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

Whereupon, Mr. Milliken (Kingston and the Islands), 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 House resumed consideration of the motion of Mr. Axworthy (Minister of Foreign Affairs), seconded by Ms. Bradshaw (Minister of Labour), -- That Bill C-19, An Act respecting genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and to implement the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

The debate continued.

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. Lee (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. 362-0707 concerning gasoline additives. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-362-33-06;

-- Nos. 362-0890, 362-0891, 362-0892, 362-0893, 362-0894, 362- 0895, 362-0896, 362-0897, 362-0898, 362-0899, 362-0900, 362-0901, 362-0902, 362-0903, 362-0904, 362-0905, 362-0906, 362-0907, 362- 0908, 362-0909, 362-0910, 362-0911, 362-0912, 362-0913, 362-0914, 362-0915, 362-0916, 362-0917 and 362-0925 concerning the Divorce Act. -- Sessional Paper No. 8545-362-42-09.

Presenting Reports from Committees

Mr. Limoges (Windsor -- St. Clair), from the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, presented the Third Report of the Committee (Bill C-16, An Act respecting Canadian citizenship, with amendments). -- Sessional Paper No. 8510-362-46.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meetings Nos. 19 to 23) was tabled.

Mr. Bevilacqua (Vaughan -- King -- Aurora), from the Standing Committee on Finance, presented the Second Report of the Committee (Bill C-22, An Act to facilitate combatting the laundering of proceeds of crime, to establish the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada and to amend and repeal certain Acts in consequence, with amendments). -- Sessional Paper No. 8510-362-47.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meetings Nos. 46 to 50) was tabled.

Mr. Lee (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons), from the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented the 27th Report of the Committee, which was as follows:

The Committee recommends, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, the following changes in the membership of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade:

Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Gurmant Grewal for Keith Martin

The Committee recommends, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, that the following Members be added to the list of Associate Members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade:

Keith Martin

Bob Mills

The Committee further recommends that where a Member is appointed a permanent member to a Committee in accordance with this report and to which he was previously appointed Associate Member, the name of the Member be struck from the list of Associate Members of the said Committee.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings was tabled.

Motions

By unanimous consent, it was resolved, -- That the 27th 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. Lincoln (Lac-Saint-Louis), one concerning pesticides (No. 362-1069);

-- by Ms. Meredith (South Surrey -- White Rock -- Langley), one concerning marriage (No. 362-1070) and one concerning the highway system (No. 362-1071);

-- by Mr. Harvard (Charleswood St. James -- Assiniboia), one concerning breast cancer (No. 362-1072);

-- by Mr. Blaikie (Winnipeg Transcona), one concerning child poverty (No. 362-1073);

-- by Mr. Bryden (Wentworth -- Burlington), one concerning marriage (No. 362-1074), one concerning the Canada Post Corporation (No. 362-1075) and one concerning child poverty (No. 362-1076);

-- by Mr. Ritz (Battlefords -- Lloydminster), one concerning immigration (No. 362-1077);

-- by Mr. White (Langley -- Abbotsford), one concerning the sexual exploitation of minors (No. 362-1078) and two concerning marriage (Nos. 362-1079 and 362-1080);

-- by Mr. Jaffer (Edmonton -- Strathcona), one concerning marriage (No. 362-1081), two concerning the Divorce Act (Nos. 362-1082 and 362-1083) and one concerning child poverty (No. 362-1084).

Questions on Order Paper

Mr. Lee (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons) presented the answer to question Q-57 on the Order Paper.

Pursuant to Standing Order 39(7), the following question was made an Order for Return:

Q-25 -- Mr. Caccia (Davenport) -- How much money in the form of direct grants, loans, tax concessions and other payments have been made available to Spar Aerospace by the Government of Canada since the company's inception?

Mr. Lee (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons) presented the Return to this Order. -- Sessional Paper No. 8555-362-25.

GOVERNMENT ORDERS

The House resumed consideration of the motion of Mr. Axworthy (Minister of Foreign Affairs), seconded by Ms. Bradshaw (Minister of Labour), -- That Bill C-19, An Act respecting genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and to implement the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

The debate continued.

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

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

Mr. White (Langley -- Abbotsford), seconded by Mr. Gilmour (Nanaimo -- Alberni), moved, --

I. That Standing Order 36(8) be amended to read as follows:

Except in the case of a petition referred to the Chief Electoral Officer pursuant to section (1) of Standing Order 36.1, every petition presented pursuant to this Standing Order shall forthwith be transmitted to the Ministry, which shall, within forty-five days, respond to every petition referred to it; provided that the said response may be tabled pursuant to Standing Order 32(1). In the case of a petition referred to the Chief Electoral Officer pursuant to section (1) of Standing Order 36.1, it shall be transmitted to the Ministry for response pursuant to this section only if the Chief Electoral Officer reports that it does not comply with Standing Order 36.1(1), or, if it complies, the motion pursuant to Standing Order 36.1(2) is defeated by the House.

