House of Commons Hansard #39 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was provinces.
Geoff Regan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the 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 18 petitions.
Martin Cauchon LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-20, an act to amend the Criminal Code (protection of children and other vulnerable persons) and the Canada Evidence Act.
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to introduce today a bill entitled an act to amend the Criminal Code (protection of children and other vulnerable persons) and the Canada Evidence Act.
The bill would respond to the government's commitment in the Speech from the Throne to protect our children and other vulnerable members of society. This comprehensive package of reforms would help safeguard children and other vulnerable persons from sexual exploitation, abuse and neglect, and would better protect victims and witnesses in criminal justice proceedings.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Tony Tirabassi Liberal Niagara Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. Pursuant to its orders of reference of Thursday, October 10, 2002, the committee has considered Bill C-227, an act respecting a national day of remembrance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and agreed on Thursday, November 28, 2002, to report it without amendment.
Rick Casson Canadian Alliance Lethbridge, AB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-325, an act to amend the Income Tax Act (deduction for volunteer emergency service).
Mr. Speaker, this private member's bill would allow for a $3,000 deduction on taxable income for volunteers in the emergency servicesarea who perform over 200 hours of volunteer service, people such as volunteer firefighters, rescue operators, EMS and people in those fields.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Rick Casson Canadian Alliance Lethbridge, AB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-326, an act to amend the Excise Tax Act.
Mr. Speaker,this bill would allow for medical practitioners to have their GST zero rated on supplying diagnostic treatments, consultative services, and the expenses that they incur by performing their duties as doctors. It is supported by many and I look forward to it being debated in the House of Commons.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Contraventions Act and Controlled Drugs and Substances ActRoutine Proceedings
Canadian Alliance
Keith Martin Canadian Alliance Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-327, an act to amend the Contraventions Act and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (marihuana).
Mr. Speaker, our current drug laws with respect to marijuana possession are a dismal failure. They are applied unevenly across the country and they simply do not work.
The bill calls for the decriminalization, not legalization, of the simple possession of marijuana in amounts less than 30 grams. This would actually affect some of the youngest people in this country. It would remove the punitive effects of the drug laws we have today and hopefully put the resources from our police forces to better use, to go after the real criminals who are the organized crime gangs which are the real parasites in society.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Monique Guay Bloc Laurentides, QC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-328, an act to amend the Canada Labour Code.
Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to introduce, one more time, anti-scab legislation.
We had a debate on this issue on November 20, but the bill was not designated as a votable item. I am introducing it again today and relishing the thought that, starting in February, the new procedure adopted by the House will be in place and we will therefore be able to have a real indepth debate on this most important issue.
I have just had people telling me again that they support this bill, including people from New Brunswick. All provinces want anti-scab legislation. We will finally be able to vote on this and see if our colleagues opposite are interested in such legislation.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read first time and printed)
Jim Abbott Canadian Alliance Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to present to the House three petitions on behalf of my constituents.
The first petition, signed by 29 people, relates to the Auditor General and her review of the Minister of Public Works and Government Services particularly with respect to Groupaction. The petitioners are requesting the government assembled and Parliament to order an independent public inquiry which is the only way to shed light on the close links between the Liberal Party and some advertising agencies which received hundreds of millions of dollars worth of contracts from the Prime Minister's government in the past nine years.
Jim Abbott Canadian Alliance Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Mr. Speaker, the second petition, signed by 61 people in my constituency, has to do with stem cell research.
The petitioners recognize that hundreds of thousands of Canadians suffer from debilitating illness and disease, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes, cancer, muscular dystrophy and spinal cord injury. They call upon Parliament to focus its legislative support on adult stem cell research to find the cures and therapies necessary to treat the illnesses and diseases of suffering Canadians.
Jim Abbott Canadian Alliance Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Mr. Speaker, the third petition, signed by over 700 people, has to do with child pornography.
The creation of child pornography is condemned by a clear majority of Canadians. The courts have not applied the current child pornography law in a way which makes clear that such exploitation of children will always be met with swift punishment. The petitioners are calling on Parliament to protect our children by taking all steps necessary to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed.
