House of Commons Hansard #93 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was bank.

Topics

Canadian Television FundRoutine Proceedings

10 a.m.

Durham Ontario

Conservative

Bev Oda ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table today, in both official languages, the Canadian Television Fund's annual report.

Aboriginal AffairsRoutine Proceedings

10 a.m.

Calgary Centre-North Alberta

Conservative

Jim Prentice ConservativeMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians

Mr. Speaker, under the provisions of Standing Order 32(2) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, copies of the action plan for drinking water in first nations communities progress report and the report of the expert panel on safe drinking water for first nations.

Competition ActRoutine Proceedings

10 a.m.

Beauce Québec

Conservative

Maxime Bernier ConservativeMinister of Industry

moved for leave to introduce C-41, An Act to amend the Competition Act.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Public AccountsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

10 a.m.

Liberal

Shawn Murphy Liberal Charlottetown, PE

Mr. Speaker, I have three committee reports to table in the House today. The first report I have the honour to present, in both official languages, is the 10th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on chapter 4, Canadian firearms program of the May 2006 report of the Auditor General of Canada.

In addition, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this particular report.

I also have the pleasure to present, in both official languages, the 11th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on chapter 2, National Defence, military recruiting and retention of the May 2006 report of the Auditor General of Canada.

In addition, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Finally, I have the pleasure to present to the House, in both official languages, the 12th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on the Public Accounts of Canada, 2006.

In addition, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

Gary Goodyear Conservative Cambridge, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 24th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

As a result of the replenishment of Tuesday, October 31, 2006, the committee recommends that the following item, which it has determined should not be deemed or designated non-votable, be considered by the House: Bill C-377, An Act to ensure Canada assumes its responsibilities in preventing dangerous climate change.

In addition, the committee recommends that Motion No. 262, standing in the name of the hon. member for Vancouver Island North, which it has determined should not be designated non-votable, should also be considered by the House.

Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

Pursuant to Standing Order 91.1(2) the report is deemed adopted.

(Motion agreed to)

Status of WomenCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 11th report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women entitled “A Comprehensive Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking in Canada”. It calls on the government to develop, in cooperation with the provinces, a comprehensive strategy to combat the whole issue of human trafficking in Canada.

FinanceCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

Brian Pallister Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour of presenting, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Finance entitled “Canada: Competing to Win”.

I would ask the House to accept this report on behalf of the members of our standing committee. The prebudget consultation hearings are designed to receive the input of Canadians regarding future budgetary priorities and I believe the committee fulfilled this mandate very well.

The theme of this year's prebudget consultation hearing process was Canada's place in a competitive world. We met with over 450 presenters. We travelled to a number of locations throughout Canada. The committee was keen to receive as broad an input as possible and, as a consequence, we travelled to locations which the committees in previous years had not visited. I believe we were very successful as a committee in capturing the broad view.

In conclusion, all committee members were honoured and humbled by the enormity of this task. The challenges were many, including bringing together members, not only from all the political parties, but cataloguing the input from people across the country from coast to coast and then sorting through hundreds of prebudget submissions and coming up with a final report.

I would like to thank the members of the House who took advantage of the prebudget consultation input opportunity they were given by conducting hearings in their own areas. I send a special thanks to the clerk's office for the organization and implementation of the prebudget consultation hearings. Canadians should be proud, not only of this committee but also of the staff who put so much effort into preparing this report.

I sense your impatience, Mr. Speaker, but you should understand that thousands of hours were put into the preparation of this report and therefore two or three minutes should not be too much to ask to introduce the report to the House and to thank you for your patience.

FinanceCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

The hon. member knows he is entitled to make a speech when he moves concurrence in the committee report, which I am sure he will do in due course, and we will all get to hear him then for more than two or three minutes and we are all looking forward to it, I am sure.

Public Service Labour Relations ActRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

Liberal

Dan McTeague Liberal Pickering—Scarborough East, ON

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-392, An Act to amend the Public Service Labour Relations Act (RCMP members and special constables) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act.

Mr. Speaker, I promise not to tax your patience in this very brief introduction of this important bill. I am pleased to introduce today a bill to amend the Public Service Labour Relations Act and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act.

The bill seeks to provide rank and file members of the RCMP with access to collective bargaining in a grievance procedure. These two fundamental labour rights are available to members of the federal public service and are the main elements in any labour relations agreement. In addition, most police forces across Canada already provide their members with a collective bargaining process and a grievance procedure.

I thank the hon. member for Vancouver East for her co-sponsorship of the bill. We hope it will help establish more harmonious labour relations inside the RCMP, one based on trust, dialogue and, of course, mutual respect.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Immigration and Refugee Protection ActRoutine Proceedings

10:10 a.m.

NDP

Peggy Nash NDP Parkdale—High Park, ON

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-394, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (sponsorship of relative).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce this important private member's bill which seeks to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

The bill is similar to ones introduced by my hon. colleagues from Burnaby—Douglas and Vancouver East in previous Parliaments. I thank the hon. member for New Westminster—Coquitlam for seconding this bill.

