House of Commons Hansard #69 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was surplus.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-365, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (benefit period increase).
Mr. Speaker, once again, this is a very good bill. It aims to increase the benefit period for claimants 45 years of age or over who are laid off permanently after 10 years or more in the labour force.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-366, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (pregnancy benefit).
Mr. Speaker, this is another good bill. It prevents a claimant's entitlement to benefit for pregnancy or caring for a newborn or adoptee being reduced on account of the claimant receiving or having received a benefit for illness or injury.
The bill also prevents a claimant losing illness or injury benefit because the illness or injury has arisen during a pregnancy or caring period.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-367, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (removal of waiting period).
Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time that I have introduced this bill. I hope that the House will vote in favour of the bill so that we can remove the two-week waiting period for payment of employment benefits.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-368, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (change of title to Unemployment Insurance Act) and another Act in consequence.
Mr. Speaker, once again, this is a very good bill. It seeks to restore the former title of the bill, that is the Unemployment Insurance Act. In addition, the “Employment Insurance Account” is replaced by the “Unemployment Insurance Account”, so that henceforth these monies are given to the unemployed to whom they belong.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-369, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (no interest payable by claimants on benefit repayments or penalties).
Mr. Speaker, this is another good bill. It provides that claimants may not be charged interest or any other penalty for the late payment of benefit repayments or of penalties assessed for violations of the Act because employment insurance belongs to them.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-370, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (length of benefit period).
Mr. Speaker, this bill increases the duration of benefits, first by providing that a week in which at least 15 hours were worked counts as a week of insurable employment, and second by providing that every 30 hours of the total hours worked counts as a week of insurable employment.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-371, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (percentage of insurable earnings payable to claimant).
Mr. Speaker, once again, this is one of the best bills we could have. The bill seeks to increase the percentage of insurable earnings from 55% to 66%. Any insurance pays two thirds of salaries. At 55%, the plan is not fair to workers who pay into it.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Ken Epp Conservative Edmonton—Sherwood Park, AB
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order that has to do with the sound system. We are getting both the French and the English. For us unilingual Canadians, it is rather difficult to understand the bills that the member is introducing.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I am sure that would be very helpful, but the hon. member for Edmonton—Sherwood Park will be able to read it all in Hansard tomorrow. It was an introduction of eight private members' bills, all of which I am sure he will find fascinating. I would not be surprised if he gets up on a point of order and asks to have them grouped for debate.
Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Earlier in question period, we dealt with a question of privilege pertaining to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. In the course of my remarks in dealing with that matter, I indicated there was legal documentation from various members of Parliament that recorded a certain flow of events with respect to what happened in the House last Thursday.
I have in my hand eight sworn affidavits from members of Parliament, who are prepared to put their version of events on the record in this legal form. I wonder, for the information of the House, if there would be unanimous consent to have these filed in the House so this information could be available to all members of Parliament.
John Williams Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions today from many of my constituents in Edmonton—St. Albert.
The first petition calls upon the government to take all measures necessary to immediately raise the age of consent from 14 to 16 years.
As members know, our government has already acted on that petition.
John Williams Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
Mr. Speaker, the second petition, again from people in and around St. Albert, asks the Canadian government to make a public statement regarding the communist regime committing crimes against humanity by the persecution of Falun Gong, to release these Falun Gong practitioners immediately and to take active measures to help stop the mass killing and organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners.
Brenda Chamberlain Liberal Guelph, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to present three petitions signed by members of my community and Canadians across Canada.
The first petition is on Canada's immigration policies. The petitioners call upon the government to increase the number of refugees allowed into Canada and to make it easier for refugees to come to Canada.
Brenda Chamberlain Liberal Guelph, ON
Mr. Speaker, the second petition is with regard to the Falun Gong. The petitioners call upon the government to do more to address the situation facing Falun Gong practitioners in China.
Brenda Chamberlain Liberal Guelph, ON
Mr. Speaker, the third petition calls upon the government to raise the age of consent in Canada from 14 to 16 years of age.
Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC
Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the names of 123 people who have signed a petition about the anti-scab bill, defended by my colleague from Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert and introduced by the member for Gatineau.
This legislation is needed to level the playing field for employers and employees by prohibiting the use of scabs, in order to maintain civilized negotiations.
A vote will be held this evening, and I invite all the members of this House to show compassion to the people who have lost their jobs or are on strike by voting in favour of this historic bill.
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to submit two petitions on behalf of auto workers who oppose the government's move toward a trade deal with Korea, which will cost thousands of auto jobs across the country. The petitioners note that independent studies conclude they are at risk with this trade agreement.
This petition is part of 47,000 signatures that have been tabled. They invite all members to table petitions in support of ending these negotiations which will cost so many Canadian jobs.
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present a petition signed by approximately 288 of my constituents and another 234 from across Canada in support of Remembrance Day as a national holiday.
Ken Boshcoff Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have another petition, signed by the residents of my riding, calling upon the Prime Minister to make energy conservation and the environment a priority and to re-enact the currently suspended programs. We know that EnerGuide has lost about 100,000 homes that could have been energy efficient at this time because of it.
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am tabling two petitions signed by fellow citizens from my region and dealing with marriage and same sex couples.
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition pursuant to Standing Order 36, with signatures of about 150 people from all over Ontario.
The petitioners call upon the government to cancel the negotiations for the trade agreement with Korea because of its negative impact on the auto sector in particular and manufacturing generally. They also call upon the government to develop a sound automotive trade policy.
Dave Batters Conservative Palliser, SK
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I have the honour of presenting a petition on behalf of a number of citizens in my riding of Palliser, from the communities of Caronport and Moose Jaw.
The petitioners wish to call to the attention of Parliament that the protection of our children from sexual predators must be a top priority of the federal government, that the Canadian Police Association, a number of provincial governments and a parliamentary report all favour raising the age of consent and that it is the duty of Parliament, through the enactment and enforcement of the Criminal Code, to protect the most vulnerable members of our society from harm.