CANADA VOLUME 137 S NUMBER 037 S 1st SESSION S 37th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday, March 27, 2001 (Part A) Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken 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 2265 HOUSE OF COMMONS Tuesday, March 27, 2001 The House met at 10 a.m. He said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce the bill which would bring some regularity and conformity to the way we evaluate _______________ programs to ensure Canadians get value for the $170 billion the government spends every year. Prayers _______________ The bill asks that each program be evaluated based on what is the public policy a program is designed to achieve; is it achieving what it is trying to achieve; and is it doing it efficiently or can it achieve ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS the same results in a better way. D (1000) (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) [English] * * * GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO PETITIONS Mr. Derek Lee (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the FINAL OFFER ARBITRATION IN RESPECT OF WEST Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, COAST PORTS OPERATIONS ACT pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both Mr. Dale Johnston (Wetaskiwin, Canadian Alliance) moved official languages, the government’s response to one petition. for leave to introduce Bill C-309, an act to provide for the * * * settlement of labour disputes affecting west coast ports by final offer arbitration. D (1005 ) He said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce this bill which ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS would prevent work stoppages at west coast ports. Stoppages at Mr. John Finlay (Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of west coast ports have cost Canada billions of dollars over the years Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I in lost sales and exports of grain, not to mention the impact they have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, have had on the farming economy, on the unions and on employers. the agreement with respect to the Kanesatake governance of the (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) interim land base. The Speaker: Motions. Presenting petitions. * * * INTERPARLIAMENTARY DELEGATIONS Mr. Jim Pankiw: Mr. Speaker, Motion No. 3 on the order paper respecting the first report— Mrs. Carolyn Parrish (Mississauga Centre, Lib.): Mr. Speak- er, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present to An hon. member: This is petitions. the House, in both official languages, the second report of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association which represented The Speaker: I was unaware the member was moving his Canada at a joint meeting of the defence and security committee, motion. We will get to it. the economic committee and the political committee of the NATO [Translation] Parliamentary Assembly held in Brussels and Paris from February 7 to February 21, 2001. Mr. Stéphane Bergeron: Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. * * * Had you not called petitions STATUTORY PROGRAM EVALUATION ACT The Speaker: I mentioned that we were at motions, but the hon. member did not rise. Mr. John Williams (St. Albert, Canadian Alliance) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-308, an act to provide for evaluations of I received no notice that the hon. member would propose his statutory programs. motion, except that he told me yesterday that if he could not 2266 COMMONS DEBATES March 27, 2001 Government Orders propose it then, he would do it today. It was not on my list. I really The Speaker: Is that agreed? should have recognized him, because he gave notice to the Chair yesterday. Some hon. members: Agreed. Mr. Stéphane Bergeron: He did not rise. ______________________________________________ The Speaker: Maybe not fast enough. Mr. Stéphane Bergeron: Mr. Speaker, you should proceed to GOVERNMENT ORDERS petitions. The Speaker: Very well, let us proceed to petitions. [Translation] D (1010) FINANCIAL CONSUMER AGENCY OF CANADA ACT [English] The House proceeded to the consideration of Bill C-8, an act to Mr. Jim Pankiw: Mr. Speaker, as you indicated, I did mention establish the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada and to amend to you that I would be introducing this today and when you called certain acts in relation to financial institutions, as reported (with motions I did stand. If you neglected to look my way I think that amendment) from the committee. was an oversight on your part, but I should still be allowed to introduce the motion. SPEAKER’S RULING The Speaker: The Chair is not trying to be difficult. I did call The Speaker: There are 14 motions in amendment standing on motions. I admit it went quickly. I did not see any hon. members the notice paper relating to the report stage of Bill C-8. stand when I called motions. The Standing Committee on Finance considered this bill at The logical thing is to go back to motions if the House will clause by clause on March 20, before my statement outlining the agree. guidelines for the selection of motions at report stage. Some hon. members: Agreed. Since hon. members could not be aware at that time of the new Some hon. members: No. way to implement those principles, the Chair will once again be generous and select motions which could have been proposed in The Speaker: There is no agreement so the Chair’s hands are committee but were not. somewhat tied. I regret that is the way it is being done, but there is nothing I can do. [English] * * * May I remind all hon. members to use committee stage to propose their amendments. If hon. members do not avail them- PETITIONS selves of this opportunity, the Chair will not select motions which could have been proposed in committee at report stage. TRANSGENIC AQUATIC ORGANISMS The motions will be grouped for debate as follows. Mr. Peter Stoffer (Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—East- ern Shore, NDP): Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to [Translation] introduce a petition signed by the great people of Toronto, and Group No. 1: Motions Nos. 1, 8, 12 and 13. thousands more will be coming, regarding prohibition of the release of genetically modified aquatic organisms into the natural [English] environment. Group No. 2: Motions No. 2, 9 to 11 and 14. The petitioners pray to parliament to prohibit the release and to commence a full and open public consultation and review process [Translation] to determine the ecological, social and financial consequences associated with the development and use of transgenic aquatic Group No. 3: Motions Nos. 3 to 7. organisms. [English] * * * The voting patterns for the motions within each group are available at the table. The Chair will remind the House of each QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER pattern at the time of voting. Mr. Derek Lee (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the [Translation] Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand. I will now put Motions Nos. 1, 8, 12 and 13 to the House. March 27, 2001 COMMONS DEBATES 2267 Government Orders [English] He said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House on behalf of the Canadian Alliance Party to speak to Bill C-8 and in particular to the motions we put forward at report stage. MOTIONS IN AMENDMENT Motion No. 1 deals with a clause in the original bill that would require, upon the setting up and operation of the financial consum- Mr. Richard Harris (Prince George—Bulkley Valley, Cana- er agency, the commissioner of the agency to report its activities to dian Alliance) moved: parliament through the Minister of Finance. Motion No. 1 That Bill C-8, in Clause 5, be amended by replacing lines 14 to 16 on page 5 with D (1015 ) the following: ‘‘and report, subject to section 17, to the House of Commons from time to time on We have stood in the House on many occasions calling for the all matters connected with the administration of this Act, which stands permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Finance, and of the consumer independent arms of government agencies and commissions to provisions’’ report not through a minister but directly to parliament, and in this case to the Standing Committee on Finance. The motion reflects Hon. Lorne Nystrom (Regina—Qu’Appelle, NDP) moved: that an amendment be put that would require Financial Consumer Agency of Canada to report to the Standing Committee on Finance Motion No. 8 on a permanent basis. That Bill C-8, in Clause 84, be amended by replacing line 27 on page 39 with the following: Motion No. 13 deals with the operation of Interac services. The ‘‘made. bill calls for the association to report every rule change during the normal course of operation to the Minister of Finance. This is an (4) Except in the case where an amalgamation is the result of one or more of the onerous demand. We would make an amendment that would give applicants not being financially sound, an amalgamation must be approved by a the Interac Association a very clear and transparent framework to resolution of the House of Commons supported by a majority of the members of that House and a resolution of the Senate supported by a majority of the members of that operate under that is self-regulating. Its compliance people would House.’’ have a very clear understanding of what is required of them by the Minister of Finance. Motion No. 12 That Bill C-8, in Clause 183, be amended by adding after line 44 on page 367 the following: The motion would require that the Minister