House of Commons Hansard #85 of the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was help.
Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, just for the record, I would like to correct a statement that I made in response to the H1N1 question today. I meant to say early November and not early October.
Government Response to PetitionsRoutine Proceedings
Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre Saskatchewan
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(b) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to two petitions.
Peter Goldring Conservative Edmonton East, AB
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian parliamentary delegation of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association respecting its participation at the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region in Ilulissat, Greenland, May 27 and 28, 2009.
Joe Preston Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114 I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 20th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership of committees in the House.
Lee Richardson Conservative Calgary Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on International Trade. The report is entitled “Exploring Enhanced Commercial Relations with Brazil”.
Nicolas Dufour Bloc Repentigny, QC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-444, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act (broadcasting and telecommunications policies).
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce a bill that will allow the federal government to delegate the authority, to those provinces that so choose, to regulate broadcasting and communications in their territory.
By allowing the creation of a Quebec broadcasting and telecommunications council, this bill will give Quebec the opportunity to establish regulations adapted to the specific needs of the Quebec nation and reflecting its aspirations, which the CRTC cannot do currently.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)
Jay Hill ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, it is more likely a point of order rather than a motion but I thought it would be appropriate to read this into the record at this time.
Members would know this, but the general public may not.
Given that the third report to Canadians of Canada's economic action plan was tabled today, and pursuant to an Order made on June 19, 2009, I would like to advise that Thursday, October 1, 2009 shall be an allotted day.
Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Carleton—Mississippi Mills Ontario
Conservative
Gordon O'Connor ConservativeMinister of State and Chief Government Whip
Mr. Speaker, I believe if you seek it, you would find consent for the following motion. I move:
That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of this House, the 20th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs be deemed concurred in at the end of Government Orders today provided that changes in the membership of the Standing Committee on Finance only take effect on Thursday, October 1, 2009; that the Standing Committee on Finance meet as scheduled on Monday, September 28; Tuesday, September 29; and Wednesday, September 30, 2009; and that the Standing Committee on Finance be authorized to meet on Thursday, October 1, 2009 for the purpose of electing a Chair pursuant to Standing Order 106.
Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
The Speaker Peter Milliken
Does the hon. Minister of State and Chief Government Whip have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?
Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Some hon. members
Agreed.
Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
The Speaker Peter Milliken
The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Some hon. members
Agreed.
Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour of tabling several petitions today.
The first is in support of animal welfare in Canada. It is well known that there is scientific consensus and public acknowledgement that animals feel pain and they can experience suffering. Therefore the petition, which bears the signatures of a number of my constituents, calls upon the House to adopt effective animal welfare legislation.
I have another petition which calls on the government to adopt the universal declaration of animal welfare and to advocate in support of a UDAW.
Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
Mr. Speaker, the next petition calls upon the government to strengthen animal transportation regulations. Currently Canada's allowable transport times are among the longest in the industrial world. Animals that become injured or diseased during lengthy transport threaten the quality, health and safety of Canadian food products. The petitioners are calling for an amendment to the regulations under the Health of Animals Act to reduce the allowable transport time of animals.
Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
Mr. Speaker, the final petition bears quite a few signatures calling upon the government to exempt hospitals from remitting the GST collected on their property to the Canada Revenue Agency. These petitioners state that the GST collected should be remitted to the appropriate hospital foundation so the funds may be used to purchase medical equipment.
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Mr. Speaker, as a follow up to the series of petitions in respect of the pain that animals feel, and in view of the fact that babies in the womb for the entire nine months feel some considerable pain caused by the abortion procedures used in this country, the petitioners note that in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms everyone has a right to life, freedom from pain and the kinds of assault on fetuses in the womb. It has been 40-some years, since May 14, 1969, when Parliament changed the law to permit abortions, and since January 28, 1988, Canada has had no law to protect the lives of unborn children.
The petitioners are calling on Parliament, as the Supreme Court has urged as well, to pass legislation for the protection of human life from the time of conception and fertilization until the time of natural death.
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition today from citizens who want to see a review of NATO's policy when it comes to nuclear disarmament.
