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

Thereupon, Ms. Thibeault (Saint-Lambert), Assistant Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole, took the Chair, pursuant to Standing Order 8.

PRAYERS

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

At 11:00 a.m., 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 National Defence and Veterans Affairs of Bill C-232, An Act to facilitate participation in the reserve force.

Mr. Hart (Okanagan -- Coquihalla), seconded by Mr. Stinson (Okanagan -- Shuswap), moved, -- That the Bill be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs.

Debate arose thereon.

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

GOVERNMENT ORDERS

The Order was read for the consideration at report stage of Bill C-28, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act, the Income Tax Application Rules, the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Canada Pension Plan, the Children's Special Allowances Act, the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, the Cultural Property Export and Import Act, the Customs Act, the Customs Tariff, the Employment Insurance Act, the Excise Tax Act, the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act, the Income Tax Conventions Interpretation Act, the Old Age Security Act, the Tax Court of Canada Act, the Tax Rebate Discounting Act, the Unemployment Insurance Act, the Western Grain Transition Payments Act and certain Acts related to the Income Tax Act, as reported by the Standing Committee on Finance with amendments.

Pursuant to Standing Order 76.1(5), the Speaker selected for debate the following motions:

Motion No. 1.

Motion No. 2.

Motion No. 3.

Mr. Solberg (Medicine Hat), seconded by Mr. Epp (Elk Island), moved Motion No. 1, -- That Bill C-28, in Clause 178, be amended by replacing lines 35 to 40 on page 315 with the following:

"Canada;"

Debate arose on Motion No. 1.

The question was put on Motion No. 1 and, pursuant to Standing Order 76.1(8), the recorded division was deferred.

Mr. Loubier (Saint-Hyacinthe -- Bagot), seconded by Mr. Brien (Témiscamingue), moved Motion No. 2, -- That Bill C-28 be amended by deleting clause 241.

Debate arose on Motion 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. Adams (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:

-- No. 361-0104 concerning nuclear weapons. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-361-46;

-- Nos. 361-0176 and 361-0218 concerning the protection of the environment. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-361-47;

-- No. 361-0316 concerning the Canada Pension Plan. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-361-5H;

-- No. 361-0348 concerning the Canadian Wheat Board. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-361-48;

-- Nos. 361-0369, 361-0404, 361-0406, 361-0438 and 361-0445 concerning police and firefighters' death benefits. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-361-14A;

-- No. 361-0403 concerning pornography. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-361-49.

Presenting Reports from Committees

Mr. Baker (Gander -- Grand Falls), from the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, presented the 1st Report of the Committee (The East Coast Report). -- Sessional Paper No. 8510-361-43.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the government was requested by the Committee to table a comprehensive response.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 29) was tabled.

Mr. Adams (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons), from the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented the 24th Report of the Committee, which was as follows:

The Committee recommends, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, the following change in the membership of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food:

Hélène Alarie for Jean-Guy Chrétien

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings was tabled.

Introduction of Private Members' Bills

Pursuant to Standing Orders 68(2) and 69(1), on motion of Mr. Robinson (Burnaby -- Douglas), seconded by Ms. Wasylycia-Leis (Winnipeg North Centre), Bill C-383, An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (warnings on alcoholic beverage containers), 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, it was ordered, -- That the 24th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented earlier today, be concurred in.

Presenting Petitions

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

-- by Mr. Steckle (Huron -- Bruce), one concerning the regulation of food and drugs (No. 361-0656);

-- by Mr. White (Langley -- Abbotsford), one concerning sex offenders (No. 361-0657), one concerning the Young Offenders Act (No. 361-0658) and one concerning victims of crime (No. 361-0659);

-- by Mr. Adams (Peterborough), one concerning the Patent Act (drug research) (No. 361-0660) and one concerning international trade (No. 361-0661);

-- by Mr. Robinson (Burnaby -- Douglas), one concerning international trade (No. 361-0662) and one concerning the Canada Pension Plan (No. 361-0663).

Questions on Order Paper

Mr. Adams (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons) presented the answer to question Q-42 on the Order Paper.

GOVERNMENT ORDERS

The House resumed consideration at report stage of Bill C-28, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act, the Income Tax Application Rules, the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Canada Pension Plan, the Children's Special Allowances Act, the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, the Cultural Property Export and Import Act, the Customs Act, the Customs Tariff, the Employment Insurance Act, the Excise Tax Act, the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act, the Income Tax Conventions Interpretation Act, the Old Age Security Act, the Tax Court of Canada Act, the Tax Rebate Discounting Act, the Unemployment Insurance Act, the Western Grain Transition Payments Act and certain Acts related to the Income Tax Act, as reported by the Standing Committee on Finance with amendments.

