Debates of Oct. 20th, 2004

Peter Stoffer Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-233, an act to amend the Income Tax Act (community service group membership dues).

Mr. Speaker, this is the reintroduction of a bill that has great support among volunteer groups throughout the country.

We all know that this country could not operate without the valued effort of those millions of volunteers. The bill is asking that any volunteer of a registered organization who donates 250 hours of his or her time per year be able to claim a $1,000 one-time income tax deduction. This would benefit all the volunteers in this country tremendously.

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

Peter Stoffer Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-234, an act to propose and examine a program giving financial assistance to high school students visiting overseas military memorial sites.

Mr. Speaker, Remembrance Day is approaching and one of the great faults in this society is the inability of our provincial and federal governments to teach our children what happened during the wars that Canada was involved in. It is quite astonishing that people in Holland, Belgium and other countries know more about Canadian military history than our own children do.

The bill basically wants the federal government, the provinces and the school boards of the country to examine ways of getting this country's children over to the battlefields in Europe and around the world. In that way, they themselves could learn what happened on those tragic days during the war. It would enhance the remembrance of the bravest people in our country, our veterans.

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

Jay Hill Prince George—Peace River, BC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-245, an act to amend the Divorce Act (shared parenting).

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Provencher for seconding the bill.

It is the first private member's bill I would like to reintroduce in Parliament this afternoon. It would ensure that courts granted shared custody of a child to both spouses undergoing a divorce, unless there existed evidence that it would not be in the best interests of the child or children.

The bill includes the recommendations of the joint House of Commons and Senate subcommittee on custody and access. The subcommittee issued its report in 1998, six years ago, yet despite the input of hundreds of parents, social workers, lawyers and child advocates, the government has shelved those recommendations. As a result, Canada's Divorce Act remains an antiquated, dysfunctional piece of legislation that does not reflect the realities of life in this century.

Also, at this time I am seeking the unanimous consent of the House that the bill be numbered C-245 as it was known in the last Parliament.

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

Jay Hill Prince George—Peace River, BC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-246, an act to amend the Income Tax Act (child adoption expenses).

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to reintroduce my private member's bill to allow parents a one-time income tax deduction of up to $10,000 for the expenses related to the adoption of a child.

This legislation received tremendous support from both sides of the House during the last Parliament. Thousands of parents, social workers and children's advocates across Canada eagerly await its reintroduction today.

In this Parliament, however, I have increased the maximum expense deduction to $10,000 to better reflect the true costs of adoption, which can spiral to $30,000 or more. I am optimistic about the passage of the bill which would modernize the federal Income Tax Act to recognize that adoptive parents make a significant contribution to all of society.

I am also seeking the unanimous consent of the House that the bill be numbered C-246 as it was known in the last Parliament.

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

Jay Hill Prince George—Peace River, BC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-248, an act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (trafficking in a controlled drug or substance within five hundred metres of an elementary school or a high school).

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, our justice critic, the member for Provencher for seconding this bill.

This piece of private members' legislation concerns the need to prevent drug dealers from preying upon our children. The bill would impose minimum prison sentences of one year for a first offence and two years for further offences for a person convicted of trafficking in a narcotic within 500 metres of an elementary school or a high school.

We must send a forceful message that pushing drugs upon children will not be tolerated by our society and will result in mandatory imprisonment and not a slap on the wrist.

I am seeking the unanimous consent of the House that the bill be numbered C-248 as it was known in the last Parliament.

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

Jay Hill Prince George—Peace River, BC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-270, an act to amend the Witness Protection Program Act (protection of spouses whose life is in danger) and to make a consequential amendment to another Act.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to reintroduce this bill that would better protect those whose lives and the lives of their children are threatened by a spouse, former spouse or intimate partner.

While there is an ad hoc program run jointly between federal government departments, the new identities program is without a legislated mandate or adequate funding.

This legislation would extend the mandate of the witness protection program to include those who have nowhere for themselves or their children to hide from an abusive spouse or partner.

I am seeking the unanimous consent of the House that the bill be numbered C-270 as it was known in the previous Parliament.

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