House of Commons Hansard #208 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was grandparents.

Topics

Adm Agri-Industries Ltd. Operations ActRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

(Bill withdrawn.)

Committees Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Kingston and the Islands Ontario

Liberal

Peter Milliken LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, with leave of the House, I move that the 79th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, which was presented to the House today, be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to.)

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS

Mr. Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 36, I wish to present a petition signed by over 3,000 people from Halifax West and other areas of Nova Scotia. The petitioners believe that all those who commit crimes of a serious nature regardless of age should be tried before the adult court system.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Ronald J. Duhamel Liberal St. Boniface, MB

Mr. Speaker, this petition on the negative effects of tobacco was commenced during national non-smoking week 1995. Over 25,000 young people and 40 youth organizations from across the country have signed on.

Four representatives of this group are in the gallery today I am told. They have met with leaders and representatives of all federal parties, including the Deputy Prime Minister. These young people recognize that the tobacco industry is targeting young people. They are calling on all legislators to begin to target this industry as its product continues to addict and ultimately kill thousands of young Canadians.

This petition will have a profound effect on the welfare of our young people.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Reform

Charlie Penson Reform Peace River, AB

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions before me. The first is signed by 236 members of my riding. It calls for Parliament to oppose any attempt to include sexual orientation in the human rights act or the charter of rights and freedoms. The petitioners feel such inclusion would infringe on the historical rights of Canadians and I share their views.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Reform

Charlie Penson Reform Peace River, AB

The second petition, Mr. Speaker, is signed by 342 people from my riding. It concerns the subject of high risk offenders who commit personal injury crimes.

The petitioners call on Parliament to enact Bill C-240 and future legislation that permits detention of high risk offenders after the completion of their sentence. This measure is suggested by the petitioners to lower the occurrence of personal injury crimes committed by these individuals. I agree with the petitioners.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Reform

Charlie Penson Reform Peace River, AB

Mr. Speaker, the third petition I have before me is signed by 670 members of my riding. It has to do with firearms control.

These individuals ask Parliament to support legislation that severely punishes all criminals who use firearms and commit criminal act, supports the Criminal Code provisions that protect the rights of law-abiding citizens to own and use recreational firearms, and supports the repeal of legislation regarding firearms that has not lowered crime, has not been cost effective or is overly complex, making it inefficient or unenforceable.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Reform

Jan Brown Reform Calgary Southeast, AB

Mr. Speaker, I rise again to present another petition in this course of action undertaken on behalf of constituents who wish to halt the early release from prison of Robert Paul Thompson.

These petitioners urge the government to enact legislation in order to make our streets safer for law-abiding citizens and the families of victims of convicted murderers.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Lethbridge Alberta

Reform

Ray Speaker ReformLethbridge

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to present two petitions. One has been sent to me from Frankfort, Ontario and the other is from constituents of mine.

These petitions come from two different provinces yet they request the very same thing, that Parliament refrain from implementing a more restrictive control of firearms that will affect only law-abiding citizens.

They request that more effective prosecution and tougher sentencing of criminals be carried out. The target for gun control

laws in the Criminal Code of Canada must be the criminals who are either a danger to the safety of the public or those who have criminal intent, not law-abiding responsible firearm owners.

I thank all of those who signed the petition. I concur with their sentiments.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Lethbridge Alberta

Reform

Ray Speaker ReformLethbridge

Mr. Speaker, this petition is signed by 1,042 people from my constituency who are very concerned about the sexual orientation phrase being included in the charter of rights and freedoms. I concur with their concern.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Pat O'Brien Liberal London—Middlesex, ON

Mr. Speaker, in my capacity as a member of Parliament, I am presenting five petitions dealing with objections to changing various pieces of federal legislation involving the extension of criteria in those pieces of legislation.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Pat O'Brien Liberal London—Middlesex, ON

Mr. Speaker, I present a sixth petition which calls on Parliament to make it impossible to use extreme drunkenness as a defence in any criminal case. I am very pleased to present this petition.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Susan Whelan Liberal Essex—Windsor, ON

Mr. Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 36, I rise today to present several petitions as requested by constituents of Essex-Windsor from Amherstburg, Maidstone and La Salle, Ontario regarding their views on sexual orientation in the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Andy Scott Liberal Fredericton—York—Sunbury, NB

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I present a petition signed by a number of constituents from Fredericton-York-Sunbury. They call on Parliament to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to protect individuals from discrimination based on sexual orientation.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

NDP

Svend Robinson NDP Burnaby—Kingsway, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition which is signed by hundreds of residents from throughout British Columbia and particularly from Vancouver Island.

