about the destruction of millions of dollars worth of assets by the government.

The government has established a pattern of not answering questions within the 45-day time frame. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I am asking how long you are going to allow this oversight to continue.

I have had another question on the Order Paper, Q-4, for a very long period of time. If the government does not provide me with this information to do my job, I am unable to represent my constituents in this House. That is the concern.

[Child Care, October 7th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, it becomes very obvious that the Liberals are better at making excuses than keeping their promises.

This government is preventing parents from giving the best possible care: parental care. Why do Liberals remove real choice by favouring institutional day care and why do they instead give phoney promises? The government is not creating equal opportunities for all parents, including those who stay at home to take care of their children.

[Child Care, October 7th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, page 38 of the Liberal red book promises: "In each year following a year of 3 per cent economic growth, a Liberal government will create 50,000 new child care spaces to a total of 150,000".

My question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development. How many day care spaces have been created as a result of that promise?