House of Commons Hansard #162 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was farmers.
Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, last week parliament received a copy of the health minister's performance report.
Lo and behold the name of his branch that is under so much fire these days has disappeared. The health protection branch has gone and is replaced with something called management of risk to health. HPB is out; MRH is in.
Why has the government abandoned the whole notion of health protection, adopted the language of multinational drug corporations and shifted its focus to risk management?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, if the member noticed she would be aware that we have undertaken a top to bottom review of the health protection branch.
There have been problems in the branch over the years. They go back many years. We have come to grips with those, put forward different models and different approaches for public comment. Public meetings have been held across the country.
We are in the process of examining various ways in which the health protection branch can more effectively discharge its responsibilities to ensure the safety of the public.
Presence In GalleryOral Question Period
The Speaker
I draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of a member of the United States Senate, Senator Baucus.
Order In Council AppointmentsRoutine Proceedings
Peterborough Ontario
Liberal
Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to table in the House today, in both official languages, a number of Order in Council appointments which were made recently by the government.
Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 110(1), these are deemed referred to the appropriate standing committees, a list of which is attached.
Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 11 petitions.
Jim Peterson Liberalfor the Minister of Finance
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-59, an act to amend the Insurance Companies Act.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Randy White Reform Langley—Abbotsford, BC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-459, an act to amend the Criminal Code (consecutive sentencing).
Mr. Speaker, today I introduce through this private member's bill a deterrent to inmates escaping from prison, being unlawfully at large or escaping from lawful custody. I am determined to change the law so these individuals will serve their time consecutively. In other words they would do additional time to their current sentence for their actions.
My motivation for this move is the unprecedented number of escapes from prison and those unlawfully at large, in particular the UALs in my community. Somebody must put his foot down to send a clear message to Corrections Service Canada and the law courts that real deterrents are necessary to ensure public safety.
We should be putting deterrents in place for prison escapes to assist our police forces which deserve the maximum of amount of support we can give them in the process of protecting the public. If the Liberal government will not provide deterrents, I will and we can be certain that the bill will be followed through to successful conclusion.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I move that the Standing Orders be amended by adding a number of items regarding private members' hour.
I believe the House leadership of all parties has a copy of the draft standing orders. Could the Chair deem them to have been read? Then of course I would ask that the Chair seek unanimous consent to adopt them without debate.
Standing OrdersRoutine Proceedings
The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)
The House has heard the motion as presented by the hon. government House leader. Does the government House leader have unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?
Standing OrdersRoutine Proceedings
The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
Roy H. Bailey Reform Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am very pleased to present a series of pages from the southwest corner of my constituency.
This means that hundreds have come in. The petitioners spell out very clearly that they believe, as do the majority of Canadians, and understand the concept of marriage as only a voluntary union of a single male and a single female.
Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB
Mr. Speaker, I have two sets of petitions to present. The first has to do with the abolition of nuclear weapons.
The Canadians who signed this petition note that there continue to exist over 35,000 nuclear weapons on the earth. They note the continuing existence of nuclear weapons poses a threat to the survival of human civilization and the global environment. They agree with the secretary general of the UN who said that the most safe, sure and swift way to deal with the threat of nuclear arms is to do away with them in every regard.
They call on parliament to support the immediate initiation and conclusion by the year 2000 of an international convention that would set out a binding timetable for the abolition of all nuclear weapons.
Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB
Mr. Speaker, as I have done repeatedly over many months in parliament, I have petitions to present that have to do with the multilateral agreement on investment.
The talks recently collapsed in Paris. Nevertheless the petitioners call on the government not to seek another venue for the MAI negotiations but rather to reject the current framework of MAI negotiations and to seek an entirely different agreement by which the world might achieve a rules based global trading regime which protects workers, the environment and the ability of governments to act in the public interest.
Karen Redman Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present three petitions on behalf of my constituents of Kitchener Centre.
The first petition was organized by Christ Lutheran Church in Kitchener, Ontario. The petitioners request that the Government of Canada allow tuition fees to accredited, private elementary and secondary institutions to be tax deductible in the same way as is permitted for colleges, universities and trade schools.
Karen Redman Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I also have two petitions regarding the Canadian seal hunt which I would like to present today.
The first is sponsored by Canadians for Animals Rights and the Environment. They are petitioning the government to amend the marine mammal regulation of the Fisheries Act so as to prohibit the commercial slaughter of seals and discontinue its subsidies of seal products and the Canadian Sealers Association.
The second petition was prepared by Canadians Against the Commercial Seal Hunt. They request that the Government of Canada enact legislation to stop the commercial seal hunt in Canada.
Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am please to present a petition in this year celebrating the 50th anniversary of the UN declaration of universal human rights.
The petitioners would like to bring to the attention of the House that human rights violations continue in many countries around the world including countries such as Indonesia. They also point out that Canada continues to be internationally respected for its defence of international human rights.
The petitioners therefore call upon the government to continue its efforts to speak out against countries that tolerate violations of our human rights and to do whatever is possible to bring to justice those responsible for such abuses.
Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to present a petition on behalf of dozens of Canadians who have taken the time to present their views in conjunction with the global day of action against genetically engineered foods and crops.
The petitioners express concern and call upon the government to take note of the possible negative impact of genetically altered foods and note that the absence of proven deleterious consequences on health and the environment must not be used to justify the production of potentially calamitous and untested substances.
They express concern about the government's actions with respect to codex alimentarius and its failure to take a strong position in this regard. They call upon the government to ban genetically engineered foods and crops, the human genome diversity project terminator gene, and the exploitation of the knowledge of indigenous people for private profit.
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House to present two petitions pursuant to Standing Order 36.
One is on Bill C-255, an act to amend the marriages prohibited degrees act and the Interpretation Act.
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, the second one is from my riding in Lower Sackville and other parts of Nova Scotia. There are 66 names on this petition to date. We hope to get thousands more.
They call upon parliament to enact legislation which would provide and strengthen protection to children from convicted child sex offenders on which the member for Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough has a private member's bill.
As well, I received my two girls' report cards today and they are fantastic.
PetitionsRoutine Proceedings
The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)
And that was probably a petition.
Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I suggest that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.
Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings
The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)
Is that agreed?