House of Commons Hansard #118 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was fraud.

Topics

Protection of Beneficiaries of Long Term Disability Benefits Plans ActRoutine Proceedings

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Does the House give its consent?

Protection of Beneficiaries of Long Term Disability Benefits Plans ActRoutine Proceedings

3:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

Haida Gwaii Income Tax Zoning ActRoutine Proceedings

3:50 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-611, An Act regarding the inclusion of Haida Gwaii as a prescribed northern zone under the Income Tax Act.

Mr. Speaker, this is tax fairness for the residents of Haida Gwaii who have been waiting too long for governments, one after another, that have successfully punished people living in remote and rural communities.

The bill would change the Income Tax Act to allow the remote communities in Haida Gwaii to be included in the northern living allowance.

Haida Gwaii has become famous for its powerful scenery, its incredible cultures and strong people, but it is also known to be a very expensive place to live due to its remoteness. BC Ferries and other crown corporations have been hurting the residents of Haida Gwaii, increasing the prices of everything. The government can act on this by including it, as it did for the community of Mackenzie some years ago, in the northern living allowance and allowing people in Haida Gwaii to finally have some sort of recovery ability for their economy and their communities by having tax fairness for Haida Gwaii.

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

Criminal CodeRoutine Proceedings

December 15th, 2010 / 3:50 p.m.

Bloc

Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-612, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in persons).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce today, on behalf of the Bloc Québécois, a bill on human trafficking. The purpose of this bill, prepared in concert with police officers in the field, is to give consecutive sentences to human traffickers and pimps. We are seeking reverse onus in cases of exploitation of persons and also seeking confiscation of the proceeds of crime.

We want to give a much clearer definition to the words “human trafficking” and “exploitation” in order to give police the tools they need to make appropriate arrests. We also want the burden of proof not to fall on the victims.

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

Federal Law-Civil Law Harmonization Act, No. 3Routine Proceedings

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

Yasmin Ratansi Liberal Don Valley East, ON

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

That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, the debate pursuant to Standing Order 66 on Motion No. 16 to concur in the first report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, scheduled for later today, be deemed to have taken place, all questions necessary to dispose of the motion be deemed put and a recorded division be deemed requested and deferred until Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at the expiry of the time provided for government orders.

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

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

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

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

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

(Motion agreed to)

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Gordon O'Connor Conservative Carleton—Mississippi Mills, ON

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and I believe you would find agreement that the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics be the committee for the purposes of section 14.1 (1) of the Lobbying Act.

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Is that agreed?

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:55 p.m.

An hon. member

No.

Animal WelfarePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:55 p.m.

Liberal

Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I am delighted to present a petition signed by 43 Yukoners.

The petitioners point out that given horses are normally not raised for food, that they are commonly given drugs that are illegal in animals that are raised for human consumption and that Canadian horse meat sold to Canadians and internationally is likely to contain prohibited substances, they ask the House of Commons to prohibit the importation or exportation of horses for slaughter for human consumption as well as horse meat products for human consumption.

Prevention of Coerced AbortionPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me to rise in the House today to present a petition.

Canadians who have signed this petition have asked me to formally express their support for Bill C-510, otherwise known as Roxanne's law. The bill was tabled by my good friend and colleague from Winnipeg South.

Guaranteed Income SupplementPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:55 p.m.

Bloc

Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC

Mr. Speaker, today I am presenting a petition signed by 592 people calling for improvements in the federal guaranteed income supplement program, the spouse's allowance and the surviving spouse's allowance.

Like the tens of thousands of other petitioners who support the demands of the FADOQ network, these petitioners are calling on the House of Commons to implement automatic registration for the guaranteed income supplement, the spouse's allowance and the surviving spouse's allowance, to increase the GIS by $110 a month for people who live alone, to increase the surviving spouse's allowance by $199 a month, to provide full retroactivity with no strings attached and, finally, to extend the GIS and the spouse's allowance by six months when one beneficiary in a couple dies.

