PRAYERS

GOVERNMENT ORDERS

The House resumed consideration at report stage and second reading of Bill C-12, An Act respecting employment insurance in Canada, as reported by the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development with amendments;

And of the motions in Group No. 2 (Motions Nos. 1, 2 and 3).

Group No. 2

Motion No. 1 of Mrs. Lalonde (Mercier), seconded by Mr. Crête (Kamouraska -- Rivière-du-Loup), -- That Bill C-12 be amended by replacing the long title, on page 1, with the following:

"An Act to amend the Unemployment Insurance Act."

Motion No. 2 of Mrs. Lalonde (Mercier), seconded by Mr. Crête (Kamouraska -- Rivière-du-Loup), -- That Bill C-12 be amended by deleting Clause 1.

Motion No. 3 of Mrs. Lalonde (Mercier), seconded by Mr. Crête (Kamouraska -- Rivière-du-Loup), -- That Bill C-12, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing lines 4 and 5, on page 1, with the following:

"1. The Unemployment Insurance Act is amended by adding the following to paragraph 6(2)(a):

"has, during the person's qualifying period, held insurable employment or insurable employments numbering at least the number of weeks"

2. The Unemployment Insurance Act is amended by adding the following to paragraph 6(2)(b):

"has had an interruption of earnings from his employment or employments"

3. The Unemployment Insurance Act is amended by adding the following to paragraph 6(3)(a):

"has held twenty or more weeks of insurable employment or employments"

4. The Unemployment Insurance Act is amended by adding the following to paragraph 6(3)(b):

"has had an interruption of earnings from his employment or employments."

5. The Unemployment Insurance Act is amended by adding the following to paragraph 6(4)(c):

"less than fourteen prescribed weeks that relate to employment or employments"".

The debate continued on the motions in Group No. 2.

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Pursuant to Standing Order 31, Members made statements.

ORAL QUESTIONS

Pursuant to Standing Order 30(5), the House proceeded to Oral Questions.

DAILY ROUTINE OF BUSINESS

Tabling of Documents

Pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), Mr. Zed (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons) laid upon the Table, -- Government responses, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), to the following petitions: (1) Nos. 352-0237, 352-0238 and 352-0243 to 352-0246 concerning the tax on gasoline. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-352-44H; (2) No. 352-0241 concerning the Official Opposition. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-352-56; (3) No. 352-0249 concerning abortion. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-352-26D.

Presenting Reports from Committees

Mr. MacLellan (Cape Breton -- The Sydneys), from the Standing Committee on Human Rights and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, presented the 1st Report of the Committee (Bill C-33, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act, without amendment). -- Sessional Paper No. 8510-351-6.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Issue No. 1, which includes this Report) was tabled.

Mr. Zed (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons), from the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented the 15th Report of the Committee, which was as follows:

The Committee recommends, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, the following changes in the membership of Standing Committees:

Canadian Heritage

Marchand for Plamondon

Human Ressources Development

Tremblay (Lac St-Jean) for Dubé

Public Accounts

Rocheleau for Tremblay (Rosemont)

The Committee recommends, pursuant to Standing Order 104 and 114, that the following Members be added to the list of Associate Members of Standing Committees:

Canadian Heritage

Plamondon

Justice and Legal Affairs

Hayes

The Committee further recommends, that where a Member is appointed as permanent member to a Committee in accordance with this report and to which he was previously appointed Associate Member, that the name of the Member be struck from the list of Associate Members of the said Committee.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Issue No. 1, which includes this Report) was tabled.

Introduction of Government Bills

Pursuant to Standing Orders 68(2) and 69(1), on motion of Mr. Goodale (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food), seconded by Mr. Gagliano (Minister of Labour and Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons), Bill C- 34, An Act to establish programs for the marketing of agricultural products, to repeal the Agricultural Products Board Act, the Agricultural Products Cooperative Marketing Act, the Advance Payments for Crops Act and the Prairie Grain Advance Payments Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, was introduced, read the first time, ordered to be printed and ordered for a second reading at the next sitting of the House.

