Debates of Dec. 12th, 2002

Petitions

[Ted White, Canadian Alliance, North Vancouver, BC]

Mr. Speaker, since I cannot present the one with 4,000 signatures, I will present one with 48 signatures which basically says the same thing but in slightly different words.

The petitioners point out, as the member for Burnaby—Douglas did, that it is a violation of the intention of voters when a member of Parliament changes parties. Therefore the petitioners call upon Parliament to enact legislation that would require all members of Parliament, who wish to change their official party designation in the House of Commons, to resign and run in a byelection.

[Robert Lanctôt, Bloc, Châteauguay, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting three petitions, with a total of 681 signatures. They state the same facts as those of my colleagues' petitions.

The petitioners are calling on the government to enact a public inquiry, the only way to get to the bottom of the close ties that exist between the Liberal Party, its ministers and certain advertising agencies that received millions of dollars in government contracts from the Liberal government in recent years, as well as on the entire federal government contracting system.

[James Lunney, Canadian Alliance, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from over 400 people on the west coast of British Columbia. The petitioners are concerned that the government has not funded the Coast Guard adequately. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans chronic underfunding and lack of resources has resulted potentially in the loss of several lives.

They call upon the government to remove the Coast Guard from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and a separate department be adequately funded so lives can be saved. They also call upon the government to ensure that a new and adequate hovercraft is available for lifesaving purposes.

[Rahim Jaffer, Canadian Alliance, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to rise to today to present a petition on behalf of over 100 Alberta residents calling upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pornography involving children are outlawed.

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to present a petition from numerous people who are very concerned about the possibility of war with Iraq and also about the sanctions against Iraq. The petitioners include people who, for more than two years, have demonstrated publicly every week against the sanctions in Iraq and have done so often in times when their position has been very unpopular.

They point out that the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs has reported that economic sanctions on Iraq are not accomplishing their objectives and that Canada's policy should be based on international law.

They say that Canada should not join a war against Iraq in any event and should leave regime change to the Iraqi people. They say that Canada should increase humanitarian aid to Iraq in the form of civil society partnerships and should stop supporting the sanctions. They also say that Canada should re-open its embassy in Baghdad.

[The Speaker]

I am afraid the time for presentation of petitions has expired. Fifteen minutes is the limit under the rules and the Speaker has to enforce the rules in every respect, as the hon. member from Peace River knows. He is rising on a point of order.

[Charlie Penson, Canadian Alliance, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would ask if you would seek-unanimous consent that the time be extended because members will be out of the House for quite a period of time?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it could be extended for five minutes and perhaps members could rush this so we could get on to the important budget consultations.

[The Speaker]

Is it agreed to extend for five minutes?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Peterborough has the floor. He will be prompt I know with the rest of his petitions.

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I present a petition from people in Peterborough who are concerned about the use of child pornography. The petitioners call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that all materials that promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed.

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have four petitions which I will present together from people concerned about kidney disease.

The petitioners admire the work being done by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for those suffering from kidney disease. They call upon Parliament to encourage the Canadian institutes to explicitly include kidney research as one of the institutes in the system to be named the institute of kidney and urinary tract diseases.

[Pierre Paquette, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition in the House signed by more than 300 persons in support of rural route letter carriers. The petitioners are from Chertsey and Lanaudière.

Letter carriers on rural routes are calling on Parliament to repeal one paragraph of the Canada Post Corporation Act, which prevents them from bargaining collectively to improve their pay and working conditions.

The petitioners believe that this denial of a fundamental right allows Canada Post Corporation to maintain salaries and working conditions at a level that is unfair and that this constitutes discrimination against rural workers. They hope this situation will be rectified.

[Cheryl Gallant, Canadian Alliance, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the people of Killaloe, Wilno, Gordon Lake and Douglas in the riding of Renfrew--Nipissing--Pembroke recognize the importance of continuing training for first responders by the experienced instructors and in the unique environment that the Arnprior College provides. The petitioners request Parliament to recognize that the Canadian Emergency Preparedness College should stay in the town of Arnprior.

[Darrel Stinson, Canadian Alliance, Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present two petitions on behalf of my constituents calling upon Parliament to protect the rights of Canadians to be free to share their religious beliefs without fear of prosecution.

[Roy H. Bailey, Canadian Alliance, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions. The first deals with stem cell research. The petitioners call upon Parliament to focus its legislative support on adult stem cell research.

[Roy H. Bailey, Canadian Alliance, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition has hundreds of names on it. The petitioners call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to prevent pornography as we now have it.

[Rob Anders, Canadian Alliance, Calgary West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have over a thousand petitions asking the government not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol from residents of Calgary and from the riding of Perth--Middlesex, which currently does not have a member of Parliament.

[Marlene Catterall, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from a number of residents in my riding calling upon Parliament to take all necessary steps within the jurisdiction of the Parliament of Canada to preserve the definition of marriage in Canada as the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.

[Charlie Penson, Canadian Alliance, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have four petitions to present today. The first petition has 50 signatures. The petitioners call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking steps to outlaw all materials promoting and glorifying pedophilia.

[Charlie Penson, Canadian Alliance, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the other three petitions have over 150 signatures combined. The petitioners call upon Parliament to focus its legislation support on adult stem cell research to find cures and therapies to treat illnesses and diseases for all suffering Canadians.

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, if Question No. 40 could be made an order for return, the return could be tabled immediately.

[The Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.