Debates of June 13th, 2008

The Speaker Peter Milliken

I have the honour to lay upon the table the “House of Commons Report to Canadians 2008”.

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to two petitions.

Diane Ablonczy Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-62, An Act respecting not-for-profit corporations and certain other corporations.

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

Luc Malo Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC

Mr. Speaker, today I am tabling, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Health. The committee has completed its statutory parliamentary review of progress made toward implementing the 10 year plan to strengthen health care, and it wishes to share its conclusions and recommendations.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Tina Keeper Churchill, MB

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-563, An Act to ensure that appropriate health care services are provided to First Nations children in a timely manner.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce this piece of legislation, an act to ensure that appropriate health care services are provided to first nations children in a timely manner. This bill was inspired by the very short life of a boy named Jordan Anderson from the Norway House Cree Nation in my riding of Churchill and the courageous battle waged by his family and the community.

Jordan's principle is to ensure a child's health is prioritized and appropriate services are provided. This enactment implements Jordan's principle to provide that if the Government of Canada has an obligation to pay for health care services for a first nations child whose ordinary residence is on a reserve, the first department of that government requested to pay shall do so in a timely manner. With this legislation, the aim is that Canada will provide first nations children the same health care services in a comparable timeframe as all other Canadian children receive.

I encourage all members of the House to work together to ensure no child in our country is left behind when it comes to health care.

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

Todd Russell Labrador, NL

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition on behalf of many constituents in Labrador West, which is part of my riding. They are post-secondary students and lament the burden that high student debt places on individuals and families. These students are petitioning the government to establish a system of needs based grants through the Canada student loans program for students at universities and colleges.

David Anderson Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK

Mr. Speaker, I present a petition in which the petitioners remind us that Parliament has a duty to be accountable and to protect the taxes that are collected from Canadian citizens. They petition that Parliament continue to investigate the location and possible allocation of the $40 million of taxpayers' money which mysteriously vanished under the Liberal Party of Canada during the sponsorship scandal.

Carole Lavallée Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-482 was introduced in the House and defeated, but I am still receiving petitions signed by hundreds of people demanding that Bill 101, which makes French the official language of the Quebec nation, be respected by the federal government in Quebec.

I have the honour to present two such petitions.

Ken Epp Edmonton—Sherwood Park, AB

Mr. Speaker, I have another 598 signatures of petitioners mostly from Quebec.

The petitioners trust that the wording of the bill is accurate when it says that it specifically does not apply to elective abortion and that it is meant totally and entirely to protect a pregnant woman and the child that she was wants from an assailant, a third party, who would come with a knife or a gun and would attack her and take away both her choice and the life of the child she wants.

The petitioners are pleading with Parliament to pass Bill C-484.

Massimo Pacetti Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

Mr. Speaker, I present this income trust broken promise petition on behalf of many Albertans and British Columbians who remember the Prime Minister boasting about his apparent commitment to accountability when he said that the greatest fraud was a promise not kept.

The petitioners want to remind the Prime Minister that he promised never to tax income trusts but that 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 2 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: first, flawed methodology and incorrect assumptions; second, to apologize to those who were unfairly harmed by this broken promise; and, finally, to repeal the punitive 31.5% tax on income trusts.

Bill Siksay Burnaby—Douglas, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table a petition signed by many residents of Calgary and Winnipeg who call on the Government of Canada to stop further implementation of the security and prosperity partnership of North American agreement with the United States and Mexico until there is a democratic mandate from the people of Canada, some viable parliamentary oversight and a consideration of the profound consequences of such an agreement on Canada's national sovereignty and its ability to adopt autonomous, sustainable, economic, social and environmental policies.

The petitioners urge the government to undertake a transparent public accountability process and to ensure a full debate and vote in Parliament on the provisions of the SPP.

Robert Bouchard Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC

Mr. Speaker, today I have the honour to present a third petition about Bill C-207, which provides an $8,000 maximum tax credit over several years for new graduates working in designated regions.

As we all know, this bill was passed yesterday at third reading and is now before the Senate. This petition supports the bill, and it is my honour to present it.

The Speaker Peter Milliken

Is it agreed that Question No. 264 be made an order for return?