Peter Milliken

[Questions Passed As Orders For Return, June 12th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, contrary to what the hon. member suggested, timetabling and organizing House business is an important aspect of government. In the case of these bills, the official opposition and the government agreed that six hours was quite a reasonable time to debate the gun control bill at the two stages, and that is what we have agreed to do.

The government has not opposed this unilaterally, and I know the hon. member knows that and would not want to think that the government was acting unilaterally in cutting off debate, but we are trying to organize the time between now and the end of the session. Part of the duty of organizing that time involves getting answers to questions.

I can tell the hon. member that a draft answer to this question has been seen. It was inaccurate. It is being corrected and will be available soon for the hon. member.

[Questions Passed As Orders For Return, June 12th, 1995]

I would ask that all other questions be allowed to stand.

[Questions Passed As Orders For Return, June 12th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, if Question No. 185 could be made an order for return, the return would be tabled immediately.

[Firearms Act, June 12th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I think you might find unanimous consent to consider that all the questions have been put, a division demanded and deferred.

I think you would be able to follow this procedure throughout the day if we reach the end of a group, simply to save time in the House. In other words, we will have a vote on them at the end of the day. There is no need to call the yeas and nays at this point and then defer the vote.

[Firearms Act, June 12th, 1995]

I rise on a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the extraordinary number of amendments and in view of the fact there is a limit on the debate today, I think you would find unanimous consent to deem the motions in each group put to the House when they have been put as you have just said.

If you indicate to the House that we will be debating Motions x , y and z , the motions would then be before the House for debate without your having to read the motions to the House. They are deemed moved and seconded.

Similarly this evening, when it comes to the votes, the same would apply. The Speaker could say the question before the House is on Motion No. 26, for example, and the vote would follow on that motion without having to put the motion. It would save us a lot of time today in view of the very large number of motions.

[Government Response To Petitions, June 9th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages and pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), the government's response to 21 petitions.

[Business Of The House, June 9th, 1995]

I am sorry that hon. members do not have copies. Anyway, I would like to quote from their leader before my time runs out.

"People make assumptions that we are eccentric, that we have weird baggage on policy, that we are extreme and that we are separatists. We are not extreme. We are not crazy. We are not separatists." That is the hon. member for Calgary Southwest.

With great respect, hon. members opposite are asking us to substitute Reform policy for Liberal policy. The Liberal Party, as a government elected on principles outlined in the red book, will not do that. I ask hon. members to stop asking for that. Vote against these bills if members want to do so, but for heaven's sake, recognize that the government has an obligation to do what it said it would do.

If the Reform Party were in government I hope they would try to live up to their promises, as we are succeeding in living up to ours.

[Business Of The House, June 9th, 1995]

I did. I read the title to the hon. member. It says: "The Little Book of Reform: The Gospel According to Preston Manning and the Reform Party". It is published by Little Red Book, Arsenal Pulp Press. It is compiled by Christopher Gudgeon and Mark Leiren-Young.

[Business Of The House, June 9th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I understand the members' discomfort. They are simply trying to run out my time.

[Business Of The House, June 9th, 1995]

I will read one more quote from the leader: "People make assumptions that we are eccentric, that we have weird baggage"-