House of Commons Hansard #78 of the 36th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was public.
Government Response To PetitionsRoutine Proceedings
Scarborough—Rouge River Ontario
Liberal
Derek Lee 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 five petitions.
Deepak Obhrai Reform Calgary East, AB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-468, an act to amend the Statistics Act (ethnicity question).
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to rise on behalf of the constituents of Calgary East to introduce my private member's bill in the House today. The purpose of the bill is to ensure that no question will be asked about a person's ethnicity in the population census.
Ours is a great country that respects equal rights and equal opportunities for all Canadians. Thus program initiatives must be available to all with no discrimination. One common thread that holds us all together is that we are all Canadians.
I hope my colleagues will recognize the intent of the bill and will support it because we are and will remain always Canadians.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Derek Lee LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 21st report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership of the Standing Committee on Industry presented to the House on March 22 be concurred in.
Committees Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings
The Deputy Speaker
Does the hon. parliamentary secretary have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?
Derek Lee Liberal Scarborough—Rouge River, ON
Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move:
That the following member be added to the list of associate members of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs: Dave Chatters.
Committees Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings
The Deputy Speaker
Does the hon. parliamentary secretary have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?
Ghislain Lebel Bloc Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure this morning of tabling two petitions.
The first contains 25 names and calls upon the federal government to pass legislation on the labelling of genetically modified products.
Ghislain Lebel Bloc Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have a second petition here from 32 people calling upon the government to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act so as to repeal subsection 13(5), which bars collective bargaining for piece rate workers who deliver mail.
Rose-Marie Ur Liberal Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I am honoured to present a petition signed by hundreds of residents of the Windsor and Tecumseh area who urge the government to establish an independent governing body to enforce mandatory mammography quality control standards in Canada.
Reed Elley Reform Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise in the House to present a petition on behalf of about 125 people in my riding.
The petitioners ask that the federal government recognize that marriage in this country is indeed the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others. They are concerned that the government has failed to define this in legislation that would withstand a court challenge. They ask that the government take action to make sure this is put into law.
Janko Peric Liberal Cambridge, ON
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I have the privilege to present to the House four petitions from concerned constituents in my riding of Cambridge.
The petitioners pray and request that the Parliament of Canada act to amend the criminal code to extend the same protection to unborn human beings that is currently enjoyed by born human beings.
Janko Peric Liberal Cambridge, ON
Mr. Speaker, the second petition is signed by 178 individuals and highlights the concern of my constituents that there is legislation that would extend benefits based on a person's private sexual activity while excluding other types of dependent relationships. The petitioners ask parliament to withdraw Bill C-23 and affirm through legislation that marriage is and will remain what it has always been, the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.
Janko Peric Liberal Cambridge, ON
Mr. Speaker, recognizing that one in nine Canadian women will develop breast cancer and that early detection is a vital weapon in the battle against this disease, 120 petitioners ask parliament to enact legislation to establish an independent governing body to develop, implement and enforce uniform and mandatory mammography quality assurance and quality control standards in Canada.
Janko Peric Liberal Cambridge, ON
Mr. Speaker, the final petition contains 30 signatures from concerned citizens in my riding of Cambridge.
The petitioners draw to the attention of parliament that rural route mail couriers have not been allowed to bargain collectively to improve their wages and working conditions. Since workers who deliver mail in cities have collective bargaining rights, the petitioners request that parliament repeal section 13(5) of the Canada Post Corporation Act to permit rural mail couriers to bargain collectively like urban mail workers.
Peter Goldring Reform Edmonton East, AB
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition from citizens across Canada, but most notably from the province of Quebec.
The petition calls for the Prime Minister and the Parliament of Canada to declare that Canada is indivisible and that this state is presently alterable only by all citizens of Canada and their government. Mr. Speaker, I concur.
PetitionsRoutine Proceedings
The Deputy Speaker
The hon. member for Edmonton East knows that his agreement or otherwise with the petition is not relevant for the purpose of presentation of petitions and he ought not do such a thing in the course of his presentation.
Steve Mahoney Liberal Mississauga West, ON
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I am pleased to present two petitions. Both are the same. One has 715 signatures and the other has 220 signatures.
The petitioners, many of whom are from my riding and elsewhere, call upon parliament to establish a multi-year budgetary strategy to eliminate child poverty by the end of the year 2000.
Diane Ablonczy Reform Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition from my constituents in Calgary—Nose Hill.
These constituents are concerned about the non-action on the resolution of the House of Commons of November 24, 1989 that child poverty in Canada be ended by the year 2000.
The petitioners point out that the number of poor children in Canada since that resolution has actually increased by 60%. They call upon parliament to use the federal budget to introduce a multi-year plan to improve the well-being of Canada's children.
Derek Lee LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.