House of Commons Hansard #203 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was milk.

Topics

Committees Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

The Speaker

Is there unanimous consent?

Committees Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Motion agreed to.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

May 17th, 1995 / 3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise to support a petition that has come from 1,038 members of my riding, which reads as follows.

We the undersigned residents of the province of British Columbia draw the attention of the House to the following: that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a real and hurtful form of discrimination in this country; that all forms of families in this country, those based on financial and emotional interdependence, are equally meaningful and important to the social well-being of Canada; and that both protection against discrimination and recognition of relationships based on financial and emotional interdependence are necessary to ensure the equal treatment of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals under the law.

Therefore, your petitioners request that the Parliament of Canada amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to include sexual orientation as a basis for protection against discrimination and to include recognition of relationships based on financial and emotional interdependence.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Bloc

Nic Leblanc Bloc Longueuil, QC

Mr. Speaker, I was asked by a group of people to table a petition on their behalf. I am pleased to do so. These people are from a number of Quebec municipalities, mainly Longueuil, but also Terrebonne, Sainte-Monique, Montreal and Laval.

They are asking Parliament to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act so as to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Reform

Myron Thompson Reform Wild Rose, AB

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present.

The first is from petitioners in and around the cities of Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta, where the petitioners request that Parliament recognize and address the concerns of this petition regarding the Young Offenders Act and that action be taken immediately to bring about results that would improve the situation.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Reform

Myron Thompson Reform Wild Rose, AB

Mr. Speaker, the second petition contains 96 signatures, wherein the petitioners call upon Parliament to enact legislation that would re-evaluate and amend the Canadian justice system to provide protection to and give precedence to victims rights, which require stricter sentencing guidelines, stronger penalties for major crimes, deportation of convicted non-Canadians, and all juveniles charged with major crimes to be tried in adult court.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Reform

Myron Thompson Reform Wild Rose, AB

Mr. Speaker, the third petition contains 40 signatures from the Kingston, Ontario, area, wherein the petitioners pray and request that Parliament delete section 718(2) entirely from Bill C-41.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Peter Adams Liberal Peterborough, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions from citizens and residents of Peterborough. All the petitions concern the cuts in global education and I will summarize each one.

In the first, the petitioners say: We are concerned that our children learn how to live as responsible global citizens. We know we consume too much of the world's resources and we want to learn how to change.

In the second one, the petitioners say: We believe in democracy and want to be actively involved in community discussions on Canadian foreign policy and global issues. We believe that global education is an investment to counter the social, economic, and environmental deficit facing the developing and developed world.

In the third petition, the petitioners say: We know non-governmental agencies are the best delivery system for global education and for overseas development assistance. We commend the work of the Kawartha World Issues Centre based in Peterborough and four surrounding counties as effectively linking global issues to local action for justice across many sectors of the community.

Therefore, in the three petitions, the petitioners request that Parliament reinstate public participation as a goal of Canadian foreign policy and request that Parliament reinstate global education through non-governmental organizations based in Canada.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Tom Wappel Liberal Scarborough West, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions.

The first petition deals with the Young Offenders Act. The petitioners, some 490 strong, from the metropolitan Toronto area ask Parliament to recognize that they wish stiffer penalties for young offenders convicted of violent crimes.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Tom Wappel Liberal Scarborough West, ON

Mr. Speaker, the second set of petitions contains approximately 230 signatures, all from the Richmond, British Columbia area.

The petitioners pray that Parliament ensure the present provisions of the Criminal Code prohibiting 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.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Tom Wappel Liberal Scarborough West, ON

Mr. Speaker, the third set of petitions contains approximately 220 signatures from the Trenton area, my riding of Scarborough West, Kanata, Carleton Place, Ontario and from Vernon, British Columbia.

The petitioners call on Parliament not to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act or the charter of rights and freedoms in any way which would tend to indicate societal approval of same sex relationships or of homosexuality, including amending the act to include in the prohibited grounds of discrimination the undefined phrase sexual orientation.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Bloc

Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition signed by elderly people from several communities in my riding. These people feel powerless when

they have to use voice mail technology. They want a more appropriate service, particularly as regards their income security claims.

