Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 110(1), these have been referred to the appropriate standing committees, a list of which is attached.
He said: Mr. Speaker, this bill is an attempt to provide for the establishment of a genuine progress indicator which would reflect the cost of all natural resources consumed and the environmental debt incurred during the process of production, to give a more realistic measure of real progress.
It would also require that whenever a change in the gross domestic product is cited in official documents, the genuine progress indicator or change therein must also be cited.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)
He said: Mr. Speaker, this bill, entitled an act to vacate the conviction of Louis Riel, has two purposes.
[English]
First, this bill would vacate the conviction of Louis Riel. Second, it would recognize Mr. Riel as a father of Confederation, a point that I have made in the House of Commons in addressing a government motion of 1992.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)
He said: Mr. Speaker, the purpose of this enactment is to affirm Canada's sovereign indivisibility and to preserve its territorial integrity.
The Constitution of Canada formed a federal state that is one and indivisible because this best serves the interests of all Canadians. It would secure the reputation that Canada now enjoys in the world community as a nation in which two founding cultures and other diverse elements have already demonstrated an ability to live and work together for the common good within a strong and united federation, Canada.
It is based on the fact that there is no provision in the Constitution for the withdrawal from the federation of a province or territory, that the federation may not be deprived of any part of the territory of Canada except with its consent by due process of constitutional amendment, and that no province or territory may unilaterally withdraw from the federation.
No province or territory shall either unilaterally or in conjunction with any other province or territory attempt to or declare its intention to secede from the federation and form a separate state. Canada is constitutionally sovereign and indivisible and extends fairness to all cultures in all parts of this nation.
No province or territory shall initiate, authorize, sponsor or permit a referendum to be held on any question purporting to seek a mandate for the withdrawal or indeed the intent of withdrawing of that province or territory from the federation without the federation's consent.
(1215)
I present this for the consideration of the House.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)
She said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present this bill to the House. Our government was elected and has continued to pursue a policy of open consultative government.
The National Capital Commission established under the National Capital Act has as its purpose to develop a capital that is a source of pride and a force of unity for all Canadians. In the process of doing that, it interacts very strongly with local governments and has, in its decisions, a very strong impact on the local community.
This bill calls for amendments to the National Capital Act to require, under certain circumstances and with certain limitations, that the National Capital Commission hold its meetings in public and consult with the public in making its decisions.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)
He said: Mr. Speaker, this will be part of a series of bills that I have introduced. The purpose of it is to make this legislation in conformity with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This will ensure that a family is responsible for a child until the age of 18.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)
The Deputy Speaker: This proposed bill does not have the requisite amount of notice and therefore it will require unanimous consent for the hon. member to proceed with it.
Is there unanimous consent?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
Mr. Harb: Mr. Speaker, this bill will amend the bill of rights to ensure it includes the right of an individual to proper housing at a reasonable cost and free from unreasonable barriers.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)
The Deputy Speaker: The next bill also requires the unanimous consent of the House because of lack of notice. Is there unanimous consent?
Some hon. members: No.
The Deputy Speaker: There is another bill in the same situation. Is there unanimous consent?
Some hon. members: No.
The Speaker: There is one last bill by the member for Ottawa Centre in the same situation. Is there unanimous consent?
Some hon. members: No.
During this session of Parliament, whenever the House stands adjourned, if a bill or bills are awaiting royal assent, the Speaker may, at the request of the government, give notice that the House shall meet at a specified time for the purposes of royal assent. The House shall meet at the specified time for those purposes only; and immediately thereafter the Speaker shall adjourn the House to the time to which it had formerly been adjourned. In the event of the Speaker being unable to act owing to illness or other cause, the Deputy Speaker, the Deputy Chairman of Committees or the Assistant Deputy Chairman of Committees shall act in the Speaker's stead for all purposes of this order.(Motion agreed to.)
They are asking that we request the federal government to immediately rescind section 55.2(4) of the Patent Act, thus freeing up millions of dollars in savings.
The first is from a group of 75 petitioners from the Edmonton area asking the federal government to remove taxation on the GST and in doing so fulfil a pre-election promise of the Prime Minister.
This is of significance to the whole country but is of particular importance to the Edmonton area as a result of a particularly egregious situation there.
Mr. David Chatters (Athabasca, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present today.
The first is from residents of my riding of Athabasca. The petitioners ask Parliament to reconsider and repeal the provocation defence in the Criminal Code. My constituents do not feel that any provocation is sufficient provocation to take another person's life.
The petitioners urge Parliament to remove the GST from books, including the Bible, magazines and newspapers.
(1225)
Most of these residents are in or around Renfrew county. They are asking that this petition be presented on their behalf.
Whereas freedom of choice in health care is becoming increasingly curtailed and further threatened by legislation and statutory regulations of the Government of Canada, the undersigned request that Canada's Food and Drugs Act be revised.
They list several ways but the principal one is that the definition of food should include dietary supplements and foods for special health uses and that the definition of drug be amended to include any substance other than food.
