Debates of June 17th, 2009

Security and Prosperity Partnership

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition to the Government of Canada from a number of citizens who wish to express their profound concern with the proposed implementation of the security and prosperity partnership of North America. The SPP further advances NAFTA's goal of continental economic integration by pushing Canada toward establishing common policies with the United States and Mexico in key areas such as security, energy, food and health standards, while shrinking the range of choices open to Canadian policy-makers.

The SPP encompasses over 300 wide-ranging initiatives, many of which reduce protection in areas such as pesticide use and food safety, and reduces environmental protection and air safety, while securing even greater U.S. control over Canadian resources and national standards, including energy and water. Under the SPP, Canada would possess less and less ability to adopt autonomous and sustainable economic, social and environmental policies, including public programs like universal health care and public education. Therefore, the petitioners ask the Government of Canada to stop further implementation of the security and prosperity partnership of North America with the U.S. and Mexico until there is a democratic mandate from the people of Canada, parliamentary oversight and consideration--

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Order. Presenting petitions, the hon. member for Langley.

Employment Insurance

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions. The first one states that there are a number of severe, potentially life-threatening conditions that do not qualify for disability programs because they are not necessarily permanent. The petitioners call upon the House of Commons to enact legislation that would provide additional medical EI benefits at least equal to the maternity EI benefits.

Identity Theft

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is regarding identify theft. It is estimated that identity theft costs Canadian businesses and residents more than $2 billion annually. The petitioners call on the House of Commons to pass government legislation that would create three new offences: obtaining and possessing identity information intent for criminal crimes; trafficking in identity theft; and unlawfully possessing and trafficking government issued documents.

Firearms Registry

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition is regarding the long gun registry. It calls upon the House of Commons to support legislation to cancel the Canadian long gun registry.

Multiple Sclerosis

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I stand today to present a petition with the signatures of hundreds of Canadians speaking to an issue close to my heart, multiple sclerosis.

Our current disability programs are ill-suited for the 75,000 Canadians affected by MS, because it is an episodic disability.

The petitioners urge more flexibility in EI sickness benefits to allow for part-time work and partial benefits. They also call for making the disability tax credit refundable. The petitioners ask that the spouses who play a key role in the well-being of people with MS be allowed to claim the caregiver tax credit.

Wind Turbines

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present to the House today. The first petition relates to wind turbines.

Multiple wind farm sites are being considered by the Government of Ontario in the county of Renfrew. In the absence of independent, science-based studies of the long-term effects on the health of residents and wildlife in Renfrew County in close proximity to the wind turbines, the petitioners are calling upon Parliament to reject any funding applications for federal government assistance for the building of wind towers in Renfrew County.

Protection of Human Life

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition states that, since 1988, Canada has had no law to protect the lives of unborn children.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to pass legislation for the protection of human life from the time of conception until natural death.

Sri Lanka

[Jim Maloway, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to present a petition regarding the situation in Sri Lanka.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to use every means possible to end the violence in Sri Lanka and begin the process of working towards lasting peace and reconciliation between the government and the Tamil Tigers that would see full respect of the human rights of all Sri Lankans.

Multiple Sclerosis

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a total of four petitions that have been submitted to me by concerned constituents.

The first petition is signed by roughly 400 constituents who request specific action be taken by the government to help Canadians who have to cope with multiple sclerosis.

Respect for Life

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the other three petitions are signed by almost 600 of my constituents who call on the government to respect the sanctity of life and bring abortion on demand to an end in Canada.

Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in the House today to present a petition on the Canada-Colombia free trade agreement.

Thousands of trade unionists and activists in Colombia have either been murdered or disappeared. The petitioners call upon Parliament to reject the Canada-Colombia trade deal until an independent human rights impact assessment is carried out.

Protection of Human Life

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, many petitioners from the provinces of Saskatchewan and Ontario note the fact that Canada is a country that respects human rights. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states that everyone has the right to life.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon Parliament to pass legislation for the protection of human life from the time of conception right through until natural death.

Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Mr. Speaker, tens of thousands of petitions have been received with respect to the controversial Canada-Colombia trade deal.

I am pleased to rise today in order to present some petitions that call upon the government to reject the Canada-Colombia trade deal until an independent human rights impact assessment takes place, and that it be replaced with a fair trade agreement that addresses not only environmental and social impacts but also respects labour rights as well as those parties impacted.

I thank all those who have signed these petitions in the hope that the government will recognize the need to act immediately given the serious concerns regarding the Canada-Colombia free trade agreement.

Protection of Human Life

[Leon Benoit, Conservative, Vegreville—Wainwright, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to present this petition, which calls for the protection of human life from the time of conception until natural death.

The petitioners note that Canada is a country that respects human rights and includes in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms the right to life. They note that it has been 40 years since Parliament changed the law to permit abortion, and that, since 1988, Canada has had no law at all to protect the lives of unborn children.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to pass legislation for the protection of human life from the time of conception until natural death.

The Environment

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am rising in the House to present the signatures of more than 1,000 students across the country. They petition Parliament to act on climate change, which they say is a crisis facing the country.

They are concerned that the government has not responded to its international obligations. They want to increase funding for public transit, meet our Kyoto commitments and beyond, and adopt official sustainability standards for buildings, public buildings in particular.

Unsolicited Mail and Flyers

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I also have a petition to present from Canadians asking that Parliament take action so that all unsolicited mail and flyers will be produced on recycled paper, and by 2012, use hemp paper. That is from residents of Saskatoon and Edmonton.

Falun Gong Practitioners

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have an additional petition to present from people in Edmonton on behalf of the people suffering in China who practise Falun Gong. They petition that we take action to address the Chinese practice of detaining, torturing, and killing and seizing the organs of people practising Falun Gong.

Carbon Tax

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my final petition is from residents of Ontario, calling on the Government of Canada to institute and support a carbon tax.

Criminal Code

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by hundreds of residents of Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia. These petitioners are recognizing that people who experience depression and mental illness need to be protected by law and that predators are currently encouraging and counselling suicide, without penalty, through the Internet.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to enable prosecution of those who encourage or counsel someone to commit suicide, by updating the Criminal Code to reflect the new realities of 21st century broadband access, and to fund education programs that will empower people who experience depression and mental illness and Canada's vulnerable youth to protect themselves from online predators and find appropriate community support resources.

Animal cruelty

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present a petition signed by a number of residents from my riding of Wild Rose and from neighbouring areas. The petitioners are calling upon the government to support a universal declaration on animal welfare.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

The time has expired for petitions today.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 166, 169 and 170.

Question No. 166

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

With regards to the operations of the Canada Desk of the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) and the Government of Canada's response: (a) when was the government first made aware of possible improper activity of the desk; (b) what were the immediate steps taken by the Canada Revenue Agency to allegations about the desk; (c) what is the estimated value of money that the desk held for each year from Canadian clients beginning in 2004 and ending this year; (d) what role has the government played in the Justice Department's investigations; (e) what is the estimated amount of tax leakage from this operation; (f) what were government departments able to determine about the locations in Canada that were used; and (g) what potential fines or penalties is the government considering at this time?

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, in response to a) The confidentiality provisions of the acts administered by the Canada Revenue Agency, CRA, prevent the disclosure of any taxpayer information. However, the CRA can say that it was first made aware of the possibility of a “Canada Desk” when the report entitled “Tax Haven Banks and U.S. Tax Compliance” issued by the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, was made public on July 17, 2008, and through subsequent media reports in November 2008, more specifically a Globe and Mail article dated November 14, 2008, “Swiss banking's $5.6-billion man”.

In response to b) The confidentiality provisions of the acts administered by the CRA prevent the disclosure of any taxpayer information. However, as a matter of course, the CRA takes all allegations of possible non-compliance very seriously. Where the CRA is made aware of or provided with information on possible non-compliance with Canadian tax laws, the CRA reviews the information to determine whether non-compliance exists. If non-compliance is detected, the CRA takes appropriate actions, which could include audits or investigations.

The confidentiality provisions of the acts administered by the CRA, prevents the CRA from providing a response to parts c), d) and e).

In response to f) As noted in a), the CRA reviews information available to determine possible level of non-compliance in any sector of the economy. The confidentiality provisions of the acts administered by the CRA prevent the disclosure of any taxpayer information

In response to g) The confidentiality provisions of the acts administered by the CRA prevent the disclosure of any taxpayer information. With regard to penalties and/or interest, in general, the CRA would levy those in accordance with legislation. In Canada, only the courts have the power to levy fines in cases involving possible tax evasion or avoidance.