They are asking that an appropriate service be provided and that the government give up its idea of using voice mail to answer queries.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Reform

Jay Hill Reform Prince George—Peace River, BC

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, it is my pleasure today to present a petition on behalf of citizens of Prince George-Peace River. Some 74 citizens have signed the petition.

The petitioners call on Parliament to oppose any amendment to the Canadian Human Rights Act or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which provide for the inclusion of the phrase sexual orientation.

I find myself in complete concurrence with this and it is my pleasure to present it.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

The Speaker

When we present petitions it is not necessary to be either for or against a petition. We have been doing that on all sides as of late. I ask you to simply present the petitions.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

NDP

Vic Althouse NDP Mackenzie, SK

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present. The first petition concerns the provisions of Bill C-68.

The petitioners wish to express their opposition to the universal registration of long guns, restrictions and controls on the purchase of ammunition and the undue use of regulation by order in council.

They therefore call on Parliament to refrain from passing Bill C-68 as it presently stands.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

NDP

Vic Althouse NDP Mackenzie, SK

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is very thick. It is from virtually every resident of the Arborfield, Zenon Park area and represents those who use the Arborfield subdivision of the Canadian National Railway which now serves an excellent grain producing district as well as a large alfalfa dehydrating plant employing some 40 people. Without the line the future of the plant and the village of Arborfield is in doubt.

They ask, therefore, that the Parliament of Canada support Canada's rural way of life by rejecting the policy proposals now before it which lift the prohibition orders on branch lines and instead develop agriculture and rural development policies for Canada in which rural citizens are considered to be necessary humans with spiritual, social and economic needs; not to treat them just as statistics.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Tony Valeri Liberal Lincoln, ON

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am presenting a petition signed by 250 constituents in my riding of Lincoln asking Parliament not to amend the Canadian human rights code to extend spousal benefits to same sex partners.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Susan Whelan Liberal Essex—Windsor, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present petitions on two issues.

The first petition I received from my constituents of Essex-Windsor asks that Parliament ensure the present provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada prohibiting assisted suicide be enforced vigorously.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Susan Whelan Liberal Essex—Windsor, ON

Mr. Speaker, the second set of petitions also requests that Parliament act immediately to extend protection to the unborn child.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Réginald Bélair Liberal Cochrane—Superior, ON

Mr. Speaker, it is my duty to table in the House a petition signed by 60 residents of Kapuskasing and area on the gun registration legislation.

The petitioners are asking Parliament to deal more with crime control than gun control. The system should also concentrate its efforts on the criminal element of society instead of further eroding the rights and freedoms of law-abiding citizens.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Reform

Darrel Stinson Reform Okanagan—Shuswap, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure of tabling four petitions today, all duly approved by the clerk of petitions.

The first two deal with the moral issues of euthanasia and also include sexual orientation legislation.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Reform

Darrel Stinson Reform Okanagan—Shuswap, BC

Mr. Speaker, the last petitions deal with the criminal justice system.

These were signed by over 6,000 citizens of my riding of Okanagan-Shuswap. These 6,000 Canadians are asking the government to reform the justice system to protect the innocent and deal more efficiently with criminals.

These requests are added to the request of many thousands of Canadians. It is time for the government to act.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Andy Mitchell Liberal Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting four petitions signed by over 200 constituents from various parts of my riding.

The petitioners are calling on Parliament not to amend the human rights act or charter of rights and freedoms in any way which would indicate societal approval of same sex relationships.

I am also presenting a fifth petition signed by some 50 individuals calling on the government to amend the human rights act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Gary Pillitteri Liberal Niagara Falls, ON

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I present the following petition dealing with sexual orientation.

The petitioners from my constituency believe the term sexual orientation in Bill C-41 is ambiguous and therefore would broaden implications indicating societal approval of same sex relationships.

They humbly request that section 718.2 of Bill C-41, the sentencing bill, be rescinded. This petition contains 113 signatures.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Julian Reed Liberal Halton—Peel, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions, the first containing 40 signatures.

The petitioners pray and request that Parliament not amend the human rights code and the Canadian Human Rights Act or the charter of rights and freedoms in any way which 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 sexual orientation.