Peter Milliken

[French Language Media, June 1st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the sleazy tactics of the separatist element in the Quebec media have been exposed.

Mme Ginette Johnson, chair of the French language section of the Kingston, Frontenac-Lennox and Addington County Roman Catholic Separate School Board, was contacted by media outlets concerning the French language secondary school in Kingston. She indicated to the media: "I told them I felt this was not a language issue. After that they were not interested in talking to me".

There are separatists in the French language media in our country who have aligned themselves with the Bloc Quebecois in an effort to poison relations between Canada's two largest linguistic groups.

Mrs. Johnson also let the office of the Leader of the Opposition know her position when she was called earlier this week.

The situation in Kingston is clearly a controversy over planning between the city council and the school board. It is not a dispute about language rights but the right to establish a French school in our community.

The attempts by some elements of the media to suggest otherwise are dishonest. The use of this material by the Leader of the Opposition and his colleagues is deceitful.

[Questions Passed As Orders For Returns, May 31st, 1994]

I ask, Mr. Speaker, that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.

[Questions Passed As Orders For Returns, May 31st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, if Question No. 7 could be made an Order for Return, the return would be tabled immediately.

[Questions On The Order Paper, May 31st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the following question will be answered today: No. 34.

Question No. 34-

[Points Of Order, May 31st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. When Bill C-18 was reported to this House from the Senate the note in Votes and Proceedings for that day, I believe it was a week ago Wednesday, indicated that the message had been received from the Senate informing this House that the Senate had passed Bill C-18 with amendments. The amendments were not printed as part of the text of Votes and Proceedings and I am concerned that it is very difficult for members to have to order a sessional paper in order to see the text of these amendments.

In our own House when there are amendments moved at the report stage of a bill the text of the amendments, of course, appears in Votes and Proceedings as part of the minutes of the day. I suggest that while many may regard the proceedings in the Senate as irrelevant and unimportant, in this particular case they have some importance for this House and it would be convenient if members were able to read the text of the amendments in Votes and Proceedings . Otherwise members have to go through some difficulty to obtain copies.

My own committee has approved changes in the way that Votes and Proceedings is prepared, designed to save money and eliminate duplication of printing. The Senate amendments are not printed in any other House documentation and I do not know whether Your Honour has ever tried to get minutes of the Senate. I have tried to subscribe for the five or six years that I have been in this place, and I cannot get them delivered on a regular basis.

They are very difficult to obtain and I could send a staff member to the distribution office to get a copy but that seems needless trouble every day. That is what I am expected now to do; at least that is the only way I seem to be able to obtain the minutes of the Senate.

In the absence of a printed record I suggest that it would be entirely appropriate to have Senate amendments printed in the Votes and Proceedings and I would ask Your Honour to direct the amendments to Bill C-18 be printed as a correction to the Votes and Proceedings for the day on which the matter was reported so that they will be recorded then and for the future in our proceedings so we can see what amendments the Senate makes to Commons bills when it decides in its wisdom to make changes.

I know there are many members who feel it inappropriate for the Senate to make changes to Commons bills, but the fact is that it does happen from time to time and we do have to tolerate this inconvenience. I do think it ought to be brought to our attention in our Votes and Proceedings when a message is received from the Senate indicating that there is such a change.

[Questions On The Order Paper, May 30th, 1994]

I ask, Mr. Speaker, that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.

[Questions On The Order Paper, May 30th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, Question No. 37 will be answered today.

Question No. 37-

[Order In Council Appointments, May 30th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table today in the House, in both official languages, a number of order in council appointments which were recently made by the government.

Pursuant to Standing Order 110(1), these are deemed referred to the appropriate standing committees, a list of which is attached.

[Questions On The Order Paper, May 27th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

[Committees Of The House, May 27th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, with leave from the House, I move that the 23rd report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, which was tabled in the House today, be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to.)