House of Commons Hansard #100 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was ndp.
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages, a number of orders in council recently made by the government.
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-392, an act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act (gender identity).
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to introduce this morning a private member's bill that would add protections for transsexual and transgendered Canadians to the Canadian Human Rights Act by adding “gender identity or expression” to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination in the act.
Members of the trans-community face significant and serious discrimination in Canadian society, notably in the workplace and in the health care system. They suffer harassment and are all too often subjected to violence and murder. This bill would ensure explicit protections for trans-identified Canadians in areas of federal jurisdiction.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Gord Brown Conservative Leeds—Grenville, ON
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-393, an act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act.
Mr. Speaker, I present today this private member's bill for which members of my constituency and people all across Canada have been asking.
This act proposes to create mandatory minimum sentences for carrying a concealed weapon and for manslaughter on an unarmed person inflicted with a knife that was previously concealed.
The act mandates a reduction in parole eligibility for both offences and creates a second or subsequent offence for carrying a concealed weapon, as well as including carrying a concealed weapon as an offence within the absolute jurisdiction of a provincial court judge.
The act would also provide direction to sentencing courts with respect to consideration and calculation of pre-trial custody.
The act provides direction to the National Parole Board with respect to supplying relevant information to crime victims, asserts the obligation of the board to not adjourn conditional release hearings without justification and creates a future conditional release eligibility consequence for offenders that waive scheduled hearings.
This bill is for Andy.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
(Bill C-367. On the Order: Private Members' Business:)
Second reading and reference to the Standing Committee on Justice, Human Rights, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness of Bill C-367, an act to amend the State Immunity Act and the Criminal Code (terrorist activity)--The Member for Okanagan--Coquihalla.
Stockwell Day Conservative Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC
Mr. Speaker, I understand there is agreement among House leaders to withdraw this bill, which was initially tabled as Bill C-367, to allow me to introduce the improved version of that. I therefore ask for unanimous consent to withdraw the bill.
State Immunity ActRoutine Proceedings
Some hon. members
Agreed.
(Order discharged and bill withdrawn)
Stockwell Day Conservative Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-394, an act to amend the State Immunity Act and the Criminal Code (terrorist activity).
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a bill that is an improvement upon Bill C-367, otherwise known as the victims of terror compensation bill.
Like Bill C-367, this bill would remove the immunity for states that have been able to hide behind that immunity, states that sponsor terrorism, by amending the State Immunity Act, that would allow victims of terrorism to civilly sue the perpetrators of terrorist acts by amending the Criminal Code.
The bill I am introducing today makes the following important additions. First, the limitation period with respect to these offences would not run while a victim is incapable of commencing a proceeding due to physical, mental or psychological condition or is unaware of the identity of those responsible.
Second, any court of competent jurisdiction shall give full faith and credit to a judgment of any foreign court in favour of a person who has suffered loss or damage from terrorist activity which is prohibited under the Criminal Code.
I thank all those who have contributed to this particular bill, which will assist Canadians who in any way are hurt by terrorist activity.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Speaker, I would seek the unanimous consent of the House to move the following motion:
That Bill C-48, an act to authorize the Minister of Finance to make certain payments, be deemed to have been read a second time, referred to committee of the whole, reported without amendment, concurred in at report stage, read a third time and passed.
Bill C-48Routine Proceedings
The Speaker
Does hon. member for Winnipeg North have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?
Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Speaker, once again I ask for unanimous consent for the following motion:
That Bill C-43, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 23, 2005, be deemed to have been read a second time, referred to committee of the whole, amended at committee of the whole so that:
clause 9 be amended by replacing lines 2 to 8 on page 7 with the following: for a taxation year is (a) if the taxable capital employed in Canada of the corporation for the taxation year is equal to or less than $50,000,000, that the proportion of 4% that the number of days in the taxation year that are before 2008 is of the number of days in the taxation year; and
(b) if paragraph (a) does not apply, the percentage determined by the formula A + B [(C - $50,000,000)/$25,000,000]
Where
A is the proportion of 4%, that the number of days in the taxation year that are before 2008 is of the number of days in the taxation year;
B is that proportion of 4% that the number of days in the taxation year that are after 2007 is of the number of days in the taxation year; and
C is the lesser of $75,000,000 and the taxable capital employed in Canada of the corporation for the taxation year.
