Mr. Charles A. Langlois (Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and to Minister of National Defence):

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 22 petitions.

[Editor's Note: See today's Votes and Proceedings.]

Mr. Steve Butland (Sault Ste. Marie):

Mr. Speaker, I am happy and proud to present a bill in the name of the hon. member for Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca. It is entitled the fair trade and beneficial investment act. It amends the Special Import Measures Act so that the Canadian International Trade Tribunal can investigate whether the lack of enforced internationally recognized standards on labour, environment and human rights comprise a hidden subsidy to products imported into Canada. When CITT finds such a case it can slap these products with a countervailing tariff that is equal to the value of the hidden subsidy.

Second, it amends the Investment Canada Act to allow Canada to amend the performance requirements for foreign investment in Canada and lower the investment review threshold down to $10 million.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paproski):

Order, please. The hon. member will need unanimous consent of the House to move for leave to introduce a bill on behalf of Mr. Barrett.

Is there unanimous consent of the House?

Agreed.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paproski):

Agreed and so ordered.

Mr. Butland:

Since I have finished, Mr. Speaker, I hope what I previously said will be accepted. I appreciate the consent from the members.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paproski):

Mr. Butland for Mr. Barrett moves for leave to introduce Bill C-457, an act to prevent unfair competition in trade and to amend the Special Import Measures Act and the Investment Canada Act in consequence thereof.

Pursuant to Standing Order 68(2), the motion is deemed adopted.

Mr. Butland for Mr. Barrett moves that the bill be now read the first time and printed.

Pursuant to Standing Order 69(1), the motion is deemed adopted.

Bill read the first time and printed.

Ms. Lynn Hunter (Saanich-Gulf Islands):

Mr. Speaker, it is my duty and privilege to present a petition under Standing Order 36.

As many of us know there are a number of people in our country who oppose the concept of two official languages and who believe the decision was made without consulting the people of Canada.

Sixty petitioners from my district, in particular Sidney, B.C., ask Parliament to enact legislation providing for a referendum of the people binding upon Parliament to

June 15, 1993

Routine Proceedings

accept or reject two official languages, English and French, for the government and people of Canada.

The acceptance or rejection of the proposed amendments is to be determined by a majority vote of the total votes cast in the whole of Canada together with the majority vote in the majority of provinces, with the territories being given the status of one province.

Mrs. Louise Feltham (Wild Rose):

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I have two duly certified petitions to present on behalf of the people of Wild Rose.

In the first petition from the Banff area the petitioners seek to settle a claim for acknowledgement and redress for injustices committed to the Urkrainian Canadian community during World War I.

Mrs. Louise Feltham (Wild Rose):

The second petition has been signed by constituents in my riding who are asking that the Government of Canada hold a referendum to accept or reject the entrenchment in the Constitution of two official languages.

Mr. Fred J. Mifflin (Bonavista-IVinity-Conception):

Mr. Speaker, I rise pursuant to Standing Order 36 to present a petition from 465 constituents essentially from the Bonavista area and Bayleys Cove.

These petitioners represent families who have been involved in the fishery for generations. I know some of them personally. I know this is a very well intended and serious petition.

The petition essentially centres around a federal government wharf historically maintained in good order in the Bayleys Cove area of Bonavista for the use of the many fishermen in the area and in other areas as well.

Essentially the point they make is that the distance from the main harbour is such that this wharf is used in emergencies many times. It has also been used historically by all the people in the area.

The problem is that during the winter of 1992-93 the wharf was damaged by both rough seas and severe icing

conditions. In addition, there is not much wharfage for small boats in Bonavista. It is one of the main fishing ports in Newfoundland.

The petitioners humbly pray and call upon Parliament to urge the government, particularly the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, to immediately effect repairs to this wharf so as to enable the many fisherpersons in the area to have facilities that are convenient and necessary to ensure safety.

Mr. Ray Funk (Prince Albert-Churchill River):

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to present three petitions to the House signed by 800 Canadians from 23 communities including Tbronto and Ottawa in Ontario, Port Albemi, Parksville, Castlegar, Crescent Valley in B.C., as well as Winnipeg, Saskatoon and other communities.

The petitioners call on Parliament to establish a peace trust fund which would allow Canadian taxpayers who for reasons of conscience and religion choose to redirect a portion of their taxes paid to the government away from military uses and to the fund to be used, if so directed, for peace, education, research, humanitarian aid and other purposes.

This is the subject matter of a private member's bill. As a response to that bill, which is going to die on the Order Paper, I pledge myself to these petitioners that if I make it back the peace trust fund bill will be back as well.

Hon. Ralph Ferguson (Lambton-Middlesex):

Mr. Speaker, I rise under Standing Order 36 to present a petition in the House of Commons. The petition is from the undersigned residents of Canada who avail themselves of the ancient and undoubted right thus to present a grievance common to the petitioners and with a certain assurance that the honourable House will therefore provide a remedy.

There are 29 names on this petition, 27 of them from my constituency and the other 2 from the constituency of Sarnia-Lambton.

Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg TVanscona):

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to present a petition which is concerned about the serial killer board game.

June 15, 1993

This petition represents a great many other petitioners who signed petitions which were not formerly acceptable to Parliament. These 25 names represent several hundreds of names that were collected by Miss Donna Neufeld in my riding. I would like to congratulate her for the work she has done in this regard.

The petition calls on Parliament to amend the Criminal Code of Canada so that violent and degrading materials such as the serial killer board game can be kept from being distributed in Canada.

Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg Transcona):

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to present a petition which concerns itself with the preservation of medicare and reform of the health Care system.

It calls on Parliament to take into account the following matters: reaffirmation of a commitment to a comprehensive national health care program; discontinuation of current freezes and reductions in the funding formula; development of new agreements to consultation and negotiation with the provinces; reaffirmation of a commitment to the guarantees in the Canada Health Act; withdrawal of Bill C-91 which gives brand name drugs a 20-year market monopoly; provisions for the production of low priced generic substitutions of brand name pharmaceuticals marketed in Canada; compensation to provincial pharmacare plans for rising drug costs; reaffirmation of a major federal responsibility for health protection and promotion; development of a national co-ordinated approach to health care reform; recognition that health care reform requires remedying the structural, social and economic inequalities which are at the root of inequalities in health status; and recognition that the preservation of medicare and any changes to our health care system must be achieved through public awareness, open consultation and citizen participation.