Marlene Jennings

[Criminal Code, February 3rd, 1998]

Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to address the bill introduced by the hon. member for Langley—Abbotsford.

As other speakers have pointed out, Bill C-211 seeks to amend the Criminal Code so as to make any breach of a condition of parole or statutory or temporary release an indictable offence. Therefore, a police officer would have the power to arrest, without a warrant, an offender under the federal legislation, if he has reasonable grounds to believe that the person has breached or is about to breach a condition of his parole.

Moreover, Bill C-211 would give a parole board the power, following the arrest of an offender, to release him or to ask a judge to keep him in custody until a warrant for his arrest is issued.

When we debated this legislation, on November 6, the hon. member for Langley—Abbotsford suggested that the proposed amendments were necessary, because police forces in Canada are currently unable to obtain a warrant, or to obtain it quickly enough to act effectively when offenders who come under federal jurisdiction fail to comply with the conditions of their parole.

I want to reassure the members of this House. These allegations are absolutely false. Again, I want to assure members opposite that these allegations are absolutely false. There are legislative provisions and mechanisms in place to allow our police forces to act quickly and effectively in this type of situation.

As far as the breach of conditions of parole, statutory or temporary release, as well as the prevention of such breaches, are concerned, let me say that the legislative provisions currently in effect already give correctional authorities all the powers, and I mean all the powers, necessary to suspend an offender's parole. This makes it possible for a police officer to arrest the offender and to place him in custody.

As for an offender who has received permission for an unescorted temporary release, a suspension warrant may be issued if the reasons for which the permission was issued have changed or no longer exist, or if there is fresh information which would have altered the initial decision if available at the time it was made.

[Ice Storm, February 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to thank all of the residents of my riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine for their courage, generosity, patience, good humour and, in particular, their true commitment to our community during the 1998 ice storm.

I am truly proud to represent NDG—Lachine. I would also like to personally thank the mayors of Lachine, St-Pierre, Montreal West and City Councillor Michael Applebaum, the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, hydro workers, our magnificent Canadian Armed Forces, the NDG Community Council, Ville St-Pierre's Club Optimist and the many wonderful municipal and volunteer workers who tirelessly worked throughout the storm to ensure that each and every resident of NDG—Lachine was kept warm, fed and safe.

Finally, let me publicly thank the Chinese community of Vancouver and Mr. Hansom Lau for raising $18,000 and GE Canada for its $50,000 donation to the Red Cross relief fund.

[Privilege, December 11th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the unanimous consent of the House to put a motion in the House today.

[Privilege, December 11th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I move: That article 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights—

[Canada Foundation For Innovation, December 9th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I could have torn off my clothes when I heard about the PQ government's threat to cut funding to universities and research centres that receive subsidies from the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

However, like a good Liberal, I refrained from doing so. Instead, I will put a question to the Minister of Industry: How will he reassure the universities and researchers who are being threatened and blackmailed by the PQ government?

[Tax Evasion, December 8th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly embrace the notion that my Quebec is unique from the rest of Canada but I cannot believe that Quebec is unique from the rest of Canada when it comes to tax fraud by restaurants using high tech software tools to conceal real sales figures and taxes.

I want to know what the Minister of National Revenue is doing about this kind of tax evasion across Canada.

[Violence Against Women, December 3rd, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians will be honouring the memory of the 14 young women who lost their lives in 1989 at the hands of a stranger at Montreal's Ecole polytechnique, just because they were female.

Every year, December 6 marks the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, to ensure that no one ever forgets this tragic moment in our history.

According to Statistics Canada, half of the women in Canada have been the victim of at least one act of physical or sexual violence after the age of 16. Behind each statistic is someone's mother, sister or daughter, someone just like any of the 14 young women whose memory we will be honouring on December 6.

Violence continues. We will, however, use this day to remind ourselves that the efforts of all Canadian men and women are required if the attitudes that perpetuate violence and prevent women from attaining full equality in our society are to be changed.

[Terrorism, December 1st, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday afternoon, in my riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, the vice-president of the Lachine Committee for Canadian Unity, Hélène Tobin, and her family were the victims of attempted murder and arson. Someone had planted a home-made bomb in front of the door of the house. Fortunately, the bomb did not explode.

Mrs. Tobin is the latest target of the undemocratic persons who promote terrorism to advance political causes. These terrorists represent neither my Quebec nor my Canada, and I strongly condemn them.

I therefore urge all persons who call themselves democrats and who believe that our Canadian democracy and our basic rights are precious and should be preserved to distance themselves clearly from this undemocratic and pro-violence movement.

[Jacques Parizeau, November 27th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, former separatist premier Jacques Parizeau had more to say about what he called ethnic communities and the defeat of his sovereignist option at the last referendum. Such remarks are unacceptable. We do not have different classes of citizens in Quebec, at least not in my Quebec.

I would like to quote a few comments made by Lucien Bouchard about his predecessor, Jacques Parizeau. He called him “A man of integrity and great conviction”. “We have been very happy allies so far”. “Few politicians act on the basis of a philosophy”. “This honest, intelligent, determined and experienced leader that Quebec needs”.

What the people of Quebec need is certainly not to have disgraceful, disparaging remarks made about them, their friends or their neighbours. Lucien Bouchard—

[Canadians, November 26th, 1997]

Multi-grained whole wheat. My colleague recalled to me multi-grained whole wheat bread. It is very good for us and full of fibre.

As the doctor will tell us and our mother will tell us, we need fibre in our diet every day. As Canadians we have that fibre.

It is really interesting to talk about how he wants to abolish the appellations, Italian Canadian, Greek Canadian, Jewish Canadian, Ukrainian Canadian. The point is we are all Canadian. As the hon. Secretary of State for Multiculturalism mentioned and stated quite clearly, people and individuals do not define themselves by one thing—