Debates of March 25th, 1998

Petitions

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as a result of the ice storm, thousands of workers temporarily lost their jobs in my riding. While the employment insurance fund shows a $7 billion surplus, a two-week waiting period was imposed on them before they could receive benefits.

The petitioners, all 1,134 of them, call on Parliament to abolish this two-week waiting period.

[Shaughnessy Cohen, Liberal, Windsor—St. Clair, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling today two petitions, both on behalf of the member for Windsor West and myself.

The first petition calls upon Parliament to enact legislation making it illegal for persons under the age 19 to possess tobacco or tobacco products.

[Shaughnessy Cohen, Liberal, Windsor—St. Clair, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition calls upon the government to provide a settlement to existing human rights complaints based on pay equity and to cease treating workers differently based on gender.

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to table two petitions on behalf of constituents.

The first petition asks that Parliament support the immediate initiation and conclusion by the year 2000 of an international convention which will set out a binding timetable for the abolition of all nuclear weapons.

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition deals with parental rights. In particular, the petition asks Parliament to retain section 43 of Canada's Criminal Code which recognizes and affirms parental rights for Canadians.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by residents from across Canada who are deeply concerned about the fact that the Government of Canada is currently negotiating an international trade agreement at the OECD called the MAI or the multilateral agreement on investment.

The petitioners note that the MAI is fundamentally flawed in so far as it seeks to protect the rights of investors without similar protection for workers. They also note that it is anti-democratic.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon Parliament to reject the current framework of MAI negotiations and to instruct the government to seek an entirely different agreement by which the world might achieve a rules based, global trading regime that protects workers, the environment and the ability of government to act in the public interest.

[Walt Lastewka, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to present a petition to the House from my constituents in St. Catharines and from people in the Niagara area.

The petition states that Canadians are alarmed and deeply disturbed by further victimization of the families of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy by reason of the use of the Bernardo video tapes.

The petitioners wish to draw to the attention of the House that section 486(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada mandates that all evidence presented at criminal trials be presented in open court and be fully available to the public and media.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to amend this law by creating a specific exemption to this open court rule to exclude evidence of child and coerced pornography.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to introduce a petition signed by petitioners who believe that the MAI is anti-democratic in so far as it would be binding for 20 years, thus tying the hands of several Parliaments and future governments.

The petitioners call on Parliament to reject the current framework of the MAI.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to present a petition from several hundreds of constituents of Scarborough—Agincourt.

The petitioners indicate that the Government of Ontario has already breached its own agreements with provincially funded housing co-operatives and has threatened to introduce legislation to cancel the contracts and operating agreements of housing co-operatives participating in federal programs once the federal government devolves its responsibility to the province.

The petitioners also indicate that the interests of the co-operative housing owners and members can be protected in these negotiations only if the Government of Canada insists that there be specific safeguards preventing the province of Ontario from using its legislative authority to cancel existing contracts and operating agreements.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon Parliament to ask the minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to immediately suspend negotiations on social housing with the province of Ontario and to resume negotiations only if the minister proceeds under publicly declared principles established with the input of co-operative housing stakeholders.

Being a neighbour of one of the petitioners, I totally agree with the petition.

[The Deputy Speaker]

I am sure the hon. member for Scarborough—Agincourt knows it is improper to suggest whether he agrees or not with a petition. I hope he will refrain from doing so in the future.

[Maurice Vellacott, Reform, Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition to the House of Commons assembly today.

Several hundred citizens of Canada pray that Parliament will oppose the decriminalization of assisted suicide. They urge members of Parliament to oppose Motion No. 123 in the vote this evening.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am proud to present five petitions against the MAI. I am especially proud to present a petition which comes from Calgary.

The petitioners say that the MAI is anti-democratic in so far as it would be binding for 20 years, thus tying the hands of several Parliaments and future governments.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to reject the current framework of the MAI negotiations and instruct the government to seek an entirely different agreement which would achieve a rules based global trading regime that protects workers, the environment and the ability of governments to act in the public interest.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, under Standing Order 36, I am pleased to table a petition. This petition is signed by residents of my riding, by residents of Winnipeg and by residents of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

The petitioners are very concerned about the multilateral agreement on investment. They are very worried that Canada is currently negotiating an agreement which will threaten the very notion of Canadian unity, sovereignty, our cultural identity and our health care system.

The petitioners are worried that this is not an investment deal but a global constitution for corporations and that it will create the same rights for foreign owned corporations as for Canadian citizens.

The petitioners call upon this government to reject the current framework for the MAI and to proceed on a much more sensitive and humane basis.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of a number of Canadians, including Canadians from my own riding of Mississauga South.

The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that police officers and firefighters are required to place their lives at risk on a daily basis as they discharge their duties and that when one of them loses their life in the line of duty, not only do we all mourn that loss, but the employment benefits provided often do not provide sufficient assistance to their surviving families.

The petitioners therefore call on Parliament to establish a public safety officers compensation fund for the benefit of police officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty.

[Louise Hardy, NDP, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a petition from citizens from across Canada who are opposed to the multilateral agreement on investment as it is fundamentally flawed in that it seeks to protect the rights of investors without seeking similar protection for citizens' rights and workers' rights through labour standards or for our environment.

Therefore, the petitioners want this Parliament to reject the MAI.

[John Solomon, NDP, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure, on behalf of many Canadians in Saskatchewan and Edmonton, Alberta, to present a petition in opposition to the current negotiations on the multilateral agreement on investment. They believe that this agreement is flawed. They believe it will hurt Canadians and Canadian businesses and, in particular, our independence.

They are calling upon Parliament to reject the current framework of the MAI negotiations and are asking the government to seek an entirely different agreement by which the world might achieve a rules based, global trading regime that protects workers, the environment and the ability of governments to act in the public interest.

Questions On The Order Paper

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

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

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Motions For Papers

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary 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.

[Jim Pankiw, Reform, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

Mr. Speaker, it has been over five months since I placed an order for the production of papers designated as P-8 on the Order Paper. I raised this issue a month ago under another point of order and I am forced once again to ask the parliamentary secretary when I can expect a response from the government on this matter.

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member's concern. I will look into this as soon as possible and will produce a response as soon as possible.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is it agreed that all Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers stand?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[An hon. member]

No.