The petition draws to the attention of the House the fact that the current Criminal Code denies people who are suffering from terminal or irreversible and debilitating illness the right to choose freely and voluntarily to end their lives with the assistance of a physician.

The petitioners call on Parliament to amend the code to ensure the right of all Canadians to die with dignity by allowing people with terminal or irreversible and debilitating illness 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.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

NDP

Audrey McLaughlin NDP Yukon, YT

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. First, a petition from women across Canada concerning breast cancer. More than 5,400 Canadian women will die of breast cancer this year and about 19,000 new cases will be diagnosed.

Your petitioners humbly pray and call upon Parliament to urge the government to co-operate with the provinces and territories on establishing centres of excellence in each of the provinces and territories, to establish a national information and telephone support service, and to provide the requisite basic funding for support groups that help breast cancer patients.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

NDP

Audrey McLaughlin NDP Yukon, YT

Mr. Speaker, this petition is from constituents of mine from all communities in Yukon.

These petitioners state that whereas there is no connection between gun control legislation and a decrease in occurrence of criminal activity. Whereas all handguns in Canada are required by law to be registered, they feel that implementing more restrictive firearms controls will affect only law-abiding citizens and is unjustifiable. They feel that responsible governments should follow more effective prosecution and tougher sentencing of criminals.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Reform

Garry Breitkreuz Reform Yorkton—Melville, SK

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and a privilege for me to rise today to present 343 petitions signed by 9,144 concerned Canadians primarily from the province of Saskatchewan.

The petitioners protest the following provisions of Bill C-68: the universal registration of long guns; the replacement of the firearms acquisition certificate by a firearms possession certificate; restrictions and controls on the purchase of ammunition; provisions to ban the purchase and use of .25 and .32 calibre handguns and handguns with a barrel length of under 4.14 inches; and regulation by orders in council.

These petitioners call on Parliament to refrain from passing Bill C-68 as it presently stands with the above mentioned provisions.

I will not go through all of these petitions because of the great number of them.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Liberal

Tony Ianno Liberal Trinity—Spadina, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present four petitions on behalf of 162 citizens, many of whom are members of my constituency of Trinity-Spadina.

The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act so as to protect individuals from discrimination based on sexual orientation.

On behalf of my constituents I humbly submit these petitions.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Liberal

David Walker Liberal Winnipeg North Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present on behalf of constituents.

The first petition deals with palliative care and the decriminalization of assisted suicide.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Liberal

David Walker Liberal Winnipeg North Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, the second petition deals with the rights of grandparents.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Liberal

David Walker Liberal Winnipeg North Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, the third petition deals with returning convicted persons to jail.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I present a petition which has been circulating across Canada. This particular petition comes from the Cold Lake, Alberta area.

The petitioners draw to the attention of the House that managing the family home and caring for preschool children is an honourable profession which has not been recognized for its value to our society. They also state that the Income Tax Act discriminates against families who make the choice to provide care in the home for preschool children, the disabled, the chronically ill, or the aged.

The petitioners therefore pray and call on Parliament to pursue initiatives to eliminate tax discrimination against families who decide to provide care in the home for preschool children, the disabled, the chronically ill, or the aged.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

NDP

Nelson Riis NDP Kamloops, BC

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to present a petition on behalf of a few hundred residents from Kamloops, Logan Lake, Fraser Lake, Endako, Salmon Arm, Sorrento, Burns Lake, Fort Fraser, Prince George, Vanderhoof, Vernon and Barrière.

The petitioners point out that the mining industry is a mainstay of employment in over 150 communities across Canada and is an important contributor to our country's gross domestic product. Its total exports are a cornerstone of our economic future. The petitioners simply point out to Parliament that the Canadian Mineral Industry Federation has proposed a 10-point plan of action. They are asking the Government of Canada to take action on these recommendations to ensure that we rebuild Canada's mineral reserves.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

NDP

Nelson Riis NDP Kamloops, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have a second petition to present which has been signed by a number of residents of the central interior of British Columbia.

The petitioners point out that Canadians, mainly women and children, are becoming increasingly fearful of walking on our streets and in our neighbourhoods. They believe that many violent and sex offenders are being paroled prematurely, are being released without proper treatment and rehabilitation, and a whole number of other issues.

The petitioners ask that the House of Commons and the Minister of Justice take whatever steps are necessary to amend Canada's Criminal Code and parole system to ensure that safety and peace return to our neighbourhoods.