The Acting Speaker (Mr. DeBlois):

Mr. Layton 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, I have a petition with over 2,700 signatures to stop taxing child support payments in the hands of custodial parents.

The government system of taxing child support payments is a major contributing factor to the poverty of women and children. Two-thirds of single parent families headed by women are poor, while Canadian taxpayers provide higher income divorced fathers with huge tax breaks to the tune of $2.5 billion.

June 16, 1993

Routine Proceedings

This petition was signed in a short period of time mainly by residents of British Columbia but also from all across Canada. It shows the overwhelming amount of support for changing this unfair tax policy.

I also want to recognize the very diligent work done by my colleague and friend, the member for New Westminster-Burnaby on this issue. I am honoured to submit this petition on behalf of those 2,700 petitioners.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the honour this afternoon to present two petitions to the House of Commons from a number of people in and around the federal riding of Elk Island. These people live in communities of Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan, Ardrossan, Beaumont, New Sarepta, Leduc, Edmonton and St. Albert.

They call upon Parliament to change or replace the Young Offenders Act with legislation that will be a stronger deterrent to youth crime. These people are most concerned with repeat violent young offenders and recommend harsher penalties including work camps. In cases dealing with theft or property damage, they suggest financial repayment to victims of crime.

These Canadians want laws that are seen to support victims of crime rather than insulate offenders from accountability.

Mr. John Harvard (Winnipeg-St. James):

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36,1 have the honour and duty to present a petition on behalf of over 350 constituents who are deeply concerned about the so-called killer cards.

These cards published by Eclipse Comic Books, True Crime Trading Cards and other publishers feature the crimes of serial killers, mass murderers and gangsters. My constituents do not want these trading cards in their community. They strongly oppose the importation of them into Canada and support the government's efforts to seize any and all shipments at the Canada-U.S. border. In this regard, I give my full support to my constituents.

These cards add nothing positive to Canadian life. Instead they contribute to violence. Therefore the petitioners ask Parliament to amend the law to prohibit the

importation, sale and manufacture of killer cards into Canada.

Mr. John Harvard (Winnipeg-St. James):

Mr. Speaker, I have one more petition. It comes from many residents of Ontario.

They are concerned that stray animals are not properly protected and to that end they want an amendment to the cruelty to animals act to provide greater protection to these animals.

Mr. Jim Hawkes (Calgary West):

Mr. Speaker, I present today an additional over 40,000 signatures which petition the House to change the Young Offenders Act with an updated juvenile delinquents act.

It is in memory of Ryan Garrioch, a young man who was murdered in a school yard in Calgary. On this day I would particularly like to pay tribute to the parents who took a personal tragedy and have attempted to turn it into something that they believe will be of social benefit to Canada. That should be acknowledged in this Chamber on this last day.

Mrs. Louise Feltham (Wild Rose):

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36,1 too would like to present a large number of petitions representing thousands of petitioners from the Calgary area who are concerned about the Young Offenders Act.

These petitioners request that Parliament revise the laws of Canada to replace the Young Offenders Act with an updated juvenile delinquents act with a lowered maximum age.

I too would like to see the age reduced to reflect the wishes of most of my constituents.

Mr. Ken James (Sarnia-Lambton):

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition signed by many constituents of mine in Sarnia, Corunna, Brigden and Point Edward. It has been certified correct as to form and content by the clerk.

These constituents call upon Parliament to enact legislation providing for a referendum of the people binding upon Parliament to accept or reject two official languages, English and French, for the government and people of Canada, and also to accept the acceptance or rejection of the proposed amendments to be determined by a majority vote of the total votes cast in the whole of Canada, together with a majority vote in a majority of

June 16, 1993

the provinces, with the territories being given the status of one province.

Mr. Les Benjamin (Regina-Lumsden):

Mr. Speaker, it is my duty and honour to present a petition signed by many residents of the city of Regina in my constituency. They say that we are increasingly becoming a culture of violence and violence has become an ordinary part of our children's lives.

Part of this culture is a serial killer board game which comes with a bag of 25 babies, the point of which is to murder as many defenceless children as possible. The laws of Canada do not deal with materials portraying torture, rape and murder as fun, including serial killer board games.

