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7088

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

[English]

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO PETITIONS

Mr. Paul Zed (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to three petitions.

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[Translation]

HOUSE COMMITTEES

INDUSTRY

Mr. David Walker (Winnipeg North Centre, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Industry has the honour to present its third report.

[English]

In accordance with its order of reference on Tuesday, October 29, 1996, your committee has considered Bill C-57, an act to amend the Bell Canada Act, and has agreed to report it without amendment. A copy of the relevant minutes to the proceedings relating to this bill, issue No. 3, which includes the report, is tabled.

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PEDOPHILE REGISTER ACT

Mrs. Jan Brown (Calgary Southeast, Ind.) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-359, an act to establish a national register of pedophiles and to provide legislative authority for the administration of the Canadian Police Information Centre by the RCMP.

She said: Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to present this private member's bill. It is in keeping with the activity I have been undertaking over these past long months to ensure that the protection of our children becomes a priority of the government.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

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CRIMINAL CODE

Mrs. Jan Brown (Calgary Southeast, Ind.) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-360, an act to amend the Criminal Code (chemical neutralization of pedophiles).

She said: Mr. Speaker, this bill follows in accordance with my ongoing work in the whole area of child protection and is seen to be a treatment process for those who are deemed to be pedophiles in our community and a great threat to our children.


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(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

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PETITIONS

NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM

Mr. Len Taylor (The Battlefords-Meadow Lake, NDP): Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to present a petition, pursuant to Standing Order 36, from residents of the constituency of The Battlefords-Meadow Lake.

The petition notes that 38 per cent of the national highway system in Canada is substandard, that the national highway policy study identified job creation, economic development, national unity, saving lives and avoiding industry, lower congestion, lower vehicular operating costs and better international competitiveness as benefits of the proposed national highway program.

Therefore, the petitioners call on Parliament to urge the federal government to join with provincial governments to make the national highway system upgrading possible.

YOUNG OFFENDERS

Mr. Jim Hart (Okanagan-Similkameen-Merritt, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I rise on behalf of the constituents of Okanagan-Similkameen-Merritt to present a petition.

The petition contains thousands of signatures from my riding, from Canadians who are concerned about rising violent crime among young offenders.

Therefore, the petitioners pray and request that Parliament change the Young Offenders Act to reflect the concerns of citizens of Canada by lowering the age limit, transferring those accused of crimes of violence to adult court and publishing the identity of violent criminal offenders.

NATIONAL CHILD CARE PROGRAM

Mr. Charlie Penson (Peace River, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition from 41 constituents of Peace River.

The petitioners call on Parliament to create a national child care program based on the principles of accessibility, affordability, high quality, comprehensiveness and accountability for funding use.

PEDOPHILE REGISTRY

Mrs. Jan Brown (Calgary Southeast, Ind.): Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition from constituents in Newfoundland who concur with me that we need to establish a pedophile registry to better protect our children and to better protect the citizens and parents of this country in so doing.

TAXATION

Mr. Bob Ringma (Nanaimo-Cowichan, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition on behalf of 140 citizens who are concerned that all levels of government should demonstrate their support of education and literacy by eliminating sales tax on reading materials.

The petitioners ask Parliament to zero rate books, magazines and newspapers under the GST.

MARRIAGE

Mrs. Rose-Marie Ur (Lambton-Middlesex, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I would like to table petitions signed by the constituents of Lambton-Middlesex and surrounding areas, which have been duly certified by the clerk of petitions, pursuant to Standing Order 36.

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The petitioners request that the House of Commons enact legislation or amend existing legislation to define marriage as the voluntary union for life of one woman and one man to each other to the exclusion of all others.

TAXATION

Mr. Darrel Stinson (Okanagan-Shuswap, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a petition from people in western Canada who are opposed to applying the GST to reading materials.

The petitioners point out that education and literacy are critical to the development of Canada and this tax on reading material handicaps that development. They urge all levels of government to demonstrate their support for education and literacy by eliminating the sales tax on reading materials, including the new procedures under the so-called harmonization of the GST with provincial sales tax.

