Debates of Nov. 8th, 2006

Interparliamentary delegations

[Bob Mills, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian Parliamentary Delegation of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association to the meeting of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region for the Seventh Convention Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region in Kiruna, Sweden, August 2 to 4.

Procedure and House Affairs

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 20th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership of committees in the House. If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 20th report later this day.

Finance

[Brian Pallister, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Finance respecting Bill C-25, An Act to amend the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act and the Income Tax Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act.

Procedure and House Affairs

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 20th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, concerning the membership of committees of the House, presented to the House earlier this day be concurred in.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Does the hon. parliamentary secretary have the unanimous consent of the House to propose the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

Marriage

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured today to present two petitions representing the signatures of dozens and dozens of residents of Ontario. The petitioners call on the House to reopen the issue of marriage in this Parliament and to repeal or amend the Marriage for Civil Purposes Act in order to promote and defend marriage as the lawful union of one man and one woman.

Age of Consent

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased to present another petition with about 1,000 signatures of citizens from across Canada. The petitioners want to give our courts and the police the tools to protect our young adolescents, as parents both demand and expect, by raising the age of protection from 14 to 16.

Homelessness

[Michael Ignatieff, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a petition regarding LAMP, a community health centre in my riding of Etobicoke--Lakeshore.

My constituents signed the petition calling upon the government to secure the future of LAMP's homelessness programs. These currently receive funding through the federal SCPI program. LAMP provides critical assistance to the homeless and those at risk of homelessness. Counselling, food and health care are just a few of LAMP's essential services.

I join my constituents in calling upon the government to ensure continued federal support for LAMP's homelessness programs.

Canada Labour Code

[Gérard Asselin, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(6), today I am tabling in this House a petition containing several signatures by constituents of the riding of Manicouagan.

This petition is in addition to the numerous petitions already tabled in the House in support of Bill C-257, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (replacement workers). The prohibition against using replacement workers—or strikebreakers, to use the petitioners’ term—contributes to the establishment and maintenance of civilized negotiations during labour disputes. This is the reason why the petitioners are asking Parliament to support Bill C-257, so as to prohibit employers covered by the Canada Labour Code from using replacement workers or fulfilling the functions of employees on strike or lockout.

Automobile Industry

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure to present a petition today. The petitioners ask that the government look at an automotive trade policy that would require Korea and other offshore markets to purchase equivalent volumes of finished vehicles and auto parts from North America as a condition of their continued access to markets.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition to table in the House today, a petition that does not come from my constituents.

This petition asks the Government of Canada to establish a new trade policy for the automobile sector. The petitioners urge the Government of Canada to cancel negotiations with Korea with a view to concluding a free-trade agreement, which would increase the massive one-way influx of automobile products on our market.

The petitioners also ask the government to develop a new trade policy for the automobile sector, requiring that Korea and other foreign markets purchase equivalent quantities of finished cars and car parts in North America if they wish to continue to access our market.

Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative

[Christian Ouellet, Bloc, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am very sad to submit yet another petition calling on the government to immediately renew the SCPI, a homelessness initiative. I have submitted numerous petitions on this issue.

This petition comes from Terrebonne-Blainville, and I would like to thank the hon. member for that riding. She tells us that the street café provides an average of 30 young people each day with a place to live and that the delay in renewing the SCPI will definitely mean a cut in services in that city, which needs its street café, Le Solidaire, for the homeless.

Automobile Industry

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition, circulated by the Canadian Auto Workers union, with literally pages of names. The petitioners call upon the government to stop the free trade agreement with Korea, which is under way. There are many petitions being circulated and presented here in the House.

I am doing this not only for the auto industry in Ontario, but for the steel industry in support of suppliers and services in Hamilton that rely on a strong auto industry. If we continue to have a flood of imports coming in without a reciprocal arrangement to sending our products there, we are going to continue to lose jobs.

This is an important petition and, hopefully, the government will pay attention, given that we are hearing from all members in all quarters of the House about this bad agreement.

Stop the agreement and support the auto sector in Ontario and in Canada.

Homelessness

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to present three petitions. The first one is about homelessness and the need to invest funds in the supporting communities partnership initiatives, or SCPI, which is the national homelessness initiative.

It notes that there are hundreds and hundreds of people in Toronto alone who are at risk of homelessness. This program provides critical assistance to homeless people and prevents people from become homeless. The current funding will dry up by March 31, 2007.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon the government to continue this wonderful program for another five years.

Immigration

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition asks the government to stop deportations while immigration policies are fixed and a new policy is in place to establish a Canadian program, which would offer work permits to law-abiding workers and their families, leading to opportunities for these workers and families to apply for landed immigrant status.

The petitioners also call for the Government of Canada to create a long term solution for a fair program that permits skilled immigrants to come here for jobs in the construction and service sectors.

Transport

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the last petition contains nine to ten pages of names of citizens who are really concerned about the safety of cyclists. They have noted that quite a few cyclists, and pedestrians, have died across Canada because they have been sucked into the undercarriage of trucks that do not have side guards.

The petitioners ask the Government of Canada to introduce regulations under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act to have side guards on these big trucks to prevent cyclists and pedestrians from being pulled under the wheels of these vehicles.

Marriage

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition today from residents in my riding of Langley. They call upon Parliament to reopen the issue of marriage and to repeal or amend the Marriage for Civil Purposes Act in order to promote and defend marriage as the lawful union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I think if you seek it you would find there is now consent to revert to motions.

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

Is there unanimous consent to revert to motions?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Procedure and House Affairs

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if the House gives it consent, I move that the 20th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs concerning the membership of committees of the House, presented in the House earlier this day, now be concurred in.

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

Does the member have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[An hon. member]

No.