I am calling on all hon. members to support these requests made by the petitioners.

Multiple SclerosisPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:55 p.m.

NDP

Denise Savoie NDP Victoria, BC

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition signed by many Canadians who believe that multiple sclerosis is a medical issue of national importance and has major social, financial and medical repercussions.

They are calling on the government to act now to ensure that Canadians with MS have equal access to CCSVI treatment. Above all, they want the government to take immediate steps to expedite access to such treatment and open it to more people with MS.

Animal WelfarePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:55 p.m.

NDP

Denise Savoie NDP Victoria, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have another petition that I am pleased to present on behalf of my constituents.

The petitioners want to prohibit the import and export of horses for slaughter for human consumption as well as horse meat products for human consumption. My colleague, the hon. member for British Columbia Southern Interior, introduced Bill C-544, which would do just that.

Because horses are not generally raised as food producing animals, they likely contain prohibited drugs that ought to be kept far from our food supply. The petitioners also believe it runs counter to our culture to use companion animals such as horses in that way.

Firearms RegistryPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to present petitions that I have received from Canadians from across the country.

The petitioners ask that the long gun registry be abolished. Their primary concern remains the cost of the long gun registry as well as its complete ineffectiveness. Many Canadians thought they had a member of Parliament who would represent their views on this issue. They were unfortunately mistaken the last time we had a vote.

I am pleased to stand today and present these petitions for these Canadians who want to end the long gun registry.

Guaranteed Income SupplementPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:55 p.m.

Bloc

Yvon Lévesque Bloc Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of more than 500 people from across Quebec and mainly from my riding, I want to remind the federal government that the guaranteed income supplement, the spouse's allowance and the survivor's allowance are no longer serving their main purpose, which is to provide low-income seniors with an adequate income.

People are calling on the government to introduce automatic registration for the guaranteed income supplement, the spouse's allowance and the survivor's allowance; add $110 a month to the guaranteed income supplement for people who live alone; increase the monthly survivor's allowance by $199; introduce full, unconditional retroactivity; and extend the guaranteed income supplement and the spouse's allowance by six months on the death of one of the beneficiaries in the couple.

I hope that all hon. members will listen to what these people are calling for.

Pension ProtectionPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4 p.m.

NDP

John Rafferty NDP Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present two petitions signed by literally thousands of Canadians, calling on the government to affirm that pension benefits are in fact deferred wages, to elevate defined benefit plans to secured status in the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, and to pass into law any legislation before it, such as Bill C-501, that would achieve these objectives.

Electromagnetic FieldsPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4 p.m.

Liberal

Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL

Mr. Speaker, residents of Canada request that the Government of Canada undertake an independent study to determine the negative effects of electromagnetic fields on human health. There is evidence to suggest that electromagnetic fields emanating from all types of transformers, substations and power lines located near residents can pose a significant health risk to individuals and their families.

I personally would like to thank Mr. Gerry Higgins of Norris Arm, who has been working on this for over 10 years. Gerry's wife passed away December 21, 2005. In 2000, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Mr. Higgins truly believes that as a result of the exposure to EMF she succumbed to her cancer.

As Gerry said in a recent article:

I’m ready to keep on doing what I’m doing. I consider myself a very strong person and I won’t back down.

The fight goes on … I found my reason for being on earth, to fight for this.

I thank him for this.

Old Age Security ActPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4 p.m.

Conservative

Leon Benoit Conservative Vegreville—Wainwright, AB

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present this petition on behalf of the good people of Forestburg, Sedgewick, Heisler and area. The petitioners note that the old age security pension has required a contribution on behalf of Canadians for at least 10 years and that there is a Liberal private member's bill before the House, Bill C-428, an act to amend the Old Age Security Act, which would in fact change the requirement to just three years. The petitioners call on the House to defeat that bill.