Debates of April 9th, 2008

Fisheries and Oceans

[Catherine Bell, NDP, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, an urgent situation is developing in Robson Bight Ecological Reserve. This is a critical habitat for British Columbia's northern resident orca whales which are listed as threatened under species at risk legislation.

Last August a barge spilled its load, causing an oil spill contaminating Robson Bight. An underwater investigation shows the fuel tanker to be intact at this time but it will not be indefinitely. Time is running out.

Does the minister have a plan to remove the tanker full of diesel oil before the orcas' return in June, yes or no?

[Loyola Hearn, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, let me assure the hon. member that, first of all, we have worked very closely with the minister of the environment from British Columbia. We originally carried out a very successful plan to survey the damage that had been caused. We will make sure that we will continue to monitor and do the right thing.

Sometimes trying to remove things such as the tanker can do more harm than good and we are not going to do that.

Ethics

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, why are the Conservatives not allowing the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights to add three additional meetings to its schedule in order to study a matter of criminal law?

Why was the Criminal Code not enough to prevent what appears to be an obvious attempt to bribe an MP? What do they have to hide?

[James Moore, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics]

Mr. Speaker, we have nothing to hide in this matter. As I stated several times in the past months, there is no scandal. The Liberals have said that Mr. Cadman was offered a $2 million life insurance policy, but that is utterly untrue. Anyone who examines the facts will realize that the Liberal accusations are false.

Human Rights

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this coming weekend the minister of trade for the province of Ontario will be travelling to China to open up an Ontario trade office in Beijing.

When questioned on this issue, the premier of the province of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty, said that it is not the province's role to get involved in issues of human rights. Trade Minister Pupatello actually agreed with her boss and stated, “We do defer to the federal government in matters of human rights”.

Can the justice minister please tell the House what this government is doing with respect to human rights?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, first, I completely disagree with the Premier of Ontario and his minister of trade on the subject of human rights. Human rights are championed by all levels of government.

That being said, I am proud to be part of a government that is establishing the first Canadian museum of human rights and part of a government that finally is bringing rights to aboriginal Canadians with changes to the Canadian Human Rights Act.

The member for Toronto Centre is very interested in this. I hope he will get on the phone to his friends at Queen's Park and tell them that civil rights are the responsibility of everybody in this country.

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)(b) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 10 petitions.

Interparliamentary Delegations

[Russ Hiebert, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present a report from the Canadian Branch Commonwealth Parliamentary Association dealing with the CPA, UK branch conference on tackling drugs, changing communities, challenges for parliamentarians in London, United Kingdom, from February 3-8, 2008.

[Paule Brunelle, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the report of the Canadian interparliamentary delegation of the Canada-France Interparliamentary Association concerning the second round of presidential elections, held in Paris, France, from May 2 to 7, 2007.

Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I note that the report requests an extension of 30 sitting days for the work it is undertaking. Accordingly, 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, April 16, 2008, immediately before the time provided for private members' business.

Canadian Heritage

[Gary Schellenberger, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in relation to Bill C-327, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act (reduction of violence in television broadcasts).

Procedure and House Affairs

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, I have the honour to present the 17th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership of House committees.

If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 17th report later this day.

Canadian Aerospace Technology Protection Act

[Lloyd St. Amand, Liberal, Brant, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-534, An Act to prohibit the transfer of certain assets and operations from MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Limited to Alliant Techsystems Incorporated.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce the bill to the House and have it seconded by the distinguished member for Kings—Hants, whose help has been most valuable.

I would be remiss if I did not also acknowledge the leadership and initiative demonstrated by the member for Ottawa—Vanier. It is essentially his leadership and concern reflected in the bill that has resulted in the bill being introduced.

With respect to the substance of the bill, the summary reads:

This enactment provides that an existing agreement for the transfer of certain assets and operations from...MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Limited to a United States corporation...and any future agreement between the same parties for a similar purpose is of no effect unless it is approved by both Houses of Parliament.

The sale of MDA to the U.S. company would substantially jeopardize Canada's technological sovereignty and, in addition, 1,900 jobs would be lost directly, with thousands of other jobs being negatively affected indirectly.

A line in the sand must at some point be drawn. Canada is not for sale. Our technological sovereignty is not for sale.

The bill would have retroactive effect. The agreement entered into between the potential buyer and the seller in January would be rendered null and void, no matter when the sale is consummated, unless the agreement has been approved by a majority vote of the House of Commons and the Senate.

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

Access to information, privacy and ethics

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 66(2) I would like to designate Thursday, April 10, 2008, for the continuation of debate on the third report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 17th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs presented to the House earlier this day be concurred in.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Does the member for Hull—Aylmer have the unanimous consent of the House to move this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

Security and Prosperity Partnership

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of Canadians from Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.

This petition is a call to suspend the security and prosperity partnership of North American on continental integration.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to stop further implementation of the security and prosperity partnership of North America with the United States and Mexico until there is a democratic mandate from the people of Canada, until there is parliamentary oversight and consideration of the profound consequences on Canada's existence as a sovereign nation within this House of Commons.

I am very proud to present this petition.

Unborn Victims of Crime

[Ken Epp, Conservative, Edmonton—Sherwood Park, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured again to present petitions that support Bill C-484, the unborn victims of crime act, which I have introduced. In this particular case, I am adding just a few short of 1,300 additional names on this petition.

These petitioners are, like the vast majority of Canadians, supportive of legislation that would recognize unborn children as victims when they are injured or killed during the commission of an offence against the mother.

Justice

[Mario Silva, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have several petitions. The first petition calls upon Parliament to immediately respect the long-standing policy advocated for Canadians around the world who have been sentenced to death, that the Government of Canada clearly reaffirm Canada's position on the death penalty.

The death penalty is a cruel and inhumane punishment and was abolished in 1976 and is inconsistent with Canadian values.

The petitioners ask the government to stand up to that proud Canadian tradition of saying no to the death penalty around the world and provide clemency, in any way possible, to Canadians who are in jails abroad.

War Resistors

[Mario Silva, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is on the war resistor support campaign.

The petitioners ask that the Government of Canada demonstrate its commitment to international law and treaties to which it is a signatory by making provisions for U.S. war objectors to have sanctuary in this country.

Back in 1965 to 1973, 50,000 Americans came to Canada when they said no to the Vietnam War. Many people are saying no now to this illegal war that is taking place in Iraq.

The petitioners ask that the Canadian government provide whatever assistance it can to those who are resisting the war in Iraq.

The Quebec Nation and the Charter of the French Language

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition with 376 signatures from Quebeckers who are calling on the Government of Canada to actively respect the Quebec nation and Bill 101.

Security and Prosperity Partnership

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am bringing forward two petitions today.

The first petition has been signed by hundreds of individuals from the cities of Burnaby and New Westminster but also other cities in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and even Ontario and Quebec. We add these hundreds of signatures to the thousands that we have already tabled in this House of Commons.

These individuals are asking the Government of Canada to stop any further implementation of the undemocratic security and prosperity partnership until there is full disclosure of what is happening in the working groups, that there is a parliamentary vote and full legislative review.

On behalf of those constituents from Burnaby--New Westminster and these other cities, I table this petition against the SPP, to add to thousands of other Canadians who have expressed the same wish.

Copyright Act

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is on behalf of individuals in Burnaby--New Westminster and other cities in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia who are calling upon Parliament to ensure that users are taken into full consideration if there are any changes to the Copyright Act, and that all existing user rights are preserved, including the right to use copyrighted materials and the right to make private copies of audio recordings.

They are also calling upon Parliament not to extend the terms of copyright.