SABLE ISLAND GAS PIPELINE

Mr. Randy White (Fraser Valley West, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, I have another petition from residents throughout Nova Scotia.

The petitioners state that in June 1996 the Prime Minister of Canada announced he would work toward diverting the Sable Island gas pipeline to Quebec City; that it is unacceptable for the Prime Minister to decide the destination of Nova Scotia natural gas without consulting Nova Scotians; and that Nova Scotians assert their right to control the destination of Sable Island gas and demand that the federal government cease tampering in this issue.

The petitioners call upon the House of Commons to recognize the right of Nova Scotians to control the destination of Sable Island natural gas.

PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS COMPENSATION FUND

Mr. Paul Szabo (Mississauga South, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present. The first one comes from Burnaby, B.C.


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The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that our police and firefighters place their lives at risk on a daily basis as they serve the emergency needs of all Canadians. They also state that in many cases the families of officers who lost their lives in the line of duty are left without sufficient means to meet their obligations.

The petitioners therefore pray and call upon Parliament to establish a public safety officers compensation fund to receive gifts and bequests for the benefit of the families of police officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty.

TAXATION

Mr. Paul Szabo (Mississauga South, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the second petition comes from Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that managing the family home and caring for preschool children is an honourable profession which has not been recognized for its value to our society.

The petitioners therefore pray and call upon Parliament to pursue initiatives to assist families who choose to provide care in the home for preschool children, the chronically ill, the aged or the disabled.

LABELLING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

Mr. Paul Szabo (Mississauga South, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the final petition I wish to present comes from Sydney, Nova Scotia.

The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that the consumption of alcoholic beverages may cause health problems or impair one's ability and specifically that fetal alcohol syndrome or other alcohol related birth defects are 100 per cent preventable by avoiding alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

The petitioners therefore pray and call upon Parliament to enact legislation to require health warning labels to be placed on the containers of all alcoholic beverages to caution expectant mothers and others of the risks associated with alcohol consumption.

PROFITS FROM CRIME

Mr. John Williams (St. Albert, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.

The first one is with regard to criminals profiting from crime and is signed by many petitioners from in and around my riding. They ask that Parliament enact Bill C-205 introduced by the hon. member for Scarborough West at the earliest opportunity so as to provide in Canadian law that no criminal profits from committing a crime.

TAXATION

Mr. John Williams (St. Albert, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from many constituents from in and around my riding who believe that the application of the 7 per cent GST to reading materials is unfair and wrong. They urge all levels of government to demonstrate their commitment to education and literacy by eliminating the sales tax on reading materials.

The petitioners ask Parliament to zero rate books, magazines and newspapers under the GST. They also ask Parliament and provincial governments to zero rate reading materials under the proposed harmonized sales tax and that the Prime Minister carry out his party's repeated and unequivocal promise to remove the federal sales tax from books, magazines and newspapers.

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QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER

Mr. Paul Zed (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, Question No. Q-81 will be answered today.

[Text]

Question No. 81-Mr. Bergeron:

In connection with the move of the Atomic Energy of Canada offices from Montreal to Ontario, could the Department of Natural Resources indicate how many direct and indirect jobs will be lost in Quebec?
Hon. Anne McLellan (Minister of National Ressources, Lib.): Regarding Atomic Energy Canada Limited, AECL, except for seven individuals who have accepted transfers to another AECL location, there have been no direct jobs lost in Quebec as a consequence of AECL's June 1996 announcement to reorganize its workforce throughout the company to achieve increased cost efficiencies and effectiveness. EACL is not aware of any indirect effect of these seven transfers.

[English]

Mr. Zed: Mr. Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.

The Deputy Speaker: Is that agreed?

Some hon. members: Agreed.

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MOTIONS FOR PAPERS

Mr. Paul Zed (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers be allowed to stand.

The Deputy Speaker: Is that agreed?

Some hon. members: Agreed.


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