Debates of Dec. 13th, 2006

Age of Consent

[Raymond Simard, Liberal, Saint Boniface, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition today signed by 25 of my constituents. These constituents are claiming that the existing law regarding the age of sexual consent remains at 14 years of age. They are saying that Bill C-22 was tabled to raise the age of consent from 14 to 16 years and this petition lobbies the federal government to raise the age of sexual consent to 18 years.

Labelling of Alcohol Beverages

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present three petitions. Two petitions deal with a long-standing matter before the House, which is the question of labels on alcohol beverage containers indicating that drinking during pregnancy can be dangerous.

It is a motion that was passed by Parliament that is still awaiting action and these petitioners want to see the government act on what Parliament has adopted.

Automobile Industry

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is in reference to the new automotive trade policy. It is a petition that many New Democrats have signed and presented to the House. It calls for the cancellation of negotiations for a free trade agreement with Korea and the development of a new automotive trade policy.

Child Pornography

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have four petitions that I would like to present today.

The first one is from 568 people in Manitoba who call upon the government to make it illegal for Internet service providers to allow child pornography on their sites.

The second petition is from 209 of my constituents who are asking the government to do everything in its power to limit child abuse, child pornography and child trafficking and to ensure Internet luring does not happen.

Age of Consent

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition is signed by 388 constituents of mine who are calling upon the government to raise the age of consent from 14 to 16 years old.

Protection of Children

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my final petition has 249 signatures from my constituency asking the government to use all necessary means to limit child trafficking, Internet luring, child prostitution and to raise the age of consent from 14 to 16.

Automobile Industry

[Lloyd St. Amand, Liberal, Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present three identical petitions containing many signatories who are calling upon the Government of Canada to cancel negotiations for a free trade agreement with Korea, which would worsen the already one way flood of automotive products onto the Canadian market.

Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues from Beauharnois—Salaberry and Vaudreuil—Soulanges for tabling this petition from a group of organizations working on homelessness in the upper St. Lawrence region.

It truly saddens me to have to ask the government, yet again, to renew the SCPI, the national homelessness initiative.

This petition emphasizes the fact that our region needs a flexible, renewable subsidy program that enables community organizations to take more creative approaches to effective, long term intervention targeting the causes and consequences of homelessness, specifically in the Suroît region.

Homelessness

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure and an honour to present a petition from over 600 residents of Ottawa who are calling upon the government to commit funding in the upcoming budget for the homeless initiative for the next five years.

Uganda

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is also a pleasure and an honour to present a petition from constituents on the situation in northern Uganda. The petitioners are calling upon Canada to take leadership in Uganda on this issue and to support the people who are living in misery in northern Uganda.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour today to table a petition on behalf of 57 of my constituents of Kelowna—Lake Country who draw to the attention of the government the situation in northern Uganda regarding the child soldiers.

Children cannot speak for themselves and each one of us here should try to help them. No child should face the threat of being kidnapped and forced to fight in a war.

I want to wish a Merry Christmas to everyone.

Criminal Code

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure to present a petition today which was brought to my attention by a constituent of mine, Mr. David MacDonald, whose cousin's son was brutally attacked and murdered at a house party. The sentences received were minimal. His concern is shared by many people in my riding, especially in light of the McEvoy report of Justice Merlin Nunn last week.

The petitioners are calling upon the government to re-evaluate the sentences handed to criminals and ensure that sentences are adequate in comparison to the crime, regardless of age, class or race.

Falun Gong

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise and present two petitions on behalf of the citizens of Edmonton Centre.

The first petition calls upon the government and Parliament to urge the Chinese regime to end the persecution of Falun Gong and release all Falun Gong practitioners immediately, to take active measures to help stop mass killing and organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners, and to discourage Canadians from travelling to China for organ transplants.

Age of Consent

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition urges the Government of Canada assembled in Parliament to take all measures necessary to immediately raise the age of sexual consent from 14 to 16 years of age.

Sri Lanka

[Lui Temelkovski, Liberal, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, petitioners from Oak Ridges—Markham urge the Government of Canada to send a strong message to the government of Sri Lanka to cease its military offensive immediately, to allow international relief agencies to enter Tamil areas to provide humanitarian aid to the affected civilian population, to stop shelling and bombing civilian habitat, and to allow international monitors to investigate the massacres of Tamil aid workers as well.

Volunteerism

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a petition signed by 2,011 young Canadian volunteers who are calling on Parliament to address this issue in order to facilitate volunteerism both in Canada and abroad. I am therefore tabling this petition.

Sri Lanka

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present.

My first petition is from residents who are very concerned over the senseless bombing of 61 schoolgirls in an orphanage in Sri Lanka and the massacre of 17 Tamil volunteer workers who belonged to the Paris-based international group, Action Against Hunger. The petitioners call upon the government to pressure the government of Sri Lanka to allow international relief agencies to enter Tamil areas to provide basic food and medicine to civilian populations.

Poverty

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is from people who are very concerned that Canada's social transfer be strengthened to redress poverty, especially among women, and to transform our income security systems and improve social programs.

The Environment

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my third petition is from residents of Quebec who are very concerned that Canada has fallen so far behind in meeting its targets for Kyoto. The petitioners call upon the government to reconsider its decision about Kyoto and to meet its international obligations in this regard.

Age of Consent

[James Rajotte, Conservative, Edmonton—Leduc, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour today to present two petitions on behalf of the people of my riding. The first group of petitioners calls upon Parliament to immediately raise the age of sexual consent from 14 to 16 years of age.

Falun Gong

[James Rajotte, Conservative, Edmonton—Leduc, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the second group of petitioners calls upon the government and this Parliament to investigate the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, if Question Nos. 112 and 114 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Question No. 112

[Denise Savoie, NDP, Victoria, BC]

With respect to government spending on adult literacy: (a) to what year(s) was the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development referring in her statement in the House on September 26, 2006, specifically “we are spending over $80 million a year on literacy programs for adults”; (b) what was the precise spending, broken down by program, in each province and territory, for literacy programs for adults in each year from 2004-2005, what is the spending for the current year, and what is the anticipated spending in each year from 2007-2008; (c) what is the government's position with respect to public funding of non-delivery program supports, capacity building, professional development for literacy practitioners, material and resource development and the promotion of literacy programming in communities; and (d) how does the government intend to ensure that the delivery of adult literacy programs is effective, efficient, of high quality and universally accessible to every Canadian who needs it?