Petitions  Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I would like to present a petition from Canadians across the country who are concerned about what is happening in Latvia. Along with the member of Parliament for Parkdale-High Park, over 600 Canadians are asking Parliament to urge Russia to withdraw its troops from Latvia.

Questions On The Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, question No. 12 will be answered today. Question No. 12-

Questions On The Order Paper  Who were the members of the Canadian government's GATT negotiating team from June 1992 through to January 1994, what are their backgrounds and the positions they held prior to becoming members of the team and the dates of their appointments?

Committees Of The House  Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 12th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade. If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in this report later this day.

Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Suspension Act  moved for leave to introduce Bill C-18, an act to suspend the operation of the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

Committees Of The House  Mr. Speaker, with leave of the House, I move, seconded by the hon. member for Windsor West, that the twelfth report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs tabled earlier today now be concurred in.

Human Rights  Mr. Speaker, in its campaign for office, in its throne speech and in statements made subsequently in the House, the government has committed itself to amendments to the Human Rights Act which will add sexual orientation as a ground on which discrimination is prohibited. We intend to follow through on that commitment.

Kemano Project  Mr. Speaker, following a number of conversations I have had in the last few days, including a conversation yesterday with the member who has just put the question, I have been attempting to ascertain all of the facts with respect to the continuance of the hearings and the participation of all relevant groups.

Immigration  Mr. Speaker, if the member's experience is anything like mine then each day and each passing week brings a wide variety of representations by letter or by telephone on issues that face us. Of course it is no way in which to fashion public policy. What is important in fashioning public policy is meaningful consultation.

National Defence  Speaker, I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister a supplementary question regarding the MIL Davie shipyards. Could the Deputy Prime Minister tell us who in the government will be in charge of putting the case for the MIL Davie shipyards, one of the most important in Quebec, since the Minister of Finance, also responsible for regional development in Quebec, will not be in a position to uphold the campaign commitments of the Liberal Party due to his personal interests in marine transportation and to his reluctance to even talk about it to his Cabinet colleagues?

Unemployment  Mr. Speaker, I do not think that as a member of the government I am any less sensitive to the people in my riding who have lost their jobs than the member opposite. I accept the fact that every member in the House hurts when a person in their riding loses a job. The fact is that we need to put in place specific strategies on the one hand to make sure we are protecting the aged, the sick, and those people who have no chance, no means or no need to re-enter the workforce.

Members Of Parliament  Mr. Speaker, it is certainly the wish of the people of Canada that this place get down to serious business. I read comments attributed to the hon. member's leader in the newspaper this week where he suggests he feels compelled to introduce a code of conduct on drinking and running around.

Native Communities  Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is quite right when he says that there are no miracle cure for native communities' problems. There is not only one but several native communities in Canada, just as there are several anglophone communities. I think that the strategy adopted by the Department of Indian Affairs, which even tried to have its name changed because this paternalistic overtone did not reflect the place, the equal place native communities must have in our society, takes that into account.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, I wish to compliment the Minister of Finance for his commendable efforts in attempting to restore fiscal responsibility to the public finances of Canada. I acknowledge that the solution to the fiscal challenge confronting our country will not be without pain and that all segments of our country have been asked to share the burden.

Corporate And Bankruptcy Laws  Mr. Speaker, the purpose of the corporate and bankruptcy laws of Canada is to stimulate initiative and investment in our economy while avoiding the possibility of total personal financial ruin. It is unfortunate when business ventures fail through no fault of the individuals concerned, but it is outrageous when business failures are used as a means of defrauding creditors, investors, employees and governments.