VOLUME 133 NUMBER 093 1st SESSION 35th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday, September 20, 1994 Speaker: The Honourable Gilbert Parent HOUSE OF COMMONS Tuesday, September 20, 1994 The House met at 10 a.m. Mr. Lee Morrison (Swift Current—Maple Creek—Assini- boia): Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions from constituents of _______________ mine in the two districts of Burstall and Maple Creek. The petitions are very similar in content so I will read only one of Prayers them. _______________ Whereas the Criminal Code of Canada, section 241, states that anyone who counsels a person to commit suicide or aids or abets a person to commit suicide is guilty of an indictable ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years; whereas the Supreme Court of Canada recently upheld [English] section 241 of the Criminal Code of Canada in the Rodriguez decision, recognizing that section 241 was enacted to protect all COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE individuals, including the disabled, the terminally ill, the de- pressed, the chronically ill and the elderly; and whereas if Mr. Peter Milliken (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of section 241 were to be struck down or amended such protection the Government in the House of Commons): Mr. Speaker, I would no longer exist, we, your humble petitioners, therefore have a motion I would like to put with unanimous consent. pray that Parliament not repeal or amend section 241 of the It deals with the 28th report of the Standing Committee on Criminal Code in any way and uphold the Supreme Court of Procedure and House Affairs. It was concurred in yesterday by Canada decision of September 30, 1993 to disallow assisted the House with consent. Apparently it has caused some difficul- suicide or euthanasia. ty in the committee’s branch to have this report take effect as of I concur with these petitioners. today. It would prefer to defer the implementation of the report, which deals with the allocation of rooms for committees, until (1005 ) October 3. Mr. David Chatters (Athabasca): Mr. Speaker, in accor- Accordingly, I move: dance with Standing Order 36 I would like to present four That the committee room assignment system contained in the 28th report of the petitions from various districts of my constituency. All are of Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs and adopted by the House of similar content. Commons on September 19, 1994 come into effect on Monday, October 3, 1994. The petitioners request that Parliament not amend the human I think there would be unanimous consent for that motion. rights code, the Canadian Human Rights Act or the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in any way which would tend to indicate Motion agreed to. societal approval of same sex relationships or of homosexuality, * * * including amending the human rights code to include in the prohibitive grounds of discrimination the undefined phrase PETITIONS sexual orientation. I concur and support these petitioners and would like to HUMAN RIGHTS present these petitions. Mr. Janko Peric (Cambridge): Mr. Speaker, I have the WITNESS PROTECTION honour to table a petition containing approximately 75 signa- tures which was forwarded to me by a constituent in my riding of Mr. Tom Wappel (Scarborough West): Mr. Speaker, I have Cambridge. three petitions this morning. The petitioners pray and request that Parliament not amend The first petition contains 1,018 signatures from across the the human rights code, the Canadian Human Rights Act or the country concerning the subject of witness protection. This Charter of Rights and Freedoms in any way which would tend to simply adds to the total of thousands upon thousands of signa- indicate community approval of same sex relationships or tures that I have presented in this and the last Parliaments homosexuality. dealing with the subject of witness protection and calling on the 5853 COMMONS DEBATES September 20, 1994 Routine Proceedings Parliament of Canada to enact a witness protection and infor- Mr. Peter Milliken (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of mant law. the Government in the House of Commons): I am informed by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and I draw to the attention of the House that my bill on this subject the Department of Health as follows: will be coming up for a final hour of debate and vote on September 26. (a) & (b) YOUNG OFFENDERS ACT Mr. Tom Wappel (Scarborough West): Mr. Speaker, the Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada: second petition is signed by people from Scarborough, Ontario and points close thereto concerning the Young Offenders Act 1992–93 1993–94 calling on Parliament to provide heavier penalties for those convicted of violent crime. CIDA $100,000 $97,594 I remind them that we are currently debating a bill in the Health $146,000 $146,000 House on this subject. Planned Parenthood International: HUMAN RIGHTS CIDA $10,467,996 $7,949,736 Mr. Tom Wappel (Scarborough West): Finally, Mr. Speak- Health None None er, I have a petition signed mainly by people living in the city of Etobicoke in the municipality of metropolitan Toronto. The petitioners call on Parliament not to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act or the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in any Question No. 68—Mr. Fillion: way which would tend to indicate societal approval of same sex What are the government’s plans for the development of the sea terminal at relationships and to ensure that no amendments are passed using Grande–Anse over the short, medium and long term? the undefined phrase sexual orientation. I completely concur. Hon. Douglas Young (Minister of Transport): The port of SERIAL KILLER CARDS Saguenay has sought approval to develop a new forest products Mr. Walt Lastewka (St. Catharines): Mr. Speaker, I rise terminal at Grande–Anse. It proposes that on the basis of its own today to place before the House a petition signed by over 1,000 traffic forecasts, current facilities will soon be at capacity and a people from St. Catharines and surrounding area. new facility is required. The petitioners state that they abhor crimes of violence Port Saguenay is administrated by the Canada Ports Corpora- against persons. We believe that killer trading cards offer tion, a commercial crown corporation. Infrastructure develop- nothing positive for children or adults to admire or emulate but ments undertaken by the corporation must be commercially rather contribute to violence. viable. The petitioners ask Parliament to amend the laws of Canada to prohibit the importation, distribution, sale and manufacture of The proposal to expand the Grande–Anse terminal was only killer cards in law and to advise producers of killer cards that put forward on the basis of $23.5 million in grant funding being their product, if destined for Canada, will be seized and de- available to finance the project. This grant funding is not stroyed. available and the expansion is currently on hold. The Canada I have spoken in the House before about the harm to society of Ports Corporation will continue to monitor the viability of the serial killer cards. I would like to reiterate my support for this proposed expansion. petition. Question No. 70—Mr. Crête: * * * With regard to the $70 million cut in the budget of the Federal Office of Regional Development (Québec), what is the distribution by sector of the $14 million for QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER 1994–95 and how is the remaining $56 million being distributed for subsequent Mr. Peter Milliken (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of years? the Government in the House of Commons): Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 66, 68 and 70. Hon. Paul Martin (Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development– [Text] Quebec): The Federal Office of Regional Development–Quebec Question No. 66—Mr. Szabo: resource envelope consists of appropriations for programs ap- proved by Treasury Board—we call this our ‘‘A Base’’—and a For the years 1992 and 1993, have any departments, agencies or crown corporations contributed funding to Planned Parenthood of Canada or to Planned sum of money not yet allocated to a specific program (regional Parenthood International and, if so, (a) which ones and (b) in what amounts? development reserve). 5854 September 20, 1994 COMMONS DEBATES Routine Proceedings It is anticipated that the $70 million cuts will partly be applied $2.4 billion in 1996. These are calendar years. The planned to our ‘‘A Base’’ ($34.77 million) over the three–year period. annual surplus for 1994 in the Unemployment Insurance Ac- The balance ($35.23 million) will reduce the funds in the count is $240 million, which should bring the accumulated regional development reserve. deficit down to $5.6 billion, by December 31, 1994. (1010) The breakdown in $ millions by year and by sector is as follows: Premiums rates will be rolled back to their 1993 level in 1995 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 TOTAL and 1996, and the accumulated deficit in the UI Account should be eliminated by the end of 1996. Enterprise 2,000 2,000 7,000 11,000 development The Speaker: Shall the remaining questions be allowed to program stand? Manufacturing 1,755 5,245 3,000 10,000 productivity Some hon. members: Agreed. improvement program * * * Assistance 3,000 5,000 2,000 10,000 [English] program for disadvantaged areas REQUEST FOR EMERGENCY DEBATE Regional 3,445 325 – 3,770 WEST COAST FISHERIES development program (Quebec) The Speaker: I have received an application pursuant to Standing Order 52 for an emergency debate. I would call on the Regional 3,800 19,430 12,000 35,230 hon. member for Kamloops. development reserve Mr.