House of Commons Hansard #45 of the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was french.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on Motion No. 411 under private members' business.
[Before the Clerk announced the results of the vote:]
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Order, please. Before the Clerk announces the results, I wish to remind hon. members of the invitation to meet the Watoto Children’s Choir from Uganda, in Room 216, after the vote.
They will be there to greet the hon. members.
Carole Freeman Bloc Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
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-Europe Parliamentary Association respecting its participation at the 30th European Parliament — Canada Inter-parliamentary Meeting, held in Brussels, Belgium, from November 20 to 22, 2007.
Luc Harvey Conservative Louis-Hébert, QC
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 Canadian branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie respecting its participation in the mission of the Americas Region of the APF, held in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, November 6 and 7, 2007.
Leon Benoit Conservative Vegreville—Wainwright, AB
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured today to table two reports from the NATO parliamentarians.
Pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the report of the delegation of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association respecting its participation in the annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, held in Reykjavík, Iceland, October 5 to 9, 2007.
Pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I also have the honour to present, in both official languages, the report of the delegation of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association respecting its participation in the parliamentary transatlantic forum of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, held in Washington, D.C., United States, December 10 to 11, 2007.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I wish to inform the House that because of the deferred recorded division, government orders will be extended by 15 minutes.
Gary Goodyear Conservative Cambridge, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 10th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
Pursuant to Standing Order 91.1(2) the subcommittee on private member's business met to consider the order for the second reading of a private member bill originating in the Senate, Bill S-215, An Act to protect heritage lighthouses, and recommends that the item listed herein, which has been determined should not be designated non-votable, be considered by the House.
Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Conservative
Kevin Sorenson Conservative Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development concerning the violation of human rights in Kenya.
Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
asked for leave to introduce Bill C-501, An Act to establish Mathieu Da Costa Day.
She said: Mr. Speaker, as a Canadian of African descent from Quebec, it is an honour for me to introduce this bill which would designate the first Monday in February in each and every year as Mathieu Da Costa Day.
An interpreter, Mathieu Da Costa is credited with being the first black man in Canada and was likely an important player in European exploration of the continent. Da Costa is believed to have worked alongside both Pierre du Gua de Monts, a leader in the establishment of French settlements in eastern Canada, and Samuel de Champlain, who selected the site for the settlement that later became Quebec City.
Given this is the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City, it is my hope that my colleagues in the House will support my efforts at having Da Costa's contributions to our country's history recognized.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Fisheries and OceansCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
York—Simcoe Ontario
Conservative
Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 66(2)(a) I would like to designate Thursday, February 7 for the purpose of concluding debate on the motion to concur in the first report of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.
Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON
Mr. Speaker, I believe you would find unanimous consent for the following motion on the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs travel. I move:
That, notwithstanding the motion adopted on December 13, 2007, in relation to its study on veterans health care review and the veterans independence program, 10 members of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs be authorized to travel to Shearwater, Nova Scotia; Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador; Cold Lake, Alberta; and Comox, B.C. from February 10 to 15, and that the necessary staff accompany the committee.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Does the hon. member for Niagara West—Glanbrook have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this 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?
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from a number of citizens and residents of Canada who have expressed shock with regard to the death of Mr. Robert Dziekanski on October 14, 2007 in Vancouver airport.
The petitioners demand answers from the House of Commons to the following questions. Is the standard procedure for RCMP, which has other restraining devices and bullet proof vests, to surround and attack citizens with a taser without obvious threat? Is it a standard procedure for RCMP to create misleading public announcements as to what happened? Is it standard procedure for RCMP personnel not to provide basic CPR to a helpless and dying victim? How are citizens of this nation, with emotional distress or panic attacks, currently protected from being tasered?
Furthermore, they believe Canadian citizens are in danger since it is clearly evident that enforcement agencies are using deadly taser devices as a convenience tool and are breaking the rules of law.
They believe we should not wait until inquiries and probes are completed with recommendations by various agencies, including the RCMP. They therefore petition the House of Commons to act now, with an immediate moratorium on taser use by Canadian enforcement agencies.
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
I have a second petition, Mr. Speaker, one in French and one in English. This is a call to suspend the security and prosperity partnership of North America on continental integration. They petition the Government of Canada as follows: Whereas the implementation of the security and prosperity partnership—
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Order, please. The hon. member for London—Fanshawe knows she cannot read the petition. When she said “as follows” and begins reading, she has a problem. It is a brief summary she is to give of a petition and I invite her to do that.
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Mr. Speaker, I will paraphrase. The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to stop the implementation of the security and prosperity partnership of North America with the United States and Mexico. They believe there is no democratic mandate from the people of Canada. Nor has there been any parliamentary oversight. They consider there will be profound consequences on Canada's existence as a sovereign nation and its ability to adopt autonomous and sustainable economic, social and environmental policies.
Merv Tweed Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
Mr. Speaker, the petitions continue to come in, in support of 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 audiovisual materials.