[English]
He said: Mr. Speaker, this bill would restore the name Dominion Day to the July 1 holiday. The country founded on July 1, 1867 was not Canada but the Federal State of the Dominion of Canada, still the country's official name.
The word ``dominion'' has its linguistic roots in the French language and was chosen as the name for this country by the Fathers of Confederation from the 72nd Psalm: ``He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the rivers unto the ends of the earth''.
It has been a mistake for this country to try and preserve its future by destroying its past and the name Dominion Day should be restored.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)
He said: Mr. Speaker, we have a serious problem in this country, one that touches 160,000 Canadians a year. It is a $1.6 billion problem and that problem is auto theft.
Our loose laws encourage people to break the law, I believe, especially in the view of young male offenders who steal over half of the cars stolen in Canada mostly to joy ride and experience the thrill at somebody else's expense.
The problem is out of control in British Columbia. In my constituency and in the city of Chilliwack, for example, auto theft is up 87 per cent this year over last year.
My bill would strengthen the provisions of section 335 of the Criminal Code, the section under which young offenders are usually charged. It prescribes a minimum and a maximum sentence in terms of a fine, a jail term and restitution to the victim. It also states that the parents of young offenders who have contributed to the delinquency of their child should be held responsible for the payment.
I hope that all members will take note of this serious problem and support this bill.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)
[Translation]
[English]
The petitioners pray and request that the Parliament of Canada to introduce amendments to the Criminal Code to ensure that anyone convicted of impaired driving causing death receive a sentence from seven to a maximum of 14 years.
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The petitioners request that changes be made to the Criminal Code. They want to be notified when a sex offender is released into the community. They want a central registry to be available for people who work with children so they will know who has committed these crimes. They want to prohibit pardons for those convicted of sex offences involving children.
I have now presented approximately 25,000 or 30,000 names on this subject.
[Translation]
petition signed by 60 constituents from Carleton-Gloucester. The petitioners ask that Parliament not increase the federal taxes on gasoline.
[English]
The first petition is signed by 75 Manitobans. The second is signed by 300 Manitobans, many of whom live in my riding of Dauphin-Swan River.
The petitioners draw the attention of the House to the negative impact pornography has on men, women and children. They urge Parliament to strictly uphold Canada's laws against obscenity.
[Translation]
Since 1992, immigration officials have denied entry to addicts who cannot prove they have been drug-free for at least two years. This is unjustified, as neither the legislation nor the regulations provide for the enforcement of this two-year criterion.
[English]
The first 35 petitioners request that Parliament not amend the Constitution as requested by the Government of Newfoundland and allow educational reform to take place within the context of the framework agreement in that province.
The petitioners request that Parliament amend the Criminal Code to prohibit any type of lap dancing in any place to which the public has access. They do so because they believe obscenity distorts human sexuality and can be linked to violence.
The petitioners pray and request that Parliament support the immediate initiation, with the conclusion by the year 2000, of an international convention which will set out a binding timetable for the abolition of all nuclear weapons.
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[Translation]
abolished, mainly because of its high cost, that is, $43 million. They think we could do without this expenditure.
[English]
The petition is signed by over 2,100 signatures, bringing the total number to 7,600. This represents 15 per cent of the voters in my riding.
The petitioners request that Parliament allow Canadian citizens to vote directly in a national binding referendum on the restoration of the death penalty for first degree murder convictions.
These petitioners call on the Canadian government to renegotiate the Canada-U.S. tax treaty to stop this inequity. I know the government is working on a solution to this problem and I would urge the government to find it soon.
In the first, the undersigned residents of Canada draw to the attention of the House that 38 per cent of the national highway system is substandard, that Mexico and the United States are upgrading their national systems and that the national highway policy study identified benefits of the proposed national highway program.
The petitioners urge Parliament to request that the federal government join with provincial governments to make the national highway system upgrading possible.
[Translation]
Finally, the petitioners call on Parliament to press the federal government to work with the provinces toward upgrading our national highway system.
[English]
It is certainly in accordance with what I said to my hon. colleague yesterday that he would have the answers before Christmas. Christmas greetings and some Christmas readings. Merry Christmas.
The Acting Speaker (Mr. Milliken): Is that agreed?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
[Text]
Question No. 9-Mr. Hermanson:
What is the total dollar amount spent on advertising by the government and its Crown Agencies in fiscal years 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994 by province, in each of the following mediums: television, radio, daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, monthly newspapers, billboards and direct mail?Return tabled.
Question No. 16-Mr. Collins:
Regarding the amount of Federal Government (including Crown Corporations) spending on advertising in all forms of media (radio, television, daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, magazines): please specify, by type of media, and by province, where Federal Government advertising funds were allocated for the years 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995 and what amount was spent on each medium in each of those years, in
particular the amount spent on weekly newspapers, for all of Canada and broken down by province?Return tabled.
We have not received responses to any of these and the government has missed the deadline. These questions are to be answered within 45 days and today is day 55.
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Will the government tell us why it has missed the deadline and when it plans to respond?
While I am on my feet, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to point out that we also have concern about the lack of response to our Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers, again related to the airbus fiasco, the role of former Prime Minister Mulroney and this Liberal government in those particular contracts. We currently have 17 such notices and have not received anything from the government on any of them. We gave notice for two of these on March 19 and for the other 15 on September 12.
Given that this is or at least is supposed to be the last day of sitting before Christmas, we would have appreciated a response from the government. So can the government tell us when we might get some action on these matters?
Mr. Paul Zed (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague could tell by the 48 pounds worth of documents that his colleague from Kindersley-Lloydminster's order required, we have busy elves over here preparing the information for the hon. member for Kindersley-Lloydminster.
I am happy that we were able to provide the important information that our colleague was looking for and I will look forward to perhaps getting the information that my hon. colleague is looking for next week.
We will look into the matter with due diligence and we will look forward to having that information some time before Christmas.
The Acting Speaker (Mr. Milliken): If the Chair might be permitted a personal remark, it is to say how pleased the Chair is that the question of the hon. member for Kindersley-Lloydminster has been answered. I know that my past involvement in securing the answer was one that interested the hon. member.
Mr. Zed: Mr. Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.
The Acting Speaker (Mr. Milliken): Is that agreed?
Some hon. members: Agreed.