Debates of June 19th, 2009

Contraband Tobacco

[Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Madam Speaker, I would like to present a petition on behalf of the members of the Ontario Korean Businessmen's Association, a large of number who live and work in my riding of Willowdale. The petition is entitled “Say No To Contraband Tobacco”.

The petitioners state that the illicit tobacco trade presents a serious threat to public safety in Canada and that profits from illegal tobacco products fund other criminal activities, such as drug and gun trafficking. The rise of organized criminal activity in the contraband tobacco market threatens the safety of all Canadians. These cheap, easily accessible and untaxed contraband cigarettes are widespread among youth. For small family-run convenience stores, contraband tobacco is the number one enemy facing them. Convenience stores get more than 50% of their sales from legal sale of tobacco and their sale of tobacco has been decreased rapidly for last few years due to contraband tobacco. Market share of contraband tobacco in Ontario is estimated as 35% and increasing at an alarming rate.

The petitioners ask the Government of Canada to fight against illicit tobacco vigorously and continuously.

Fisheries

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

Madam Speaker, I have two sets of petitions to present today.

The first set consists of two petitions, one from south Vancouver Island, Victoria, Esquimalt and Saanich, and a second set of petitions from north Vancouver Island, the ridings of Vancouver Island North and Nanaimo—Alberni.

Hundreds of people in those areas of Vancouver Island request that the Minister of Fisheries look at the halibut allocation policy. They believe there needs to be a viable allocation framework for halibut in British Columbia, which guarantees sustainable economic benefits and compensation for the transfer of fishing quotas to the public.

As members know, the NDP has been calling for a fisheries summit on the halibut allocation issue in British Columbia.

Sri Lanka

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

Madam Speaker, the second set of petitions is from Markham and Newmarket and the Finch Avenue area of Toronto.

Hundreds of Canadians ask that the Government of Canada use every diplomatic means at its disposal to bring about peace and respect for human rights for the Tamil population of northern Sri Lanka.

Protection of Human Life

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Madam Speaker, the member who spoke before me mentioned the 12,000 Canadians who were on the Hill recently for the March for Life.

I also have a petition from some 475 people from my riding and from other parts of Vancouver Island and Canada. The petitioners call upon Parliament to recognize that people have a right to life. They draw to the attention of Parliament that since 1988 Canada has had no law regarding abortion at all.

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

Employment Insurance

[Alan Tonks, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have a well-prepared petition from residents of York South—Weston entitled, “Fix Employment Insurance Now”.

The petitioners state that a healthy unemployment system is the most powerful of all economic stabilizers and that we have entered this new economic crisis with a much weaker EI system.

Therefore, they urgently petition Parliament to introduce these changes to employment insurance: 360 hours to qualify for EI benefits in all regions of Canada; increase benefit duration to 50 weeks for all workers in all regions; and increase benefits to at least 60% of normal earnings using workers' 12 best weeks.

Since there has been a special committee put together to look at this, I would urge that not only Parliament consider this through the RSD committee, but also that it be referred on to the special committee that will be meeting during the summer to look at fixing employment insurance.

Democratic Republic of Congo

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Madam Speaker, I have two petitions I would like to present today.

The first petition is signed by a number of Canadians who are concerned about the current events in the Democratic Republic of Congo and what they see as a lack of involvement on the part of our government.

The petitioners call upon the House to respond to the immediate humanitarian needs of victims of the crisis, using funds from CIDA's fragile states and countries experiencing humanitarian crisis program. They would like to see the mandate and the resources of the UN mission in Congo strengthened.

The petitioners call upon the UN to relaunch the work of its panel on the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the DRC.

The signatories to this petition have taken the time to add their name and express support for this cause, and I trust the government will include their voices in its consideration of this issue.

Housing

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Madam Speaker, the second petition is signed by religious leaders from St. John's and Marystown, Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as citizens of Nova Scotia.

The petitioners call for swift passage of Bill C-304 put forward by the member for Vancouver East.

Bill C-304 would mandate the government to create a national housing strategy that would, in consultation with first nations, harmonize the work of all levels of government to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for all Canadians.

The petitioners call for an increased federal role in housing through investments in not-for-profit housing, housing for the homeless, access to housing for those with different needs, including seniors and persons with disabilities, and sustainable and environmentally sound design standards.

They ask that Parliament pass the bill when it returns to the House in the fall, a bill to address the ongoing crisis in our country.

Both the petitioners and I look forward to the government's response.

Firearms Registry

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to present 25 petitions signed by over 1,300 people residing within and around the constituency of Prince Albert.

