Jay Hill

[Points Of Order, February 14th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, if it is permissible I would ask for a further point of clarification from the hon. minister. Is he telling the House that the death of the two civilians, which has been described in some accounts as execution style, were not murders? Is this what he is telling the House?

[Points Of Order, February 14th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, a point of order.

[Divorce Act, February 14th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, just before we broke for question period I had directed a question to one of my colleagues who is not in the Chamber at the moment. Therefore I guess the proper procedure would be to continue with debate on the Senate amendments.

[Petitions, February 14th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 it is very appropriate and my pleasure to present a petition today on behalf of the citizens of Prince George-Peace River who have signed it because today Bill C-41 is back in the House.

Specifically the petitioners, among other things, call upon Parliament to decrease litigation in places where joint custody has been awarded automatically. Statistics show that in situations with greater access to the children there is an increase in compliance with support orders. The highest compliances are in cases where there is joint custody.

Therefore the petitioners call upon Parliament to enact legislation to protect the rights of children to be loved and parented by both parents, ensuring equitable enforcement programs and ensuring custodial arrangements are at least similar to the arrangements prior to separation.

[Somalia Inquiry, February 14th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, this Liberal government is guilty of political interference in its own judicial inquiry, an inquiry that is supposed to be independent.

The Liberals have broken their own promises to find the truth. They have betrayed the trust of the commissioners they appointed and they have betrayed the trust of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces who expect justice to be done at the top, not just at the bottom. The minister knew his decision would bury

the truth but Canadians will not let him. Again, why is he afraid of the truth coming out?

[Somalia Inquiry, February 14th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the defence minister tried to blame the murder cover-up on the Somalia commission by quoting very selectively from a letter that he tabled only this morning.

What the minister did not tell the House is how the letter proves that the minister knew his decision to shut down the inquiry would hide the truth and protect Liberal friends like Bob Fowler.

Canadians want to know who the minister is protecting and why he is afraid of the truth.

[Divorce Act, February 14th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to direct some comments to the my hon. colleague's brief remarks on such important legislation.

Having met with a lot of parents who have gone through a divorce where children were involved, I have often equated that unfortunate development in people's lives to the loss of a child. However, our court system today promotes a very adversarial environment and it affects the children of divorce. I believe the hon. member said that the primary focus has to be on the well-being of the children, the unintended victims of marriage breakdown and divorce.

I have endeavoured to address this issue and the greater issue of co-parenting and access to children. It is assumed that while a marriage is intact that both parents are good parents. That is the assumption of society. It is the assumption that both parents are worthy of raising their children. However, on the breakdown of a marriage somehow that assumption is thrown out the window.

I have introduced private member's Bill C-242 which calls on the government to introduce a system of joint custody in all cases, except where it can be shown that it is not in the best interests of the child or in the case of documented evidence of abuse or neglect which would preclude joint custody. I believe this would go a long way toward removing the adversarial approach in our court system. I would like my hon. colleague to comment on that.

[Somalia Inquiry, February 13th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps the defence minister's helmet is a bit tight. Let us be very clear on what we are talking about here. We are asking about evidence that suggests a cover-up of a murder at the highest possible levels.

What does the government have to hide? Why is it afraid of the truth coming out?

[Somalia Inquiry, February 13th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, Justice Létourneau, not Reform, accused the Prime Minister and the defence minister of political interference.

He said that he did not know what the political motivations might be for the government shutting down the inquiry and whitewashing the truth. There was a murder, a cover-up of the investigation, a whitewash and now, a cover-up of the cover-up: all conducted under the very nose of the government.

What is the government trying to hide?

[Liberal Government, February 12th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to expose some myths the finance minister is likely to float in the con job due out next Tuesday.

Myth: Liberals did not increase taxes. Thirty-five tax increases totalling $25 billion in tax revenue increases in just four years.

Myth: Liberals, the defenders of medicare. A 40 per cent cut in medicare transfers to the provinces.

Myth: Liberals concerned about child poverty. Seven billion dollars in cuts for health, education and welfare.

Myth: Jobs, jobs, jobs. There are 1.5 million unemployed and two to three million underemployed, the worst record since the great depression.

Myth: Good times for all. Record bankruptcies and consumer debt.

Myth: Getting the federal House in order. At least $10 billion of new debt, $600 billion in total debt and 90 per cent spending cuts in downloading to the provinces.

What Canadians need is a fresh start.