The petitioners ask that the Government of Canada press publicly for an urgent review of NATO's nuclear weapons policies to ensure that all NATO states fulfill their international obligations under the non-proliferation treaty to do two things: first, to negotiate and conclude an agreement for the elimination of nuclear weapons and, second, to eliminate reliance on nuclear weapons within NATO's strategic concept.
Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Newton—North Delta, BC
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition that draws the government's attention to the dangerous buildup of silt in the Ladner channel of the Fraser River. The silt is creating a safety hazard for navigation, reducing fish habitat and rapidly diminishing the public's enjoyment of the river.
I applaud the Ladner sediment group's leadership in bringing together different stakeholders to manage this issue. The 459 people who signed this petition call on the federal government to provide the funding for the dredging of Ladner channel so that the silt can be removed at long last.
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour today to present a petition signed by roughly 600 people from Ontario and Quebec. They point out that predators are encouraging and counselling suicide, without penalty, through the Internet.
They are calling on government to enable prosecution of those who encourage or counsel someone to commit suicide by updating our Criminal Code to reflect the new realities of 21st century broadband access, 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 to fund appropriate community support resources.
Judy Foote Liberal Random—Burin—St. George's, NL
Mr. Speaker, I stand today on behalf of the people of Random—Burin—St. George's to present a petition regarding the move by the Canadian Coast Guard to start to de-man lighthouses throughout the country.
While I stand here on behalf of the people I represent, this is becoming an issue right across the country. In fact the Strathcona Regional District, in Campbell River, B.C., has already written to the Prime Minister expressing concern about this move and pointing out that in 1998 there was an announcement made by then Liberal minister of fisheries David Anderson that there will be no further de-staffing of lighthouses. That position was later affirmed by the Conservative government.
Here we are today looking at the possibility of seeing any number of lighthouses throughout this country de-staffed. There is one in particular that I want to bring to everyone's attention. Fishers make their living from the sea, but the lighthouse on Green Island is also there to help of captains who take the ferry from Saint-Pierre and Miquelon to Fortune and back.
We are talking about many schoolchildren who use that ferry. While captains can determine the weather by calling ahead to the port they are going to, the weather can become very volatile between the two ports. It is something that an automated lighthouse would not be able to predict.
We are calling on the coast guard to rescind any decision it would have to not only de-staff the lighthouse at Green Island but all lighthouses throughout the country.
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a 20-page petition signed by the residents of my riding who are opposed to Bill C-384, which proposes to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide.
The petition states that Bill C-384 contradicts fundamental Canadian values and threatens all Canadians by undermining the inherent and inviolable value of each human life and its dignity. It is a real and growing threat to the sick, the depressed, seniors and the handicapped.
The petition urges us to vote against Bill C-384. I would also like to mention that this call for positive measures was highlighted by the presence of 2,000 people who participated in the March for Life this past spring.
Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions pursuant to Standing Order 36 and certified by the clerk of petitions.
The first petition has to do with public safety officers. I have presented this petition a number of times in the House on behalf of residents of Canada, particularly in my own riding.
The petitioners draw the attention of the House to the fact that police officers and firefighters are required to place their lives at risk in the execution of their duties on a daily basis and that the employment benefits of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty are often insufficient to take care of the families of those who are killed in the line of duty. The public mourns the loss of those killed in the line of duty and wish in some tangible way to assist the surviving families in their time of need.
The petitioners call upon Parliament to establish a public safety officers compensation fund for the benefit of families of public safety officers who are killed in the line of duty.
Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON
Mr. Speaker, the second petition is yet another petition on the income trust broken promise.
The petitioners remind the Prime Minister that he boasted about his apparent commitment to accountability when he said that the greatest fraud is a promise not kept. They also remind the Prime Minister that he promised not to tax income trusts, but he recklessly broke that promise and imposed a 31.5% punitive tax which permanently wiped out over $25 billion of the hard-earned retirement savings of over two million Canadians, particularly seniors.
The petitioners therefore call upon the Conservative minority government, first, to admit that the decision to tax income trusts was based on flawed methodology and incorrect assumptions, as was demonstrated before the finance committee, second, to apologize to those who were unfairly harmed by this broken promise, and third, to repeal the 31.5% tax on income trusts.
Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings
Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre Saskatchewan
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, if Question No. 177, and the supplementary response to Question No. 202 originally tabled on September 14, 2009 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately.