House of Commons Hansard #83 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was orders.

Topics

Oral QuestionsPoints of OrderOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Denise Savoie

On another point of order, the hon. member for Sackville--Eastern Shore.

Oral QuestionsPoints of OrderOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

Madam Speaker, I am not sure how it happened, but during question period I was cut off on a question.

I wonder if you would seek the unanimous consent of the House so that I can finish my question. It was a really good one.

Oral QuestionsPoints of OrderOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

Oral QuestionsPoints of OrderOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Denise Savoie

I do not think there is unanimous consent.

Statements by MembersPoints of OrderOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

Madam Speaker, during members' statements, the member for Peace River mentioned the absence of a member during a vote. I believe this is against the rules of the House. Therefore, I ask that he apologize, especially because he speculated about the reason for the member's absence.

It is even more insulting to think that a member would be absent for political reasons. Consequently, I am asking the member for Peace River to apologize, not only because he breached the Standing Orders, but also because he made assumptions about the member's political ideas. All members have the right to their own political ideas, to articulate these ideas themselves, and to form their own ideas.

Statements by MembersPoints of OrderOral Questions

12:10 p.m.

Conservative

Royal Galipeau Conservative Ottawa—Orléans, ON

Madam Speaker, with all due respect for the new member, he should probably have another look at the Standing Orders. With regard to the absence of a member during a vote, that is public information. The list of members who voted is available. In addition, we can see how each member voted and which members did not vote.

Statements by MembersPoints of OrderOral Questions

12:10 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Denise Savoie

I thank both hon. members for their interventions. However, according to the Standing Orders, we do not mention the presence or absence of a member. The Journals simply indicate who voted yes and who voted no; of course, it is also possible to abstain.

I would therefore ask the hon. member for Peace River to apologize.

As the member is not present, the request by the Speaker stands.

Government Response to PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre Saskatchewan

Conservative

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

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

Civil Marriage of Non-residents ActRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

Conservative

John Baird Conservative Ottawa West—Nepean, ON

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-32, An Act to amend the Civil Marriage Act.

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

HealthCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

12:10 p.m.

Conservative

Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB

Madam Speaker, I have two reports.

I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Health in relation to Bill C-313, an act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (non-corrective cosmetic contact lenses). The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendment. I am very pleased with the hard work that has been done on the committee.

I also have the honour to also present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Health in relation to Bill C-278, an act respecting a day to increase public awareness about epilepsy. The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendment.

Suicide PreventionPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present a number of petitions signed by over 500 people from the Waterloo region, northern Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia.

The petitioners call upon the government to recognize the challenges posed by suicide by adopting legislation that would recognize suicide as a public health issue, provide guidelines for suicide prevention, promote collaboration and knowledge exchange regarding suicide, promote evidence-based solutions to prevent suicide and its aftermath and to define best practices for the prevention of suicide.

Gasoline PricesPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:15 p.m.

NDP

Chris Charlton NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON

Madam Speaker, petitions keep pouring in from my riding of Hamilton Mountain calling upon the government to take action on the price of gasoline.

Just yesterday, Statistics Canada again reported that rising gasoline prices were the biggest trigger last month that helped propel the country's annual inflation rate up to 2.5%. The petitioners know they are getting hosed at the pumps but, unfortunately, as it stands now, they can only complain to each other because there is no official avenue through which they can seek redress.

The petitioners are calling for the speedy passage of my bill, Bill C-336, which would establish an oil and gas ombudsman. The ombudsman would be charged with providing strong and effective consumer protection to ensure that no big business can swindle, cheat or rip off hard-working Canadians.

The petitioners demand a meaningful vehicle for having their complaints taken seriously with effective mechanisms for investigation and remediation to help consumers fight the squeeze.

I know the rules of the House do not allow me to endorse a petition but I do want to conclude by thanking everyone who has signed this petition and who is actively engaged in working toward the passage of my bill.

Citizenship and ImmigrationPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:15 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Madam Speaker, I bring forward a petition signed by many Canadians in regard to the government's decision on November 4, 2011, to put a freeze on the sponsoring of parents and grandparents.

The petitioners believe that parents and grandparents play a vital role in terms of the family unit and they call upon the government to lift the freeze so that Canadians and others will be able to sponsor their parents to be reunited as a family unit, or to at least allow them the opportunity to sponsor.

Telecommunications IndustryPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:15 p.m.

NDP

Bruce Hyer NDP Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON

Madam Speaker, today I have the pleasure of presenting a petition on behalf of residents from coast to coast from Halifax, Dartmouth, Cole Harbour, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton and Coquitlam, all in support of my cellphone freedom act and for taking an important step to providing more consumer choice and to promoting competition in the domestic wireless market.

The petitioners ask parliamentarians to support Bill C-343 so that Canadian consumers are no longer chained by anti-competitive network locks on their cellular phones, locks which prevent them from switching carriers, from getting full value when they sell their phones or from using local SIM cards when travelling abroad.

Human TraffickingPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB

Madam Speaker, I have over 600 petitions from people all across Canada who call on the government to develop and implement a comprehensive national action plan to combat human trafficking. I know that is something that is on the government agenda, so I am very pleased about that.

Criminal CodePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB

Madam Speaker, my second set of petitions are from 664 people who request Parliament to amend the Criminal Code to decriminalize the selling of sexual services, criminalize the purchasing of sexual services and provide support to those who desire to leave prostitution.

Human RightsPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB

Madam Speaker, finally, I have a petition signed by about 100 people who call upon the government to ensure that the Holodomor in Canada's first national internment operations are permanently and prominently displayed in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in its own gallery.

The EnvironmentPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:15 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Madam Speaker, I rise today to present four petitions.

The first petition is with regard to issues relating to the climate crisis. It was nice to hear the voice again of the hon. member for Thunder Bay—Superior North. He was the sponsor of a bill to which this petition refers, which was a bill in the last session of Parliament, Bill C-311.

The petitioners, primarily from Ontario, are asking Parliament to again take up the challenge of reaching the targets for emissions reductions that were in the previous legislation, reducing to 25% below 1990 levels by 2020 and by 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.

The EnvironmentPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:20 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Madam Speaker, my second petition deals with fossil fuels and comes from members of the public, primarily in British Columbia, who are looking for the government to change its approach to the Enbridge project, the pipeline and risky tanker scheme, to step back from its active promotion of this project and to allow the environmental reviews and the National Energy Board hearings to proceed fairly and without prejudgment from the government.

Youth IncarcerationPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:20 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Madam Speaker, my third petition is from constituents of my riding, primarily from the Islands of Pender, Galiano and Sidney, to re-address the issues of youth incarceration, to do away with mandatory minimum sentences and to have a sensible policy to ensure that we are not jailing young people, which is essentially sending them to crime school.

Shark FinsPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:20 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Madam Speaker, my final petition is from people throughout the Vancouver area calling upon the Government of Canada and the House to act to ban the trade, possession and importation of shark fins. We know this dreadful practice is related to the loss of a substantial number of sharks, threatening the species with extinction.

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

12:20 p.m.

Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre Saskatchewan

Conservative

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

Madam Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

12:20 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Denise Savoie

Is that agreed?

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

12:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

The House resumed consideration of the motion.