House of Commons Hansard #35 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was review.

Topics

Freedom of Expression by Elected OfficialsRoutine Proceedings

3:35 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?

Freedom of Expression by Elected OfficialsRoutine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Freedom of Expression by Elected OfficialsRoutine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I declare the motion carried.

Animal WelfarePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Liberal

Bernard Patry Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I wish to table two petitions signed by people in the Montreal area, including people from my riding of Pierrefonds—Dollard.

The petitioners call upon the Canadian government to support a universal declaration on animal welfare.

Employment InsurancePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Bloc

France Bonsant Bloc Compton—Stanstead, QC

Mr. Speaker, again today, I am presenting a petition calling for the adoption of my Bill C-343, to provide assistance to victims of crime and to their families by extending the employment insurance eligibility period and by allowing victims' families to take leave from work and keep their job for an indeterminate period of time.

Later this afternoon there will be a vote on this bill to refer it to committee. On behalf of the hundreds of people who signed this petition and all the victims' families, I would like to see a majority of hon. members in this House vote in favour of this bill.

These 160 signatures, added to all the others, show the public's concern for what happens to victims' families and their desire for the government to take action as soon as possible.

IranPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions I wish to present today.

I had the honour of participating in Raoul Wallenberg Day in Winnipeg in January. The students there started off this petition. They got a number of signatures on campus, throughout the city and across the province.

Essentially, the petitioners are calling on Parliament and the Government of Canada to take steps against the Iranian regime for what it has done on massive domestic repression against Iranian people, students and journalists.

They are also calling on us to make sure that we talk about the leaders of Iran, how they have denied Israel's right to exist and have denied the Holocaust. President Ahmadinejad has said that Israelis should be wiped off the map. The petitioners are also concerned about the prospect that the Islamic Republic of Iran will access nuclear arms.

They are calling upon the House to support Bill C-412, the Iran accountability act. They are asking government and Parliament to try to establish an international tribunal for the purpose of declaring Iran in breach of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide for state-sanctioned incitement to genocide.

They are asking us to support the United Nations Security Council in adopting additional measures against Iran, and that we help Interpol exercise the warrant for the arrest of the alleged AMIA bombers from Argentina. They also request that we take a strong stance against Iran in its quest to access nuclear arms, its support for global terror, and of course Iran's massive domestic human rights violations.

Post OfficesPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB

Mr. Speaker, the second petition I wish to present is in support of our rural post offices.

The petitioners request that the Government of Canada and Canada Post in particular respect the moratorium on the closure of rural and small town post offices, and that we work to maintain and improve the network of post offices, and that they continue to consult with the public in a more timely manner than is currently in place.

Omar KhadrPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud today to present to the House a petition prepared and signed by more than 300 students at the École Clément-Cormier in Bouctouche.

The school offers a course in economic, political and legal institutions. The teacher, Ms. Gagnon, has invited me a number of times to meet with her students. During one discussion a few months ago, the students told me they were concerned about what would become of Omar Khadr. The young people from this area of Kent County, New Brunswick, asked me what they could do in support of Omar Khadr's return and how to go about asking the government to repatriate Omar Khadr.

As hon. members know, over the past few days, the situation of the young Canadian, Omar Khadr, has been widely reported in the news and in the media. This petition signed by the young students at École Clément-Cormier is rather timely. The students are calling on the government to repatriate Mr. Khadr to Canada as soon as possible. I am very proud to present this petition.

Human TraffickingPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

Earl Dreeshen Conservative Red Deer, AB

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise today to present a petition signed by 96 people from my riding of Red Deer, Alberta.

The petitioners urge the federal government to honour its commitment to the UN protocol by providing adequate funding to set up safe housing for the victims of human trafficking.

Animal WelfarePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present three petitions today.

The first petition is in support of the universal declaration on animal welfare.

The second petition is on the subject of animal transportation regulations.

Post OfficesPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON

Mr. Speaker, my third petition is on the subject of maintaining and improving the network of public post offices consulting with the public here in Canada.

Medical Equipment PurchasesPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to table a petition in the House which calls on the government to allow hospitals and their contracting firms that collect GST in and on their hospital property not to remit the GST collected to the Canada Revenue Agency but rather to forward the money to the foundation of the hospital where it was collected so that the funds may be used for the purchase of medical equipment.

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre Saskatchewan

Conservative

Tom Lukiwski ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 23, 128, 130, 131 and 132.

Question No. 23Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

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

With regard to the government’s food aid to North Korea: (a) what is the government’s current commitment of food aid to North Korea; (b) is all food aid channelled through the World Food Program; and (c) what actions has the government taken to urge the North Korean government to ensure that food aid is distributed to those most in need?

Question No. 23Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Durham Ontario

Conservative

Bev Oda ConservativeMinister of International Cooperation

Mr. Speaker, in resonse to (a), in the last three fiscal years, the Canadian International Development Agency, CIDA, provided $7.6 million in support of the World Food Programme’s, WFP, operations in North Korea: Fiscal year 2007-08: $1,500,000; Fiscal year 2008-09: $6,100,000; Fiscal year 2009-10: $0 Total: $7,600,000.

CIDA has no outstanding financial commitments with WFP with regard to its operations in North Korea.

In response to (b), since fiscal year 2006-07, all Canadian food aid destined for North Korea has been channelled through WFP.

In response to (c), CIDA currently provides food aid to North Korea through WFP, and has not engaged directly with the North Korean government. WFP has an office in North Korea, and it assesses needs and monitors the distribution of their food aid in North Korea. CIDA has regular discussions with WFP regarding its operations in North Korea.

