Debates of March 5th, 2008

Aboriginal Affairs

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Mr. Speaker, for most Canadian couples, laws are in place to provide them a right to equal distribution of assets if their relationship comes to an end.

Unfortunately, this is not the case on first nations reserves. After a breakup on reserve, very often the women and children are left with very little or even nothing.

Yesterday, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development introduced legislation to rectify this terrible injustice. Can the minister tell the House why it is so important to get the bill passed quickly?

[Chuck Strahl, Conservative, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians]

Mr. Speaker, it is important to pass Bill C-47 as quickly as possible to correct an inequality. It is about extending matrimonial rights to protect aboriginal women and children, to ensure they are treated fairly if things go wrong in the home.

It is something aboriginal groups have been asking for. Human rights groups, the Senate unanimously, including Liberals, asked us to pass this legislation as quickly as possible, as did Lucy Roundpoint, who is a member from Akwesasne. She said that Bill C-47 would protect other aboriginal women from having to go through what she has gone through.

This is a good bill. It is about righting a wrong. It is about bringing equality to first nations women. It is time to get this bill done. It is time to pass it in the House.

Employment Insurance

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, since the first reforms to employment insurance in 1986, the Liberals and Conservatives have been taking turns helping themselves to workers' money.

Why does the reserve fund of the new crown corporation not contain the entire $57 billion that belonged to workers?

[Monte Solberg, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, there is no question the Liberals did raid the EI account to the tune of well over $50 billion. We cannot do much about that, but we can fix this problem going forward and that is exactly what we are doing.

From this point forward, that funding will go through an independent financing board to make sure that decisions are made based on what is right for workers. Only enough premiums coming in to cover benefits will be required. Any more than that will go toward reducing premiums for the benefit of workers and employers. It is about time.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order. I have two reminders for hon. members and I want to quote from page 522 of Marleau and Montpetit, which I am sure is very familiar to all hon. members. First, it states:

The Speaker will not allow a Member to refer to another Member by name even if the Member is quoting from a document such as a newspaper article. As the Chair noted, a Member “cannot do indirectly what cannot be done directly”.

That was a sin committed earlier today.

Second, it states:

It is unacceptable to allude to the presence or absence of a Member or Minister in the Chamber. The Speaker has traditionally discouraged Members from signalling the absence of another Member from the House because “there are many places that Members have to be in order to carry out all of the obligations that go with their office”.

I hope hon. members will bear those statements in mind during the ensuing days and not repeat the mistakes that have been made today.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask for the unanimous consent of this House to have a take note debate later this evening, pursuant to Standing Order 53(1), on the devastating effect the World Trade Organization negotiations will have on the fisheries programs, such as the elimination of small craft harbours programs, the elimination of the capital gains tax exemption, the elimination of employment insurance for fishermen, and the elimination of the gas tax card for fishermen.

These are very important issues that affect the economy of inshore fishermen right across this country.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. member]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, discussions have taken place among all parties with respect to Bill C-254, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda), first introduced during the 38th Parliament and reintroduced May 24, 2007.

This bill at long last includes the legal word for “gender” in the categories protected from hate crimes.

On the cusp of International Women's Day, I hope to find consent for the following motion: that notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, Bill C-254, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda), be deemed read a second time and referred to committee of the whole, deemed considered in committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage, and deemed read a third time and passed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Does the hon. member for Etobicoke Centre have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

Government Response to Petitions

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Parliamentary 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 15 petitions.

Interparliamentary Delegations

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

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 group of the Interparliamentary Union, respecting its participation at the 51st session of the Commission on the Status of Women, “A parliamentary perspective on discrimination and violence against the girl child”, held in New York, March 1, 2007.

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

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 group of the Interparliamentary Union, respecting its participation at the annual parliamentary conference on the WTO, held in Geneva, Switzerland, December 1 and 2, 2006.

Public Accounts

[Shawn Murphy, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following reports of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts: the ninth report on Chapter 5, Passports Services — Passport Canada of February 2007 Report of the Auditor General of Canada; the 10th report on Chapter 7, Management of Forensic Laboratory Services — Royal Canadian Mounted Police of the May 2007 Report of the Auditor General of Canada; and the 11th report on the Public Accounts of Canada for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2007.

Justice and Human Rights

[Art Hanger, Conservative, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

In accordance with the order of reference of Monday, January 28, 2008, your committee has considered Bill C-31, An Act to amend the Judges Act and agreed on Tuesday, March 4, to report it without amendment.

Environment and Sustainable Development

[Bob Mills, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. The committee requests an extension of 30 sitting days under Standing Order 97.1 to consider Bill C-377, An Act to ensure Canada assumes its responsibilities in preventing dangerous climate change.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Pursuant to Standing Order 97.1(3)(a), a motion to concur in the report is deemed moved, the question deemed put, and a recorded division deemed demanded and deferred until Wednesday, March 12, 2008, immediately before the time provided for private members' business.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food in relation to the supplementary estimates.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, I have a couple of motions.

The first motion seeks to provide an opportunity to members of the House to have additional time to debate our Afghanistan military commitment mission. I seek consent for the following motion: That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, on Monday, March 10, and Tuesday, March, 11, 2008, commencing at the hour the House would normally adjourn and ending at midnight, the House shall consider Government Motion No. 5, which is the motion that proposes Canada should continue its military presence in Kandahar beyond February 2009 to July 2011, provided that during the debate no quorum calls, dilatory motions or requests for unanimous consent will be receivable by the Chair and, when no member rises to speak or at midnight, whichever comes first, the House shall adjourn to the next sitting day without the question being put; and, on Thursday, March 13, 2008, unless previously disposed of, at 15 minutes before the expiry of time provided for government orders, the Speaker shall interrupt the proceedings and put forthwith without further debate or amendment every question necessary to dispose of Government Motion No. 5.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Does the government House leader have the unanimous consent of the House to propose these motions?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, there has not been the normal consultation that usually would go along with this type of matter. It is possible that consultation could proceed later but since it has not taken place to this point, we would not be in a position to agree to the item at this time.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the opposition House leader for those constructive comments. There has been some consultation but I am pleased that the parties will consider it further.

My other motion relates to Bill C-47 on matrimonial property and reads: That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, Bill C-47, an act respecting family homes situated on first nations reserves and matrimonial interests or rights in or to structures and lands situated on those reserves be deemed to have been read a second time and referred to a committee of the whole, deemed considered in committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at the report stage and deemed read a third time and passed.

I seek consent for that motion in this International Women's Week.