Hon. Doug Lewis (Minister of State and Minister of State (Treasury Board)):

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 106(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the Government's response to 30 petitions, Nos. 332-3110 to 332-3117 inclusive, 332-3119 to 332-3123 inclusive, 332-3128 to 332-3130 inclusive, 332-3132, 332-3140 to 332-3143 inclusive, 332-3191 to 332-3193 inclusive, 332-3201, 3323205, 332-3206 and 332-3214 to 332-3216 inclusive.

I would point out to those who signed Petition No. 3323214, tabled by the Hon. Member for York West (Mr. Marchi), that it was certified on August 18 but not presented until October 1. However, the Government has responded within the required 45 days.

Mr. Alex Kindy (Calgary East):

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me to present a petition signed by 280 constituents who ask that the Government pass a special Bill permitting family reunification for people who are in the Philippines right now. The situation there is volatile, with great insecurity and the danger of a Communist takeover, and they pray the Government will pass a special Bill.

Mr. Alfonso Gagliano (Saint-Leonard-Anjou):

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour of tabling several petitions from rural communities in New Brunswick, expressing concern about the fact that Canada Post wants to close down post offices in their areas. The petitions are from all over New Brunswick and bear several hundred signatures.

Your petitioners humbly inform the House that Canada Post's new corporate plan has created two classes of citizens by installing its super boxes in urban and rural areas; that closing rural post offices deprives Canadians of a unique federal presence and reduces postal services that are vital to rural areas; and that rate increases, especially for second class mail, jeopardize the distribution by mail of many newspapers, weeklies, regional papers, magazines and religious publications.

Wherefore your petitioners humbly pray that Parliament reject Canada Post's plan and urge the Corporation to deliver the mail to all Canadian taxpayers, without exception.

Mrs. Therese Killens (Saint-Michel-Ahuntsic):

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour and the privilege of tabling a petition signed by the residents of Ottawa and Willowdale, Ontario. Your petitioners object to the fact that this Government has either levied or increased a total of twenty-five taxes since September 1984. They object particularly to the proposed tax reform that includes the possibility of imposing a tax on food. They believe this decision would be particularly devastating for the elderly, the unemployed, youth and low-income families.

Wherefore your petitioners humbly pray that Parliament reject any measure that would have the effect of putting a sales tax on food.

Hon. Doug Lewis (Minister of State and Minister of State (Treasury Board)):

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions on the Order Paper be allowed to stand.

Mr. Speaker:

Shall all questions on the Order Paper stand?

Agreed.

October 27, 1987

Motion to Adjourn under S. O. 29

O)

Hon. Herb Gray (Windsor West):

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 29 I ask leave to propose a motion to adjourn the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter requiring urgent consideration, namely, the decision of the Standing Committee on External Affairs and International Trade to undertake a precipitate study of the Canada-U.S. trade agreement in the absence of a complete text of that agreement and on a timetable that will not permit either adequate committee study or informed comment from Canadians before the committee prepares its report, thereby breaking the commitment of the Prime Minister (Mr. Mul-roney) that the complete text of the agreement would be referred to committee for full and detailed analysis.

The House of Commons and its committees should not be made a party to what could amount to a sham or charade whereby there is the appearance of the study of the Government's trade deal with the United States when neither the House nor its committees are doing that at all. Let us have the full text of the agreement and then let Parliament and its committees study this matter.

Mr. Lewis:

What a charade of that Standing Order.