The signatories believe that the long gun registry is not working because it targets hunters and farmers and that criminals should be targeted in the fight against violent crime, not law-abiding citizens.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to expedite legislation, which would finally put to an end to the long gun registry.

CBC Radio-Canada

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Madam Speaker, I stand in the House today to present a petition for the Minister of Canadian Heritage from residents of the Northwest Territories, particularly residents of Yellowknife, which celebrates its 75th anniversary next week, and I congratulate it on that.

The petitioners wish to draw the government's attention to the fact that CBC Radio-Canada employees are facing job losses and that its stations are facing closures.

They request that the Government of Canada give additional funding to CBC Radio-Canada and include CBC Radio-Canada as part of the government's economic stimulus plan.

Protection of Human Life

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition in the House today signed by constituents in my riding and Canadians from across the country. The petition supports the thousands of people who were on the Hill not very long ago for the March for Life.

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

Darfur

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have a petition to present to the House today signed by constituents in my riding and Canadians from across the country regarding the situation in Sudan.

The petitioners call upon the Canadian government to pursue targeted divestment from Sudan conditional upon the Sudanese government's cessation of the atrocities in Darfur, engage in the peace process, appoint a special envoy to the region, engage more actively in multilateral diplomacy at the UN., bring the Darfur issue to the international stage and rally greater international support for conflict resolution efforts.

Employment Insurance

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Madam Speaker, I have two petitions to present to the House today.

The first petition is with regard to medical EI benefits. The petitioners draw to the attention of the government to the fact that a number of severe, potentially life-threatening conditions do not qualify for disability programs because they are not necessarily permanent.

The petitioners call upon the House of Commons to enact legislation to provide additional medical EI benefits equal to maternity EI benefits.

Firearms Registry

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Madam Speaker, the second petition is another petition on the gun registry, which has spiralled out of control to an estimated $2 billion a decade later and has not saved one single life since it was introduced.

The petitioners call upon the House of Commons to support and pass any legislation that would cancel the Canadian long gun registry.

Canada Revenue Agency

[Judy Foote, Liberal, Random—Burin—St. George's, NL]

Madam Speaker, I stand today to represent again 850 fishers from Newfoundland and Labrador who have been treated unfairly by Revenue Canada. They were charged 100% tax on the proceeds that they received from the retirement of their licence when they should have only been charged 25%. They have proof that 150 fishers were charged 25%.

The petitioners ask the Government of Canada to recognize this unfairness and to correct this injustice.

Asbestos

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Madam Speaker, I have a petition signed by thousands of Canadians who point out that asbestos is the greatest industrial killer the world has ever known.

They point out that more Canadians now die from asbestos than all other industrial diseases combined yet Canada remains one of the largest producers and exporters of asbestos in the world. They also point out that Canada spends millions of dollars subsidizing the asbestos industry but also blocking international efforts to curb its use.

The petitioners call upon the government to ban asbestos; to institute a just transition program for any workers who may be affected; to end all government subsidies of asbestos, both in Canada and abroad; and to stop blocking international health and safety conventions designed to protect workers from asbestos, such as the Rotterdam Convention.

Protection of Human Life

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

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today on behalf of the citizens of Fleetwood—Port Kells to present two petitions.

The first petition calls upon Parliament to pass legislation for the protection of human life from the time of conception until natural death.

Sri Lanka

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

Madam Speaker, the second petition concerns the conflict in Sri Lanka.

It calls upon Parliament to intervene immediately to stop the war; urge the resumption of peaceful negotiations; lift the embargo of essential items to the Tamil areas; and urge the Sri Lankan government to allow NGOs, independent media and a UN human rights monitoring mission into Sri Lanka.

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

Madam Speaker, in Sri Lanka, over 250,000 internally displaced persons are still being kept in government-run camps.

The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to use every diplomatic means at its disposal to restore the freedom of movement for the UN and international aid organizations throughout the whole of Sri Lanka and begin the process of working toward a lasting peace and reconciliation between the government and the Tamil Tigers that will see full respect of the human rights of all Sri Lankans.

The Sri Lankan government must move faster to allow freedom of movement for the internally displaced persons in camps and prevent them from becoming internment facilities. The United Nations is now more concerned over the issue of freedom of movement than living conditions in the camps, which seem to be improving every day. It is time for Parliament to insist that the Sri Lankan authorities lift restrictions on humanitarian organizations and allow them to access the internally displaced persons who need them desperately.

Questions on the Order Paper

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

Madam Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: No. 180, 182, 186, 190, 212 and 281.

Question No. 180

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

Has the government issued any press releases, statements or speeches, with regards to the recent review, chaired by Mount Allison University President, Robert Campbell, prepared for the government, suggesting that Canada Post should drop door-to-door mail delivery and switch to community mailboxes and, if so, where can they be accessed?

