House of Commons Hansard #126 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was land.

Topics

Citizenship and ImmigrationOral Question Period

3 p.m.

An hon. member

What's an argy-bargy?

Citizenship and ImmigrationOral Question Period

3 p.m.

The Speaker

Members can speak to their House leader and learn about that term.

Official LanguagesOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

Bloc

Louise Thibault Bloc Rimouski—Témiscouata, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Public Works can repeat ad nauseam that his department is reviewing the invitation to tender process that was in place for the EnerGuide program, but the fact remains that francophone bidders were disadvantaged due to significant gaps between the French and English versions of the specifications.

If the Minister of Public Works is truly concerned about being fair to francophone bidders, he should cancel the contracts and start the tender process all over again.

Does he intend to adopt this solution?

Official LanguagesOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

Kings—Hants Nova Scotia

Liberal

Scott Brison LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services

Mr. Speaker, we are reviewing this procurement process. If it is determined that bidders were disqualified due solely to the discrepancy between French and English versions of the RFP, then we will move swiftly to add all those bidders to the supplier list.

We intend to take care of this problem immediately, and we fully support the Official Languages Act.

HealthOral Question Period

September 27th, 2005 / 3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Michael John Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.

The Prime Minister and the premiers signed the $41 billion 10 year agreement on health care one year ago this month. Reducing wait times was a centrepiece of that agreement and very important to the many Canadians and their families on those waiting lists.

Can the minister tell the House whether all parties will meet the December 31, 2005 wait times deadline?

HealthOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

Vancouver South B.C.

Liberal

Ujjal Dosanjh LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, this was an extraordinary contract that the first ministers entered into to reduce wait times and establish benchmarks by December 31, 2005. The provinces and the federal government are working together. We appointed Brian Postl as federal wait times advisor on this issue.

I want to say that no government has an option to not honour that contract and to not establish benchmarks by December 31, 2005 and we will do that.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Conservative

Leon Benoit Conservative Vegreville—Wainwright, AB

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to present, in both official languages, the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates.

The committee has studied Bill C-11, an act to establish a procedure for the disclosure of wrongdoing in the public sector, including the protection of persons who disclose the wrongdoings, and has agreed to report it with amendment.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 15th report of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-273, an act to amend the Income Tax Act, deduction for volunteer emergency services.

The committee is requesting an extension of 30 sitting days to consider Bill C-273, an act to amend the Income Tax Act.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

The Speaker

Pursuant to Standing Order 97(1)(3)(a), a motion to concur in the report is deemed moved, the question deemed put and a recorded division deemed demanded and deferred until Wednesday, September 28, immediately before the time provided for private members' business.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

Inky Mark Conservative Dauphin—Swan River, MB

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to rise today to present a number of petitions for the good people of Dauphin--Swan River--Marquette.

The first petition contains thousands of names and it calls upon Parliament to enact Bill C-295, an act to amend the Holidays Act, to recognize Remembrance Day as a legal holiday that honours the men and women who died serving this country in wars and in peacekeeping efforts.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

Inky Mark Conservative Dauphin—Swan River, MB

Mr. Speaker, in the next petition, the petitioners request that Parliament, in the interest of the safety of all Canadians using airports, keep the 16 weather offices open and employed with certified weather observers. It may be such that some of the weather offices are closed, and upon the review of this petition, the petitioners request that Parliament reopen the above stated weather offices.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

Inky Mark Conservative Dauphin—Swan River, MB

Mr. Speaker, my next petition calls upon Parliament to keep the post offices open at the communities of Isabella, Miniota, Makinak and Inglis in my riding of Dauphin--Swan River--Marquette.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

Inky Mark Conservative Dauphin—Swan River, MB

Mr. Speaker, the last petition calls upon Parliament to pass legislation to recognize the institution of marriage in federal law as being a union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

Merv Tweed Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of the people of Lenore, Manitoba, dealing with the closure of rural post offices. The petitioners state that the government has put a moratorium on post office closures since 1994. They know that Canada Post has closed a significant number of rural post offices already.

Therefore, the petitioners of Lenore ask that the government keep the Lenore post office open and retain the moratorium on rural post office closures.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

Jay Hill Conservative Prince George—Peace River, BC

Mr. Speaker, as I promised yesterday, for the days and weeks ahead, at every opportunity I will be rising to present a petition on the following subject.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to immediately enact legislation to grant automatic citizenship to those minors adopted from other countries by Canadian citizens, with the citizenship being immediately granted upon the finalization of the adoption. They note that it is illogical and an inefficient use of federal resources to add these adopted infants and children to the tremendous backlog of citizenship applications that already exist.

This summer the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration promised to introduce legislation to grant automatic citizenship to children adopted from other countries. Therefore, they call upon him to do so as soon as possible and remove this undue burden from adoptive parents.

On behalf of these petitioners from St. Catharines, Orillia and Niagara Falls in Ontario, I hope that he would act expeditiously.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition signed by a number of Canadians, including from my own riding of Mississauga South, pursuant to Standing Order 36 and certified to be in the correct form and content. The subject matter is marriage.

As we heard prior to our break for some time, even notwithstanding Bill C-38, Canadians continue to believe that marriage is the best foundation for families and the raising of children and that the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman continues to be challenged.

The petitioners therefore call upon Parliament to recognize the institution of marriage in federal law as being the lifelong union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Beauséjour New Brunswick

Liberal

Dominic LeBlanc LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

The Speaker

Is that agreed?

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Motions for PapersRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Beauséjour New Brunswick

Liberal

Dominic LeBlanc LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to call Motions Nos. P-9 and P-14.

Motion No. P-9

That an Order of this House do issue for: (a) the 2002 report concerning the administration of the Canadian Grain Commission authored by Doug Livingstone, Germaine Douk and Owen MacAuley; and (b) any and all reports and studies concerning the administration, organization and operation of the Canadian Grain Commission prepared for and delivered to the office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food during the period from January 2000 to January 2005.

Motion No. P-14

That an Order of the House do issue for copies of all studies performed by the government on the effect of changes in work/rest hours for railway workers on rail safety.

Motions for PapersRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB

Mr. Speaker, Notice of Motion for the Production of Papers No. P-9, in the name of the hon. member for Battlefords—Lloydminster, and No. P-14, in the name of the hon. member for Churchill, is acceptable to the government and the documents are tabled immediately.

(Motions agreed to)

Motions for PapersRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB

I would ask that other notices of motions for the production of papers be allowed to stand.

Motions for PapersRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

The Speaker

Is that agreed?.

Motions for PapersRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

The House resumed from September 26 consideration of the motion that Bill C-49, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in persons), be read the second time and referred to a committee.