National Defence  Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister and reflects my genuine concern with decision making in the House. Could the Deputy Prime Minister explain how and if the parliamentary debate held last week on cruise missile testing had any influence on the government's subsequent decision on this matter?

National Defence  A supplementary question, Mr. Speaker. I raise this issue to determine the relevance of these open debates. My party and I applaud any steps taken by the government to make Parliament more relevant. Could the Deputy Prime Minister tell the House if the debate had ended with a motion and a vote to curtail cruise missile testing, would the government have bowed to the will of this House?

Tobacco Products  Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister. The issue of whether to lower cigarette taxes is especially complex and divisive because there are many other issues involved, including health care and crime to name but two. Since the convictions of members on this issue do not follow party lines, will the Deputy Prime Minister allow members of her government to vote on cigarette taxes without considering it a confidence vote?

Tobacco Products  Mr. Speaker, if members of the government vote according to their conscience or according with their constituents' wishes on the issue of cigarette taxes, can the Deputy Prime Minister assure the House they will not be disciplined?

Elections Act  Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister. On Wednesday the Prime Minister said that he believed the restrictions on free speech contained in the contested gag law are compatible with democracy. He said that there are a lot of people who want to influence the outcome of an election but "do not have the guts to run for Parliament".

Elections Act  Mr. Speaker, I have a supplementary question for the Deputy Prime Minister. Political parties are not on an even footing and political parties have a financial advantage over private individuals in an election campaign. Does the minister believe that Canadians should have to fight all the way to the Supreme Court to defend their right to freedom of expression during an election?

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister. One of the few mechanisms which the Canadian public has for making direct input into the House of Commons is through the use of petitions. Yet petitions seem to be simply tabled here and left to collect dust. There is no mechanism whereby they can be debated or acted upon directly.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, surely some of these things are important to the government, not just the opposition ranks. My supplementary question is for the Deputy Prime Minister. Would she allow debate on just one petition pertaining to the credibility of Parliament and public trust in this particular institution, namely the petition that is currently circulating in the riding of Markham-Whitchurch-Stouffville?

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the minister updating the House on this particular dispute. Would the minister give us a clear answer on the broader question as to whether his department responsible for agriculture-whether your department and you as the minister favour legislating-

Agriculture  Does the minister's department favour declaring grain handling to be an essential service? Could the minister advise the House on that point?

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, I have a further supplementary question. I am sure the minister does not want to see agricultural producers left twisting in the wind. Previous governments have legislated an end, as the minister knows, to particular grain handling disputes on the west coast. Would the minister recommend similar action in this case and within what timeframe?

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture. It is reported that negotiations to end the labour dispute on the west coast have broken down. As the minister knows this is not the first time labour disputes on the west coast have completely disrupted the movement of resources and products to market, to the detriment and well-being of thousands of farmers on the prairies and other producers.

Immigration  Mr. Speaker, unlike the position on immigration put forward by the Reform Party earlier this week in response to the speech by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration on immigration levels, we wish to emphasize in this House that the Bloc Quebecois is open to immigration.

House Of Commons  The various points of view have helped me to better understand this great country. I especially congratulate my hon. colleagues across the floor, the Bloc and the Reform. They have spoken with conviction and passion. I doubt if there is a country in the world that would permit such a free exchange of ideas, ideas sometimes that call into question the very fabric of this nation.

Beaver River Constituency  Mr. Speaker, I would like to make reference to the recent proposal by the federal Electoral Boundaries Commission of Alberta. It was released last Monday and suggests adding one new riding to Calgary. To facilitate this it proposes enlarging the Vegreville, Crowfoot, Athabasca and Elk Island ridings and totally eliminating the riding of Beaver River, which has only been in existence since the 1988 election.