No. 211 No 211
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Votes and Proceedings |
Procès-verbaux |
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Legislative Assembly of Ontario |
Assemblée législative de l'Ontario |
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1st Session, 36th Parliament |
1re session, 36e législature |
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Wednesday, June 25, 1997 |
Mercredi juin 25 1997 |
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PRAYERS 1:30 P.M. |
PRIÈRES 13 H 30 |
The Speaker addressed the House as follows:-
I beg to inform the House that I have today laid upon the Table a response from the Honourable Gregory Evans, Integrity Commissioner, to the request by the member of York South, on whether the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing had contravened the Members' Integrity Act (Sessional Paper No. 525) (Tabled June 25, 1997).
With unanimous consent, during "Oral Questions" the House reverted to "Statements by the Ministry and Responses".
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During "Oral Questions", pursuant to Standing Order 16, the Speaker suspended the proceedings for 15 minutes for grave disorder. |
Pendant la période des «Questions orales», conformément à l'article 16 du Règlement, le Président suspend les délibérations pour 15 minutes en raison d'un désordre grave. |
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PETITIONS |
PÉTITIONS |
Pétition ayant rapport à la structure des relations entre la province et les municipalités (Sessional Paper No. P-241) (Tabled June 25, 1997) Mr J. Cleary.
Petition relating to Bill 75, Alcohol, Gaming and Charity Funding Public Interest Act, 1996 (Sessional Paper No. P-260) (Tabled June 25, 1997) Mr J. Tascona.
Pétition ayant rapport à TVOntario (Sessional Paper No. P-264) (Tabled June 25, 1997) Mr L. Wood (Cochrane North).
Petition relating to the Rural Health Policy (Sessional Paper No. P-270) (Tabled June 25, 1997) Mr T. Barrett.
Petition relating to Funding of prevention services provided by the Workers Health and Safety Centre (Sessional Paper No. P-273) (Tabled June 25, 1997) Mr D. Christopherson.
Petitions relating to Enacting legislation to require women to wear tops in public places (Sessional Paper No. P-278) (Tabled June 25, 1997) Mr J. Brown (Scarborough West), Mr B. Johnson (Perth), Mr W. Wettlaufer.
Petition relating to Traffic fatality involving Mrs Popi Nikitopoulos and a call for stricter penalties in such cases (Sessional Paper No. P-285) (Tabled June 25, 1997) Mr G. Phillips.
Petition relating to Exemption of Village of Arthur from Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey riding (Sessional Paper No. P-286) (Tabled June 25, 1997) Mr T. Arnott.
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REPORTS BY COMMITTEES |
RAPPORTS DES COMITÉS |
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Ms Castrilli from the Standing Committee on Social Development presented the Committee's Report which was read as follows and adopted:- |
Mme Castrilli du Comité permanent des affaires sociales présente le rapport du comité qui est lu comme suit et adopté:- |
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Your Committee begs to report the following Bill as amended:- |
Votre comité propose qu'il soit permis de faire rapport sur le projet de loi suivant avec des amendements:- |
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Bill 138, An Act to promote road safety by increasing periods of suspension for Criminal Code convictions, impounding vehicles of suspended drivers, requiring treatment for impaired drivers, raising fines for driving while suspended, impounding critically defective commercial vehicles, creating an absolute liability offence for wheel separations, raising fines for passing stopped school buses, streamlining accident reporting requirements and amending other road safety programs. Ordered for Third Reading. |
Projet de loi 138, Loi visant à favoriser la sécurité routière en augmentant les périodes de suspension pour les déclarations de culpabilité découlant du Code criminel, en mettant en fourrière les véhicules de conducteurs faisant l'objet d'une suspension, en exigeant le traitement des conducteurs en état d'ébriété, en augmentant les amendes pour conduite pendant que son permis est suspendu, en mettant en fourrière les véhicules utilitaires comportant des défauts critiques, en créant une infraction entraînant la responsabilité absolue en cas de détachement des roues, en augmentant les amendes pour dépassement d'un autobus scolaire arrêté, en simplifiant les exigences relatives à la déclaration des accidents et en modifiant d'autres programmes de sécurité routière. Ordonné pour la troisième lecture. |
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Mr Laughren from the Standing Committee on Government Agencies presented the Committee's Fortieth Report (Sessional Paper No. 527) (Tabled June 25, 1997). |
M. Laughren du Comité permanent des organismes gouvernementaux présente le quarantième rapport du comité (document parlementaire no 527) (déposé le 25 juin 1997). |