Your petitioners request that Parliament consider amending the Criminal Code of Canada so that violent degrading material such as the serial killer board game can be kept from being distributed in Canada.

Mr. Russell MacLellan (Cape Breton-The Sydneys):

Mr. Speaker, I also want to introduce a petition with thousands of signatures calling for a ban on the serial killer board game. As the previous speaker said, the game comes with a body bag, 25 babies, four serial killer figures, the object of which is to commit murder. The person with the highest body count is the winner.

This is not in the interest of our youth. It is not in the interest of our Canadian society. I ask the House to ban this very offensive game.

Mr. Ken Hughes (Macleod):

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and honour to present these certified petitions on behalf of the residents of the riding of Macleod.

These petitioners, which number in the hundreds, call for the harmonization of certain standards and procedures between Canadian and the United States meat and pork laws. They suggest that harmonization would reduce the possibility of the United States placing trade restrictions on Canadian products, thereby increasing

Routine Proceedings

the proper functioning and confidence in the beef marketing system in North America.

They point out that this confidence will encourage producers to make the investments necessary for us to remain competitive. These principles incidentally are embodied in Bill C-406 which I have introduced in the House and which has the signed support of more than 20 private members.

Mr. Bill Domm (Peterborough):

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present four petitions to the House.

The petitioners humbly pray and call upon Parliament to enact legislation providing for a referendum of the people, binding upon Parliament, to accept or reject two official languages, English and French, for the government and the people of Canada.

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

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Simon de Jong (Regina-Qu'Appelle):

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have a similar petition.

The petitioners are mainly from my riding of Regina- Qu'Appelle and most of them are residents of Fort Qu'Appelle.

The petitioners ask for a referendum binding upon Parliament to accept or reject the two official languages. They state that the acceptance or rejection of the proposed amendment should be determined by a majority vote of the total votes cast in the whole of Canada together with a majority vote in the majority of provinces with the territories being given the status of one province.

Mr. Simon de Jong (Regina-Qu'Appelle):

Mr. Speaker, I also have the honour to present another petition which has also been certified as correct.

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Routine Proceedings

These petitioners ask the Government of Canada to maintain barley under the Canadian Wheat Board. They are concerned that removing barley from the Wheat Board will further weaken it.

They call on Parliament and the government to keep barley under the responsibility of the Canadian Wheat Board.

Mr. Murray W. Dorin (Edmonton Northwest):

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the honour to present today a petition, certified correct, which I received from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

This petition deals with the issue of redress for injustices committed against Ukrainian settlers by the Government of Canada during and following the First World War.

This petition is signed by many Edmonton residents in my riding. I would urge the government to respond to their concerns.

Mr. David Kilgour (Edmonton Southeast):

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions. The first one is identical to the ones just presented by the member for Peterborough and by the member from Regina East. It deals with official bilingualism and calls for a referendum with respect to it in exactly the same terms as the previous petitions.

Mr. David Kilgour (Edmonton Southeast):

Mr. Speaker, the second petition presented under Standing Order 36 contains the signatures of many thousands of Albertans and other Canadians on the proposed round-up, auction and slaughter of wild horses in the national wildlife park at the Canadian Forces Base Suffield.

The petitioners call for a number of other things such as a long-term management plan, legal protection for wild horses and citing the importance of horses to my part of the country.

Mr. Murray Cardiff (Huron-Bruce):

Mr. Speaker, I too have three petitions to present on behalf of the people of Huron-Bruce and from the Wingham area.

The petitioners request that Parliament consider amending the Criminal Code of Canada so that violent

and degrading material such as serial killer board games can be kept from being distributed in Canada.

Mr. Murray Cardiff (Huron-Bruce):

My second petition, Mr. Speaker, is from the Zurich area of my riding.

The petitioners are asking to establish a peace trust fund which would allow Canadian taxpayers who for reason of conscience or religion choose to redirect a portion of their taxes paid to government away from military uses and used in a fund where the resources would be redirected to peace, education, research, humanitarian and other peaceful purposes.