(3) for the purpose of subsection (2), the taxable capital employed in Canada of a corporation for a particular taxation year is
(a) if the corporation is associated with one or more corporations in the particular taxation year, the total of all amounts each of which is the taxable capital employed in Canada (within the meaning assigned by subsections 181.2(1) or 181.3(1) or 181.4, as the case may be) of the corporation, or of such an associated corporation, for its last taxation year that ended in the calendar year preceding the calendar year in which the particular taxation year ends; and
(b) if the corporation is not associated with one or more other corporations in the particular taxation year, the taxable capital employed in Canada (within the meaning assigned by subsections 181.2(1) or 181.3(1) or 181.4, as the case may be) of the corporation of the particular taxation year.
That Clause 10 be amended by deleting lines 9 to 36 on page 7 and lines 1 to 7 on page 8; and
Clause 11 be amended by deleting lines 8 to 29 on page 8.
That Bill C-43 be reported back to the House as amended, concurred in at the report stage, read a third time and passed.
Bill C-43Routine Proceedings
The Speaker
At least the question before the House is very clear. Is there unanimous consent for the hon. member to propose this motion?
Stockwell Day Conservative Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC
Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions. The first is from several hundred parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Westbank stating that the institution of marriage is between a man and a woman reflecting on the constitutional legal challenge and ask that it remain defined as the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.
The petitioners from Penticton and Peachland are making the same request.
I have another petition from several hundred individuals from different parts of British Columbia and Alberta who are also asking that marriage be continued to be defined as between a man and a woman. The only difference in this petition is that they are asking that Parliament use all possible legislative and administrative measures, including invoking section 33 of the charter, the notwithstanding clause, if necessary to preserve and protect the current definition of marriage.
Stockwell Day Conservative Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC
Mr. Speaker, the final petition of several hundred people ask that the appointment of Yvon Charbonneau as Canada's Ambassador to UNESCO be rescinded because he has expressed, in their view, anti-Semitic, anti-Israel and anti-American views. They ask that this appointment be rescinded so it cannot be seen as reflecting the policies of the Government of Canada in terms of being anti-Semitic, anti-Israel or anti-American.
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of the good people from Bethune, Saskatchewan, who are very concerned about the possibility of closure of rural post offices.
The petition is signed by many members of the Bethune and area communities who wish that not only in Bethune but that all rural post offices remain open.
Gord Brown Conservative Leeds—Grenville, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to submit a petition signed by many members of my riding of Leeds--Grenville who suffer from diabetes, a disease that affects one in every three Canadians.
This disease requires a tremendous amount of non-tax deductible spending and many of the sufferers are low income Canadians.
The petition calls upon Parliament to change legislation so that those living with this disease may deduct all diabetic supplies from their tax returns.
Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings
Beauséjour New Brunswick
Liberal
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, if Question No. 133 could be made an order for return, the return would be tabled immediately.
Bev Desjarlais NDP Churchill, MB
With regard to the budget plan for the Canadian International Development Agency and the Official Development Assistance Program: ( a ) does the government plan to introduce legislation that would give clarity of purpose to Official Development Assistance Program spending; ( b ) is there a review on expenditure being conducted at the Canadian International Development Agency and, if so, is it causing cuts to programs that do not meet policy priorities rather to programs that do not meet an administrative spending formula; ( c ) what impact will this expenditure review, if any, have on non-governmental organization (NGO) partnering programs; ( d ) has the expenditure review process, if any, caused the cancellation of the NGO project facility; ( e ) what effect will the expenditure review, if any, have on programs for Africa; ( f ) does the $223,000,000 for tsunami relief and the $185,320,000 for humanitarian relief laid out on page 129 of Supplementary Estimates (B), 2004-2005 come exclusively from the government surplus; and ( g ) does the government intend to reach 0.7% of gross national income going to official development assistance, and, if so, when?
(Return tabled)
Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB
Mr. Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.