CANADA VOLUME 134 S NUMBER 119 S 2nd SESSION S 35th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Thursday, December 12, 1996 Speaker: The Honourable Gilbert Parent CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) The House of Commons Debates are also available on the Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 7423 HOUSE OF COMMONS Thursday, December 12, 1996 The House met at 10 a.m. regarding two of the countries identified in the regulations, namely Afghanistan and Somalia, we think it is discriminatory. That is _______________ why we have tabled a minority report. Prayers [English] _______________ HEALTH Hon. Roger Simmons (Burin—St. George’s, Lib.): Mr. Speak- ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS er, I have the honour, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), to present in both official languages the sixth report of the Standing Commit- [Translation] tee on Health. This is as a result of a decision that was made in the committee GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO PETITIONS earlier today, recommending that the Minister of Health consider Mr. Paul Zed (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the some transitional provisions relating to the sponsorship clauses of Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, Bill C-71. pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in [Translation] both official languages, the government’s response to seven peti- tions. Mr. Antoine Dubé (Lévis, BQ): Mr. Speaker, as a member of this committee, I would have a very short, very brief comment to * * * make following the tabling of this report by the chair of the health committee. The opposition objected to these proposals. [English] * * * COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE CANADIAN HERITAGE SAGUENAY-ST. LAWRENCE MARINE PARK ACT Mr. Clifford Lincoln (Lachine—Lac-Saint-Louis, Lib.): Mr. Hon. Sheila Copps (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, Canadian Heritage, Lib.) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-78, the second report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage an act to establish the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park and to in relation to its consideration of Bill C-32, an act to amend the make a consequential amendment to another act. Copyright Act. She said: Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table today a bill [Translation] entitled ‘‘an act to establish the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park and to make a consequential amendment to another act’’. The IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP result of several years of concerted efforts between the Govern- ment of Canada and the Government of Quebec, this bill is aimed Mrs. Eleni Bakopanos (Saint-Denis, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have at improving the management and protection of the rich and the honour and the pleasure to present, in both official languages, diversified marine resources of that region of Canada, which is an the third report of the Standing Committee on Immigration and absolute necessity after the flooding it has sustained. Citizenship regarding its study of draft regulations for the landing of Convention refugees without identity papers. (Motion deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.) D (1005) * * * Mr. Osvaldo Nunez (Bourassa, BQ): Mr. Speaker, I would like [English] to say that the Bloc Quebecois also laid on this table a minority report concerning refugees without identity papers. INDIAN ACT OPTIONAL MODIFICATION ACT There are two main differences between our report and the Hon. Ron Irwin (Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern majority report. The first one concerns the waiting period. Second, Development, Lib.) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-79, an act 7424 COMMONS DEBATES December 12, 1996 Routine Proceedings to permit certain modifications in the application of the Indian Act ineligibility reviewed after serving only 15 years of a life sentence. to bands that desire them. Bill C-234 makes a life sentence mean life. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.) D (1015 ) * * * On November 21, 1996, in a ruling that my motion on the Order [Translation] Paper was in order, the Speaker said: ‘‘The motion moved by the hon. member for Crowfoot in fact provides the committee with a MACKENZIE VALLEY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACT period of time in which to consider and report the bill if it so chooses. At the same time, the motion provides the House with a Hon. Ron Irwin (Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern mechanism to remove the bill, which is its property, from the Development, Lib.) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-80, an act committee so that the House itself can take up consideration of the to provide for an integrated system of land and water management bill’’. in the Mackenzie Valley, to establish certain boards for that purpose and to make consequential amendments to other acts. The Speaker further stated: ‘‘The House does not know what has (Motion deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.) occurred in committee and consequently cannot know what amend- ments the committee has made to the bill. Therefore, if the House * * * wishes to once again take possession of the bill, then the inclusion of the words ‘‘without amendment’’ establishes clearly that the D (1010) House will be dealing with the text of the bill it adopted at second reading’’. [English] My motion is based on my privileges and those of my colleagues INCOME TAX ACT being breached. Mr. Paul Szabo (Mississauga South, Lib.): moved for leave to introduce Bill C-364, an act to amend amend the Income Tax Act The action of the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal (change RRSP deduction to a tax credit). Affairs not reporting Bill C-234 back to the House impedes members from performing their legislative duties. It impedes He said: Mr. Speaker, the purpose of the RRSP system is to assist members from debating in this House, an open forum unlike the Canadians in building up capital to provide a reasonable retirement committee, an issue which is of utmost concern to our constituents. income. It is not intended to shelter wealth or to defer taxes on the amounts accumulated beyond the amounts required to provide for On December 13, 1994, Bill C-234 formerly Bill C-226, was that reasonable retirement income. referred to the justice committee by a majority of votes in this Tax fairness and equity must be protected within our Income Tax House. The minister of defence who was then the Minister of Act. That includes making sure that the tax benefits do not Transport, and the member for Vancouver—Quadra, along with 72 unreasonably favour certain taxpayers over others. In the current of their colleagues and all Reform members present in the House RRSP system the RRSP deduction favours high income earners voted to send Bill C-234 to committee. All members who voted to over low income earners. send Bill C-234 to committee fully expected it to be reported back to the House, providing members another opportunity to debate the Therefore to address these matters this bill proposes to convert bill and where the final determination upon the bill could be made the RRSP deduction to a non-refundable tax credit and to establish and I suggest should be made. a lifetime contribution limit on RRSPs. The fate of this private member’s bill, the fate of all private (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.) members’ bills should not be left in the hands of just a few committee members beyond the authority of this House. The House * * * gave life to the bill and only the House has the authority in its final determination. For a committee to kill a bill which was given life BILL C-234 by this House and a majority of its members is a violation of our privileges as members of Parliament. Mr. Jack Ramsay (Crowfoot, Ref.) moved: That, no later than the conclusion of Routine Proceedings on the tenth sitting day Bill C-234 was circumvented by the justice minister’s Bill C-45. after the adoption of this motion, Bill C-234, an act to amend the Criminal Code, shall be deemed reported back to the House without amendment. The committee allowed Bill C-45 to take precedence over the private member’s bill. Bill C-234 was introduced almost two years He said: Mr. Speaker, I want to indicate what Bill C-234 is all before Bill C-45 yet Bill C-45, a government bill, was the bill about. Bill C-234 eliminates section 745 of the Criminal Code. It chosen by the committee to be dealt with first. If I had not put a extinguishes the right of a first degree murderer to have their parole motion forward in committee to have Bill C-234 dealt with, this December 12, 1996 COMMONS DEBATES 7425 Routine Proceedings private member’s bill would still likely be in limbo today in the For the benefit of the members of this House who do not sit on justice committee. the justice committee, I would like to read the testimony given by Sharon Rosenfeldt before that committee on June 18: Bill C-234 was dealt with simultaneously with Bill C-45. Emotional upheaval—that was what I felt on February 8, 1996, when I found out However, Liberal members of the committee were obviously more that Clifford Olson, the killer of my son, had applied for his 15-year judicial review. I favourable toward the minister’s bill which clearly led to the do realize that the full application cannot be made until August 12, but I know that demise of Bill C-234. all the paperwork is ready.