II. That the Standing Orders be amended by adding new Standing Orders 36.1, 36.2 and 36.3:

36.1(1) At the request of the Member presenting a petition, or if no request is made at the time of the presentation of the petition, by any other Member giving notice in writing to the Clerk, a petition which has been presented in accordance with Standing Order 36 and which purports to be signed by two per cent of the persons entitled to vote in the last general election to the House of Commons may be referred to the Chief Electoral Officer, who shall determine within forty-two days whether the petition complies with this requirement by counting the signatures and verifying such proportion of them as is in his or her opinion reasonable. The Chief Electoral Officer shall make a report of his or her findings to the Speaker within the time specified, and such report shall forthwith be submitted by the Speaker to the House of Commons.

(2) If the report of the Chief Electoral Officer is that the petition complies with the requirement set out in section (1) of this Standing Order, immediately after the said report is submitted by the Speaker to the House of Commons, the Clerk of the House shall cause to be placed on the Notice Paper, a notice of motion for referral of the petitioners' prayer to a standing committee, which shall stand in the name of the Member presenting the petition or such other Member who requested that it be referred to the Chief Electoral Officer pursuant to section (1) of this Standing Order, as the case might be.

(3) When a notice given pursuant to section (2) of this Standing Order is transferred to the Order Paper, it shall be set down for consideration, and the House shall meet at 11:00 a.m. on the next Wednesday when the House is sitting, at which time the order of business shall be the consideration of the said notice. In the event that a notice or notices of motion for concurrence has been set down pursuant to Standing Order 124 for such day, or if other business pursuant to this Standing Order or Standing Order 36.2 has been previously set down for such day, it shall be set down for consideration, and the House shall meet at 11:00 a.m. on the following Wednesday when the House is sitting.

(4) When the House meets at 11:00 a.m. on any Wednesday pursuant to section (3) of this Standing Order, the House shall not consider any other item but that provided pursuant to that section, provided that:

(a) if such proceedings are concluded prior to 1:45 p.m. on any such day, the Speaker shall suspend the sitting until 2:00 p.m.; and

(b) all such proceedings shall be concluded except as provided pursuant to section (5)(b) of this Standing Order at 1:45 p.m. on the same day.

(5) A notice given pursuant to section (3) of this Standing Order shall be taken up and considered for a period not exceeding two and one-half hours, provided that:

(a) during the consideration of any such motion, no Member shall speak more than once or for more than ten minutes; and

(b) unless the motion be previously disposed of, not later than the end of the said two and one-half hours of consideration, the Speaker shall interrupt any proceedings then before the House and put forthwith and successively, without further debate or amendment, every question necessary to dispose of the said motion or motions, provided that any division or divisions demanded in relation thereto shall stand deferred until no later than the ordinary hour of daily adjournment in that sitting, when the bells to call in the Members shall be sounded for not more than fifteen minutes. Any remaining questions necessary to dispose of proceedings in relation to such motion or motions, on which a decision has been deferred until after the taking of such a division, shall be put forthwith and successively, without further debate or amendment.

(6) The provisions of Standing Order 45(5) shall be suspended in the case of any division demanded pursuant to paragraph (b) of section (5) of this Standing Order.

36.2(1) When a petition is referred to a committee pursuant to Standing Order 36.1, the committee shall, within sixty sitting days of the referral, report back to the House, provided that if no report is presented by the end of the sixty sitting days, the Member who presented the petition, or such other Member who requested that it be referred to the Chief Electoral Officer in accordance with Standing Order 36.1(1), as the case might be, shall be entitled to present a bill or motion to give effect to the petitioners' prayer within fifteen sitting days, and such bill or motion shall for all purposes be deemed to be the committee's report referred to in section (2) of this Standing Order.

(2) The committee's report shall be in the form of either

(a) a bill for an Act which, if adopted by the Parliament, or

(b) a motion which, if adopted by the House,

would give effect to the petitioners' prayer, and the committee's report to the House shall be deemed to constitute notice of motion or notice for leave to present the bill, as the case might be.

(3) The Member who presented the petition, or such other Member who requested that it be referred to the Chief Electoral Officer in accordance with Standing Order 36.1(1), as the case might be, shall be deemed to be the sponsor of the bill or of the motion prepared pursuant to this Standing Order in the House, unless the Member is a Minister of the Crown in which case it shall be considered to be an item of Government Orders.

(4) After forty-eight hours' notice, the Member sponsoring the bill, or a Minister, as the case might be, may introduce the bill during the daily routine of business and the House shall give it first reading in accordance with these Standing Orders.

