CANADA VOLUME 134 S NUMBER 066 S 2nd SESSION S 35th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Thursday, June 20, 1996 Speaker: The Honourable Gilbert Parent CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) CORRIGENDA The following changes should be made to the May 29, 1996 issue of Hansard: At page 3131, righthand column, the heading ``Republic of Macedonia'' should read ``Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia''. At page 3137 of the English issue, the last complete paragraph in the righthand column should read: This brings me to the particular matter. I want to note at the outset that as soon as the department became aware that Mr. Thompson and Chief Justice Isaac had met, and as soon as the correspondence between the two came to light––and may I add that it was, in fact, Ted Thompson himself who informed department officials and showed them the said correspondence––the department, at Mr. Thompson’s re- quest, immediately provided copies of that correspondence to the lawyers acting for the three persons involved in the revocation cases pending before the federal court. The House of Commons Debates are also available on the Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 4143 HOUSE OF COMMONS Thursday, June 20, 1996 The House met at 10 a.m. [English] _______________ MERCHANT NAVY VETERAN AND CIVILIAN WAR-RELATED BENEFITS ACT Prayers _______________ Mr. Jack Frazer (Saanich—Gulf Islands, Ref.) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-320, an act to amend the Merchant Navy Veteran and Civilian War-related Benefits Act and the War Veter- ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS ans Allowance Act. [English] He said: Mr. Speaker, this bill is introduced to ensure that wartime Canadian merchant navy veterans will henceforth receive GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO PETITIONS equal standing, rights, privileges and benefits to those afforded to all Canadian navy, army and air force war veterans. Mr. Paul Zed (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, Current legislation limits recognition of merchant navy service pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in benefits to service on a high seas voyage. This bill will address this both official languages, the government’s response to 10 petitions. injustice by amending the definition of ‘‘high seas voyage’’ under the Merchant Navy Veteran and Civilian War-related Benefits Act * * * to include all areas where actual attacks by the enemy occurred. [Translation] The bill will also clarify the measurement criteria for time of INTERPARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION commencement and termination of service for the eligibility of merchant navy war veterans. Mr. Denis Paradis (Brome—Missisquoi, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to Current legislation excludes merchant navy service benefit the House, in both official languages, the report from the meeting eligibility from time of capture or the involuntary termination of of the permanent council of the Canada-France Inter-Parliamentary duty travel assignment which left them stranded overseas. For Association that took place in Paris, from May 20 to 23, 1996. example, half of the merchant navy prisoners of war held in the Far East who were captured after landfall fell into this category. * * * Further, this bill will amend the War Veterans Allowance Act to COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE include merchant navy war veterans, thus ensuring them the same PUBLICS ACCOUNTS recognition and benefits provided to navy, army and air force war veterans. Mr. Michel Guimond (Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, BQ): Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Standing Committee on Time marches on and it is vital that Parliament moves now to Public Accounts, I have the honour to present the second report of correct these long overdue inequities before it is too late; the this committee. This report deals with the Main Estimates, on the average age of merchant navy veterans is 76 years. Office of the Auditor General of Canada, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1997. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.) 4144 COMMONS DEBATES June 20, 1996 Routine Proceedings D (1010 ) report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs tabled on June 19. CRIMINAL CODE The Speaker: Does the hon. member have the unanimous Ms. Albina Guarnieri (Mississauga East, Lib.) moved for consent of the House to move the motion? leave to introduce Bill C-321, an act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (cumulative Some hon. members: Agreed. sentences). (Motion agreed to.) She said: Mr. Speaker, I stand again for those victims of multiple murderers and rapists who have been dismissed as irrelevant by D (1015 ) Canada’s justice system. My bill, seconded by the hon. member for Mississauga South, is a re-submission of Bill C-274 and calls for Mr. Chuck Strahl (Fraser Valley East, Ref.) moved that the consecutive sentencing for serial and multiple murderers and 22nd report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House rapists. Affairs, presented to the House on Tuesday, June 18, be concurred in. I re-submit this bill today encouraged by the words of the Minister of Justice on Monday night in committee. He said: ‘‘It He said: Mr. Speaker, I will be dividing my time with the seems to me that when we are dealing with someone who has taken member for Lethbridge. more than one life we are entitled to take that into account’’. He continued: ‘‘I do not know why it is difficult to perceive the I have mixed emotions about bringing this motion forward to the difference between a single offence and multiple offences. In terms House today. I feel it is necessary that it be done. On the one hand, I of whether I would support consecutive terms for murderers, I am very proud and happy to do it. It is an issue that has been might well’’. So says the Minister of Justice, who indicated that he verballing around now since the last referendum in Quebec. It is has encouraged policy work on the subject and who said it should something that should have been brought to a head with the report be looked at. from the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs and it was not. This bill offers the Minister of Justice and this Parliament the opportunity to defy the predator protection industry by ending By not bringing this issue to a conclusion in the report, the volume discounts for rapists and murderers. Liberal majority in the House has allowed this to continue to percolate. The feeling of sadness I have about this is that this will (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.) come back to haunt us in the days and years to come. * * * What happened is now a matter of public record. The member for Charlesbourg sent around a communique, now known as the [Translation] Jacob communique. It asked members of the Canadian Armed Forces to consider joining up with the Quebec armed forces in the MAIN ESTIMATES event of a yes vote. It was brought forward at a very tense time in Canada’s history when, as members know, we came within a per On the Order: Motions cent of losing a very important vote to keep the country together. June 14, 1996—Mr. Gauthier (Leader of the Opposition)—That, pursuant to Standing Order 81(4)(a) and Order made Monday, March 4, 1996, It is a matter of record that the communique was sent out consideration of Human Resources Development Votes 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 of indiscriminately to Canadian Armed Forces members. It asked the Main Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1997, by the Standing them, I think, to contradict their oath of allegiance to Canada. It Committee on Human Resources Development, be extended beyond June 21, asked them to consider their position in a new Quebec army, an 1996. army that had not yet even been formed. The Speaker: Motion deemed adopted. Due to the diligence of the member for Okanagan—Similka- meen—Merritt, he brought this to the attention of the House and to * * * the attention of the Speaker. You ruled, Mr. Speaker, this was a very serious matter and should be referred to the committee on proce- [English] dure and House affairs to deal with. COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE The reason I have mixed emotions about this is that I had hoped it would have been dealt with and that a contempt of Parliament PROCEDURE AND HOUSE AFFAIRS would have been rendered. The reason I say this is that we will be dealing with this again in the next referendum campaign. No action Ms. Marlene Catterall (Ottawa West, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I has been taken by the House and by the committee. No action has believe if you were to seek it you would find unanimous consent been recommended against the member for Charlesbourg and no for the following motion. I move that the House concur in the 23rd one here has found it necessary, now that the crisis is over, to give June 20, 1996 COMMONS DEBATES 4145 Routine Proceedings advice to the Canadian Armed Forces on how to handle its affairs in [English] the future. The Speaker: I will review the blues when this is over. There are When the crisis was on, it was called by the government whip no blues right now and I do not intend at this point to take a break in ‘‘dangerously close to inciting mutiny in a moment of crisis’’. It is the House. If those words were used I will come back to the House.