Debates of June 12th, 1996

Petitions

[Dianne Brushett, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 131, I present a petition today with 150 names from citizens united for safety and justice.

The petitioners pray that Parliament enact Bill C-205, which prohibits criminals from exploiting their victims through profiting from their crimes. I would like to add that I endorse this petition 100 per cent and have already spoken on this bill in the House.

[Karen Kraft Sloan, Liberal, York—Simcoe, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have a petition calling on Parliament to urge the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health to commit to renewal of the national AIDS strategy for at least the current level of funding.

[Jesse Flis, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, it is my elected duty to table petitions signed by residents from different regions of Ontario regarding the national AIDS strategy.

Whereas the national AIDS strategy funds and co-ordinates prevention, education, support and research in Canada, and whereas the national AIDS strategy expires March 31, 1998, while at the same time AIDS infection continues to rise, the petitioners call on Parliament to urge the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health to commit a renewal of the national AIDS strategy to at least the current levels of funding.

[Michel Bellehumeur, Bloc, Berthier—Montcalm, QC]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to table another petition against the planned dredging operation at Pier No. 2 in the port of Sorel, which would involve discharging sludge in open waters.

This petition is signed by more than 300 residents and these signatures are in addition to the many already tabled. I am also pleased to support this petition and to inform the House that, this week, the Quebec Minister of the Environment, who finds this project unacceptable, has given me his support.

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

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present a number of petitions today. The first is signed by hundreds of residents of my constituency of Burnaby-Kingsway and elsewhere in the lower mainland, in particular supported by A & A Foods, Cioffi's Meat Market & Deli, Angelo Tosi, and National Cheese Co. (Western) Ltd.

It notes that a new regulation proposed by Health Canada will result in the banning of some imported Italian Parmesan cheese as well as some other types of cheeses, that small cheese factories and specialty cheese stores will be adversely affected, that Health Canada has not adequately demonstrated the health benefits of this proposed regulation.

Therefore the petitioners call on Parliament to urge the government not to proceed with the proposed regulations concerning unpasteurized cheese. I strongly support that.

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

Madam Speaker, the second petition is signed by residents of the Sunshine Coast and elsewhere in British Columbia, collected by the Sunshine Coast Peace Group.

The petition opposes the presence of nuclear powered and nuclear armed vessels in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, and calls on Parliament to end the agreement allowing nuclear powered and nuclear armed vessels to use CFMETR in the Strait of Georgia.

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

Madam Speaker, the third petition is signed by residents of my constituency in British Columbia, in particular Irene Tong and Leung Hok Sum, opposing the recently adopted changes to the Canadian Human Rights Act concerning sexual orientation.

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

Madam Speaker, the third petition has been signed by a large number of residents of my constituency of Burnaby-Kingsway and elsewhere in British Columbia. It concerns the veterans of the merchant navy, co-ordinated by Roy Finlay of the Canadian Merchant Navy Association. It calls on Parliament to consider the advisability of extending benefits or compensation to veterans of the wartime merchant navy equal to that enjoyed by veterans of World War II armed services.

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

Madam Speaker, the final petition is signed by a large number of residents of my constituency of Burnaby-Kingsway. It notes that gasoline prices have increased dramatically in recent days and that two committees of Parliament have recommended federal gas tax increases which should be far lower than those which have currently been proposed.

The petitioners therefore request that Parliament not proceed with the a federal excise tax on gasoline and strongly consider reallocating its current revenues to rehabilitate Canada's crumbling national highway infrastructure.

[Ted McWhinney, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour, pursuant to Standing Order 36, to present a petition signed by 56 residents of Victoria, British Columbia and related areas of Vancouver Island.

The petitioners request that Parliament not amend the Constitution as requested by the Government of Newfoundland. They request that the problem of education reform in that province be referred back to the Government of Newfoundland for resolution by some other non-constitutional procedure.

[Larry McCormick, Liberal, Hastings—Frontenac—Lennox And Addington, ON]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have a petition to present on behalf of citizens from across Ontario, concerned about the national AIDS strategy.

The petitioners call on Parliament to urge the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health to commit to a renewal of the national AIDS strategy at its current level of funding.

[Osvaldo Nunez, Bloc, Bourassa, QC]

Madam Speaker, I would like tot table a petition signed by 162 residents of Quebec, and more specifically of my riding of bourassa, concerning the minimum age for admission to employment. In 1973, the International Labour Organization signed convention 138. Unfortunately, Canada never signed this convention, in spite of the fact that child labour, which affects approximately 200 million children around the work, is a real scourge.

These petitioners ask that Canada sign this convention and I support this petition.

[Dale Johnston, Reform, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Madam Speaker, I have the pleasure to table a petition signed by approximately 71 members of the constituency of Wetaskiwin.

The petitioners pray and call on Parliament to enact Bill C-205, introduced by the hon. member for Scarborough West, at the earliest opportunity so as to provide in Canadian law that no criminal profits from committing a crime.

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have the privilege of presenting a petition signed by approximately 60 people from the Scarborough area calling on Parliament to take notice of the inadequacies in the sentencing regimes of those convicted of criminal impaired driving causing death and recommending that Parliament consider enacting a

sentence regime of between seven and fourteen years as an appropriate sentence for that crime.

[Chris Axworthy, NDP, Saskatoon—Clark's Crossing, SK]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased, pursuant to Standing Order 36, to present a petition from over 1,100 residents of Saskatoon, protesting gas price hikes and the gouging of consumers as the gas pumps by multinational gas companies without any intervention on the part of the federal government.

The petitioners urge Parliament to establish an energy pricing review commission to keep gasoline prices and other energy products in check.

Questions On The Order Paper

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, Question No. 37 will be answered today.

Question No. 37-

[John Duncan, Reform, North Island—Powell River, BC]

What is the amount of financial assistance provided by the federal government for Tsa-Kwa-Luten Lodge, Quadra Island, B.C., for; ( a ) construction of the lodge; ( b ) operation of the lodge; and ( c ) total federal contribution to date since its inception?

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

I am informed by the Departments of Human Resources Development and Industry as follows:

a) b) c)

Human Resources Development Canada $92,834 $114,542 207,376

Industry Canada $1,800,000 $311,275 $2,111,275

$1,892,834 $425,817 $2,318,651

The following federal government departments have no information on this subject: Canadian Heritage, Fisheries and Oceans, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Western Economic Diversification Canada.

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Fundy Royal, NB]

Madam Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.

[The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Ringuette-Maltais)]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Motions For Papers

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, I ask that all Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers be allowed to stand.

[The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Ringuette-Maltais)]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

The House resumed from June 11, 1996 consideration of Bill C-26, an act respecting the oceans of Canada, as reported (with amendments) from the committee; and of motions in Group No. 11.