Recommendation
(Pursuant to Standing Order 79(2))

His Excellency the Governor General recommends to the House of Commons the appropriation of public revenue under the circumstances, in the manner and for the purposes set out in a measure entitled "An Act to establish programs for the marketing of agricultural products, to repeal the Agricultural Products Board Act, the Agricultural Products Cooperative Marketing Act, the Advance Payments for Crops Act and the Prairie Grain Advance Payments Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts".

Introduction of Private Members' Bills

Pursuant to Standing Orders 68(2) and 69(1), on motion of Mr. White (North Vancouver), seconded by Mr. Breitkreuz (Yorkton -- Melville), Bill C-278, An Act to amend the Statutory Instruments Act (disallowance procedure for delegated and subordinate legislation), was introduced, read the first time, ordered to be printed and ordered for a second reading at the next sitting of the House.

Pursuant to Standing Orders 68(2) and 69(1), on motion of Mr. White (North Vancouver), seconded by Mr. Breitkreuz (Yorkton -- Melville), Bill C-279, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (electronic voting), was introduced, read the first time, ordered to be printed and ordered for a second reading at the next sitting of the House.

Pursuant to Standing Orders 68(2) and 69(1), on motion of Mr. White (North Vancouver), seconded by Mr. Breitkreuz (Yorkton -- Melville), Bill C-280, An Act to amend the Debt Servicing and Reduction Account Act (gifts to the Crown), was introduced, read the first time, ordered to be printed and ordered for a second reading at the next sitting of the House.

NOTICE OF MOTION

Mr. Gagliano (Minister of Labour and Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons) gave notice of the intention to move a motion at the next sitting of the House, pursuant to Standing Order 78(3), for the purpose of allotting a specified number of days or hours for the consideration and disposal of the report stage and third reading stage of Bill C-12, An Act respecting employment insurance in Canada.

Motions

By unanimous consent, Mr. Zed (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons), seconded by Mr. Gagliano (Minister of Labour and Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons), moved, -- That the 15th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented earlier today, be concurred in.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

By unanimous consent, Mr. Zed (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons), seconded by Mr. Gagliano (Minister of Labour and Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons), moved, -- That the membership of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs be modified as follows:

Silye for Ringma

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

Presenting Petitions

Pursuant to Standing Order 36, petitions certified correct by the Clerk of Petitions were presented as follows:

-- by Mr. Harper (Simcoe Centre), one concerning sexual orientation (No. 352- 0332) and one concerning the sexual exploitation of minors (No. 352-0333);

-- by Mr. Grubel (Capilano -- Howe Sound), one concerning veterans' affairs (No. 352-0334);

-- by Mr. Graham (Rosedale), one concerning corporal punishment (No. 352-0335) and three concerning sexual orientation (Nos. 352-0336 to 352-0338);

-- by Mr. Wappel (Scarborough West), one concerning sexual orientation (No. 352-0339);

-- by Mr. Szabo (Mississauga South), one concerning the income tax system (No. 352-0340) and one concerning alcoholic beverages (No. 352-0341);

-- by Mr. O'Reilly (Victoria -- Haliburton), one concerning impaired driving (No. 352-0342).

Questions on Order Paper

Mr. Zed (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons) presented the answer to question Q-8 on the Order Paper.

GOVERNMENT ORDERS

The House resumed consideration at report stage and second reading of Bill C-12, An Act respecting employment insurance in Canada, as reported by the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development with amendments;

And of the motions in Group No. 2 (Motions Nos. 1, 2 and 3).

The debate continued on the motions in Group No. 2.

The question was put on Motion No. 1 and, pursuant to Standing Order 76(8), the recorded division, which also applies to Motion Nos. 3 was deferred.

Group No. 3

Mr. Axworthy (Saskatoon -- Clark's Crossing), seconded by Mr. Crête (Kamouraska -- Rivière-du-Loup), moved Motion No. 4, -- That Bill C-12 be amended by deleting Clause 2.