Whereas Canadians with disabilities have soundly demonstrated their skill and competence in many sectors of business and the labour force, whereas 58 per cent of working age Canadians with disabilities are either unemployed or not in the labour force, and whereas the planning and methods of supported employment programs have proven successful in increasing business and labour opportunities for people with disabilities, the petitioners humbly petition Parliament to promote and maintain supported employment, community placement, training and access projects. I heartily endorse this petition.
The petitioners are calling on Parliament to remove the GST from reading material.
These petitioners are calling on Parliament to upgrade the national highway system.
Mr. John Duncan (North Island-Powell River, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present.
The first is signed by 100 individuals from my constituency calling on Parliament not to increase the federal excise tax on gasoline and to consider reallocating its current revenues from excise taxes to rebuilding Canada's crumbling national highways.
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Question No. 62-Miss Grey:
Can the Minister of Justice indicate the number of lawyers defending the federal government in the lawsuit initiated by former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the daily cost of the court case to the federal government?Mr. Gordon Kirkby (Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.): During the course of the litigation, the government retained five agents to represent the interests of the defendants: Messrs. Claude-Armand Sheppard, Yvan Bolduc, Vincent O'Donnell, Bruno Pateras, and Harvey Strosberg.
The agents were assisted as required by members of their respective firms. The government negotiated substantial reductions from the agents'normal hourly rates.
As of January 17, 1997 the Crown had paid out $935,732.60 in lawyers fees.
In addition to the agents, lawyers with the Department of Justice in Montreal and Ottawa have worked on the Airbus litigation as required.
Question No. 63-Miss Grey:
Can the Solicitor General indicate the precise date for the commencement of the current RCMP investigation into former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, the number of individuals devoted to the investigation and the daily cost of the investigation to the federal government?Hon. Herb Gray (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada, Lib.): In so far as the Ministry of the Solicitor General of Canada is concerned, the answer is as follows: The subject matter of these questions involves an ongoing criminal investigation. The information requested cannot be released at this time.
Question No. 64-Miss Grey:
Can the Solicitor General indicate the precise dates for the commencement and termination of the Airbus related investigation initiated as a result of the complaint lodged by the Minister of Justice in November 1993?
Hon. Herb Gray (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada, Lib.): In so far as the Ministry of the Solicitor General of Canada is concerned, the answer is as follows:
As is a matter of public record, on December 2, 1993, the Minister of Justice wrote a letter to the Solicitor General of Canada regarding allegations of wrongdoing by the former government. On December 9, 1993, the Solicitor General of Canada forwarded the letter to the RCMP.
Upon receipt of the informatiom, the RCMP undertook a review of the allegations in the Minister of Justice's letter, which it should be noted, did not refer to Airbus. Having undertaken this review, by letter of February 22, 1994, the RCMP advised the Minister of Justice that there were insufficient grounds to commence a criminal investigation.
Question No. 65-Miss Grey:
Can the Prime Minister's Office and the Privy Council Office indicate whether anyone within those offices, or on contract, was involved in any way in the Airbus affair, or the ensuing investigations, and the nature of their involvement?Mr. Rey D. Pagtakhan (Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister, Lib.): No one in the Prime Minister's Office was involved in the Airbus investigation.
The Privy Council Office did not know of the September 29, 1995 letter of request to the Swiss authorities, or of the RCMP investigation of Mr. Mulroney until after the letter became public knowledge on November 18, 1995.
If the Royal Canadian Mounted Police approached any department of the public service, it was as part of the investigation. Accordingly, the information requested cannot be released at this time.
Question No. 67-Mr. Speaker (Lethbridge):
Can the Minister of Justice indicate any/all individuals he, or his executive assistant, met with pertaining to the Airbus affair, including the name of the individual(s), the date(s), and the subject matter of their meeting?Mr. Gordon Kirkby (Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.): The Minister of Justice had no knowledge of the Airbus investigation that was the subject matter of the lawsuit commenced by Brian Mulroney until November 4, 1995 when he was contacted by Mr. Mulroney's counsel, Roger Tassé.
Subsequent to the initiation of the lawsuit on November 20, 1995, the Minister of Justice and his executive assistant received briefings concerning the status of the litigation as required.
Question No. 97-Mrs. Venne (Saint-Hubert):
Within the framework of its mandate to coordinate the activities of the Canadian intelligence community, can the Privy Council Office (including the intelligence agencies directly or indirectly under its authority) specify, for the 1995 and 1996 fiscal years: (a) what persons or agencies it authorized to carry out intelligence studies, (b) what subjects were covered by these studies and (c) what were the costs of each of them?Mr. Rey D. Pagtakan (Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister, Lib.): In so far as the Privy Council Office is concerned, the Intelligence Assessment Secretariat (IAS) has commissioned the studies listed below.
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Mr. Pagtakhan: Mr. Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.
The Deputy Speaker: Is that agreed?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
