Italian-Canadian Recognition and Restitution Act

An Act to recognize the injustice that was done to persons of Italian origin through their “enemy alien” designation and internment during the Second World War, and to provide for restitution and promote education on Italian-Canadian history

This bill was last introduced in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session, which ended in September 2008.

This bill was previously introduced in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session.

Sponsor

Massimo Pacetti  Liberal

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Outside the Order of Precedence (a private member's bill that hasn't yet won the draw that determines which private member's bills can be debated), as of Oct. 16, 2007
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament often publishes better independent summaries.

The purpose of this enactment is to recognize and apologize for the treatment that persons of Italian origin received in Canada during the Second World War in spite of the contribution that they have made and continue to make to the building of Canada.
The enactment also provides for restitution to be made in respect of this treatment. The restitution payment is to be applied to the development and production of educational materials relating to Italian-Canadian history and promoting ethnic and racial harmony, and to other projects agreed to by the Minister of Canadian Heritage and an educational foundation established for this purpose.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

December 8th, 2009 / 11:45 a.m.
See context

Liberal

Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

I'll be very brief. I just wanted to correct the record, because in the 38th Parliament, in the first reading version of Bill C-368, which I'm not going to bore the committee with, the introduction is exactly the same as this bill. It reads:

An Act to recognize the injustice that was done to persons of Italian origin through their “enemy alien” designation and internment during the Second World War, and to provide for restitution and promote education on Italian-Canadian history

The first reading was on April 21, 2005, and the sponsor of the bill was Mr. Pacetti. So I'm not sure what kind of research the member opposite did. It's not that difficult. All he has to do is call the Library of Parliament if he doesn't know how to look it up on the search engines that the Library of Parliament provides.

I also subsequently retabled the same bill for the 39th Parliament. The first reading was dated June 19, 2007. The bill, again, is Bill C-461, and it reads:

An Act to recognize the injustice that was done to persons of Italian origin through their “enemy alien” designation and internment during the Second World War, and to provide for restitution and promote education on Italian-Canadian history

So I am waiting for the apology in writing from the member opposite.

I also would like to read into the record that the members for the Conservative Party are, I believe.... I'll have to go through a list, but there was Mr. Goldring, Mr. Mark, and there were at least four or five other Conservatives who voted for the bill at second reading. So I think there's another apology awaiting me for that one.

But I would prefer if we can just go directly to the bill and vote on the clause-by-clause rather than trying to set up a score sheet and seeing who's right and who's wrong.

Italian-Canadian Recognition and Restitution ActRoutine Proceedings

June 19th, 2007 / 10:05 a.m.
See context

Liberal

Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-461, An Act to recognize the injustice that was done to persons of Italian origin through their “enemy alien” designation and internment during the Second World War, and to provide for restitution and promote education on Italian-Canadian history.

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a bill entitled “an act to recognize the injustice that was done to persons of Italian origin through their “enemy alien” designation and internment during the Second World War, and to provide for restitution and promote education on Italian-Canadian history”.

The history is too long to explain at this time. It will be done during second reading but during the second world war immigrants and Canadians of Italian origin were incarcerated and designated as enemy aliens. I would like to highlight that no charges were ever laid.

I tabled the same bill in 2005 prior to the Liberals signing a deal with the Italian community to create the well-known ACE program that would have righted these wrongs. However, in typical Conservative fashion, the government has denied the existence of the program and has decided not to honour the signed deal.

Therefore, I have no choice but to retable the bill. The bill is not unique or unprecedented in comparison to deals made with other cultural communities.

Why will the government not do the right thing and apologize to the Italian community for past injustices. Why does the government favour one community over another and pit Canadians against each other?

I thank the member for Eglinton—Lawrence for supporting the bill.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)