The Clerk informed the House of the unavoidable absence of the Speaker.

Whereupon, Mr. Kilgour (Edmonton Southeast), Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees of the Whole, took the Chair, pursuant to subsection 43(1) of the Parliament of Canada Act.

PRAYERS

GOVERNMENT ORDERS

The Order was read for the consideration at report stage and second reading of Bill C-63, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Referendum Act, as reported by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs with amendments.

Pursuant to Standing Order 76 (5), the Deputy Speaker selected and grouped for debate the following motions:

Group No. 2 -- Motions Nos.1 to 4, 9, 10, 14 to 19 and 26 to 28.

Group No. 3 -- Motions Nos. 5, 20 to 23 and 25.

Group No. 4 -- Motion No. 6.

Group No. 5 -- Motions Nos. 7, 8 and 11 to 13.

Group No. 6 -- Motions Nos. 24, 29 to 33, 35 and 36.

Group No. 7 -- Motion No. 37.

Group No. 2

Mr. Langlois (Bellechasse), seconded by Mr. Ménard (Hochelaga -- Maisonneuve), moved Motion No. 1, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing line 18 on page 1 with the following:

``surname, given names, sex, date of birth, civic address''

Mr. Harper (Calgary West), seconded by Mr. Williams (St. Albert), moved Motion No. 2, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing line 18 on page 1 with the following:

``surname, given names, civic address''

Mr. Langlois (Bellechasse), seconded by Mr. Ménard (Hochelaga -- Maisonneuve), moved Motion No. 3, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing line 14 on page 2 with the following:

``given names, sex, date of birth, civic address and mailing''

Mr. Harper (Calgary West), seconded by Mr. Williams (St. Albert), moved Motion No. 4, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing line 14 on page 2 with the following:

``given names, civic address and mailing''

Mr. Langlois (Bellechasse), seconded by Mr. Ménard (Hochelaga -- Maisonneuve), moved Motion No. 9, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 18, be amended by replacing lines 34 and 35 on page 8 with the following:

``name, given names, sex, and date of birth and indicating the''

Mr. Harper (Calgary West), seconded by Mr. Williams (St. Albert), moved Motion No. 10, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 18, be amended by replacing line 34 on page 8 with the following:

``name, given names and date of birth if the''

Mr. Harper (Calgary West), seconded by Mr. Williams (St. Albert), moved Motion No. 14, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 22, be amended by replacing line 12 on page 12 with the following:

``updating the surname, given names,''

Mr. Langlois (Bellechasse), seconded by Mr. Ménard (Hochelaga -- Maisonneuve), moved Motion No. 15, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 22, be amended by replacing line 9 on page 13 with the following:

``list contains the surname, given names, sex, date of birth,''

Mr. Harper (Calgary West), seconded by Mr. Williams (St. Albert), moved Motion No. 16, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 22, be amended by replacing line 9 on page 13 with the following:

``list contains the surname, given names,''

Mr. Harper (Calgary West), seconded by Mr. Williams (St. Albert), moved Motion No. 17, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 22, be amended by replacing line 17 on page 13 with the following:

``his or her surname, given names,''

Mr. Langlois (Bellechasse), seconded by Mr. Ménard (Hochelaga -- Maisonneuve), moved Motion No. 18, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 22, be amended by replacing line 23 on page 13 with the following:

``information, but, with the exception of the date of birth, the person is not required to''

Mr. Harper (Calgary West), seconded by Mr. Williams (St. Albert), moved Motion No. 19, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 38, be amended by replacing line 37 on page 23 with the following:

``tor, surname, given names, civic ad''

Mr. Harper (Calgary West), seconded by Mr. Williams (St. Albert), moved Motion No. 26, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 77, be amended by replacing line 42 on page 36 with the following:

``tor's surname, given names, and date of''

Mr. Harper (Calgary West), seconded by Mr. Williams (St. Albert), moved Motion No. 27, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 78, be amended by replacing line 7 on page 37 with the following:

``the surname, given names and rank;''

Mr. Harper (Calgary West), seconded by Mr. Williams (St. Albert), moved Motion No. 28, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 79, be amended by replacing line 20 on page 37 with the following:

``elector, the surname, given names and''

Debate arose 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. Jackson (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board) laid upon the Table, -- Government responses, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), to the following petitions: (1) No. 352-1138 concerning veterans' affairs. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-352-10J; (2) No. 352-1151 concerning the economy and employment. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-352-123B; (3) No. 352-1186 concerning the Criminal Code of Canada. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-352-15J; (4) Nos. 352-1193 and 352-1211 concerning sex offenders. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-352-2J; (5) Nos. 352-1195, 352-1202, 352-1203 and 352-1208 concerning profits from crime. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-352-97F; (6) No. 352-1217 concerning the parole system. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-352-29H.

Presenting Reports from Committees

Ms. Catterall (Ottawa West), from the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented the 47th Report of the Committee, which was as follows:

The Committee recommends, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, that the following Member be added to the list of Associate Members of the Standing committee on Justice and Legal Affairs:

Brown (Calgary Southeast)

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Issue No. 2, which includes this Report) was tabled.

Introduction of Private Members' Bills

Pursuant to Standing Orders 68(2) and 69(1), on motion of Mr. Breitkreuz (Yellowhead), seconded by Mr. Harper (Calgary West), Bill C-352, An Act to amend the Members of Parliament Retiring Allowances Act (deduction re other income), was introduced, read the first time, ordered to be printed and ordered for a second reading at the next sitting of the House.

