Debates of Feb. 7th, 2007

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I wish to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Dennis Fentie, Premier of Yukon.

[Some hon. members]

Hear! Hear!

Comments by Minister of Canadian Heritage

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in response to a question from the member for Saint-Lambert in the House I made reference to a 2005 report from the heritage committee. I would like to now correct the record and acknowledge that there was in fact a dissenting report from the Bloc. I ask the House to accept my correction on the record. I regret the error.

Decorum

[Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, when the member for Halton rose with a question during question period, the member for Selkirk—Interlake twice made a vulgar arm gesture. In the name of re-establishing a modicum of decorum in the House, will the member for Selkirk—Interlake acknowledge the error of his ways and apologize to the House?

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what I did. I am not completely sure what he is mentioning but if I made a rude hand gesture, I apologize. If it was taken offensively by the opposition members, then for sure I will definitely apologize.

Comments by Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

[Tina Keeper, Liberal, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, my point of order has to do with when my colleague from Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River asked a question in the House. When he made reference to the dire living conditions of first nations in Canada, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, who has a fiduciary responsibility to first nations, made a crass and offensive statement, one which I found crass and offensive, when he said he is in a rut and there is only a little difference between a rut and a grade.

When we are facing a child welfare crisis and, as another member mentioned in the House today, first nations children are in a suicide crisis, I think this is insulting, offensive, derogatory and shameful language and I would ask for his apology.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, I do not believe there was anything unparliamentary in any of the language that was used and I would invite the Speaker to tell me otherwise.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I do not think there were any allegations of unparliamentary language in what we heard, but we will leave the matter there at the moment.

Travel Expenses

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, I believe when the member for Churchill asked me a question, I responded with some information about travel expenses of the now Liberal leader when he was minister of the environment, actually his chief of staff, that were apparently for improper purposes; travel with the minister for electoral campaign was the stated purpose. I would be happy to table that.

Interparliamentary Delegations

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

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 parliamentary mission to the country that will hold the next European Union presidency in Berlin, Germany, September 27 to 29, 2006 and its participation at the fourth part of the 2006 ordinary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe held in Strasbourg, France, October 2 to 6, 2006.

Procedure and House Affairs

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two reports to table today.

First, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 31st report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs relating to the electoral boundaries readjustment process. This report is the result of extensive studies over the last number of years by several members on my committee. In accordance with Standing Order 109, the committee requests a government response to this report within 120 days.

As well, I have the honour to present the 32nd report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs with respect to membership of committees of the House. With respect to the 32nd report, if the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 32nd report later this day.

Canadian Heritage

[Gary Schellenberger, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 13th report related to Canadian museums, the 14th report related to the court challenges program and the 15th report related to the statutory review of the Canada Travelling Exhibitions Indemnification Act by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

Scrutiny of Regulations

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 108(4) and Standing Order 123, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations.

This is a serious matter. The report contains a resolution for the disallowance of subsection 36.2(2) of the Ontario Fishery Regulations, 1989 as enacted by SOR/89-93 on the grounds that the provision is not authorized by the Fisheries Act, R.S., 1985, and that c. F-14 trespasses unduly on the rights, liberties and subject and makes an unusual and unexpected use of the powers conferred by Parliament.

Effectively, this basically says that there have been regulations in place that have not been enabled by the appropriate legislation and therefore the report is that they be disallowed.

Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS]

moved that Bill S-220, An Act to protect heritage lighthouses, be read the first time.

Mr. Speaker, it is a honour to introduce Bill S-220 for first reading in this chamber. I would like to recognize the recent hard work and carriage of this bill by Senator Carney. I would be remiss if I did not mention the hard work and interest in preserving Canadian heritage by the late Senator Michael Forrestall.

I had the great honour to carry a version of the bill twice in this chamber. It was introduced by the late Senator Forrestall who had nothing but the interests of maritime Canada in his mind and in his heart when he sat in this chamber and when he sat in the Senate.

It is the intent of the bill to have as many as possible of Canada's existing 583 lights transferred to their community of interest.

(Motion deemed adopted and bill read the first time)

Procedure and House Affairs

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 32nd report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs concerning the membership of committees of the House presented to the House earlier this day now be concurred in.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to move this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

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

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

(Motion agreed to)

War Objectors

[Mario Silva, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to present a petition today from the War Resisters Support Campaign. This organization is petitioning the government to demonstrate its commitment to international law and the treaties to which it is a signatory by making provisions for U.S. war objectors to have sanctuary in this country.

This is clearly an issue in which Canadians overwhelmingly support the previous Liberal government's decision not to enter the war. Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien understood the realities of this conflict and the importance in this case of avoiding unilateral military action outside the conventions of the United Nations.

Afghanistan

[Mario Silva, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I also rise to present a petition given to me by constituents in my riding of Davenport. They call upon the government to remove Canadian soldiers from Afghanistan immediately.

The continuing mission in Afghanistan is one that must be debated in this House. The Conservative government forced a vote on this issue with minimal debate. There was no time for discussions, compromise, consensus or education.

The Conservatives used procedures to deny Parliament and the Canadian people the full debate they deserved. Now we find out that they are planning to extend the mission beyond the two years without even consulting this House.

Canada Post

[Gurbax Malhi, Liberal, Bramalea—Gore—Malton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I have the honour to present the following petition from the constituents of Bramalea—Gore—Malton who call upon the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities to review Canada Post's recent decision to locate community mailboxes along formerly designated rural routes and restore home to home mail delivery and thus avoid threats to personal safety.

Citizenship and Immigration

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour today to present a petition signed by many members of my community.

My community members are concerned that the Raza family, which consists of six children under the age of 13, two of whom are Canadian citizens, and who have sought sanctuary in Crescent Fort Rouge Church in Winnipeg since August 2006, that their claim for refugee status has been denied and are waiting to hear for a humanitarian and compassionate application response.

The petitioners call upon the House of Commons to take action to prevent the deportation of the Raza family on these same humanitarian and compassionate grounds and ask the immigration minister to grant the outstanding permit that would allow them to do so.

Literacy

[Ken Boshcoff, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I present a petition from eight communities across Ontario: Atikokan, Kakabeka Falls, Lac La Croix First Nation, Nolalu, Ottawa, Sapawe, South Gillies and Thunder Bay.

The petition deals with the issue of literacy and the need for the reinstatement of the adult and youth literacy components to ensure that funding for these programs comes back for social and economic development and all the attentive needs of making it easier for all citizens to have access to all the things to which everyone else is entitled.