Debates of June 15th, 2000

Petitions

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure of tabling three different petitions today.

The first petition is entitled “Save Canadian Public Health Care: Stop two-tier American style health care moving into Canada”. This petition adds to the tens of thousands of signatures we have already tabled calling upon the federal government to restore its funding to health care and to put our public not for profit single tier system on a sustainable basis. It calls upon the government to keep its election commitments to introduce a national pharmacare program and a national home care program. It also calls upon the government to finally stop the privatization that threatens the sustainability of our health care system.

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table a second petition which calls upon parliament to repeal section 13(5) of the Canada Post Corporation Act which discriminates against rural route mail couriers and denies them the basic rights fundamental in a democratic society to organize and to be able to fight for decent wages and working conditions.

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table a third petition. It calls upon the government to establish peace tax legislation by passing into law the private member's bill of the member for Burnaby—Douglas, the conscientious objection act. This is a private member's bill that advocates enabling a portion of a taxpayer's taxes which are earmarked for military purposes to be allocated for non-military purposes.

[Norman E. Doyle, Progressive Conservative, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition from approximately 500 people in St. John's East who are very concerned that last year the British Columbia Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal to reinstate subsection 4 of section 163.1 of the criminal code, making possession of child pornography illegal in British Columbia.

The petitioners are very concerned about that. They are requesting that parliament invoke section 33 of the charter of rights and freedoms, commonly known as the notwithstanding clause, to override the B.C. Court of Appeal decision and to reinstate subsection 4 of section 163.1 of the criminal code, making possession of child pornography in B.C. illegal, and by doing so, to reinforce and reaffirm our objection to the B.C. Court of Appeal decision.

[David Pratt, Liberal, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of presenting some petitions that have been duly certified under Standing Order 36.

The first relates to the request of the petitioners to work with VIA Rail and the local governments in order to build a VIA Rail station in my riding of Nepean—Carleton.

[David Pratt, Liberal, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this petition relates to a national referendum on government funding for abortions.

[David Pratt, Liberal, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the next petition is opposed to aiding and abetting euthanasia.

[David Pratt, Liberal, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the next petition involves the same rights for the unborn as those who are born.

[David Pratt, Liberal, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the next petition involves child pornography.

[David Pratt, Liberal, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this petition is with regard to the age of consent. The petitioners request raising the age of sexual consent to 18 years.

[David Pratt, Liberal, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this petition involves rescinding the right of landing fees on immigrants and refugees.

[David Pratt, Liberal, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in this petition the petitioners call upon the government to develop and enforce mandatory mammography quality assurance standards.

[David Pratt, Liberal, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in this petition the petitioners call upon parliament to repeal section 13(5) of the Canada Post Corporation Act.

[David Pratt, Liberal, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this petition calls upon parliament to write off the debt of impoverished nations.

[David Pratt, Liberal, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, finally, this petition calls upon the government to end child poverty by the year 2000.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I too have the honour to table a petition.

This petition is from citizens of Canada who are residents of Edmonton. They are members of the Fiji-Canada Association. Of course we can understand they are very concerned about the coup in Fiji.

They call upon parliament to take all kinds of action which I will not read directly into the record. They want to ensure that leaders and activists are prosecuted and punished under the law and that a bill of rights is maintained. The petitioners ask and would lobby the international community to impose sanctions on Fiji such as as cutting off all economic aid, cutting off diplomatic relations, cutting off all world bank loans, and terminating Fiji's participation in peacekeeping forces.

These Canadian Fijians are concerned. I appreciate having been given the time to lay this petition on the table.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Laurentides, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a petition signed by over 200 constituents in my riding of Laurentides.

The petitioners are urging parliament to pass a resolution to stop world petroleum cartels in order to bring down overly high gasoline prices. They are also calling for adequate funding for research on energy alternatives to ensure that, in the near future, Canadians will be free from the obligation to use petroleum as the main source of energy.

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan—King—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions to present. In the first petition, the petitioners call upon parliament to undertake a comprehensive strategy for productivity enhancement.

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan—King—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this petition calls upon parliament to continue to use prudent economic assumptions in the formulation of the budget.

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan—King—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this petition calls upon parliament to continue to apply the contingency reserve set at $3 billion toward debt reduction.

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan—King—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in the next petition, the petitioners call upon parliament to continue to support research and development.

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan—King—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this petition calls upon parliament to further increase the basic personal exemption amount.

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan—King—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this petition calls upon parliament to build on previous actions to assist families under the Canada child tax benefit.

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan—King—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the final petition I present calls upon parliament to increase the foreign property rule.

[Inky Mark, Reform, Dauphin—Swan River, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure to table eight different petitions containing tens of thousands of names.

In the first petition, the petitioners call on the government to revisit the issue of hepatitis C.