House of Commons Hansard #100 of the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was chair.

Topics

Interparliamentary DelegationsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Conservative

Luc Harvey Conservative Louis-Hébert, QC

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34, I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation of the Canadian branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie respecting its participation at the meeting of the executive committee of the network of women parliamentarians of the APF, held in Brussels on February 19 and 20, 2008.

FinanceCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

May 28th, 2008 / 3:20 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Merrifield Conservative Yellowhead, AB

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and a privilege to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Finance in relation to Bill C-50, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 26, 2008 and to enact provisions to preserve the fiscal plan set out in that budget, without amendment.

I am very proud of the committee and its work and very pleased to present this to the House at this time.

Veterans AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Anders Conservative Calgary West, AB

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs in relation to resetting the bar for veterans health care, veterans independence program and veterans health care review.

The committee is requesting a government response.

Access to Information, Privacy and EthicsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in relation to the main estimates, 2008-09, in relation to vote 20 under Parliament and votes 40 and 45 under Justice.

Your committee has reviewed the estimates of the Ethics Commissioner, the Privacy Commissioner and the Access to Information Commissioner and we report their estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009 without amendment.

Telecommunications ActRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-552, An Act to amend the Telecommunications Act (Internet Neutrality).

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today in the House, along with my colleague from Burnaby—Douglas, to present the first bill to deal with the issue of Internet neutrality in Canada.

The bill would ensure fairness for consumers, protect educators and consumers against anti-competitive practices from large telecoms and protect the innovation agenda in Canada.

The Internet has become a critical piece of the social, business and cultural infrastructure of not just Canada, but of the entire world. It has allowed grassroots, democratic organizations to flourish. It has allowed new forms of communication. It has allowed us to start developing a sense of culture through telecommunications.

Of course, with the recent throttling practices by the large telecoms, questions of telecoms setting up speed bumps and electronic toll booths on the Internet, there is certainly a great deal of concern.

The New Democratic Party is very wary about attempts to start using government to intervene in the development of the digital world and new media. However, this is not a question of whether there will be regulation of the Internet. That is going on right now with the giant telecoms. The question is whether or not there will be a scrutiny of such practices.

It is very important that we give CRTC the toolbox it needs to ensure we maintain a fair, open and neutral Internet and one that protects the innovation agenda of Canada.

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

Bill C-21--Canadian Human Rights ActRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

York—Simcoe Ontario

Conservative

Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform

Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties and I believe you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:

That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practices of the House, a member from the Liberal Party and a member from the New Democratic Party may speak for not more than 10 minutes on report stage Motions Nos. 1 and 2 of Bill C-21, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act, after which Motions Nos. 1 and 2 shall be deemed adopted, Bill C-21 shall then be deemed concurred in at the report stage and deemed read a third time and passed.

Bill C-21--Canadian Human Rights ActRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

Does the hon. government House leader have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?

Bill C-21--Canadian Human Rights ActRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Bill C-21--Canadian Human Rights ActRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Liberal

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?

Bill C-21--Canadian Human Rights ActRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Bill C-21--Canadian Human Rights ActRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

(Motion agreed to)

The Quebec Nation and the Charter of the French LanguagePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Bloc

Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition with 69 signatures. These Quebeckers are calling on the Government of Canada to actively respect the Quebec nation and Bill 101.

Bill C-420PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

NDP

Dawn Black NDP New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition signed by thousands of folks in my community in support of an amazing woman named Natalie Thomas.

After undergoing a double mastectomy and follow-up treatment for breast cancer, Natalie had exhausted her EI sick benefits. As hon. members know, EI sick benefits only last 15 weeks. Natalie was still too sick to go back to work but, for economic reasons, she had no choice but to return to work early, before she had fully recovered.

Our community has rallied around Natalie, who worked hard collecting hundreds of names on this petition. The petition supports my private member's bill, Bill C-420 to extend EI sick benefits to 30 weeks.

I urge members of the House to listen to Natalie's story and the story of thousands of other Canadians who find themselves in this unfortunate circumstance when they do not have extended health benefits and support my bill when it comes to a vote in the House.

Mining Companies Working AbroadPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of Development and Peace, a non-governmental organization that is very concerned about the social responsibility of Canadian companies and extractive industries in developing countries. This petition has been signed by citizens from Haute-Côte-Nord, Charlevoix, Île d'Orléans and Côte-de-Beaupré. These petitioners recommend adopting standards to assess the social and environmental performance of mining companies operating abroad.

Unborn Victims of CrimePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by 158 constituents from my riding who urge the House of Commons to support Bill C-484, which is a private member's bill introduced by the member for Edmonton—Sherwood Park.

IranPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Liberal

Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table petitions from my riding collected by student volunteers at the Bialik High School together with volunteers from the Canadian Institute for Jewish Research and the Canadian Jewish Congress, Quebec Region.