Motions

By unanimous consent, Ms. Catterall (Ottawa West), seconded by Mr. Kilger (Stormont -- Dundas), moved, -- That the 47th 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.

Presenting Petitions

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

-- by Mrs. Ur (Lambton -- Middlesex), one concerning sexual orientation (No. 352-1274);

-- by Ms. Catterall (Ottawa West), two concerning the National Capital Region (Nos. 352-1275 and 352-1276);

-- by Mr. Devillers (Simcoe North), one concerning the pharmaceutical industry (No. 352-1277).

Questions on Order Paper

Mr. Jackson (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure) presented the answers to questions Q-77 and Q-86 on the Order Paper.

GOVERNMENT ORDERS

The House resumed consideration at report stage and second reading of Bill C-63, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Referendum Act, as reported by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs with amendments;

And of the motions in Group No. 2 (Motions Nos.1 to 4, 9, 10, 14 to 19 and 26 to 28).

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 Motions Nos.3, 9, 15 and 18, was deferred.

Group No. 3

Mr. Kilger (Stormont -- Dundas), seconded by Ms. Catterall (Ottawa West), moved Motion No. 5, -- That Bill C-63 be amended by adding after line 22 on page 2 the following new Clause:

"1.1 The portion of subsection 9(3) of the Act after paragraph (b) is replaced by the following:

the Chief Electoral Officer may extend the hours of voting at the polling station to allow votes to be cast on the ordinary polling day after the hour fixed by or pursuant to this Act for the closing of the poll at the polling station, but shall not, in so doing, permit votes to be cast at the polling station during an aggregate period of more than twelve hours."

Mr. Kilger (Stormont -- Dundas), seconded by Ms. Catterall (Ottawa West),, moved Motion No. 20, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 44.1, be amended by replacing lines 44 to 46 on page 25 and lines 1 to 7 on page 26 with the following:

``(a) between 8:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. if the electoral district is in the Newfoundland, Atlantic or Central time zone;

(b) between 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. if the electoral district is in the Eastern time zone;

(c) between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. if the electoral district is in the Mountain time zone; or

(d) between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. if the electoral district is in the Pacific time zone."

Mr. Harper (Calgary West), seconded by Mr. Williams (St. Albert), moved Motion No. 21, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 44.1, be amended by replacing lines 44 to 46 on page 25 and lines 1 to 6 on page 26 with the following:

``(a) between 10:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. if the electoral district is in the Newfoundland, Atlantic or Eastern time zone;

(b) between 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. if the electoral district is in the Central time zone;

(c) between 9:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. if the electoral district is in the Mountain time zone; or

(d) between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. if the''

Mr. Langlois (Bellechasse), seconded by Mr. Ménard (Hochelaga -- Maisonneuve), moved Motion No. 22, -- That Bill C-63, in Clause 46.1, be amended by replacing line 31 on page 27 with the following:

``day at an election, have no less than four consecutive''

Mr. Harper (Calgary West), seconded by Mr. Williams (St. Albert), moved Motion No. 23, -- That Bill C-63 be amended, by adding after line 44 on page 27 the following new Clause:

``47.1. That part of subsection 160 (1) of the Act preceding paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

160.(1) One and one-half hours after the close of the poll in the Newfoundland, Atlantic and Eastern time zones, one hour after the close of the poll in the Central time zone, one-half hour after the close of the poll in the Mountain time zone, and immediately after the close of the poll in the Pacific time zone, in the presence and in full view of the poll clerk and the candidates or their agents, or, if the candidates or any of them are absent, in the presence of those candidates that are present, and of at least two electors if none of the candidates are represented, the deputy returning officer shall, in the following order,''

Mr. Harper (Calgary West), seconded by Mr. Williams (St. Albert), moved Motion No. 25, -- That Bill C-63 be amended by adding after line 5 on page 35 the following new Clause:

``68.1 Subsection 328(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:

328.(1) No person, company or corporation shall, in any electoral district before the hour fixed by or pursuant to subsection 160 (1) for the counting of the votes in that electoral district, publish the result or purported result of the polling in any electoral district in Canada by radio or television broadcast, by newspaper, news-sheet, poster, billboard or handbill or in any other manner.''

Debate arose on the motions in Group No. 3.

NOTICE OF MOTION

Mr. Manley (Minister of Industry, Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Minister of Western Economic Diversification) 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 second reading and the third reading of Bill C-63, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Referendum Act.

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

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

The House resumed consideration of the motion of Mrs. Tremblay (Rimouski -- Témiscouata), seconded by Mr. Landry (Lotbinière), -- That Bill C-297, An Act to revoke the conviction of Louis David Riel, be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

The debate continued.

Pursuant to Standing Order 93, the Order was dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on 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 the Speaker -- Minutes of Proceedings of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons for September 24, 1996, pursuant to Standing Order 148(1). -- Sessional Paper No. 8560-352-2F.

-- by Mr. Anderson (Minister of Transport) -- Report on the financial operations of Harbours and Ports for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1996, pursuant to the Public Harbours and Port Facilities Act, R.S. 1985, c. P-29, s. 26. -- Sessional Paper No. 8560-352-171A. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Transport)

ADJOURNMENT

At 2:30 p.m., the Deputy Speaker adjourned the House until Monday at 11:00 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).