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CANADA VOLUME 135 S NUMBER 091 S 1st SESSION S 36th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Thursday, April 23, 1998 Speaker: The Honourable Gilbert Parent CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) All parliamentary publications are available on the ``Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire'' at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 5989 HOUSE OF COMMONS Thursday, April 23, 1998 The House met at 10 a.m. tions undertakings and companies to which the Insurance Compa- nies Act applies, from charging money to their regular clients for _______________ the provision or sale of a new service without the expressed consent of the client. Prayers I would point out that this dovetails with a report released by _______________ Industry Canada under the office of the consumer which identifies negative option marketing as being the area in which a number of ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS industries have targeted growth. This is simply intended to protect consumers. D (1000) (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) [English] * * * MULTILATERAL AGREEMENT ON INVESTMENT Hon. Sergio Marchi (Minister for International Trade, Lib.): PETITIONS Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 109 it gives me great honour to table in the House of Commons, in both official MULTILATERAL AGREEMENT ON INVESTMENT languages, the government’s official response to the report on the multilateral investment agreement, pursuant to the subcommittee Mr. Nelson Riis (Kamloops, NDP): Mr. Speaker, just as the on trade, wherein Canada’s government agrees with all of the 17 Minister for International Trade is about to fly off to Paris to meet recommendations. with his OECD compatriots to work hard in the next few days on the signing of the multilateral agreement on investment, I am * * * presenting a petition on behalf of a number of my constituents who are adamantly opposed to the MAI as they presently understand it. [Translation] They believe that it is an attack on Canadian sovereignty. They GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO PETITIONS believe that it will expand and entrench unprecedented rights to Mr. Peter Adams (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the transnational corporations and that it will severely limit our Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, government’s ability to promote economic growth and job creation pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in strategies. They speak to the fact that we are now in court with both official languages, the government’s response to six petitions. Ethyl Corporation of the U.S. over the fact that we tried to improve the environment of Canada and we are being sued over that. * * * They also mention the fact that certain clauses will be locked in D (1005) for 20 years. I could read a long list, but I will not. [English] I believe the point is well taken that these folks do not like the COMPETITION ACT, 1998 MAI as they know it and are asking parliament never to sign the multilateral agreement on investment in spite of the minister’s best Mr. Roger Gallaway (Sarnia—Lambton, Lib.) moved for efforts. leave to introduce Bill C-393, an act to amend the Competition Act, 1998 (negative option marketing). SENIORS BENEFIT PACKAGE He said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to give first reading this Mr. Nelson Riis (Kamloops, NDP): Mr. Speaker, the second morning to this bill which would amend the Competition Act to petition is from a number of residents in communities throughout deal with negative option marketing. British Columbia who are hearing rumours about the government’s The objective and the thrust of this bill is to prohibit certain intention to introduce a seniors benefit package. Knowing what the financial institutions, including broadcasting and telecommunica- provisions were for the last package they are totally panicked. 5990 COMMONS DEBATES April 23, 1998 Routine Proceedings They believe there are all sorts of hidden agendas here and are [Translation] simply worried that the government is up to no good basically. TAXATION QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER Mr. Nelson Riis (Kamloops, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I suppose Mr. Peter Adams (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the because it is tax filing time this is what initiated this last petition. A Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the whole number of people feel that our present tax system is unfair, following question will be answered today: No. 86 unjust and biased in favour of certain Canadians at the expense of others. They are simply asking for comprehensive tax reform. [Text] YOUNG OFFENDERS ACT Question No. 86—Mr. John Reynolds: Mr. Jim Gouk (West Kootenay—Okanagan, Ref.): Mr. Can the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration please provide: (a) the rationale Speaker, on behalf of the residents of West Kootenay—Okanagan, I and justification for the right-of-landing-fee (ROLF) as it applies to the sponsorship present the first in a series of petitions in which the petitioners of family members; (b) the total revenue collected as a consequence of this aspect of draw to the attention of the House that violent crimes committed by this fee since its inception; (c) the location of this revenue item within the public youth are of great concern to Canadians, that the incidents of accounts for this department; (d) the amount spent from this collected revenue on Language Instruction for Newcomers (LINC) and an item breakdown on the use of violent crime by youth would decrease if the Young Offenders Act this funds; (e) an outline of the accounting process in place to ensure proper use and were amended to hold young persons fully accountable for their distribution of this fund for LINC; and (f) any studies or documentation that may criminal behaviour and that increased periods of incarceration identify the LINC program is not duplicating English as a Second Language (ESL) could deter young people from committing criminal acts. program? Therefore, the petitioners call upon parliament to significantly Hon. Lucienne Robillard (Minister of Citizenship and Im- amend the Young Offenders Act, including but not limited to migration, Lib.): (a) The introduction of the right of landing fee, making protection of society the number one priority, reducing the ROLF, by the government in February 1995 was in response to minimum age from 12 to 10, allowing for the publication of violent extensive public consultations held by the Minister of Citizenship young offenders’ names, increasing the maximum three year sentence for all offences except murder to seven, increasing the and Immigration Canada, CIC, in 1994 and to the government-wide penalty for first degree murder from a maximum of 10 years to 15 program review exercise. During the public consultations it was years, and ensuring parental responsibility. recognized that, if the department was to continue to provide an acceptable level of service to immigrants in view of the govern- ment-wide commitment, a greater share of the costs should be THE FAMILY transferred from the taxpayers to the direct beneficiaries of im- migration services. Further, program review made reduction of the Mr. Paul Szabo (Mississauga South, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am federal debt a priority for all government departments. pleased to present a petition on behalf of a number of Canadians, including Canadians from my riding of Mississauga South. The government concluded that the acquisition of permanent residence and Canadian citizenship had tangible and intangible On behalf of the family, the petitioners would like to draw to the value to the recipient. This value was derived from access to an attention of the House that managing the family home and caring for preschool children is an honourable profession which has not enhanced economic and social opportunity in Canada as well as been recognized for its value to society. access to a wide range of programs and services available. The right of landing fee provides partial compensation for the many rights and privileges that landed immigrant status confers. D (1010 ) The petitioners also agree with the National Forum on Health (b) The ROLF was implemented February 28, 1995. Since its report which stated that the Income Tax Act discriminates against inception a net revenue, revenue minus refunds, of $458.5M has families who choose to provide care in the home to their preschool been generated. children because it does not take into account the real costs of raising children. Family class immigrants 19 years of age and over represent The petitioners therefore pray and call upon parliament to pursue approximately 24% of all permanent resident landings in Canada. tax initiatives to eliminate tax discrimination for families who On this basis, total ROLF revenue derived from family class choose to provide care in the home to preschool children. immigrants is estimated to be $110.04M. April 23, 1998 COMMONS DEBATES 5991 Supply (c) Citizenship and immigration revenue, including revenue GOVERNMENT ORDERS derived from the right of landing fee is located in the public accounts, details of expenditures and revenues, volume II, part I. [English] (d) All revenue collected by CIC is deposited to the credit of the consolidated revenue fund, CRF. The revenue generated by the SUPPLY ROLF does not go directly toward the department’s budget. The ROLF revenue assists to generally offset the costs throughout the ALLOTTED DAY—HEPATITIS C immigration portfolio. Mr. Grant Hill (Macleod, Ref.) moved: The language instruction for newcomers, LINC, was funded by That this House urges the government to act on the recommendation of Justice Horace Krever to compensate all victims who contracted Hepatitis C from tainted $102M in fiscal year 1997-98 from CIC’s contribution budget. blood. Mr. Chuck Strahl: Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. (e) Please see response for (d) above.