Hon. Darren Praznik (Government House Leader): Madam Speaker–

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable government House leader was recognized to address the business for this afternoon under Orders of the Day. [interjection]

Mr. Praznik: Madam Speaker, would you call the member for Transcona (Mr. Reid) to order.

Madam Speaker: Order, please.

Mr. Praznik: I would ask if you could please call for introduction for second reading Bills 18, 20 and 21. If we could call those bills for introduction for second reading, and then we will proceed into Committee of the Whole to give consideration of Bill 22, I believe it is, the taxation bill.

Hon. Vic Toews (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): I move, seconded by the Minister of Rural Development (Mr. Derkach) that Bill 18, the Correctional Services Amendment Act (Loi modifiant la Loi sur les services correctionnels), be now read a second time and be referred to a committee of this House.

Mr. Toews: During the last sitting of the House I introduced a new correctional services act to replace The Corrections Act in related regulations. I mentioned then that the current act was over 30 years old and does not provide the legislative base that is needed to adequately deal with the current issues and corrections. The new act will provide the necessary direction authority for the administration of community and custodial services for both adult and young offenders that this government believes is necessary to enhance public safety.

The Correctional Services Act was subsequently passed, but it has not been proclaimed pending a detailed review and overhaul of the related regulations, a process which I am pleased to say is very near completion. During the course of this work, it became apparent that there were some technical deficiencies in the new act. The purpose of this amendment is to address these deficiencies now and in a timely fashion rather than at some later date.

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Most of the changes are of a technical nature. Some simply correct punctuation, grammatical and typographical errors. In other cases, words are substituted to correct drafting errors or to ensure greater consistency between sections or between the section and the section heading. Other changes are intended to clarify the meaning of a section or to provide greater flexibility. Some of the amendments, for example, eliminate the need for regulations where they are not necessary or were not contemplated in the first place and allow the commissioner to establish criteria rather than having these fixed in regulations

The most substantive amendment will correct a drafting oversight and provide the necessary legal basis for provincial inmates, that is, inmates convicted of provincial offences and the question of remission. Most adult prisoners, adult male prisoners and female prisoners, are prisoners within the meaning of the federal Prisons and Reformatories Act. Those people who are prisoners pursuant to Criminal Code sections are entitled to remission or the taking away of remission under the terms of that act. However, a very small percentage of inmates serving sentences for provincial offences are not prisoners within the meaning of that act. Therefore, the issue of remission, both the granting and taking away, is not dealt with legislatively.

For reasons of fairness and consistencies, these inmates have always been permitted to be dealt with in terms of remission in the same way as prisoners who have been sentenced under the federal Criminal Code. This amendment will simply provide a legal basis for continuing to do so. This provision is modelled on legislation from the other provinces.

With respect to this amendment, I wish to point out that all inmates must earn remission. That is conditional on both good behaviour and program participation. I also want to point out that when I introduced the new Correctional Services Act during the last session, I referred to a new provision that could keep selected offenders in custody for the full time imposed by the sentencing court, even if they fulfilled all good behaviour expectations and would otherwise be released on the basis of earned remission. This would apply to offenders where there is reason to believe they are likely to commit a serious offence or a sex offence involving a child. This new provision would also apply to inmates serving sentences for provincial offences, so that any dangerous inmate regardless of offence or sentence length would remain in custody until warrant expiry date. Although most of these amendments are technical in nature, I would rather, as I said before, correct any deficiencies before rather than after the proclamation of the new Correctional Services Act.

This concludes my opening remarks about Bill 18, Madam Speaker, and I would be pleased to discuss the provisions further at a committee stage. Thank you very much.

Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): I move, seconded by the member for Transcona (Mr. Reid), that debate be adjourned.

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Environment (Mrs. McIntosh), that Bill 20, The Chiropodists Amendment Act (Loi modifiant la Loi sur les chiropodistes), be now read a second time and be referred to a committee of this House.

Mr. Stefanson: Really, this is a very simple amendment to this act. It has to do with the whole issue of mobility of chiropodists and meeting the mobility requirements under the Internal Trade Agreement. That really is the whole focus of this amendment, Madam Speaker. So I would encourage members of this House to support the amendment to this act.

Madam Speaker: Is it the will of the House to adopt the motion?

Some Honourable Members: Agreed.

Madam Speaker: Agreed? Agreed and so ordered.

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Gilleshammer), that Bill 21, The Ophthalmic Dispensers Amendment and Consequential Amendments Act (Loi modifiant la Loi sur les opticiens d'ordonnance et modifications corrJ latives), be now read a second time and be referred to a committee of this House.

Mr. Stefanson: Madam Speaker, really the explanation for this bill is the same as Bill 20, The Chiropodists Amendment Act. It, too, has to deal with the whole issue of mobility and the issue of meeting the requirements of the internal trade agreements across Canada. So, once again, I would also recommend that members of this House support the amendment to this bill.

Mr. Daryl Reid (Transcona): I move, seconded by the member for Elmwood (Mr. Maloway), that debate on Bill 21 be adjourned.

Hon. Darren Praznik (Government House Leader): Madam Speaker, I would move, seconded by the honourable Minister of Health (Mr. Stefanson), that this House now resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole to consider Bill 22, The Statute Law Amendment (Taxation) Act, 1999.