9331
ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS
[Translation]
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 41 petitions.
[English]
Hon. Douglas Peters (Secretary of State (International
Financial Institutions), Lib.): Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing
Order 83(1), I wish to table a notice of ways and means motion to
implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on
February 18, 1997.
I also wish to table a notice of ways and means motion to amend
the Excise Tax Act in accordance with the proposals set out in the
attached notes and the accompanying publication.
I ask that an order of the day be designated for the consideration
of each motion.
* * *
Mr. Joseph Volpe (Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of
Health, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I am
pleased to table, in both official languages, proposed tobacco
access regulations, tobacco labelling and reporting regulations and
tobacco seizure and restoration regulations with respect to Bill
C-71.
* * *
Mr. Paul Zed (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the
Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I
have the honour to present the 61st report of the Standing
Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the
guidelines with respect to conduct during question period in the
House.
The committee unanimously recommends that a question be not
ruled out of order on the sole basis that it anticipates orders of the
day.
I also have the honour to present the 62nd report of the Standing
Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding its order of
reference from the House of Commons on Thursday, February 20,
1997, in relation to the main estimates for the fiscal year ending
March 31, 1998 with regard to vote 20 under privy council Chief
Electoral Officer.
The committee reports the same.
9332
[Translation]
Hon. Fernand Robichaud (for the Minister of Industry,
Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency,
Minister of Western Economic Diversification and Minister
responsible for the Federal Office of Regional
Development-Quebec, Lib.) moved for leave to introduce Bill
C-91, an act respecting cooperatives.
(Motion agreed to, bill read the first time and ordered to be
printed.)
* * *
(1205)
[English]
Mr. Harbance Singh Dhaliwal (Vancouver South, Lib.)
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-392, an act to amend the
Immigration Act (right of landing fee).
He said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased and honoured to rise in the
House today to introduce three private member's bills. Today I will
be introducing a bill to amend the Income Tax Act which will allow
for an increase in the small business deduction from its current
threshold of $200,000 to $300,000.
I am introducing a bill to amend the Immigration Act to
eliminate the right of landing fees.
I am introducing another bill to amend the Immigration Act to
raise the age of dependent daughters and sons from 19 to 21 years
of age.
I hope my colleagues will become familiar with these initiatives
and that they will support them when they come before the House.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)
* * *
Mr. Harbance Singh Dhaliwal (Vancouver South, Lib.)
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-393, an act to amend the
Income Tax Act (business limit).
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)
* * *
Mr. Harbance Singh Dhaliwal (Vancouver South, Lib.)
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-394, an act to amend the
Immigration Act (dependent sons and daughters).
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)
Mr. Mac Harb (Ottawa Centre, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have a
petition signed by constituents in the national capital region who
are calling on the House of Commons to ask the government to
declare that Canada is indivisible.
Mr. Raymond Bonin (Nickel Belt, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have
the privilege of presenting petitions on behalf of my electorate. In
the first petition the petitioners request that Parliament change the
law to make the purchasing of airbags optional when purchasing a
new automobile or truck.
Mr. Raymond Bonin (Nickel Belt, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have a
petition in which the petitioners request that Parliament not
increase the federal excise tax on gasoline.
Mr. Raymond Bonin (Nickel Belt, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have a
petition to make our national highway system upgrading possible
beginning in 1997.
Mr. Raymond Bonin (Nickel Belt, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have a
petition to remove the federal sales tax from books, magazines and
newspapers.
Hon. Audrey McLaughlin (Yukon, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I have
the privilege to present petitions containing hundreds of signatures
from residents of Saskatchewan and Alberta who wish to draw to
the attention of the House that as deeply concerned citizens, they
believe the provocation defence as it is currently used in wife
slaughter cases inappropriately and unjustly changes the focus of
the criminal trial from the behaviour of the accused and his
intention to murder to the behaviour of the victim.
These Canadians call on Parliament to review and change
relevant provisions of the Criminal Code to ensure that men take
responsibility for their violent behaviour toward women.
Mr. John Cummins (Delta, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, I have several
petitions. In the first the undersigned citizens of Canada state that
whereas incidents of serious personal injury, crimes and sexual
offences involving children are becoming more and more frequent,
the petitioners request that Parliament enact legislation to amend
the Criminal Code to allow for the post-sentence supervision
and/or detention of those who have been convicted of sex offences
involving children or of serious personal offences.
They ask that we establish a procedure of public notification of
such offenders being released, that we establish a central registry
9333
including fingerprints of all convicted sex offenders, that we
amend the Criminal Records Act to prohibit pardons for those
convicted, and that the Criminal Code also be amended to prohibit
for life all those convicted of sex offences against children from
holding positions of trust and responsibility.
(1210 )
The second petition has to do with Canadian law not prohibiting
convicted criminals from profiting financially from writing books,
setting up 1-900 numbers and producing videos.
The petitioners request that Parliament enact Bill C-205,
introduced by the hon. member for Scarborough West, at the
earliest opportunity to provide in Canadian law that no criminal
profits from committing a crime.
Mr. John Cummins (Delta, Ref.): The next petition, Mr.
Speaker, notes that the availability of reasonably priced energy
helps Canadians offset the high cost of transportation in a
geographically disperse country and that mobility is a basic right
and economic necessity.
The petitioners respectfully request that Parliament not increase
the federal excise tax on gasoline and strongly consider
reallocating its current revenues to rehabilitate Canada's crumbling
national highways.
Mr. John Cummins (Delta, Ref.): In the last petition, Mr.
Speaker, the petitioners draw to the attention of Parliament that38 per cent of the national highways system is substandard and they
request that Parliament join with provincial governments to make
the national highway system upgrading possible.
Mrs. Sue Barnes (Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of
National Revenue, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, today I have two petitions
from my electorate. The first is respecting the upgrading of our
national highway system.
Mrs. Sue Barnes (Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of
National Revenue, Lib.): The second petition, Mr. Speaker, calls
on Parliament to dedicate significantly more resources to the
support and development of scientific research through programs
such as the NRC and NSERC.
* * *
Mr. Paul Zed (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the
Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I ask
that all questions be allowed to stand.
The Deputy Speaker: Is it agreed?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
Mr. Volpe: Mr. Speaker, I wonder if there would be unanimous
consent to refer the regulations I tabled a few moments ago to the
Standing Committee on Health.
The Deputy Speaker: Is there unanimous consent that the
matter be referred to the committee?
Some hon. members: No.
[Translation]
The Deputy Speaker: We do not have the unanimous consent of
the House.
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