Cheryl Gallant Canadian Alliance Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of Renfrew and Nipissing I present yet another petition on a matter of great urgency. It requests that Parliament recognize that the Canadian Emergency Preparedness College is essential in training Canadians for emergency situations, that the facility should stay in Arnprior, and that the government should upgrade the facilities to provide the necessary training to Canadians to protect our citizens.
Gurmant Grewal Canadian Alliance Surrey Central, BC
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise on behalf of the constituents of Surrey Central to present a petition. The petitioners call upon Parliament to support adult stem cell research to find cures and therapies necessary to treat the illnesses and diseases afflicting Canadians.
Gurmant Grewal Canadian Alliance Surrey Central, BC
Mr. Speaker, the second petition I am tabling is signed by Surrey residents. The petitioners call upon Parliament to give Canadian taxpayers a break in the upcoming budget by instituting tax relief of at least 25% over the next three years.
Gurmant Grewal Canadian Alliance Surrey Central, BC
Mr. Speaker, the third petition I am pleased to table on behalf of the residents of Surrey Central calls upon Parliament to affirm the opposite sex definition of marriage in legislation and ensure that marriage is recognized as a unique institution.
Ghislain Lebel Independent Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table three petitions this morning. The first two concern the same subject and were signed by 382 people; they request the government in Parliament assembled to order a public inquiry into the whole affair concerning the awarding of contracts to friends, namely Groupaction and Everest, of the Liberal Party of Canada. I hereby table this petition containing 382 signatures.
Ghislain Lebel Independent Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, the third petition urges the government to take strong measures against child pornography.
It is signed by 33 petitioners, who are asking Parliament to be stricter when it comes to protecting our children from all the advertising and pornography that surrounds us, including those on some stores' shelves.
The petitioners therefore ask the government to act to protect our children. I hope that the bill introduced earlier by the Minister of Justice does just that.
Jay Hill Canadian Alliance Prince George—Peace River, BC
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, it is my pleasure to rise to present a petition containing 203 signatures of people living in the Montreal area who support my private member's bill that amends the Income Tax Act to permit tax deductions for child adoption expenses.
The petitioners call upon Parliament to pass Bill C-246, which would allow adoptive parents to deduct a portion of the cost they incur when adopting a child.
It is interesting that in today's Globe and Mail there is a story about how adopting a child can be an extremely expensive process. That is why these petitioners believe the government should move immediately to reduce these expenses through allowing tax deductions for those costs.
Reed Elley Canadian Alliance Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure, on behalf of over 500 constituents in my riding of Nanaimo—Cowichan, to present four petitions.
Two of the petitions were signed by 378 constituents in which they ask that the government please take all the necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children be outlawed.
Reed Elley Canadian Alliance Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Mr. Speaker, I have two other petitions that have been signed by 138 petitioners who are concerned about private members' bill, Bill C-415. In their opinion it would add sexual orientation to a current list of identifiable groups, that this would then have the capacity under the Criminal Code to brand the Bible and other sacred religious books as hate propaganda, and that this would indeed then be a matter of religious freedom.
The petitioners would ask that Parliament halt the passage of Bill C-415, ensuring that religious freedom remains unfettered in Canada.
Carmen Provenzano Liberal Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to present a petition signed by several hundred people in my riding calling upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed.
Rick Casson Canadian Alliance Lethbridge, AB
Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions here today. The first one has been signed by 70 residents of my riding of Lethbridge.
The petitioners call upon Parliament to protect our youth and oppose legislation that legalizes or decriminalizes the use and abuse of marijuana. They find that the Senate recommendation to wipe clean the records of any person ever convicted of marijuana possession would set a dangerous precedent.
Rick Casson Canadian Alliance Lethbridge, AB
Mr. Speaker, the next petition has been signed by 407 residents of southern Alberta, Medicine Hat, Calgary, Lethbridge and Coaldale. They petition Parliament to protect our children by taking all the necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed.
Geoff Regan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.