House of Commons Hansard #37 of the 35th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was discrimination.

Topics

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Reform

Grant Hill Reform Macleod, AB

Mr. Speaker, I have another in quite a long list of petitions that I have been presenting on section 745 of the Criminal Code, known as the faint hope clause.

These petitions come from Airdrie, Crossfield and Fernie, B.C. They add to the hundreds of names of people from my area of the country who say that this clause in the Criminal Code puts our whole criminal justice system into disrepute.

This makes over 19,000 names that I have presented to this House on this issue.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Reform

Elwin Hermanson Reform Kindersley—Lloydminster, SK

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the pleasure to present signatures of a few hundred of my constituents, primarily from the Kindersley area in west central Saskatchewan.

The petitioners state that section 241 of the Criminal Code says that everyone who counsels a person to commit suicide and who aids and abets a person to commit suicide, whether suicide ensues or not, is guilty of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years.

The petitioners ask Parliament not to repeal or amend section 241 of the Criminal Code in any way, and to uphold the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada of September 30, 1993 to disallow assisted suicides and euthanasia.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Harold Culbert Liberal Carleton—Charlotte, NB

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition, pursuant to Standing Order 36, that has been approved by the clerk of petitions. It contains 100 signatures and was forwarded to me from the British Columbia area.

The petitioners, all being residents of Canada, petition the following: that the wartime merchant navy was the fourth arm of the armed services; that veterans of wartime merchant navy are under the Civilian War Related Benefits Act; that one in ten Canadian merchant seamen lost their lives, the highest proportional rate of all services, and that merchant navy prisoners of war spent 50 months on average in imprisonment but only 30 months are recognized.

Therefore, your petitioners call on Parliament to consider the advisability of extending benefits or compensation to veterans of the wartime merchant navy equal to that enjoyed by the veterans of Canada, World War II armed services.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Peter Milliken Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition signed by numerous residents of Kingston and area.

The petitioners pray and call on Parliament to proceed immediately with amendments to the Criminal Code to ensure that the sentence given to anyone convicted of driving while impaired or causing injury or death while impaired, reflects both the severity of the crime and a zero tolerance by Canada toward the crime.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Colleen Beaumier Liberal Brampton, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition with almost 2,000 signatures that calls on the government to enhance the protection of children under the age of four from sexual abuse.

The government has taken some preventive action, including the introduction of a child sexual abuse register, to deal with this terrible crime, however, more work remains to be done.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Colleen Beaumier Liberal Brampton, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have another petition from my constituents who oppose the extension of benefits of government employees to same sex partners.

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Fundy Royal New Brunswick

Liberal

Paul Zed LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

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

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

The Speaker

Is that agreed?

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Motions For PapersRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Fundy Royal New Brunswick

Liberal

Paul Zed LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers be allowed to stand.

Motions For PapersRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

The Speaker

Is that agreed?

Motions For PapersRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Canadian Human Rights ActGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Saint-Léonard Québec

Liberal

Alfonso Gagliano LiberalMinister of Labour and Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

moved:

That, in relation to Bill C-33, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act, not more than one further sitting day shall be allotted to the consideration of the second reading stage of the bill and, fifteen minutes before the expiry of the time provided for government business on the allotted day of the second reading consideration of the said bill, any proceedings before the House shall be interrupted, if required for the purpose of this Order, and in turn every question necessary for the disposal of the second reading stage shall be put forthwith and successively without further debate or amendment.

Canadian Human Rights ActGovernment Orders

3:25 p.m.

The Speaker

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Canadian Human Rights ActGovernment Orders

3:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Canadian Human Rights ActGovernment Orders

3:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.

Canadian Human Rights ActGovernment Orders

3:25 p.m.

The Speaker

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

Canadian Human Rights ActGovernment Orders

3:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

Canadian Human Rights ActGovernment Orders

3:25 p.m.

The Speaker

All those opposed will please say nay.

Canadian Human Rights ActGovernment Orders

3:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Nay.

Canadian Human Rights ActGovernment Orders

3:25 p.m.

The Speaker

In my opinion the yeas have it.

And more than five members having risen:

Canadian Human Rights ActGovernment Orders

3:25 p.m.

The Speaker

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Canadian Human Rights ActGovernment Orders

4:05 p.m.

The Speaker

I declare the motion carried.

The House resumed from April 30, consideration of the motion that Bill C-33, an act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Canadian Human Rights ActGovernment Orders

4:05 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker

Colleagues, there are four minutes remaining for questions or comments on the intervention of the hon. member for Fraser Valley East.