The petitioners wish to bring to the attention of the House of Commons the great threat to international peace and security of a nuclear Iran underpinned by the denial of the Holocaust and by Ahmadinejad's state sanctioned incitement to genocide and his repeated calls to wipe Israel off the map.

Accordingly, the petitioners call upon the Canadian government to redouble its efforts to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear arms; to bring Iranian President Ahmadinejad before an appropriate international agency for violation of the genocide convention's prohibition against “direct and public” incitement to genocide; to propose in light of Iran's continued defiance of the international community that the United Nations Security Council adopt additional sanctions against Iran; and to work with our international partners to combat the genocidal incitement of the leaders of Iran, its quest to achieve nuclear arms and its massive domestic human rights violations of its own people.

In that context, the petitioners acknowledge the friendship between the people of Iran and the Canadian people, regret these recent developments, and hold the Iranian people, their culture and their ancient civilization in the highest regard.

Citizenship and ImmigrationPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, six months ago the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration adopted a motion calling on the Government of Canada to immediately implement a program to allow war resisters and their families to stay in Canada and to halt all deportation proceedings against them. That has not happened, so today I am pleased to table a petition that calls upon the Government of Canada once again to respect not only international law and international treaties to which it is a signatory, but also the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration and the wishes of the people of Canada by immediately making provision for U.S. war resisters to have sanctuary in Canada and halt all deportation proceedings against them.

The petitioners are from the Halifax regional municipality. Among them is peace icon Muriel Duckworth who has just entered her 100th year. We are going to be celebrating that for her contribution to the peace movement in Canada and globally. It is one more reason that I hope the government will pay serious attention.

Cluster MunitionsPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to stand today and present petitions on behalf of hundreds of Canadians who recognize the grave inhumanitarian consequences of cluster munitions and their effects on innocent civilian populations.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to continue its leadership role in the Oslo process in the international ban on cluster munitions which pose unacceptable inhumanitarian consequences.

Income TrustsPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present yet again another income trust broken promise petition on behalf of a number of residents of Victoria, B.C., who remember the Prime Minister boasting about his commitment to accountability when he wrote, “There is no greater fraud than a promise not kept”.

The petitioners remind the Prime Minister that he promised never to tax income trusts, but he recklessly broke that promise by imposing a 31.5% punitive tax which permanently wiped out over $25 billion of the hard-earned retirement savings of over two million Canadians, particularly seniors.

The petitioners therefore call upon the Conservative minority government to admit that the decision to tax income trusts was based on flawed methodology and incorrect assumptions; to apologize to those who were unfairly harmed by this broken promise; and to repeal the punitive 31.5% tax on income trusts.

Arts and CulturePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to present a petition from ordinary Canadians. They note that the Charter of Rights and Freedom guarantees freedom of expression and that the exercise of freedom of expression is essential to democracy, the creative process and to Canadian arts and culture. They also note that the Criminal Code of Canada already contains provisions regarding pornography, child pornography, hate propaganda and violent crime. They point out that the role of the Minister of Canadian Heritage should be to promote and defend Canadian cultural and artistic freedom.

Whereas, the guidelines for government funding and support for the cultural sector, including film and video production, should be objective, transparent and must respect freedom of expression, there should not be any ability for the government, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, or any office of the government or government officials to make subjective judgments concerning artistic content that limits the freedom of expression. This type of censorship and denial of tax credits or production support may significantly hinder the making of Canadian films and the telling of Canadian stories.

That is why the petitioners are calling on Parliament to defend Canadian artistic and cultural expression, to rescind any provisions of Bill C-10 that allow the government to censor film and video production in Canada and to ensure that the government has in place objective and transparent guidelines that respect freedom of expression when delivering any program intended to support film and video production in Canada.

Unborn Victims of CrimePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

Ken Epp Conservative Edmonton—Sherwood Park, AB

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present another 550 names of petitioners who urge Parliament to pass Bill C-484, the unborn victims of crime act. These petitioners recognize that the bill specifically does not apply to elective abortion. They also recognize that when a pregnant woman has a child that she wants, there ought to be second offence when that choice and child are taken away from her against her will and with violence.

Age of ConsentPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Moore Conservative Fundy Royal, NB

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table three petitions today. The first is requesting that the age of consent be raised to 18 years of age in order to better protect youth from sexual exploitation.

Animal CrueltyPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Moore Conservative Fundy Royal, NB

Mr. Speaker, the second petition calls upon Parliament to amend the current provisions in the Criminal Code regarding animal cruelty.

Unborn Victims of CrimePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Moore Conservative Fundy Royal, NB

Mr. Speaker, the third petition is requesting that Parliament enact legislation which would recognize unborn children as separate victims in criminal law.

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre Saskatchewan

Conservative

Tom Lukiwski ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform

Mr. Speaker, Question No. 244 will be answered today.