(5) Notwithstanding any other provision in these Standing Orders, a bill that has been introduced pursuant to section (4) of this Standing Order by a Member who is not a Minister of the Crown, or a motion sponsored by a Member who is not a Minister of the Crown after forty-eight hours' notice upon the Member giving notice in writing to the Clerk, shall be placed on the Order Paper and shall be set down for consideration, and the House shall meet at 11:00 a.m. on the next Wednesday when the House is sitting, at which time the order of business shall be the consideration of the said bill or motion. In the event that a notice or notices of motion for concurrence has been set down pursuant to Standing Order 124 for such day, or if other business pursuant to this Standing Order or Standing Order 36.1 has previously been set down for such day, it shall be set down for the consideration, and the House shall meet at 11:00 a.m. on the following Wednesday when the House is sitting.

(6) Subject to paragraph (b) of section (8) of this Standing Order, when the House meets at 11:00 a.m. on any Wednesday pursuant to section (5) of this Standing Order, the House shall not consider any other item but that provided pursuant to that section, provided that:

(a) if such proceedings are concluded prior to 1:45 p.m. on any such day, the Speaker shall suspend the sitting until 2:00 p.m.; and

(b) all such proceedings shall be concluded except as provided pursuant to section (8)(c) of this Standing Order at 1:45 p.m. on the same day.

(7) Notwithstanding any other provisions in these Standing Orders, but subject to the time limits set out in this Standing Order, a bill under this Standing Order shall be debated at second reading, and, if passed, it shall immediately be considered in a Committee of the Whole, which shall report to the House forthwith upon completion of its consideration, and the House shall immediately take up the report and third reading stages of the bill; provided that, unless the Committee of the Whole has reported the bill earlier, then fifteen minutes prior to the end of the time scheduled for consideration of the bill, it shall be deemed to have been reported without amendment. Standing Order 71 shall be suspended with respect to any bill considered pursuant to this Standing Order.

(8) A bill or motion set down pursuant to section (4) of this Standing Order shall be taken up and considered for a period not exceeding two and one-half hours, provided that:

(a) during the consideration of the motions to adopt the bill at all stages or the motion, no Member shall speak more than once or for more than ten minutes;

(b) in the case of a bill, if the said bill has not been disposed of prior to the end of the first ninety minutes of consideration, during any time then remaining, any one Member may propose a motion to extend the time for the consideration of any remaining stages on a second Wednesday when the House is sitting for a period of two and one-half hours beginning at 11:00 a.m., provided that

(i) the motion shall be put forthwith without debate or amendment and shall be deemed withdrawn if fewer than twenty members rise in support thereof; and

(ii) a subsequent such motion shall not be put unless there has been an intervening proceeding;

in the event that a notice or notices of motion for concurrence has been set down pursuant to Standing Order 124 for such day, or if other business pursuant to this Standing Order or Standing Order 36.1 has previously been set down for such day, it shall be set down for the consideration, and the House shall meet at 11:00 a.m. on the following Wednesday when the House is sitting; and

(c) unless the bill or motion be previously disposed of, not later than the end of the said two and one-half hours of consideration, or not later than the end of two and one-half hours of consideration on the second Wednesday agreed to pursuant to paragraph (b) hereof, the Speaker shall interrupt any proceedings then before the House and put forthwith and successively, without further debate or amendment, every question necessary to dispose of the motion or motions, provided that any division or divisions demanded in relation thereto shall stand deferred until no later than the ordinary hour of daily adjournment in that sitting, when the bells to call in the Members shall be sounded for not more than fifteen minutes. Any remaining questions necessary to dispose of proceedings in relation to such motion or motions, on which a decision has been deferred until after the taking of such a division, shall be put forthwith and successively, without further debate or amendment.

(9) The provisions of Standing Order 45(5) shall be suspended in the case of any division demanded pursuant to paragraph (c) of section (8) of this Standing Order.

36.3 No vote taken in the House pursuant to Standing Orders 36.1 or 36.2 shall be deemed to involve a question of the confidence of the House in the Ministry or a Minister, unless the Bill or Motion is considered to be an item of Government Business pursuant to section (3) of this Standing Order.

III. That the Clerk be authorized to make consequential amendments to the Standing Orders. (Private Members' Business M-128)

Debate arose thereon.

Pursuant to Standing Order 96(1), the Order was dropped from 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 Deputy Speaker -- Minutes of Proceedings of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons for March 21, 2000. -- Sessional Paper No. 8527-362-15.

-- by Mr. Eggleton (Minister of National Defence) -- Response of the goverment, pursuant to Standing Order 109, to the First Report of the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs, "Revitalization and Modernization of the Canadian Forces" (Sessional Paper No. 8510-362-8), presented in the House on Wednesday, December 1, 1999. -- Sessional Paper No. 8512-362-8-01.

PETITIONS FILED WITH THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE

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

-- by Mr. Harvard (Charleswood St. James -- Assiniboia), one concerning marriage (No. 362-1085);

-- by Mr. Bélanger (Ottawa -- Vanier), one concerning marriage (No. 362-1086).

ADJOURNMENT

At 2:22, by unanimous consent, the Deputy Speaker adjourned the House until Monday, May 1, 2000, at 11:00 a.m., pursuant to Standing Orders 28(2) and 24(1).