Mrs. Lalonde (Mercier), seconded by Mr. Crête (Kamouraska -- Rivière-du-Loup), moved Motion No. 5, -- That Bill C-12, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing lines 6 to 28, on page 1, lines 1 to 44, on page 2, lines 1 to 42, on page 3, and lines 1 to 8, on page 4, with the following:

"6. Subsection 25(11) of the Unemployment Insurance Act is repealed."

Mr. Young (Minister of Human Resources Development), seconded by Mr. Gagliano (Minister of Labour and Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons), moved Motion No. 6, -- That Bill C-12, in Clause 2, be amended by adding, after line 8, on page 4, the following:

"(5) For the purposes of sections 15 and 145, the Commission may, with the approval of the Governor in Council, make regulations for establishing how many weeks of regular benefits a claimant was paid, in order to take into account benefit reductions or deductions in the calculation or payment of those benefits. "

Mr. Axworthy (Saskatoon -- Clark's Crossing), seconded by Mr. Crête (Kamouraska -- Rivière-du-Loup), moved Motion No. 200, -- That Bill C-12 be amended by deleting Clause 177.

Mr. Young (Minister of Human Resources Development), seconded by Mr. Gagliano (Minister of Labour and Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons), moved Motion No. 201, -- That Bill C-12, in Clause 177, be amended by replacing lines 22 to 25 on page 134 with the following:

"ance Act;".

Recommendation
(Pursuant to Standing Order 76(3))

His Excellency the Governor General recommends to the House of Commons the appropriation of public revenue under the circumstances, in the manner and for the purposes set out in the amendment to Clause 177 of Bill C-12, An Act respecting employment insurance in Canada, by replacing lines 22 to 25 on page 134 with the following:

"ance Act;".

Debate arose on the motions in Group No. 3.

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

At 1:30, pursuant to Standing Order 30(6), the House proceeded to the consideration of Private Members' Business.

The Order was read for the second reading and reference to the Standing Committee on Finance of Bill C-213, The Constitution Act, 1996 (balanced budget and spending limit).

Mr. Grubel (Capilano -- Howe Sound), seconded by Mr. Johnston (Wetaskiwin), moved, -- That the Bill be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Finance.

Debate arose thereon.

Pursuant to Standing Order 96(1), the Order was dropped from the Order Paper.

RETURNS AND REPORTS DEPOSITED WITH THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE

Pursuant to Standing Order 32(1), papers deposited with the Clerk of the House were laid upon the Table as follows:

-- by Mr. Anderson (Minister of Transport) -- Report of VIA Rail Canada Inc., together with the Auditor General's Report, for the year 1995, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R. S. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 150(1). -- Sessional Paper No. 8560-352-128. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Transport)

-- by Mr. Anderson (Minister of Transport) -- Report of Marine Atlantic Inc., together with the Auditors' Report, for the year ended December 31, 1995, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R. S. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 150(1). -- Sessional Paper No. 8560-352-622. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Transport)

-- by Mr. Dingwall (Minister of Health) -- Response of the government, pursuant to Standing Order 109, to the 8th Report of the Standing Committee on Health: "HIV-AIDS" (Sessional Paper No. 8510-351-174), presented to the House on Wednesday, December 6, 1995. -- Sessional Paper No. 8512-352-174.

-- by Mrs. Marleau (Minister of Public Works and Government Services) -- Report of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, together with the Auditors' Report, for the year 1995, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R. S. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 150(1). -- Sessional Paper No. 8560-352-108. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations)

-- by Mr. Martin (Minister of Finance) -- Report of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal entitled "Request for Tariff Relief by Peerless Clothing Inc. regarding dyed woven fabrics of rayon", dated April 12, 1996, pursuant to the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, 1988, c. 65, sbs. 21(2). -- Sessional Paper No. 8560-352-572K. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Finance)

-- by Mrs. Robillard (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) -- Response of the government, pursuant to Standing Order 109, to the 9th Report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration: "Immigration Consultants" (Sessional Paper No. 8510-351-178), presented to the House on Thursday, December 7, 1995. -- Sessional Paper No. 8512-352-178.

ADJOURNMENT

At 2:20 p.m., the Speaker adjourned the House until Monday at 11:00 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).