Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present the 16th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, on committee membership. With the House's consent, I intend to propose that the 16th Report be concurred in later today.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2008, with 39% of the vote.
Committees Of The House April 15th, 1994
Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present the 16th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, on committee membership. With the House's consent, I intend to propose that the 16th Report be concurred in later today.
Government Response To Petitions April 15th, 1994
Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to four petitions.
Order In Council Appointments April 15th, 1994
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages, a number of Order in Council appointments made by the government.
Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 110(1), these are deemed referred to the appropriate standing committees, a list of which is attached.
The Baha'Is April 15th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, the Baha'is are the largest religious minority in Iran, totalling 350,000 people. Religious beliefs are the only thing that differentiate the Baha'i from the rest of the Iranian population. Iran has classified these people as unprotected infidels and has engaged in their systematic persecution on the basis of religion.
Because of their religion Baha'is are denied basic human rights, including the right of redress or protection against assault, murder or other forms of persecution. Since 1979 there have been 201 Baha'i killed and 15 are missing and presumed dead. Baha'is are denied access to education and employment. Many have also lost their homes and savings. All of this persecution is designed to force the Baha'i to recant their faith.
Canada and the international community must continue to scrutinize the human rights situation in Iran and make every effort to encourage the full recognition of religious and human rights for the Baha'i in that country.
Income Tax Act April 15th, 1994
Madam Speaker, we will give unanimous consent to the proposition on the understanding that the question will be put on the motions by the conclusion of the time allotted for government orders this day.
Income Tax Act April 15th, 1994
No. I am on a point of order. Wait for your turn.
May I refer all members and you, Madam Speaker, to Standing Order 17:
Every Member desiring to speak is to rise in his or her place, uncovered, and address the Speaker.
It is vital that members rise. No one rose to debate. We sat here and called for the question and finally after a lengthy delay-I submit a more than adequate delay-Your Honour put the question to the House. The question was put, the votes were called for, and then members realized after the vote had been called for that there was a problem because they wanted to debate.
There is a third reading on this bill. Members will have ample opportunity to debate the bill at third reading. We have had three days on the bill already. I do not understand why there is an objection now, after the vote has been taken, when none of them
was here ready to debate when the order was called at ten o'clock.
It is not the responsibility of the government to do more than make the opportunity available. It was available. The members failed to show up and now they are complaining about it. Madam Speaker, you cannot be responsible for their tardiness.
Income Tax Act April 15th, 1994
Madam Speaker, there is obviously a problem here this morning but, in my opinion, the problem is not on the government side.
When the House met, you called for debate on the question before the House, on this bill at second reading, twice. Yes, you called for debate twice and you even called on a member who was not in the House to start the debate. The member was not here. Only two Bloc members were here in the House. And I am sure that these two members could not have participated in the debate because the member for Richmond-Wolfe has already delivered his speech on this bill; he cannot make another one.
Budget Implementation Act, 1994 April 15th, 1994
Madam Speaker, in case a vote is called for, I wonder if there would be unanimous consent of the House to defer the taking of the vote until 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday next.
Co-Operative Housing April 14th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce for the opportunity to reply on behalf of the Minister of Justice to this most important question that he raised.
Canadians are very concerned about violence and especially about violence involving firearms. They have every right to be so concerned. As recent incidents have shown there is a need for
strict gun control in Canada. I am sure hon. members of the House share this worry.
After the tragic deaths of 14 young engineering students in 1989, almost 600,000 Canadians signed a petition calling for stronger legislation controlling firearms. Now the House has been presented with another petition in response to yet another tragedy.
I join with all members of the House in sorrow and sympathy. Our sorrow is not just for the victims of these tragic incidents and their families but for the victims of violence everywhere. We share their grief because in many ways it is our own. Violence in society is a tragedy not only for the victims but for all of us. It affects the quality of our lives and the way in which we live them.
Canadians expect more than sympathy from the government on the matter. They expect us to take measures to address their legitimate concerns. It is a tall order but one which we must take very seriously. As hon. members already know, the Minister of Justice is aware of the problem and is looking at ways to address it.
In addition to specific changes, the government is also looking at longer term crime prevention strategies. It is the view of the government that reacting to crime with harsher punishments will not serve to eliminate crime. We must try to address the root causes and to respond to crime as a social problem rather than on a case by case basis.
Finally, the voices of those Canadians who signed the petitions calling for strict controls on firearms and other weapons will be heard. We must be willing to look at any gun control option if it will improve safety and help prevent the kind of tragedies we have seen recently.
Every option should be carefully considered and decisions will be made. That is the obligation of the government and I want to assure the House that the government will take its responsibilities very seriously.
Co-Operative Housing April 14th, 1994
Madam Speaker, it is with pleasure that, on behalf of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, I will answer to the question raised by my colleague from Verchères. He knows very well that his arguments are unfounded.
First, I would like to make a point: the selection of athletes for the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team is ultimately the responsibility of Hockey Canada, not that of the federal government.
Hockey Canada has a very vast network of connections which allows it to be aware of the availability of players. The organization is in constant contact with coaches, scouts, league managers, agents and player representatives, team owners and managers. It consults these resource-persons regularly in order to stay aware of the schedule and the hours to which the players must conform.
The majority of the players are professional and Hockey Canada had the task of dealing with numerous National Hockey League clubs, European hockey leagues, and universities and colleges in Canada and the United States for the services of the players, not always an easy task.
The Olympic hockey team that played at the winter games in Lillehammer had 23 players, including two francophones from outside Quebec, Adrian Aucoin and Chris Thérien. Jean-Yves Roy, from Rosemère in Quebec, presently with the New York Rangers, was also a member of that team.
It is not true that there were no Quebeckers on Canada's Olympic hockey team. Many Quebec players were considered for the team, but were not retained, primarily because they simply were not available.
A number of factors influence the formation of the Olympic team. Certainly the team rose to the occasion meeting the challenge imposed by the Olympics.
The players showed great determination and unparalleled team spirit. Throughout the country, their achievements were a source of pride and admiration. That is what is most important, in my opinion, for Canadians.