Debates of April 26th, 2006

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachments were closed in Quebec during the last mandate. Quebeckers are concerned by this situation. They elected us for a real change.

Can my colleague, the hon. Minister of Public Safety, tell us whether these detachments will be reopened? If so, when?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, some mayors and some of my Conservative colleagues have spoken to me about these concerns. One thing is clear: this decision to close the RCMP detachments was taken under the former Liberal regime.

It is also clear that the Liberals did nothing and the Bloc cannot do anything. What we are going to do is allocate more resources to the RCMP in Quebec to improve the situation.

Unparliamentary Language

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday during a vigorous debate on the accountability act, I made some remarks which some members of the House have deemed to be unparliamentary. In order to avoid further time spent on those heated remarks, I would respectfully withdraw them and, in particular, I extend a hand of friendship to the member for Pickering—Scarborough East in the hope that we can work together to improve the debate in the House of Commons.

[Dan McTeague, Liberal, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my thanks to the hon. member.

Interparliamentary Delegations

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I am honoured to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association concerning its parliamentary mission on September 29 and 30, 2005, in Vienna, Austria, the country that will hold the next European Union presidency, and its participation in the fourth part of the 2005 ordinary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe held in Strasbourg, France, October 3 to 7, 2005.

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association respecting its meeting with the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, in London, United Kingdom, held January 19-20, 2006, and its participation in the first part of the 2006 ordinary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe held in Strasbourg, France, on January 23-27, 2006.

Procedure and House Affairs

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour today to present the first report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs concerning membership and associate membership of standing committees. If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the first report later this day.

Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-227, An Act to change the name of the electoral district of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce--Lachine.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me to introduce this bill to change the name of the riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine to Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine—Dorval.

It is at the request of many of my constituents of Dorval, and I am honoured to be able to table this with the support of my honoured colleague from Saint Boniface. I hope I will have the support of every member of the House for this bill.

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

Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-228, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (student loans).

Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to introduce this bill to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. As members know, many students struggling with skyrocketing tuitions and shrinking student aid face an additional hardship in recent years in the form of discriminatory treatment with respect to declaring bankruptcy in instances of crippling, crushing debt burdens. This bill simply proposes to remove that discriminatory treatment.

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

Excise Tax Act

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-229, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (no GST on books or pamphlets).

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to introduce this private member's bill. We continually remind Canadians of the importance of education and literacy in today's world, yet the government continues to tax the sale of books and pamphlets. The purpose of this private member's bill is to remove the GST on books and pamphlets so that our taxation practices are consistent with our professed commitment to encourage Canadians, in every possible way, to read in this knowledge based economy, where knowledge is so necessary to navigate our world.

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

Hazardous Products Act

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-230, An Act to amend the Hazardous Products Act (prohibited product — hooks).

Mr. Speaker, this private member's bill amends the Hazardous Products Act specifically to prohibit the advertising, sale and import of elongated display hooks that can pose a threat to the safety and health of persons. They are a particular threat to young children. This is a bill that I think of as Katie's bill, because of a two-year-old child in my own riding, but she is one of many in this country who have suffered either a total loss of vision or severe brain damage because of these unnecessarily dangerous hooks that we simply should not permit to be in existence.

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

Special Service Medal for Domestic Emergency Relief Operations Act

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-231, An Act respecting the establishment and award of a Special Service Medal for Domestic Emergency Relief Operations (SSM-DERO).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce this private member's bill. It establishes a special service medal for domestic emergency relief operations to be awarded to members and former members of the Canadian Forces and RCMP in recognition of honourable service performed for a period of not less than seven days in support of the domestic operations set out in the schedule and future domestic emergency relief operations specified by order in council.

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

Child Care

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I again have the pleasure to present a petition, in this case from Daydreams Childcare Centre in Nova Scotia. The petitioners are concerned and even angry, I would say, about the government's alleged child care plan. They think it will roll back the clock on the early learning and child care agreement and that the cancellation will have dire impacts on Canadian families.

They say a taxable $100 a month allowance amounts to a child benefit and it will not establish new child care spaces. Child care is an everyday necessity, they say, and they call upon the government and the Prime Minister to honour the early learning and child care agreement in principle and to commit to fund it for a full five years.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The Chair moved a little quickly. The hon. member for Cambridge indicated that he wished to move a motion by unanimous consent on motions, and I missed seeing him when he undoubtedly got up when I called for motions. I am proposing to go back to motions so the hon. member for Cambridge can now seek unanimous consent of the House to put his motion. I invite him to take the floor.

Procedure and House Affairs

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the first report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier this day, be concurred in.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Does the hon. member for Cambridge have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

(Motion agreed to)

Cancer

[Rahim Jaffer, Conservative, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise in the 39th Parliament to present my first petition of this Parliament. It calls on the House of Commons to demand that the federal government implement and fund a national strategy on cancer control in collaboration with the provinces and all stakeholders.

On this side, we intend to live up to all our commitments, this being one of them. I look forward to seeing the government implement this national strategy.

Sudan

[Susan Kadis, Liberal, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling two petitions today on behalf of my constituents. I am presenting the first petition on behalf of many of my constituents who are urging the Government of Canada to take immediate and decisive action to prevent the atrocities occurring in Sudan. The petitioners ask the government to take the necessary steps to intervene and ensure that the United Nations and countries around the world respond in a way that will put an immediate stop to the loss of life and crimes against humanity occurring in the Darfur region and beyond.

Child Care

[Susan Kadis, Liberal, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition I am tabling is signed by many of my constituents who are calling upon the Prime Minister to honour the early learning and child care agreements today.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of a large number of Canadians calling on the Prime Minister to honour the early learning and child care agreement that has been signed. As all of us here in the House know, 84% of parents with children are both in the workplace and 70% of women with children under six are in the workplace. The need for this is acute. I urge the government, as do those who signed the petition, to honour this commitment.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Mario Silva, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, once again I rise in the House to present a petition on behalf of many Canadians who are asking the government to find a humane and logical solution to the deportation of undocumented workers. I must state as well that yesterday I had the opportunity to meet with the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and I want to thank him for the courtesy that was shown to me and his attentiveness on this issue. I am hopeful that we will find a humane and sustainable solution to the situation.