Debates of Dec. 9th, 1994

Petitions

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions asking that abortions not be permitted in Canada. These are Canadians living in the province of Nova Scotia.

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the next petition is from residents also living in Cape Breton. These Canadians ask that Parliament not permit the aiding and abetting of suicide or any other form of euthanasia.

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

My final petition, Mr. Speaker, is also from people in Sydney, Nova Scotia. They do not wish to see the phrase sexual orientation included in the Canadian Human Rights Act.

[Eugène Bellemare, Liberal, Carleton—Gloucester, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling three petitions on behalf of residents in the riding of Carleton-Gloucester.

The first petition calls for Parliament to ensure that the present provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada prohibiting assisted suicide be retained without changes and enforced in order that Parliament not sanction or allow the aiding or abetting of suicide or euthanasia.

[Eugène Bellemare, Liberal, Carleton—Gloucester, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition asks that Parliament not amend the human rights code, the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in any way which would tend to indicate societal approval of same sex relationships.

[Eugène Bellemare, Liberal, Carleton—Gloucester, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the last petition, which was circulated by Mrs. Rita Curley and others, calls for Parliament to extend protection to the unborn child by amending the Criminal Code to extend the same protection enjoyed by born human beings to unborn human beings.

[Audrey McLaughlin, NDP, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have a large number of petitions from the Northwest Territories, Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta.

The petitioners note that tobacco products are clearly linked to many forms of cancer, heart disease, stroke, emphysema, chronic bronchitis and many other illnesses; that the use of tobacco products is responsible for the premature death of some 38,000 Canadians annually, and therefore that tobacco can rightly be termed a hazardous product.

The petitioners call on Parliament to remove the exemption for tobacco under the Hazardous Products Act.

[Werner Schmidt, Reform, Okanagan Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have several petitions to present this afternoon. The first petition asks that the protection enjoyed by born human beings be extended to unborn human beings.

[Werner Schmidt, Reform, Okanagan Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition deals with assisted suicide.

The petitioners ask that the prohibition of assisted suicide be enforced vigorously and that Parliament make no changes in the law which would sanction or allow the aiding or abetting of suicide or active or passive euthanasia.

[Werner Schmidt, Reform, Okanagan Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition has to do with the witness protection act. The petitioners pray that Parliament enact Bill C-206 at the earliest opportunity to provide the statutory foundation for a national witness relocation and protection program.

[Werner Schmidt, Reform, Okanagan Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the fourth petition deals with not allowing the amending of the human rights code to include in the prohibited grounds of discrimination the undefined phrase of sexual orientation.

[Werner Schmidt, Reform, Okanagan Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, finally, petitioners request that Parliament refuse to accept the anti-firearms proposal of the Minister of Justice and insist that he bring forward legislation to convict and punish criminals rather than persecute the innocent.

The last petition represents a number of constituencies, including some petitioners from Okanagan Centre. The other four petitions are all from constituents of Okanagan Centre.

[Glen McKinnon, Liberal, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today pursuant to Standing Order 36. I have the honour and privilege to table three petitions duly certified by the clerk of petitions and signed by constituents of Brandon-Souris.

The petitioners pray and request that Parliament not amend the human rights code, the Canadian Human Rights Act, or the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in any way that would tend to indicate societal approval of same sex relationships or of homosexuality, including amending the human rights code to include in the prohibited grounds of discrimination the undefined phrase of sexual orientation.

[Glen McKinnon, Liberal, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, certain petitioners of Brandon-Souris pray that Parliament enact legislation providing for a referendum of the people to accept or reject two official languages, English and French, for the government and the people of Canada.

[Glen McKinnon, Liberal, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the signatories of the third petition recognize that with cutbacks to services to communities, families and individuals in order to balance budgets, more than ever there is a need for service clubs in all communities.

In recent years memberships of service clubs throughout the country have been declining. In these times of monetary restraint service clubs would find it easier to recruit new members if the financial factor could be alleviated.

The Brandon-Souris petitioners pray that Parliament act immediately to amend the Income Tax Act, allowing the members to deduct their membership dues from their taxable income in the same manner as union and professional dues.

[John Godfrey, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to present a petition this morning asking Parliament to act quickly to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and to adopt all necessary measures to recognize the full equality of same sex relationships in federal law. It has my support.

[Sharon Hayes, Reform, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise today to present a petition with over 1,000 signatures from my constituents who pray that Parliament not amend the human rights code, the Canadian

Human Rights Act or the charter of rights and freedoms in any way that would tend to indicate societal approval of same sex relationships or homosexuality.

I concur with the petition.

[Jim Hart, Reform, Okanagan—Similkameen—Merritt, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present five petitions dealing with the subject of doctor assisted suicide.

The petitioners are opposed to any legislation that would permit doctor assisted suicide because it demeans the value of human life.

Therefore the petitioners call on Parliament not to enact any legislation that would allow doctor assisted suicide.

[Svend Robinson, NDP, Burnaby—Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition which is signed by petitioners from my constituency of Burnaby-Kingsway including the Seton Villa seniors residence as well as residents of Port Moody-Coquitlam and a number of other constituencies.

The petition calls on Parliament to amend the Criminal Code to ensure the right of all Canadians to die with dignity by allowing people with terminal or irreversible and debilitating illnesses the right to the assistance of a physician in ending their lives at a time of their choice, subject to strict safeguards to prevent abuse and to ensure that the decision is free, informed, competent and voluntary.

[David Walker, Liberal, Winnipeg North Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of citizens of Winnipeg North Centre and elsewhere in Winnipeg I wish to present the following petition.

We the undersigned citizens of Canada draw the attention of the House to the following-

[The Deputy Speaker]

Order. The member will know that we do not encourage the reading of petitions. Please give a summary of it rather than read the wording.

[David Walker, Liberal, Winnipeg North Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it deals with the decriminalization of assisted suicide or legalizing euthanasia and asks that Parliament continue to reject euthanasia and physician assisted suicide in Canada.

[Beryl Gaffney, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have three sets of petitions to present.

The first one deals with the Young Offenders Act. The 44 petitioners ask that Parliament review and revise our laws concerning young offenders by empowering the courts to prosecute and punish young law breakers who are terrorizing society.

[Beryl Gaffney, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from 33 petitioners. It is with regard to spouses at home and is in response to the private member's bill of my colleague from Mississauga South which asks that we compensate spouses working in the home and caring for preschool children.

[Beryl Gaffney, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

The third petition has 57 signatures and is presented by Mr. Norman of Nepean. It is on assisted suicide.

It asks that Parliament ensure that the present provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada prohibiting assisted suicide be enforced vigorously and that Parliament make no changes in the law that would sanction or allow the aiding or abetting of suicide or active or passive euthanasia.