House of Commons Hansard #41 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was plan.

Topics

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON

Mr. Speaker, the third petition is signed by 25 people and has to do with stem cell research. The petitioners recognize that thousands of Canadians suffer from debilitating illnesses and diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, spinal cord injury, diabetes and cancer.

They call upon Parliament to focus its legislative support on adult stem cell research to find the cures and therapies necessary to treat the illness and disease of suffering Canadians.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Gary Lunn Canadian Alliance Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present. The first one I am honoured to present on behalf of the people of Saanich—Gulf Islands. The petitioners call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed.

I will reiterate my statement of last month. We, as legislators and parents, have a duty and an obligation to protect our children.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Gary Lunn Canadian Alliance Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, the second petition has again been endorsed by hundreds of constituents of Saanich—Gulf Islands, the majority on Salt Spring Island.

The petitioners request that Parliament make the Coast Guard an independent body, separate from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, with all the necessary resources for staffing and equipment, including a new hovercraft to enable it to perform rescues of those in peril.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Eugène Bellemare Liberal Ottawa—Orléans, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by over 100 Canadians requesting that the government reform the Divorce Act to make changes in matters of family law as it affects the manner in which child support is decided.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Cheryl Gallant Canadian Alliance Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by constituents from as far away as Barry's Bay, Palmer Rapids, Renfrew and all points between. The petitioners ask this once again, especially on this very important day when the mayor of Arnprior received notice that the Arnprior college is closing. They request Parliament to recognize the Canadian Emergency Preparedness College as being essential to training Canadians in emergency situations, that the facilities stay in Arnprior once they are renovated and that the government upgrade the facilities to provide the necessary training to Canadians from across the country.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Peter Adams Liberal Peterborough, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present. The first is from the citizens of the city and county of Peterborough who oppose war against Iraq. The petitioners point out that a pre-emptive strike to overthrow the government of Iraq would be a flagrant violation of international law. They also point out that it would result in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians.

The petitioners suggest that by rejecting violence and lifting the sanctions against the Iraqi people, we would win the good will of Iraqi citizens and open the door for them to promote political change themselves.

Therefore they call upon Parliament to refuse to cooperate in any way in a war against Iraq and to use Canada's diplomatic efforts to convince the United States, Britain and the United Nations to choose the tools of diplomacy, not the weapons of war, for establishing peace in the Middle East.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Peter Adams Liberal Peterborough, ON

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is from other citizens in Peterborough who point out that the creation and use of child pornography is condemned by a clear majority of Canadians and that the courts have not applied the current child pornography law in a way which makes its clear that such exploitation will always be met by swift punishment.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that materials that promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Peter Adams Liberal Peterborough, ON

Mr. Speaker, my third petition is from people in Peterborough similar to one that was presented earlier. The petitioners point out that many citizens of Canada, who suffer from debilitating diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes, cancer, muscular dystrophy and so on, support stem cell research. However they point out that the focus of such research and the focus of legislative support for such research should be adult stem cell research to find the cures and therapies necessary for the illnesses suffered by these Canadians.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

John M. Cummins Canadian Alliance Delta—South Richmond, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. The first one has to do with citizens concerned about the Coast Guard. The petitioners point out that there is an ongoing list of problems with the Coast Guard; the failure of the government to provide it adequately with the equipment to do the job, the questions arising from the Cap Rouge II sinking and the failure to provide a hovercraft from the Vancouver airport.

The petitioners have an additional concern that the Coast Guard be separated from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

John M. Cummins Canadian Alliance Delta—South Richmond, BC

Mr. Speaker, my second petition has to do with petitioners from Powell River. The petitioners are concerned for the shrimp fishery on the west coast of British Columbia.

The petitioners note that in the terms of union of British Columbia with Canada, they require the federal government to assume and defray costs for the protection and encouragement of fisheries. They say that the fee structure the department is putting in place for shrimp fishermen will prohibit or make it financially impossible for people to fish this year. They suggest that the issue should be addressed in light of the terms of union.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have two petitions which are very similar to the ones already tabled in the House today.

The first deals with child pornography. The petitioners have a great concern that the government must take every action possible to preserve and prevent our children from being abused.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB

Mr. Speaker, my second petitions deals with embryonic stem cells. The petitioners ask that the concentration of study on stem cells should be on the basis of adult stem cells.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Murray Calder Liberal Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have four petitions to present today. The first one is on the release of the census records. The House has probably heard me speak about this before.

The petition contains 2,100 names. I have currently presented 17,000 names of people who would like to see the census released.

The petitioners are calling upon Parliament to take whatever steps necessary to retroactively amend the confidentiality clauses of the Statistics Act since 1906 to allow the release to the public, after a reasonable period of time, the post-1901 records.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Murray Calder Liberal Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey, ON

Mr. Speaker, the next petition contains 960 names and concerns child pornography. The petitioners are concerned that the courts have not applied the current child pornography law in a way which makes it clear that such exploitation of children will always be met with swift punishment.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Murray Calder Liberal Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey, ON

Mr. Speaker, the third petition contains 160 names and is on stem cell research. The petitioners are calling upon Parliament to focus its legislative support on stem cell research to find the cures and therapies necessary to treat the illnesses and diseases of suffering Canadians.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Murray Calder Liberal Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey, ON

Mr. Speaker, the fourth petition, with approximately 100 names, concerns same sex marriages. The petitioners call upon Parliament to pass legislation to recognize the institution of marriage in federal law as being the lifelong union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Rob Anders Canadian Alliance Calgary West, AB

Mr. Speaker, I wish to present two petitions. The first petition concerns child pornography.