Question No. 128Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

Michelle Simson Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON

With regard to the preparation of the Speech from the Throne, which opened the 3rd Session of the 40th Parliament: (a) what is the total number of hours paid for by the government, in employee or contract services, in preparation of the Speech and what is the cost associated with those hours of work; (b) how many copies of the Speech were printed, for what cost and by which company; and (c) what is the distribution cost of the Speech?

Question No. 128Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Nepean—Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Mr. Speaker, in regard to part (a) of the question, the Privy Council Office, PCO, is unable to provide accurate statistics on the hours or costs of permanent full-time employees allocated to preparation of the Speech from the Throne, SFT. The PCO employees involved undertook a range of other duties in addition to preparation of the speech since initial production began in January 2010. The department does not track the person-hours dedicated to specific tasks or projects. The time and costs associated with the translation, design and revisions for the SFT by outside contractors are as follows:

Translation: 27 1/4 hours, total $ 2,302.63; Writing and editing services: 32 hours, total $2,720; Costs for initial design concepts (3+): 88 hours, total $7,875; Revisions to concepts: 24 hours, total $2,700; Treatment of thematic intro pages for the SFT booklet: 50 hours, total $2,550.

In regard to part (b) of the question, 6,000 copies of the speech were printed. The total cost was $21,505.38. The company contracted for printing and distributing the SFT was Lowe-Martin Company Inc. from Ottawa, Ontario.

In regard to part (c) of the question, the cost for distributing the SFT was $4,145.60.

Question No. 130Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

Michelle Simson Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON

With regard to the Justice Minister’s announcement on February 24, 2010, that the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR) were under review: (a) why is the government reviewing these regulations; (b) what briefing materials were given to the Health Minister and Justice Minister before the decision was made to review the regulations; (c) who will the government consult with during this review; (d) has any consultation already been completed; (e) what does the government expect to learn from this review; and (f) what short- and long-term plans does the government have for the MMAR and the usage of marihuana for medicinal purposes in Canada?

Question No. 130Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Nunavut Nunavut

Conservative

Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, in response to (a), on January 14, 2010, the Supreme Court of Canada, SCC, dismissed the Government of Canada’s request for leave to appeal in the British Columbia Supreme Court decision in R v. Beren and Swallow. The Government of Canada has amended the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations, MMAR, in response to this ruling.

As well, the Government of Canada is considering longer-term options for reform of the marijuana medical access program, MMAP. The regulations governing access to marijuana for medical purposes will continue to balance reasonable access to the product with the government’s responsibility to regulate it as a controlled substance, and to protect the health and safety of all Canadians.

In resonse to (b), a briefing note was provided to the Minister of Health on the possible impact of the January 14, 2010 SCC decision. Health Canada provided verbal information to Justice Canada officials.

In response to (c), at this time, Health Canada is still in the process of developing options which include consultation strategies.

In response to (d), no consultations have occurred at this time. When a formal consultation strategy is finalized, details will be made public.

In response to (e), Health Canada considers the views of Canadians to be paramount in the development of laws that protect their health and safety. It is expected that any consultations undertaken will provide input, evidence and advice to the department on issues such as health, safety, medical usage, environmental risks and concerns of Canadians.

In response to (f), given that options are currently being developed and considered, Health Canada cannot comment at this time on any short- and long-term plans regarding potential changes to the regulations governing marijuana for medical purposes in Canada.

Question No. 131Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC

With respect to unremediated federal contaminated sites: (a) where are those sites located; (b) which federal departments have line responsibility for these sites; and (c) which specific sites have been tested for possible groundwater contamination?

Question No. 131Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Calgary Centre-North Alberta

Conservative

Jim Prentice ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, with respect to questions (a) and (b), the Treasury Board Secretariat has established the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory, FCSI, available to the public since 2002 at the following web address: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/fcsi-rscf. This inventory includes information on all known and suspected federal contaminated sites--over 19,000--under the administration of federal departments, agencies and consolidated crown corporations. The FCSI also contains information on the location the sites, the responsible federal organizations, the nature and severity of the contamination, and the progress made to date in identifying and addressing the contamination.

The inventory is maintained by the Treasury Board Secretariat and is updated at least once a year by the responsible federal organization.

With respect to question (c), the inventory also displays federal contaminated sites by contaminated medium, e.g., groundwater, soil, surface water, et cetera. However, to obtain information on whether a site has been tested for possible groundwater contamination, please contact the responsible federal organization for that particular site. Contact information is available on the website.

Question No. 132Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC

In respect to sewage treatment in the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes: (a) how many Canadian cities in each waterway have achieved primary, secondary and tertiary treatment of wastewater effluent, respectively; (b) what is the comparable data for cities on the U.S. side of these aforementioned waterways; and (c) specifically, which Canadian cities fall into the three categories mentioned in (a)?

Question No. 132Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Calgary Centre-North Alberta

Conservative

Jim Prentice ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, in response to (a), this is a provincial jurisdiction; the province collects the information and makes it available. Environment Canada does not collect this information because it would be a duplication of effort.

In response to (b), this data is U.S. jurisdiction; however, the information may be obtained through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In response to (c), this is a provincial jurisdiction; the province collects the information and makes it available. Environment Canada does not collect this information because it would be a duplication of effort.

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre Saskatchewan

Conservative

Tom Lukiwski ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, if Questions Nos. 127, 129 and 134 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately.

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

Is that agreed?