Bill C-546 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Navigable Waters Protection Act (Moonlight Lake and other lakes and rivers)

This enactment amends the Navigable Waters Protection Act in order to add Moonlight Lake and other lakes and rivers to the navigable waters listed in the schedule to that Act, as it will read immediately after the coming into force of section 331 of the Jobs and Growth Act, 2012.

Navigable Waters Protection Act

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-546, An Act to amend the Navigable Waters Protection Act (Moonlight Lake and other lakes and rivers).

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to rise today in the House to introduce this bill, which would amend the Navigable Waters Protection Act. The Conservatives passed this act, which removed environmental protections from more than 90% of our waterways.

Many of my constituents and my colleague's constituents from Châteauguay—Saint-Constant have written to us asking us to work on protecting many rivers and waterways, including the Trout River, the Châteauguay River and other rivers. They want to be able to continue their ecotourism activities, participate in the activities that keep us in shape and drink the water without worrying about becoming sick.

This is very important to all of our constituents. This summer we participated in an activity with some of them. It is very important for future generations of Canadians to have access to drinking water, access to waterways so they can participate in ecotourism activities and to reap the economic benefits of these activities.

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

[Françoise Boivin, NDP, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I seek the unanimous consent of the House to move the following motion: That the House concur in the motion adopted by the National Assembly of Quebec on October 29, 2013, and therefore: (a) recognize that the Supreme Court Act stipulates that three of the Supreme Court judges shall be from Quebec and that they shall be appointed from among the judges of the Court of Appeal or of the Superior Court of Quebec or from among practising lawyers who are members of the Barreau du Québec; (b) recognizes that this guarantee preserves Quebec's distinctiveness and civil law tradition and cannot be altered or otherwise modified without the consent of the National Assembly of Quebec; (c) support Quebec's historic position that the three Quebec judges on the Supreme Court should be selected from among the candidates recommended by the Attorney General of Quebec to the federal government; and (d) affirm that three judges from Quebec must be on the Supreme Court when cases that are of major importance to Quebec are heard.

This motion is a response to the fiasco surrounding the latest Supreme Court nomination. It goes without saying that the Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and should be a source of unity for all Canadians, including Quebeckers.

[The Deputy Speaker, Joe Comartin]

Does the hon. member have the consent of the House to move the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Yes.

[Some hon. member]

No.