And of Motion No. 2.

The debate continued on Motion No. 2.

The question was put on Motion No. 2 and, pursuant to Standing Order 76.1(8), the recorded division was deferred.

Ms. Wasylycia-Leis (Winnipeg North Centre), seconded by Ms. Hardy (Yukon), moved Motion No. 3, -- That Bill C-28, in Clause 285.1, be amended by adding after line 13 on page 454 the following:

"(3) Section 15 of the Federal Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (3):

(3.1) The Minister shall table in the House of Commons, in September of each year commencing in the year 1998 and ending in the year 2003, a report assessing the adequacy of the cash portion of the total entitlement referred to in subsection (3) to sustain the principles of the Canada Health Act, and where the House of Commons is not sitting in September of that year, the Minister shall table the report in the month in which the House next sits."

By unanimous consent, it was ordered, -- That Motion No. 3 be amended by adding after the word ``Minister'' everywhere it occurs the following:

``of Health''.

Debate arose on Motion No. 3 as amended.

MOTIONS

By unanimous consent, it was ordered, -- That any recorded divisions requested on report stage motions of Bill C-28, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act, the Income Tax Application Rules, the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Canada Pension Plan, the Children's Special Allowances Act, the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, the Cultural Property Export and Import Act, the Customs Act, the Customs Tariff, the Employment Insurance Act, the Excise Tax Act, the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act, the Income Tax Conventions Interpretation Act, the Old Age Security Act, the Tax Court of Canada Act, the Tax Rebate Discounting Act, the Unemployment Insurance Act, the Western Grain Transition Payments Act and certain Acts related to the Income Tax Act, be deferred to Wednesday, March 25, 1998, at the expiry of the time provided for Private Members' Business.

GOVERNMENT ORDERS

The House resumed consideration at report stage of Bill C-28, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act, the Income Tax Application Rules, the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Canada Pension Plan, the Children's Special Allowances Act, the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, the Cultural Property Export and Import Act, the Customs Act, the Customs Tariff, the Employment Insurance Act, the Excise Tax Act, the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act, the Income Tax Conventions Interpretation Act, the Old Age Security Act, the Tax Court of Canada Act, the Tax Rebate Discounting Act, the Unemployment Insurance Act, the Western Grain Transition Payments Act and certain Acts related to the Income Tax Act, as reported by the Standing Committee on Finance with amendments.

And of Motion No. 3 as amended.

The debate continued on Motion No. 3 as amended.

The question was put on Motion No. 3, as amended, and, pursuant to Standing Order 76.1(8), the recorded division was deferred.

Pursuant to Standing Order 76.1(8), the House proceeded to the taking of the deferred recorded divisions at report stage of Bill C-28, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act, the Income Tax Application Rules, the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Canada Pension Plan, the Children's Special Allowances Act, the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, the Cultural Property Export and Import Act, the Customs Act, the Customs Tariff, the Employment Insurance Act, the Excise Tax Act, the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act, the Income Tax Conventions Interpretation Act, the Old Age Security Act, the Tax Court of Canada Act, the Tax Rebate Discounting Act, the Unemployment Insurance Act, the Western Grain Transition Payments Act and certain Acts related to the Income Tax Act, as reported by the Standing Committee on Finance with amendments.

Pursuant to Order made earlier today, the recorded divisions were further deferred until Wednesday, March 25, 1998, at the expiry of the time provided for Private Members' Business.

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. Marchi (Minister for International Trade) -- Report of the Export Development Corporation, together with the Auditor General's report, for the year ended December 31, 1997, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R. S. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 150(1). -- Sessional Paper No. 8560-361- 289. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade)

-- by Ms. McLellan (Minister of Justice) -- Copies of the Federal Court Rules, 1998, made by the rules committee of the Federal Court of Canada on January 26, 1998, pursuant to the Federal Court Act, R.S. 1985, c. F-7, sbs. 46(5). -- Sessional Paper No. 8560-361-620. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights)

PROCEEDINGS ON ADJOURNMENT MOTION

At 6:27 p.m., by unanimous consent, the question "That this House do now adjourn" was deemed to have been proposed.

After debate, the question was deemed to have been adopted.

ADJOURNMENT

At 6:33 p.m., the Acting Speaker adjourned the House until tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).