House of Commons Hansard #44 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was amendments.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I have the honour to lay upon the table the report of the Privacy Commissioner pursuant to the Privacy Protection Act for the year 2005-06.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h), this document is deemed to have been permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.
Government Response to PetitionsRoutine Proceedings
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
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to four petitions.
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
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 delegation of the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association on the bilateral visit to Maputo, Mozambique, from March 21 to 23, 2006, and to Cape Town, South Africa, on March 24, 2006.
Chris Charlton NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-336, An Act to amend the Canada Pension Plan (arrears of benefits).
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce legislation today that would allow for full retroactive payments plus interest when someone applies for benefits under the Canada pension plan.
The CPP is a pay-as-you-go contribution based program that is funded solely by employers and employees. It is absurd that a person who is late in applying for his or her pension under the CPP is only entitled to 11 months of retroactive benefits. It is not the government's money.
The bill would put an end to this insufficient and unfair period of retroactivity and would do the same for disability pensions, a survivor's pension and a disabled contributor's child benefit. This is something that should and could have been done long ago. In fact, my colleague, the member for Sault Ste. Marie, championed similar legislation in the last Parliament.
I urge all members not to wait any longer and support this important improvement to the income security of Canadian seniors.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Art Hanger Conservative Calgary Northeast, AB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-337, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (child sexual predators).
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to reintroduce this private member's bill, an act to amend the Criminal Code regarding child sexual predators.
The bill would ensure that the fullest force of the law is brought to bear on those who prey on our children. It carries a minimum sentence of life imprisonment for cases of sexual assault on a child that involves repeated assaults, multiple victims, repeat offences, more than one offender, an element of confinement or kidnapping, or an offender who is in a position of trust with respect to the child.
Those who prey on our children must know that there are serious consequences for their actions. Thus, if the bill passes, no longer will they walk away with a slap on the wrist while their victims are left to deal with a lifetime of hurt and pain. The bill would ensure that they are locked away for a very long time.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Mario Silva Liberal Davenport, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have a petition that calls on Parliament to immediately halt the deportation of undocumented workers and to find a humane and logical solution to their situation.
Today is World Refugee Day and it centres around the theme of hope. I would like to congratulate High Commissioner António Gutteres and all his officials for the wonderful work they do in protecting refugees around the world and of course the people who are without status.
Francine Lalonde Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table petitions signed by 993 individuals, mostly from Ontario, regarding a motion passed in May 2005 by the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade concerning the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia, which stated that Ethiopia should abide by the final decision on borders and that its refusal to do so was having an impact on the humanitarian crisis in both countries.
The signatories are asking the government to stop providing direct aid—which it has already done—and to participate in the World Food Program's fundraising campaign for Eritrea—which it has not yet done.
I am honoured to table these petitions.
Rob Moore Conservative Fundy Royal, NB
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition today, spearheaded by a mother from the town of Hampton in my riding, containing 17,471 signatures, in addition to 3,175 signatures from Canadians across Canada on the website.
The petitioners believe that a funeral is a necessity and should be a non-taxable service. They ask that Parliament have some respect for the dead and compassion for the grieving family by removing the GST, PST and HST taxes from all funeral services.
Andy Scott Liberal Fredericton, NB
Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure to present two petitions from a number of constituents in my riding of Fredericton and throughout New Brunswick that recognize that the government has traditionally supported an enhanced mail delivery in all parts of the country, that Canadians require their mail in a timely and efficient manner and that many seniors, the sick, shut-ins and people with disabilities face barriers daily regarding accessibility issues.
The petitioners call upon the House and the minister responsible for Canada Post to maintain traditional mail delivery and service instead of implementing changes that are causing people to travel long distances from their homes to receive their mail.
Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to table a new petition concerning Wilbert Coffin.
Mr. Coffin was unjustly condemned to death in 1954 for the murder of three American hunters killed in 1953. He was hung on February 10, 1956.
People in my constituency are submitting a new petition requesting that Parliament direct the Minister of Justice to order a complete judicial review of the Coffin case.
Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON
Mr. Speaker, I present a petition today from a number of people in southwestern Ontario who call upon the Canadian government to strongly and publicly call for an independent investigation by the international community into the death camps in China and strongly and publicly call for an end to the persecution of the Falun Gong.
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition consisting of many pages of signatures of people in the city of Toronto.
The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to enact legislation to provide a side guard for large trucks and trailers to prevent cyclists and pedestrians from being pulled under the wheels of these vehicles. The petitioners state that given that a coroner's report in 1998 looking into the deaths of Toronto cyclists has recommended several times that these side guards be installed and given that it is a legal requirement in the United Kingdom and Europe, Canada should also do the same.
Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings
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
Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
The House proceeded to the consideration of Bill C-2, An Act providing for conflict of interest rules, restrictions on election financing and measures respecting administrative transparency, oversight and accountability, as reported (with amendment) from the committee.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
There are 30 motions in amendment standing on the notice paper for the report stage of Bill C-2.
Motions Nos. 5, 15 and 25 to 27 will not be selected by the Chair as they could have been proposed in committee.
All the remaining motions have been examined and the Chair is satisfied that they meet the guidelines expressed in the note to Standing Order 76.1(5) regarding the selection of motions in amendment at the report stage.
Two of the report stage motions received are identical to the proposed amendments negatived in committee by a casting vote of the chair.
Since the rejection of these motions was essentially a matter of procedure rather than a judgment on their foundation, I have decided to select them at report stage, which will allow the House to vote on the substance of these amendments.
The motions will be grouped for debate as follows:
Group No. 1, concerning conflicts of interest and lobbying, will include Motions Nos. 1 to 4, 6, 7 and 9.
Group No. 2, concerning access to information, Motions Nos. 8, 13, 14 and 17 to 22.
Group No. 3, concerning the director of public prosecutions, will include Motions Nos. 10 to 12, 16, 23 and 24.
Group No. 4, concerning procurements and contracting, Motions Nos. 28 to 30.
The voting patterns for the motions within each group are available from the clerk. The Chair will provide the details to the House at the time of voting.
I shall now propose Motions Nos. 1 to 4, 6, 7 and 9 in Group No. 1 to the House.
Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders
Ottawa West—Nepean Ontario
Conservative
John Baird ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board
moved:
Motion No. 1
That Bill C-2, in Clause 2, be amended by replacing line 12 on page 6 with the following:
“(2) No minister of the Crown, minister of state or parliamentary secretary shall, in his or her capacity as a member of the Senate or the House of Commons, debate or vote on a question that would place him or her in a conflict of interest.”
Motion No. 2
That Bill C-2, in Clause 2, be amended
(a) by replacing, in the English version, line 10 on page 22 with the following:
“ministerial staff;”
(b) by replacing, in the English version, lines 16 and 17 on page 22 with the following:
“or decision-making power in the office of a minister of the Crown or a minister of state; and”
Motion No. 3
That Bill C-2, in Clause 2, be amended by replacing line 1 on page 33 with the following:
“(2) Subject to subsection 6(2) and sections 21 and 30, nothing in this Act abrogates or dero-”
Motion No. 4
That Bill C-2, in Clause 2, be amended by replacing lines 18 and 19 on page 33 with the following:
“67. (1) Within five years after the day on which this section comes into force, a comprehensive review”
Motion No. 6
That Bill C-2, in Clause 78, be amended by deleting lines 4 to 8 on page 80.
Motion No. 7
That Bill C-2 be amended by adding after line 42 on page 84 the following new clause:
“88.11 (1) Any member of a transition team referred to in section 88.1 may apply to the Commissioner of Lobbying for an exemption from that section.
(2) The Commissioner of Lobbying may, on any conditions that the Commissioner of Lobbying specifies, exempt the member from the application of section 88.1 having regard to any circumstance or factor that the Commissioner of Lobbying considers relevant, including the following:
(a) the circumstances under which the member left the functions referred to in subsection 88.1(5);
(b) the nature, and significance to the Government of Canada, of information that the member possessed by virtue of the functions referred to in subsection 88.1(5);
(c) the degree to which the member’s new employer might gain unfair commercial advantage by hiring the member;
(d) the authority and influence that the member possessed while having the functions referred to in subsection 88.1(5); and
(e) the disposition of other cases.
(3) The Commissioner of Lobbying shall without delay cause every exemption and the Commissioner of Lobbying’s reasons for it to be made available to the public.
(4) The Commissioner of Lobbying may verify the information contained in any application under subsection (1).”
Motion No. 9
That Bill C-2, in Clause 99, be amended by deleting line 9 on page 89 to line 5 on page 90.
Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders
Nepean—Carleton Ontario
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board
Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the occasion to speak to these motions. I think most members of the House will agree that these amendments are largely technical in nature and fix the minor problems that the committee was not able to address.
I would invite any comments and questions from members across the way but I do not see these as being particularly controversial.
Stephen Owen Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC
Mr. Speaker, members of the official opposition do not agree that these are merely technical amendments. We will be willing and anxious to debate them in the proper groupings.
Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The parliamentary secretary has just delivered a speech on Group No. 1 but I do not believe there was a call for questions. I wonder if the Chair would entertain questions for the parliamentary secretary.
The Deputy Speaker NDP Bill Blaikie
I was not in the chair at exactly that moment but my understanding was that debate was called, the parliamentary secretary rose and gave a very short speech and then the member for Vancouver Quadra rose and gave an even shorter speech.
Apparently questions and comments were in order and were not called.
Stephen Owen Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC
Mr. Speaker, I believe my remarks were a preamble to my questions and comments, at which point I deferred to my friend on a point of order.
The Deputy Speaker NDP Bill Blaikie
That certainly was not obvious but if the member wants to proceed to questions or comments to the parliamentary secretary then feel free to do so.
Stephen Owen Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC
Mr. Speaker, thank you so much. I appreciate your clarifying the situation so well.
With respect to Motion No. 1, we had considerable evidence and testimony before us in the special committee from the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel on the infringement on the autonomy of the House of Commons and members of Parliament with respect to Bill C-2.
Numbers of amendments were made, including the one that is restored in Motion No. 1. They were made by committee in direct response to the advice that such an inclusion in the bill would offend the autonomy of the House and its members and disturb the appropriate independence between the members of Parliament, the House, with respect to both the executive of government and the judicial branch. I have great concern that this motion would reinstate the amendment that the committee took out on the recommendation or at least the strong advice of the chief law clerk.
Furthermore, with respect to Motion No. 6, this again reflects the replacement of a deletion by committee with respect to Mr. Walsh's advice of infringing the autonomy of the House. I would ask the parliamentary secretary if he would explain exactly why he is continuing with that infringement after we had dealt with it at committee.