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Pursuant to Standing Order 106(g)(11), the Report was deemed to be adopted by the House. |
Conformément à l'article 106(g)(11), le rapport est réputé avoir été adopté par l'Assemblée. |
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INTRODUCTION OF BILLS |
DÉPÔT DES PROJETS DE LOI |
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The following Bill was introduced and read the first time:- |
Le projet de loi suivant est présenté et lu une première fois:- |
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Bill 145, An Act to provide protection against pedophiles by preventing them from working in direct contact with children. Mr J. Brown (Scarborough West). |
Projet de loi 145, Loi prévoyant la protection contre les pédophiles en empêchant ceux-ci de travailler en contact direct avec des enfants. M. J. Brown (Scarborough-Ouest). |
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ORDERS OF THE DAY |
ORDRE DU JOUR |
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Debate was resumed on the motion as amended for Adoption of amendments to the Standing Orders. |
Le débat reprend sur la motion amendée portant adoption des modifications au Règlement. |
After some time, Mr Wood (Cochrane North) moved that the motion be further amended as follows:-
That the motion to amend the Standing Orders (as amended by the House June 24, 1997), be amended by deleting the following:
Those sections of the motion which amend Standing Order 9(c).
Those sections of the motion which amend Standing Order 24.
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The debate continued, and after some time, |
Le débat se poursuit et après quelque temps, |
The Speaker interrupted the debate and delivered the following ruling on a point of order previously raised by the member for Beaches-Woodbine (Ms Lankin).
I want to thank all of the members who made submissions on the issue of the Report of the Integrity Commissioner concerning the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. I listened to and carefully considered all of your comments.
This matter comes before us because a request was made by the Member for York South for the Integrity Commissioner's opinion on a letter written by the Minister to the Health Services Restructuring Commission concerning a hospital in his riding. Further details on that issue are in the Integrity Commissioner's report and stand on their own. The Commissioner's Report, however, now resides with us.
The Members' Integrity Act provides that a Commissioner's report of this nature shall be considered and responded to by the Assembly within 30 days.
Members have made submissions which have expressed varying opinions of what the word "day" in the Members' Integrity Act means. Firstly, the term "sessional day" has a specific meaning in our Standing Orders, but not necessarily the same meaning in statutes and the Members' Integrity Act.
To clarify the issue of what a "day" means in the context before us, I have consulted the Integrity Commissioner, the Honourable Gregory Evans. Judge Evans is of the very firm and unequivocal view that the term "day" in the Members' Integrity Act means a calendar day. I concur with Judge Evans. In my view, the Act's meaning is plain and is not reasonably subject to any other interpretation.
It is my opinion that Section 34 of the Members' Integrity Act places an obligation at our feet. However, when this obligation is addressed and resolved is not within the purview of the Speaker.
Except in an instance of a prima facie case of privilege, there exists no authority within our Standing Orders for the Speaker to order or determine the business of the House: such authority and discretion resides directly with the Government House Leader, conferred by Standing Order 54 and by practice and custom.
The argument that this report has already been considered during Ministerial Statements and Responses today is without foundation. That process did not consider the substantive issues contained within the report.
Having been apprised of this situation today, I am confident that the Government House Leader will take note and act accordingly.
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The debate continued and after some time, pursuant to the Order of the House of June 11, 1997, the motion for the adjournment of the debate was deemed to have been made and carried. |
Le débat se poursuit et après quelque temps, conformément à l'ordre adopté par l'Assemblée le 11 juin 1997, la motion d'ajournement du débat est réputée avoir été proposée et adoptée. |
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The House then adjourned at 12:00 o'clock midnight. |
À minuit, la chambre a ensuite ajourné ses travaux. |
le président
Christopher M. Stockwell
Speaker
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Sessional Papers Presented Pursuant to Standing Order 39(c):- |
Documents Parlementaires Déposés Conformément à l'article 39(c) du Règlement:- |
Individual Members' Expenditures / Relevé des dépenses des députés, for the fiscal year 1996-97 (No. 526) (Tabled June 25, 1997).