MY PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS IN THE 36TH PARLIAMENT

As a Member of Parliament, my job involves a variety of aspects. My first responsibility is to serve the needs of my constituents in matters involving the Government of Canada. As well, it is important for me to inform myself about your views on issues facing our nation so that I can represent those views to the government and in Parliament when I speak on legislation.

Another important part of my job is to raise issues which I feel the government should address. One important way that an M.P. can do this is by proposing Bills and Motions for debate in Parliament. For your information, I have summarized below the Bills and Motions which I have proposed in the current Parliament.

C-235 - An Act to amend the Divorce Act to require parental counselling before granting a divorce. The objective of the Bill is to ensure that there is an appropriate parenting plan in place and to address the serious problem of post break-up domestic violence. The Bill was debated in the House but was not votable. However, the proposal was considered by a Joint Commons Senate Committee studying custody and access issues. Their report is now under consideration by the Minister of Justice.

C-260 - An Act to amend the Food and Drug Act to require health warning labels to be placed on the containers of alcoholic beverages. The objective of the Bill is to caution expectant mothers and others about the risks associated with alcohol misuse. This bill, which passed second reading and was considered by the Standing Committee on Health in the last Parliament, has received First Reading and is awaiting selection for debate in Parliament.

C-248 - An Act to amend the Income Tax Act and the Canada Pension Plan Act to permit taxpayers to split a portion of their income with their spouse where one chooses to provide direct parental care in the home to their preschool children. The bill would also permit the stay at home spouse to contribute to RRSP's and to qualify for benefits under the Canada Pension Plan. The Bill was debated in the House but was not votable. I have however submitted a proposal to the Finance Minister that parents who provide direct parental care should receive a caregiver or tax benefit.

C-246 - An Act respecting the creation of a Public Safety Officers Compensation Fund for the benefit of the families of police officers and firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty. The Act would create a charitable foundation to receive appropriations, gifts and bequests from individual Canadians or organizations and then to provide benefits on the basis of need to the surviving families. The bill received First Reading on October 1997. It was reintroduced in October 1999 and is awaiting selection to be debated.

C-245 - An Act to amend the Criminal Code to require mandatory counselling as a condition of probation for those convicted of the crime of domestic violence. This bill received First Reading on June 4th 1998 and is awaiting selection for debate in Parliament.

C-204 - An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act to increase the maximum length of parental leave benefits from 10 to 37 weeks. This would enable the mother and/or the father of a new born child or adopted child to provide direct parental care for one full year when combined with a 15 weeks of maternity benefits already available. The quality of care during the first year is the most significant determinant of life long physical, mental and social health. This Bill, which provides more options for parents, received First Reading on October 27,1998. The Bill was adapted by the government and incorporated in the February 2000 Budget. Increased benefits are effective
January 1, 2001.

M-362 - A Motion to amend the Criminal Code to reflect a new definition of obscenity as follows: "Any matter or thing is obscene where a dominant characteristic of the matter or thing is undue exploitation of any one or more of the following subjects, namely sex, violence, crime, horror or cruelty through degrading representation of a male or female person or in any other manner." The motion was not votable but was debated in the House on May 10, 2000. Substantial support for the intent of the motion was expressed by a number of Members and the Government was encouraged to consider the advisability of reviewing the definition of "obscenity" in the Criminal Code."

Report Stage Motion - Bill C-13 to require a 5 year review by Parliament of the proposed Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The Minister of Health was satisfied that the Bill provided for sufficient review and the motion was withdrawn.

M-418 - A motion to increase the CPP accrual rate from 2% to 2.33% for fire fighters due to their shorter working careers and lower life expectancies. This Motion was selected for debate and is votable. The debate will commence in October, 2000.

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