[Recorded by Electronic Apparatus]
Wednesday, June 7, 1995
.1548 
[English]
The Chairman: I would like to call this meeting of the committee to order.
I would just draw to the attention of members of the committee the fact that since the last meeting we have received a letter in support of the bill from Mr. Quinn, who is vice-president of Merck Frosst Canada Inc. You will find it on your desks.
We are here to conduct the clause-by-clause review of the bill. I understand the parliamentary secretary has opening remarks he would like to make. Mr. Flis.
Mr. Jesse Flis (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs): Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
All committee members received explanatory notes on each clause, but with the chairman's and the committee's permission I would like to read into the record at least the introduction. What happens with these bills is that 20 years from now there may be some dispute, so it's nice to have on the record the intent of the bill, etc.
I would like to say that this act implements the Chemical Weapons Convention, which was signed by Canada in January 1993. The convention is an international disarmament and arms control treaty that, when it comes into force, will ban the development, production, stockpiling, transfer and use of chemical weapons.
The act implements Canada's obligations under the convention. The act enables actions that are required under the convention.
In particular, the act permits the international inspection of relevant industry; it requires industry to make declaration on its activities; it provides for the establishment of a national authority to serve as effective liaison between the state party and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The act also sets out penalties for non-compliance and provides for the protection from release of sensitive business information provided by industry to the government.
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It is likely that several industrial sectors will be affected by the act's reporting requirement, export and import provisions and international inspections. The principal sectors that will be affected by the act are the chemical, pharmaceutical, paint, fertilizer and pesticide industries.
As the committee heard yesterday from the Canadian Chemical Producers' Association, the industry gives its full and very positive support to this bill. I would like to read into the record from their submission. It summarizes their position where they say, ``Consistent with its Responsible Care ethic, the CCPA has endorsed the CWC and supports the Implementation Act.''
Also, the International Council of Chemical Associations' position was stated in their submission. This council represents chemical industries from Mexico, Canada, the U.S., the European chemical industry, Japan and Australia. They summarize their support this way, and I quote:
- We take great pride in this treaty and in our intensive contribution toward it. It is a genuinely
cooperative agreement between governments and industry. The United Nations is to be
congratulated for completing this historic agreement, and we pledge our total support to
fulfilling its goal of a future free of chemical weapons.
The Chairman: Thank you very much, Mr. Flis. I would now like to proceed to the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill pursuant to Standing Order 75(1). Consideration of clause 1 is, as you know, postponed.
Clauses 2 to 4 inclusive agreed to
[Translation]
Clauses 5 to 11 inclusive agreed to
[English]
Clauses 12 to 15 inclusive agreed to
Clause 16 agreed to on division
Clause 17 agreed to
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Clause 18 agreed to on division
Clauses 19 to 21 inclusive agreed to
[Translation]
Clauses 22 to 27 inclusive agreed to
[English]
Schedule agreed to
Clause 1 agreed to
The Chairman: Shall the title carry?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall the chair report the bill to the House?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
An hon. member: No.
Mr. Alcock (Winnipeg South): We wanted to say no once.
The Chairman: I'll rephrase the question. Shall the chair be prevented from reporting the bill to the House?
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
The Chairman: This committee once again asserts its individuality.
Mr. Flis, congratulations on having persuaded the members of the committee to adopt your bill.
Mr. Flis: Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the minister, I want to thank all members from all parties for their cooperation. Canada showed its lead in getting other countries convinced to accept the convention, and we are continuing to show this leadership.
It looks like it went through very easily, but you have no idea how many weeks, months and years of work have gone into this bill. I want to thank all of the people from the various departments, from the Department of Justice, etc. You have to look at this very carefully to make sure it coincides with the convention itself and these people made sure the bill does this.
When you write your memoirs and pass them on to your grandchildren, please put in that you people showed leadership on making this a safer planet. I thank you, on behalf of the minister.
The Chairman: Thank you very much, Mr. Flis.
I would just like to draw the attention of the committee members to the fact that this is the beginning of a process that, as a Parliament, we will be doing more and more of. As the world gets more and more integrated, there will be many more conventions we will have to adopt in order to bring our domestic law into conformity.
As you may be aware, for example, in private law areas, the provincial legislatures are basing their legal statutes more and more on international conventions. I think it's something we as a committee will be concerned with a great deal in the future.
I think it's fortuitous in a way that this particular convention, because it's so important for the reasons you mentioned, should be one of the first ones we adopted. It will significantly impact on domestic law in terms of the rights of inspection that will be given in Canada to international inspectors. This bill will advance the internationalization of domestic procedures in Canada and the way in which we conform in the world community in significant ways. I think it's a precursor, if I can use that term, to other pieces of legislation that will come with it.
I would also like to add my thanks to the members of the committee to those of Mr. Flis for the cooperation and the speed with which we've been able to deal with this important measure.
Finally, I would like to draw to the attention of members of the committee the fact that Mr. Sarkis Assadourian circulated a petition asking members of Parliament to sign, addressed to the President of the Republic of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, to release the two U.S. citizens who were seized on the border of Iraq and Kuwait. If any of you have not received that petition and would be willing to sign it, we have copies of it here and the clerk will arrange to get them to Mr. Assadourian.
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I remind the members of the committee that tomorrow at 9 a.m. we are meeting with Mr. Arias, a former Nobel Prize winner and former President of Costa Rica.
This meeting is adjourned to the call of the chair.