The bill, which we call the once in a lifetime bill, would allow any Canadian citizen or landed immigrant to sponsor, once in their lifetime, one family member from outside the family class as currently defined in the act. Specifically, this could be a son or daughter who is not a dependant and who is over age 22, a brother or sister, an aunt or uncle, a niece or nephew or a first cousin.

Most important, the bill would ensure that family reunification is a key to immigration policies. This is important to my riding of Parkdale—High Park with its large and vibrant immigrant population that contributes so much to our riding, our city and our country.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Bill C-28. On the order: Government orders:)

December 6, 2006--Report stage of Bill C-28, A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on May 2, 2006--the Minister of Finance.

Budget Implementation Act, 2006, No. 2Routine Proceedings

10:10 a.m.

Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre Saskatchewan

Conservative

Tom Lukiwski ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform

moved:

That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practices of the House, the report stage motion on the notice paper for Bill C-28, A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on May 2, 2006, be deemed adopted and the report stage of Bill C-28 be deemed concurred in on division.

Budget Implementation Act, 2006, No. 2Routine Proceedings

10:10 a.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Budget Implementation Act, 2006, No. 2Routine Proceedings

10:10 a.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Budget Implementation Act, 2006, No. 2Routine Proceedings

10:10 a.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

(Motion agreed to, bill, as amended, concurred in)

VolunteerismPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:10 a.m.

Conservative

Kevin Sorenson Conservative Crowfoot, AB

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of hundreds of Canadians who are in support of young Canadians volunteering in communities in Canada and all over the world.

We appreciate their efforts as Canada's new government is committed to working with the voluntary sector to promote citizen participation and engagement in Canadian society.

In budget 2006, Canada's new government ensured that we focus our support to front line volunteer organizations. We exempted donations by publicly listed securities to public charities from capital gains tax. Volunteer organizations will continue to receive funding from a broad range of government programs.

The petitioners want young Canadians to have the benefits and rewards from the experience that volunteer community work provides. They support Canada's new government taking legislative measures to assist in this effort.

VolunteerismPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:10 a.m.

NDP

Dawn Black NDP New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by thousands of Canadians from every area of the country who say that there are many young Canadians who desire to serve their society as volunteers in Canada and abroad but that the majority of them are denied this opportunity because the government funds are not there for respective NGOs to continue this kind of work.

Thousands of communities in Canada and abroad are therefore denied the stimulating presence of young, enthusiastic and dynamic volunteers, not to mention the substantial economic spinoff that comes from this kind of activity.

The petitioners are calling upon Parliament to enact legislation that will allow young Canadians, who wish to do so, to serve their community here in Canada and abroad in this way.

MarriagePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:15 a.m.

Liberal

Gurbax Malhi Liberal Bramalea—Gore—Malton, ON

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the honour to present the following petition to the House.

The petitioners of the riding of Bramalea—Gore—Malton call upon the government to reopen the debate on same sex marriage and restore the traditional definition of marriage.

I respectfully submit the petition and have signed my name to it.

MarriagePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:15 a.m.

Bloc

Roger Gaudet Bloc Montcalm, QC

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present to you. The first is a petition from the citizens of my riding regarding the Civil Marriage Act.

VolunteerismPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:15 a.m.

Bloc

Roger Gaudet Bloc Montcalm, QC

Mr. Speaker, I also present a second petition requesting that Parliament take measures that will allow all young Canadians, who wish to do so, to serve in communities as volunteers at the national or international levels.

VolunteerismPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:15 a.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, I take pleasure in tabling a petition signed by literally thousands of Canadians recognizing the enormous contribution of young people who devote their energies and talents as volunteers to the cause of building a more equitable and peaceful world, both here at home and abroad.

The petitioners urge Parliament to adopt legislative and other measures to support this valuable work of the volunteers and of the NGOs, like Crossroads International, Katimavik Canada World Youth and countless other agencies that facilitate and coordinate this tremendous contribution to building a better world, both here at home and abroad.

Automotive IndustryPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:15 a.m.

Liberal

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table a petition from Canadians mainly from Ontario but not necessarily from my riding.

The petitioners are asking the Government of Canada for a new automotive trade policy. This is the last of a series of petitions that I have tabled in the House. It basically calls upon the Government of Canada to cancel negotiations for a free trade agreement with Korea which would worsen the one way flow of automotive products into our market and to develop a new 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 our market.

ImmigrationPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:15 a.m.

Bloc

Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to table in this House. The first calls on the Government of Canada to create an immigration service at the Canadian embassy in Beirut to deal with visa applications by persons who wish to come to Canada as permanent residents. At present, they must go to the Canadian embassy in Damascus. This petition was signed by 1,559 individuals who are asking that immigration issues be dealt with at the existing Canadian embassy in Beirut.

TransportPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:15 a.m.

Bloc

Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC

Mr. Speaker, the second petition urges the Canadian government to authorize a direct air route between Montreal and Beirut. Most individuals are currently forced to travel by air routes with several stops in different countries. It costs a fortune for these individuals to visit their families. This petition was signed by 1,793 people.

These two petitions were signed by Quebeckers and Canadians from all parts of Canada and Quebec, and not just individuals in my riding.