The petitioners say that the creation and use of child pornography is condemned by the clear majority of Canadians and that the courts have not applied the current child pornography law in a way which makes it clear that such exploitation of children will always be met with swift punishment.

The petitioners are asking for parliamentarians to protect children.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Rob Anders Canadian Alliance Calgary West, AB

Mr. Speaker, the second petition that I wish to present has over 450 signatures so far. This one is with regard to the Bronze Star. It states that our Canadian troops fighting the war on terrorism have not received medals recognizing their heroic and meritorious achievement in battle because of bureaucratic delay.

The petitioners are calling upon the government to, without delay, remove the bureaucratic obstacles preventing our soldiers from being awarded the Bronze Star and the Bronze Star with distinction for their heroic performance in the war on terrorism.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions. The first petition is on the subject matter of stem cell research. The petitioners include constituents of mine from Mississauga South who share my view that human life begins at conception.

The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that they support ethical stem cell research and that adult stem cell research has shown significant progress without the immune rejection problems or ethical problems associated with embryonic stem cells.

The petitioners therefore call upon Parliament to support legislative initiatives with regard to adult stem cell research to find the cures and therapies necessary for Canadians.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, the second petition refers to the definition of marriage.

The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that they believe that social matters or social policy should be decided by elected members of Parliament and not by the judiciary. They also support the current legal definition of marriage being the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.

The petitioners therefore call upon Parliament to use all possible legislative and administrative measures, including invoking the notwithstanding clause, section 33, if necessary, to preserve and protect the definition of marriage.

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Halifax West Nova Scotia

Liberal

Geoff Regan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, you will recall that last week my hon. colleague from Delta--South Richmond rose on a point of order and asked about Question No. 17 regarding salmon farming.

In relation to that, if Questions Nos. 17 and 38 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately.

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

The Speaker

Is that agreed?

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Question No. 17Routine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

John M. Cummins Canadian Alliance Delta—South Richmond, BC

With regard to the establishment of salmon farm operations in Canada's coastal waters and the requirements of the Fisheries Act and Navigable Waters Protection Act: ( a ) how many net pen salmon farm operations are located in the coastal waters adjacent to (i) British Columbia, (ii) New Brunswick, (iii) Nova Scotia, (iv) Prince Edward Island, and (v) Newfoundland; ( b ) what is the location and who is the owner or operator of each of these sites; ( c ) how many net cages are in operation, what is the weight or level of biomass and what is the annual amount of wastes or debris deposited on an annual basis at each site; ( d ) how many authorizations or approvals under section 5(1) of the Navigable Waters Protection Act have been issued for net pen salmon farm operations in the coastal waters adjacent to each of the provinces listed in part (a); ( e ) what is the location of each of these authorizations; ( f ) how many net cages were approved for each of these sites; ( g ) how many authorizations or approvals under section 5(1) of the Navigable Waters Protection Act have been denied for net pen salmon farm operations in the coastal waters adjacent to each of the provinces listed in part (a); ( h ) what is the location of the salmon farm applications that were denied; ( i ) how many net pen salmon farm operations have been established without first seeking the authorizations or approvals under section 5(1) of the Navigable Waters Protection Act for operations in the coastal waters adjacent to each of the provinces listed in part (a); ( j ) what is the location of each of these operations; ( k ) how many Ministerial orders have been issued under section 6 of the Navigable Waters Protection Act with regard to unauthorized salmon farm operations in the coastal waters adjacent to each of the provinces listed in part (a); ( l ) what is the location of each of these operations; ( m ) how many authorizations or approvals under section 35(2) of the Fisheries Act have been issued for net pen salmon farm operations in the coastal waters adjacent to each of the provinces listed in part (a); ( n ) what is the location of each of these authorizations under section 35 (2) of the Fisheries Act; ( o ) what is the approved weight or level of biomass and the approved annual amount of wastes or debris deposited on an annual basis at each site; ( p ) how many applications for authorizations or approvals under section 35(2) of the Fisheries Act have been denied for net pen salmon farm operations in the coastal waters adjacent to each of the provinces listed in part (a); ( q ) what is the location of the section 35(2) application for authorizations or approvals under the Fisheries Act for salmon farm operations that were denied; ( r ) how many net pen salmon farm operations have been established without first seeking the authorizations or approvals under section 35(2) of the Fisheries Act for operations in the coastal waters adjacent to the provinces listed in part (a); ( s ) what is the location of each of these operations; ( t ) how many orders under section 37(2) of the Fisheries Act have been issued requiring modifications, restrictions, or the closing of salmon farm operations that could result in harmful alteration to fish habitat, or the deposit of deleterious substances in the coastal waters adjacent to each of the provinces listed in part (a); and ( u ) what is the location for each site where an order was issued under section 37(2) of the Fisheries Act?

Return tabled.

Question No. 38Routine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

James Rajotte Canadian Alliance Edmonton Southwest, AB

For each year from 1993 to 2001, what was the total amount billed to the government and its agencies by: ( a ) Ipsos-Reid and its affiliates; and ( b ) the law firm, Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales?

Return tabled.