[Rob Merrifield, Conservative, Minister of State (Transport)]

Mr. Speaker, on April 30, 2009, the report of the advisory panel was tabled in the House of Commons and a news release was issued the same day announcing that the report is available to the public in both official languages. The press release is available at http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2009/09-h064e.htm.

While door-to-door service delivery was discussed in the report, the advisory panel did not recommend a switch from door-to-door mail delivery to community mailboxes.

Canada Post is an important federal institution that provides a fundamental public service to Canadians and the government is committed to making sure that all Canadians, rural and urban, continue to have a universal, effective and economically viable postal service.

Question No. 182

[Dan McTeague, Liberal, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

With regard to the financial literacy initiatives announced in Budget 2009: (a) what programs have been created; (b) how much funding has the government allocated for each of these programs; (c) how much funding has been spent, to date, on these programs; (d) what section of the Canadian population is each program targeting; (e) what area of the country is each program going to operate in; and (f) how will each program help make Canadians more financially literate?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, a number of initiatives are currently underway to improve financial literacy for Canadians; however, our government believed it was time to better organize efforts. To that effect, budget 2009, presented to the House of Commons on January 27, 2009, committed $5 million over two years, 2009-10 and 2010-11, to establish an independent task force.

This task force will make recommendations to the Minister of Finance on a cohesive national strategy on financial literacy, and include representatives of the business and education sectors, volunteer organizations, and academics, and will be supported by a federal secretariat. The task force is expected to be launched in the spring of 2009.

With respect to how improving financial literacy will help Canadians, our government believes that financial literacy is an important life skill that empowers consumers to make the best financial decisions in their particular circumstances. Increased financial literacy allows consumers to act knowledgeably and with confidence to look after their own best interest and achieve their personal and financial goals.

Individuals like John Hope Bryant, founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE, Inc. and vice-chairman of the United States President Barack Obama's Advisory Committee on Financial Literacy and Peter Nares, founder and executive director of Social and Enterprise Development Innovations, SEDI, have publicly echoed that sentiment and applauded our government’s initiatives in that regard, declaring that: “Financial literacy entails developing skill sets people will use every day to make better decisions … (the Conservative) government has taken some important steps in this direction. In 2007, (the) government mandated that the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada begin addressing financial literacy matters. Funding was provided in the subsequent federal budgets. However, in fiscal 2009, the Canadian government has the opportunity to grab hold of this issue as our major trading partners have done. The commitment to form an independent, multi-sector task force to develop a national strategy on financial literacy is the first step in a process that could help Canadians make better financial decisions. It could also help Canadians better weather the economic storms that will inevitably blow through the global economy from time to time”.

Question No. 186

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

With regards to the Public Sector Pension Investment Board: (a) what are the private market benchmarks used by the Board and in what way do they reflect the underlying credit risk, liquidity risk, leverage and beta of the underlying investments; (b) does the Board invest in hedge funds and, if so, (i) what are the Board’s benchmarks for these hedge funds, (ii) how do the benchmarks accurately reflect the underlying credit risk, liquidity risk, leverage and beta of the underlying investments; (c) who is the officer responsible for the policy portfolio; (d) what is the total active risk the board is allowed to take and how is this risk monitored; (e) what is the risk management policy to deal with portfolios that are losing money; (f) are there steps to cut losses in public markets when they reach a certain level, and how are they made clear; (g) what are the detailed policies for (i) mitigating the risks of private markets, (ii) whistleblower protection, (iii) compliance with diversity laws; (h) what has been the turnover in funds of the last four fiscal years; and (j) has the board been audited or evaluated by the Canadian Human Rights Commission?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, CPPIB, was established by an act of Parliament in 1997. The mandate of the board is to invest the funds transferred by the CPP in the best interests of CPP plan members, maximizing the rate of return without undue risk of loss. All changes to the CPP require the approval of at least two-thirds of the provinces representing at least two-thirds of the population, plus the federal government.

It should be noted that the CPPIB is neither a department nor an agency of the Crown; rather it is governed by a board of directors of twelve experienced professionals who are appointed by the federal government in consultation with provinces, operating at arm's length from the government. The board is required to be accountable to Canadians, Parliament, and the provinces through regular reports of its activities and the results achieved.

To that effect, the CPPIB recently released its annual report on May 28, 2009 which responds to many questions. The report is available at http://www.cppib.ca/Publications/annual_report.html. Also, a copy of CPPIB code of conduct is available at http://www.cppib.ca/files/PDF/Code_Of_Conduct_Oct01_2008.pdf.