CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 139 Ï NUMBER 007 Ï 3rd SESSION Ï 37th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday, February 10, 2004 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 349 HOUSE OF COMMONS Tuesday, February 10, 2004 The House met at 10 a.m. [Translation] Mrs. Marlene Jennings (Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, Prayers Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present two petitions. The first comes from a number of residents of Montreal asking Parliament to maintain the traditional definition of marriage. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS PAY EQUITY Ï (1000) Mrs. Marlene Jennings (Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, [Translation] Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present a second petition. CANADA ELECTIONS ACT It expresses support for the people of Canada who are covered by Hon. Jacques Saada (Leader of the Government in the House the pay equity settlement and who feel they are prejudiced by the of Commons and Minister responsible for Democratic Reform, imposition of interest on arrears, which considerably reduces the pay Lib.) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-3, an act to amend the equity adjustments, thereby depriving them of equal pay for equal Canada Elections Act and the Income Tax Act. work. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) This petition therefore calls on the House to remedy this abnormal *** situation. I wholly support this petition. Ï (1000) The Speaker: The hon. member is well aware that it is against the rules to express an opinion on the petitions we present in the House. INTERPARLIAMENTARY DELEGATIONS I am certain she will not make the same mistake again. ASSEMBLÉE PARLEMENTAIRE DE LA FRANCOPHONIE [English] Mr. Bernard Patry (Pierrefonds—Dollard, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the MARRIAGE House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, as well as the Mr. Rex Barnes (Gander—Grand Falls, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I financial report relating thereto. have a petition, one of many that has been presented through me on behalf of my riding of Gander—Grand Falls and many throughout The report relates to the meeting of the APF, held at Cayenne, the whole country. This petition calls upon Parliament to recognize French Guyana, from January 21 to 23, 2004. the institution of marriage in federal law as being a lifelong union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others. *** Mr. Pat O'Brien (London—Fanshawe, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am Ï (1005) in receipt of a petition from some 25,000 Londoners and people in [English] the district of London, Ontario. I present now the latest approved 1,500 signatures to Parliament, calling upon the Parliament of PETITIONS Canada to uphold the traditional definition of marriage and to take MARRIAGE all necessary steps to defend the institution of marriage as it has been constituted since Confederation of this country. Mr. Roy Bailey (Souris—Moose Mountain, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I am proud to present another petition from my constituency. My Mr. Chuck Cadman (Surrey North, CPC): Mr. Speaker, constituents call upon the government to immediately hold a pursuant to Standing Order 36 I am pleased to present a petition renewed debate on the definition of marriage and to reaffirm it as it on behalf of 143 constituents of Surrey North. The petitioners call was in 1999. They urge it to take all necessary steps to preserve upon Parliament to pass legislation to recognize the institution of marriage as a union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of marriage in federal law as being the lifelong union of one man and all others. one woman to the exclusion of all others. 350 COMMONS DEBATES February 10, 2004 S. O. 57 HEALTH I want to quote the current Prime Minister on his supposed Mr. Janko Perić (Cambridge, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, pursuant to democratic reform initiatives. In his letter accompanying the Standing Order 36 it is my privilege to present to the House a democratic reform package, the Prime Minister stated: petition signed by 200 concerned constituents of my riding of Cambridge. The petitioners underscore that physicians must provide Parliament should be the centre of national debate on policy. For this to happen, we must reconnect Parliament to Canadians and renew the capacity of complete information about the health risks of abortion and that they Parliamentarians—from all parties—to shape policy and legislation. should be held accountable should they perform abortions without the informed consent of the mother or should they perform abortions that are not medically necessary. Therefore, the petitioners request Let us look at another quote from the Prime Minister. In December that Parliament support legislation calling for a woman's right to 2002, he said, “My position on parliamentary reform is that closure know. should be the exception, not the rule”. FOREIGN AFFAIRS Let us look at this Prime Minister's record. He has voted for time Mr. Dick Proctor (Palliser, NDP): Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for allocation and closure 85 times. Six days into a new parliamentary saving the best for the last. I am pleased to present a petition today session, he is already invoking closure. How can the Prime Minister suggesting that star wars would undermine Canada's proud tradition possibly say that he has any initiative or any intention to democratic of supporting arms control and acknowledging that Canada will not reform or reforming this House of Parliament? This should be a participate in a star wars missile defence program. The petition centre of national debate and not just a place where he can shut down strongly condemns the destabilizing plans of the President of the debate at his own whim. United States. The petitioners urge parliamentarians to work with our partners in peace for more arms control and to bring an end to the Hon. Jacques Saada: Mr. Speaker, the quote that was given from production and sale of weapons of mass destruction and any the Prime Minister is quite accurate, and I will read it again. He said, materials used to build them. “Parliament should be the centre of national debate on policy”. *** My colleagues across the way have tried to waste very valuable (1010) Ï time on debates on procedures, as they demonstrated on Friday, QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER which has delayed the debate on substance. As soon as this motion is passed tonight on reinstatement, we will have a chance to actually Hon. Roger Gallaway (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader debate the issues of interest to Canadians, and that is what we want of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, to do. I ask that all questions be allowed to stand. The Speaker: Is that agreed? The second is in terms of closure. It is quite interesting to note that it is the very first time in the history of our country that closure will Some hon. members: Agreed. be subjected to a free vote in the House, or maybe I should correct *** that. It will be a free vote on this side of the House because on the other side they do not believe in free votes. [Translation] REINSTATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT BILLS Mr. Chuck Strahl: Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The House leader has suggested that there is a problem with dilatory MOTION THAT DEBATE BE NOT FURTHER ADJOURNED motions, or a problem with wasting debate, I guess on the fact that Hon. Jacques Saada (Leader of the Government in the House we put forward an amendment to his previous motion. We are of Commons and Minister responsible for Democratic Reform, willing on this side to withdraw both our amendment and our Lib.): With respect to the consideration of the motion under subamendment in order to continue the debate if the House leader is government orders, Government Business No. 2, I move: willing to withdraw his closure motion. We could do that by unanimous consent and get— That the debate be not further adjourned. The Speaker: Pursuant to Standing Order 67.1, there will now be Ï (1015) a 30 minute period for questions. The Speaker: I do not know that this is a point of order. It sounds I would like to know how many hon. members wish to ask like perhaps an offer for negotiations, which of course can go on questions. We will allow a maximum of two minutes per question. behind the scenes, but we would not want negotiations proceeding [English] on the floor, particularly during question time on this motion. Mr. James Rajotte (Edmonton Southwest, CPC): Mr. Speaker, this is absolutely shocking. We are six days into supposedly what is a I am sure the government House leader will deal with the point of new parliamentary session and the government is already invoking order, which is not a point of order, in his next response. We will closure and shutting down debate. The Prime Minister is simply move to the hon. member for Rosemont—Petite-Patrie, who wishes continuing in the path of the former prime minister. to raise a question. February 10, 2004 COMMONS DEBATES 351 S. O. 57 [Translation] Mrs. Diane Ablonczy (Calgary—Nose Hill, CPC): Mr. Speaker, Mr. Bernard Bigras (Rosemont—Petite-Patrie, BQ): Mr. there is a truism in human affairs that actions speak louder than Speaker, the least we can say this morning is, the more the words.