Thursday, June 22, 1995
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VOLUME 133 NUMBER 224 1st SESSION 35th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Thursday, June 22, 1995 Speaker: The Honourable Gilbert Parent HOUSE OF COMMONS Thursday, June 22, 1995 The House met at 10 a.m. [Translation] _______________ SAFETY IN TRANSPORTATION Mr. Peter Milliken (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of Prayers the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Madam Speaker, this morning I am pleased to table, in both official _______________ languages, the government’s response to the report by the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act Review Commission. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS * * * [English] COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE COLUMBIA RIVER TREATY PERMANENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTS ENGINEERING BOARD Mr. Richard Bélisle (La Prairie, BQ): Madam Speaker, I Mr. George S. Rideout (Parliamentary Secretary to Minis- have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 15th ter of Natural Resources, Lib.): Madam Speaker, pursuant to report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. In this Standing Order 32(2), I am pleased to table, in both official 15th report, dealing with the Atlantic Region Freight Assistance languages, the annual report of the Columbia River Treaty Program, the committee makes a series of recommendations to Permanent Engineering Board to the governments of the United the National Transportation Agency, the Department of Trans- States and Canada for the period October 1, 1993 to September port, and the Treasury Board. 30, 1994, and the 1994 state of Canada’s forests annual report. (1005) Mr. Milliken: Madam Speaker, there has been a delay in the Appended to this report is the dissenting opinion by the receipt of the documents this morning. Perhaps we could revert official opposition containing the two following recommenda- to tabling of documents after the presentation of petitions. I tions. I quote: ‘‘That the Department of Transport assess the expect the response to petitions to arrive momentarily. impact on employment of abolition of the Atlantic Region Freight Assistance (ARFA) subsidy. The government should The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu): Is there unanimous then emphasize job creation programs in the affected regions in consent? a way that reflects the Department’s findings’’. Some hon. members: Agreed. There is also a second recommendation: ‘‘That the govern- Mr. Duncan: Madam Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to ment review the amounts allocated under the 1995 Budget as table, in both official languages, the joint report of the ad hoc compensation for abolition of freight subsidies, so that the parliamentary committee on light stations. assistance provided represents the same compensation:subsidy ratio for the Atlantic Region Freight Assistance Program’’. The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu): Is there unanimous Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that consent? the government table a comprehensive response to this report. Some hon. members: Agreed. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION Some hon. members: No. Mrs. Eleni Bakopanos (Saint–Denis, Lib.): Madam Speak- Mr. Blaikie: Madam Speaker, I have just returned from a er, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the conversation with the government whip about another matter seventh report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and and I did not hear what happened with respect to petitions. Immigration, dealing with refugees, immigration and gender. In recent months, the committee has considered the extent to which The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu): We have not reached gender can prevent women from obtaining refugee status in that point. Canada. 14409 COMMONS DEBATES June 22, 1995 Routine Proceedings [English] [English] Our report encourages ongoing sensitization of those in- CUSTOMS ACT volved in the refugee selection process and considers how to Hon. Herb Gray (for the Minister of Finance, Lib.): moved reduce the systemic barriers which deny women an equal for leave to introduce Bill C–102, an act to amend the Customs opportunity to obtain protection in this country. Act and the customs tariff and make related and consequential [Translation] amendments to other acts. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and In closing, I would like to thank all the members of the printed.) committee, as well as the staff of the House, for their contribu- tion to this report. * * * Mr. Osvaldo Nunez (Bourassa, BQ): Madam Speaker, the (1010 ) Bloc Quebecois is tabling a minority report dealing with refugee EXCISE TAX ACT status claims made for gender related reasons, as was proposed by the Bloc Quebecois members of the committee. Hon. Herb Gray (for the Minister of Finance, Lib.) moved for leave to introduce Bill C–103, an act to amend the Excise Tax [English] Act and Income Tax Act. Even now we agree with the main orientation of this majority (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and report. We cannot agree on its contents because it is too vague in printed.) the wording and too weak. * * * [Translation] CRIMINAL CODE In particular, we cannot agree with the immigration tax. We Hon. Allan Rock (Minister of Justice and Attorney Gener- would also like gender to be included in the legislation as a sixth al of Canada, Lib.) moved for leave to introduce Bill C–104, an prohibited ground for discrimination against women. act to amend the Criminal Code and the Young Offenders Act (forensic DNA analysis). [English] The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu): When shall the bill be read a second time? AGRICULTURE AND AGRI–FOOD Some hon. members: Later this day. Mr. Wayne Easter (Malpeque, Lib.): Madam Speaker, I The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Maheu): Is there unanimous have the honour to present the ninth report of the Standing consent? Committee on Agriculture and Agri–Food examining the impact of the elimination of the Western Grain Transportation Act, the Some hon. members: Agreed. Atlantic Region Freight Assistance Act, the Maritime Freight (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and Rates Act and the Feed Freight Assistance Act. printed.) The report is entitled ‘‘Dismantling the Crow: Curbing the * * * Impacts’’. CANADA BUSINESS CORPORATIONS ACT [Translation] Mr. Paul Szabo (Mississauga South, Lib.) moved for leave to introduce Bill C–345, an act to amend the Canada Business Mr. Jean–Guy Chrétien (Frontenac, BQ): Madam Speaker, Corporations Act (qualification of directors). the Bloc Quebecois members of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri–Food have appended a dissenting report to He said: Madam Speaker, the purpose of this private mem- the report that my colleague from Malpèque has just tabled. We ber’s bill is to amend the Canada Business Corporations Act to wanted to table a dissenting report in order to highlight the limit to 10 the number of concurrent directorships that one inequity that now exists between western and eastern farm person can hold at any time. producers in Canada. The responsibilities of a director are broad and very serious and as such there must be a point at which one cannot fully One thing we pointed out was discrepancies in the abandon- discharge those responsibilities without jeopardizing the inter- ment of rail lines. For example, in the west, the public interest is est of investors, the company or its employees. the criterion for closing a line, while in the east, economic cost effectiveness is the criterion. For several reasons of that sort, we Therefore I look forward to debating the bill with my col- had to append a dissenting report. leagues in the House. 14410 June 22, 1995 COMMONS DEBATES Routine Proceedings (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and My constituents humbly pray and call upon Parliament to do printed.) two things: to immediately direct available moneys toward the funding of agencies and services to provide assistance to the * * * increased number of people coming forward whose lives have been affected by sexual abuse or assault; and second, to immedi- BELL CANADA ACT ately undertake a thorough review of the court and judicial Mr. Andy Mitchell (Parry Sound—Muskoka, Lib.) moved processing of crimes involving sexual violence. for leave to introduce Bill C–346, an act to amend the Bell [Translation] Canada Act (construction charges). He said: Madam Speaker, this bill specifically addresses ARMENIAN GENOCIDE inequities faced by many rural Canadians and stipulates that telephone service will be provided for customers up to 1,000 Mrs. Madeleine Dalphond–Guiral (Laval–Centre, BQ): metres from existing lines and to recover their construction Madam Speaker, it is with confidence that I table today a costs to provide that service only if the service is provided petition signed by some 1,600 voters, mostly of Armenian beyond 1,000 metres, and that an upward limit be established for origin. that fee. The petitioners request that now, eighty years after the It also allows that subscribers be entitled to recoup their costs genocide of the Armenian people, the Government of Canada, through rebates of additional customers signing up to the service like the legislative assemblies of Quebec and Ontario, officially for a period of up to 10 years. condemn the atrocities committed against their people early in this century. On their behalf, I therefore ask Parliament to show (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and leadership in defending democratic principles and human rights. printed.) [English] * * * CRIMINAL CODE COMPETITION ACT Mr. Dan McTeague (Ontario, Lib.) moved for leave to Mr. Monte Solberg (Medicine Hat, Ref.): Madam Speaker, I introduce Bill C–347, an act to amend the Competition Act. have three petitions to present today on behalf of the people of Medicine Hat. He said: Madam Speaker, the purpose of this bill is to afford consumers protection against sudden, unexpected and unex- The first calls on Parliament to support laws that severely plained increases in the retail price of gasoline by providing a punish all violent criminals who use weapons in the commission set notice period in advance of any significant increase at the of a crime and to support new Criminal Code firearms control pumps.