House of Commons Hansard #43 of the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was crime.
Maxime Bernier ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, we are deeply concerned about the current humanitarian situation in Gaza. In fact, a few weeks ago, I travelled to Israel and Palestine, to see the situation for myself. We are following things very closely. We hope that a peace agreement can be reached in the Middle East, in 2008.
The Americans and the international community are working together to ensure that the Middle East will become a land of peace in the coming year.
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table in this House the rules amending the Federal Court Rules, including representative proceedings, class proceedings and other amendments.
Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass DestructionRoutine Proceedings
Beauce Québec
Conservative
Maxime Bernier ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the annual report on Canada's contribution to the global partnership against the spread of weapons and materials of mass destruction.
Chuck Strahl 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 “Plan of Action for Drinking Water in First Nations Communities--Progress Report January 17, 2008”.
Jean-Pierre Blackburn ConservativeMinister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
asked for leave to introduce Bill C-40, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code, the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act, the Canada Student Loans Act and the Public Service Employment Act.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern DevelopmentCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Conservative
Barry Devolin Conservative Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.
In accordance with the order of reference on Tuesday, November 13, 2007, your committee has considered Bill C-21, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act, and has agreed to report it with amendments.
Access to Information, Privacy and EthicsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Liberal
Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, which met on January 31, 2008 in relation to the Mulroney Airbus settlement study and agreed to the following recommendation:
That the government not wait for the Committee to complete its work and immediately initiate a formal public inquiry into the Mulroney-Schreiber affair and appoint a Commissioner as soon as possible, granting him or her full latitude to define the parameters of his or her inquiry, which shall be as broad as possible.
The committee is very concerned that if the government, as has been suggested, waits until the committee finishes all of its work, it will be several months an inquiry that is established. Our knowledge of past inquiries is that it takes several months to hire staff, to get a place, to engage people, to have the necessary information, even before any witnesses are heard.
We believe very strongly that the process should commence now. We will certainly be finished our work before any witnesses need be heard.
Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Region of Northern Ontario ActRoutine Proceedings
Liberal
Anthony Rota Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-499, An Act to establish the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Region of Northern Ontario.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present my private member's bill which looks to establish the economic development agency of Canada for the region of northern Ontario.
The purpose of this bill is to promote economic development, economic diversification and job creation in communities in northern Ontario. An integral component of this bill is the inclusion of Parry Sound-Muskoka among the 10 electoral ridings that comprise northern Ontario.
Regional development is crucial to the people of northern Ontario. My bill is designed to ensure that FedNor will not be subject to any more cuts or face the threat of elimination altogether by the current Conservative government.
I look forward to the successful passing of this proposed legislation.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Jack Layton NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Speaker, discussions have taken place between all parties and I believe you will find consent, if you seek it, for the following motion. I move:
That this House condemns the proposed execution of the Afghan journalism student, Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, and calls on the Government of Canada to intervene with the government of Afghanistan to have all criminal proceedings against Sayed Pervez Kambaksh immediately abandoned.
We are hoping to have this motion adopted.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Does the hon. member for Toronto--Danforth have the unanimous consent of the House to propose the motion?
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?
Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition which is signed by hundreds of constituents in my riding of York West and across the GTA.
The petitioners are raising concerns about human rights abuses amid the renewed civil war in Sri Lanka and are calling on the government to work toward finding a lasting peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Merv Tweed Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
Mr. Speaker, I again am pleased to present a petition from the people of Peace River, a great constituency, supporting Bill C-458, An Act to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act (library materials), which will protect and support the library book rate and extend it to include audio-visual materials.
Dennis Bevington NDP Western Arctic, NT
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present two petitions, totalling some 650 signatures from people in my riding of Western Arctic as well as the other two northern territories, to request that the finance minister raise the northern residents tax deduction which has been set at an amount for the last 20 years, contrary to the increase in inflation which has made the cost of living prohibitive for northerners.
These actions are supported by chambers of commerce and the mining companies that employ people in the region. All people recognize that the cost of living is one of the greatest impediments to northern development.
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition which is in the proper order about the serious reduction in services to rural Canada and rural Prince Edward Island by Canada Post.
The petition basically says that Canada Post is switching from resident door to door mail delivery to community mailbox delivery without properly assessing the safety of these community mailboxes to the residents. Many of the community mailboxes being established in the province of Prince Edward Island are no safer than regular mailboxes and there are additional problems in terms of accessibility, litter, snow build-up and the environment.
The petitioners call upon Parliament to ensure proper consultations by Canada Post with those people so affected.
Mario Silva Liberal Davenport, ON
Mr. Speaker, I stand today to bring to the attention of the House a petition dealing with an issue of great importance to our future economic prosperity.
The manufacturing sector is a vital part of the engine that drives the Canadian economy. Good paying jobs in this sector help improve Canada's infrastructure and its industrial stability.
At this time of great economic growth in this country the manufacturing sector is suffering. Hundreds of thousands of hard-working men and women are being laid off. Plants are closing and lucrative government projects are being awarded to foreign companies instead of world leading manufacturing corporations that Canada boasts.
Manufacturing jobs in Canada affect millions of families and I urge my fellow members to join with me and support these petitioners' demand to develop a plan of action to protect our manufacturing sector.
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to present a petition against the security and prosperity partnership of North America.
SPP reduces protection in pesticide use, reduced food and air safety, and brings the environment to the lowest common denominator. It also allows more U.S. control over Canadian energy and water.
These petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to stop the implementation of the security and prosperity partnership with the United States and Mexico, and consider its profound consequences on Canada's existence as a sovereign nation and its ability to adopt autonomous and sustainable economic, social and environmental policies.
The petitioners also the Government of Canada to conduct a transparent and accountable public debate of the SPP process.
Rob Moore Conservative Fundy Royal, NB
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present eight petitions containing hundreds of signatures urging Parliament to update current laws on animal welfare.
Yasmin Ratansi Liberal Don Valley East, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of the residents of Don Valley East and surrounding area with regard to the callous disregard to the needs of women and women's groups in Canada which is evidenced by the fact there was no mention of women or women's groups in the Speech from the Throne, and the cut to funding for women's advocacy programs.
The petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to immediately restore funding cuts to Status of Women Canada to allow women's groups to lobby government as is their duty.
Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT
Mr. Speaker, I present this income trust broken promise petition on behalf of many people from Mississauga who remember the Prime Minister boasting about his commitment to accountability when he said “the greatest fraud is a promise not kept”.
The petitioners remind the Prime Minister that he promised never to tax income trusts, but he recklessly broke that promise by imposing a 31.5% punitive tax which permanently wiped out over $25 billion of hard earned savings of over two million Canadians, particularly seniors.
The petitioners therefore call upon the Conservative minority government to admit that the decision to tax income trusts was based on flawed methodology and incorrect assumptions, to apologize to those who were unfairly harmed by this broken promise, and finally, to repeal the punitive 31.5% tax on income trusts.
Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings
Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry Ontario
Conservative
Guy Lauzon ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.