Debates of Dec. 16th, 1999

Petitions

[Leon Benoit, Reform, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition concerns children having a need and a moral right to be loved by both parents. The petitioners are saying that no parent should lose custody of a child, that no parent should be allowed to seriously obstruct a child's relationship with another parent, and other related issues. I am proud to table both of these petitions.

[Paul Devillers, Liberal, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions, pursuant to Standing Order 36, containing 54 signatures.

The petitioners call on parliament to affirm the duty and responsibility of parents to raise their children, and for the Department of Justice to vigorously defend section 43 of the Criminal Code.

[Gurmant Grewal, Reform, Surrey Central, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition with 300 signatures of concerned Canadians.

The petitioners draw to the attention of the House the discrimination they declare is caused by Canada's old age security system. They say that the act discriminates against seniors from certain countries.

They therefore call on parliament to grant old age security benefits to all seniors over the age of 65 years, irrespective of the country of origin.

[Gurmant Grewal, Reform, Surrey Central, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I submit four petitions containing about 230 signatures of concerned Canadians, mostly from my riding of Surrey Central.

The petitioners call on parliament to oppose any amendments to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms or any other federal legislation that would provide for the exclusion of a reference to the supremacy of God.

[Gurmant Grewal, Reform, Surrey Central, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I present 12 petitions with about 400 signatures of concerned Canadians, mostly from the riding of Surrey Central.

The petitioners feel that the illegal immigrants who arrived off the coast of Vancouver are causing undue hardship for honest, bona fide refugees.

They maintain that our immigration laws encourage international people smugglers to target Canada. They call on parliament to enact immediate changes to Canada's immigration laws governing refugees. They want to provide for the deportation of those who are obviously and flagrantly abusing the system.

The petitioners want legislation that requires refugee claimants to demonstrate through identification documentation, rather than by other means, that they are fleeing general and political prosecution, or they would face immediate deportation.

[John O'Reilly, Liberal, Victoria—Haliburton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the pleasure to present a petition from the people of the Haliburton-Minden area calling on parliament to retain section 43 of Canada's Criminal Code as it is currently worded.

[Maurice Godin, Bloc, Châteauguay, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition signed by constituents in my riding regarding mail delivery on rural routes.

We know that Canada Post rural route mail carriers work under conditions of another era, particularly when it comes to salaries and the right to collective bargaining.

This petition is calling upon parliament to repeal paragraph 13(5) of the Canada Post Corporation Act, and I support this request by constituents in my riding of Châteauguay.

[Tony Valeri, Liberal, Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have a petition to present to the House on behalf of the constituents of Stoney Creek.

The petitioners are against child pornography and call on the government to enact the notwithstanding clause to protect the most vulnerable members of our society from child and sexual abuse.

[Tony Valeri, Liberal, Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I would like to add to the petitions by the member for Sarnia—Lambton.

The Minister of Canadian Heritage and the federal government are considering a proposal to place a 3.5% levy tax on video distribution. The petitioners ask that the government and the Minister of Canadian Heritage not enact the legislation.

[Darrel Stinson, Reform, Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to present three petitions. The first petition is signed by persons mostly from the Vernon and Armstrong areas of my riding of Okanagan—Shuswap.

The petitioners ask parliament to reject the Nisga'a treaty because it may divide Canadians forever.

[Darrel Stinson, Reform, Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition was signed by 244 persons from my riding of Okanagan—Shuswap.

The petitioners ask parliament to change Canada's immigration laws to quickly separate genuine refugees from those trying to take advantage of our system.

[Darrel Stinson, Reform, Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my third petition is literally signed by thousands and thousands of people, mostly from Okanagan—Shuswap.

The petitioners ask for tax relief of 25% over the next three years leading the way to job creation, economic growth and reduction of poverty.

[Sophia Leung, Liberal, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition calling for the abolition of nuclear warfare which has been signed by residents of British Columbia: “We, the undersigned citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House to the following: Whereas the continued existence”—

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member knows that she cannot read the petition. She must give a brief summary of it. I hope that is what she will do.

[Sophia Leung, Liberal, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

These residents of British Columbia would like to send a petition to the attention of the House of Commons to abolish nuclear weapons.

[The Deputy Speaker]

The 15 minutes for presentation of petitions has now expired. Is there consent to continue with this for five more minutes?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table a petition signed by several hundred inhabitants of the riding of Drummond, who are unhappy that the members of the public concerned were not consulted with respect to Via Rail changes, and who hope that the management of Via Rail, which is a crown corporation, will never again make any decisions that are not in their best interests.

Given that Via Rail receives millions of dollars in subsidies, and given that this is taxpayers' money, taxpayers are entitled to receive the services for which they have paid. I support this petition.

[Karen Kraft Sloan, Liberal, York North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition that calls upon the Parliament of Canada to strongly urge the Chinese government to stop the persecution and brutal treatment of Falun Gong practitioners immediately.

[Karen Kraft Sloan, Liberal, York North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition that calls upon parliament to enact animal protection legislation.

[Karen Kraft Sloan, Liberal, York North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition that urges parliament to fulfill the promise in 1989 by the House of Commons to end child poverty by the year 2000.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Laurentides, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure of tabling a petition signed by some sixty of my constituents, who are employed by the private sector delivering mail in rural regions, but who are not entitled to collective bargaining as public sector workers are.

They are asking that subsection 13(5) of the Canada Post Corporation Act be repealed.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity. I have a large number of petitions.

The first group of petitions is on behalf of tens of thousands of Canadians from across Canada who urge parliament to take all necessary measures to ensure the possession of child pornography remains a serious criminal offence, and that the federal police forces be directed to give priority to enforcing this law for the protection of our children.

The existence of child pornography places children at risk of exploitation and sexual abuse. The recent court of appeal decision in B.C. is of great concern. The petitioners want the notwithstanding clause to be invoked to protect our children.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the next group of petitions that I am pleased to present today are from 255 concerned Canadians who wish to draw to the attention of parliament that over 100,000 therapeutic abortions are performed each year in Canada costing over $50 million per year.

These petitioners and all Canadians deserve to have a voice on how their health care dollars are spent and which health care procedures they consider essential. They call upon parliament to support a binding national referendum to be held at the time of the next general election to determine whether or not Canadians are in favour of government funding for abortion on demand.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present petitions signed by 299 concerned citizens from across Canada.

They call on the government to reassure Canadian families and reaffirm written statements made by the government on June 9, 1998 that concern the convention on the rights of the child, that it undermines the role of parents, it is unwarranted and concerns that the government intends to remove section 43 are unwarranted. These citizens recognize that the family is the fundamental unit of society and the natural environment for the growth and well-being of children and it should be protected.