House of Commons Hansard #103 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was forest.

Topics

HomelessnessOral Questions

3 p.m.

Liberal

HomelessnessOral Questions

3 p.m.

Souris—Moose Mountain Saskatchewan

Conservative

Ed Komarnicki ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour

Mr. Speaker, we have renewed the homelessness partnering strategy with $390 million per year, totalling $1.9 billion over five years. We have consulted all levels of government and listened to local communities and organizations. We have identified priorities and needs for well beyond 2011. We are looking for long-term effective solutions to homelessness. Housing is an important part of that.

We have had significant contributions in investment housing. It is something the member's party has opposed. I ask those members to get behind us in these initiatives.

CensusOral Questions

3 p.m.

NDP

Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' politically motivated interference of the Statistics Canada census is now embarrassing Canada on the world stage. The European Statistical Agency points out that Statistics Canada was the benchmark for the world. It is shocked to see this level of political interference in the collection of important national data.

The government can easily rectify this by enshrining Statistics Canada's independence into law. Will the government finally come to its senses and guarantee the independence of the Chief Statistician by adopting my private member's bill?

CensusOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont Alberta

Conservative

Mike Lake ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, as MPs, we are elected to represent Canadians. The decision we are talking about is whether or not Canadians should be jailed or fined because they do not want to tell the government how many bedrooms they have in their house or what their religion is. We do not believe this should happen in a free and democratic society. Certainly in a free and democratic society, such decisions should be made by the Canadian people through their elected officials.

On this issue, we will make no apology for standing up for the rights and freedoms of Canadians.

JusticeOral Questions

November 24th, 2010 / 3:05 p.m.

Conservative

Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the justice committee coalition passed unnecessary amendments to our important legislation that would repeal the faint hope clause. The bill would ensure that murderers spent the serious time they deserve behind bars and would not be able to re-victimize Canadians. Now the bill will be sent back to the Senate, once again delaying this important legislation from being passed.

Would the Minister of Justice comment on this recent development?

JusticeOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Niagara Falls Ontario

Conservative

Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, I made a prediction a couple of weeks ago. I said the Liberals would not abandon victims until after the byelections on Monday, but I guess a couple of members just could not wait. Yesterday they stalled our bill to get rid of the faint hope clause and said that they would like to reintroduce it if they get the chance. Their abandonment of victims is a disgrace.

The Liberals think this is good news for criminals, but I have some news for them and another prediction. Faint hope is the best description of their chances in the next election.

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the winners of the 2010 Governor General's Literary Awards: Allan Casey, Robert Chafe, Linda Gaboriau, Danielle Fournier, Richard Greene, Jon Klassen, Michel Lavoie, David Paquet, Kim Thuy, Élise Turcotte, Sophie Voillot, Wendy Phillips, Daniel Sylvestre and Dianne Warren.

Félicitations.

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear!

Prostate Cancer AwarenessPoints of OrderOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Central Nova Nova Scotia

Conservative

Peter MacKay ConservativeMinister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, in response to queries yesterday from the government House leader about my commitment to support the prostate cancer awareness campaign, I want to inform him that I have now made a contribution to the member for Beauséjour in his attempts to grow a moustache and also to support this important cause.

I want to let him know as well that long before he was elected, I was hosting events for prostate cancer awareness here on Parliament Hill. I continue to be very personally committed to this cause.

Comments by Member for Mississauga SouthPoints of OrderOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Conservative

Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order relating to the question of privilege that was raised yesterday after question period.

At that time the member for Mississauga South stood and spoke at length about his concern that members' privileges were breached in the release of a confidential report.

However, in the course of his comments on confidentiality in this place, he breached the very same privileges that he was complaining about. He did so by quoting from emails that were only released at an in camera meeting and therefore in confidence and by divulging the nature of discussions at that very meeting.

The member himself acknowledged that he may be breaching confidential information in his statement yesterday and I would submit that he was in fact doing so.

The member is very experienced in parliamentary procedure and therefore this was most likely an inadvertent mistake on his part. However, he himself should appreciate the seriousness of revealing in camera matters even while commenting on a possible breach of privilege.

I therefore invite the member for Mississauga South to apologize for this breach of the rules of this place.

Comments by Member for Mississauga SouthPoints of OrderOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in my presentation on the question of privilege raised by a member of the NDP, I did quote from one or two emails.

I would indicate to the hon. member, who is a member of the finance committee as well, that those emails were given to the committee members yesterday at the public meeting on the consideration of Bill C-47 when the Minister of Finance appeared.

That is where they were distributed to me. They were handed to me by the clerk. They were available on the table. The member has his facts all wrong.

Comments by Member for Mississauga SouthPoints of OrderOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC

Mr. Speaker, there are two aspects to the point of order that I have raised. One was in relation to the emails that the member has referenced, but he also referenced discussions that were held at an in camera meeting in his comments yesterday.

If he can explain how that information should be released to the public when it was divulged in an in camera meeting, perhaps he would have a leg to stand on, but at this point he does not.

Comments by Member for Mississauga SouthPoints of OrderOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

It sounds like a matter that members might want to take up in the committee, since the Chair cannot tell what was in a private meeting of the committee. I am afraid I am unable to do that.

Mispronunciation of Candidate's NamePoints of OrderOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Maria Minna Liberal Beaches—East York, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Yesterday during question period the Minister of Public Safety persistently mispronounced the name of the candidate in Vaughan, Mr. Genco.

He was told by this side of the House repeatedly the correct pronunciation and that his name is Tony Genco. However, he persisted to mispronounce it despite that. To get the message across, one of our colleagues mispronounced the name of Mr. Fantino.

The problem is the minister persisted throughout question period to mispronounce Mr. Genco's name intentionally. He may think he was poking fun at an Italian Canadian or the Italian Canadian community in general, but I do not find it funny at all and neither does my community.

Mispronunciation of Candidate's NamePoints of OrderOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Provencher Manitoba

Conservative

Vic Toews ConservativeMinister of Public Safety

Mr. Speaker, I can assure members that no one is more sensitive to the mispronunciation of names than myself.

In my case, I had the good fortune of having a captain of the Chicago Blackhawks with the same last name. What I was unable to accomplish through most of my life, he was able to correct the pronunciation of my name within a short period of time. It is a wonder what an Olympic victory and a Stanley Cup victory can do.

I can in fact indicate that if the pronunciation is not Genco, I stand corrected.

Mispronunciation of Candidate's NamePoints of OrderOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I do not think the mispronunciation of words is usually a matter of order. We will treat the matter as resolved at this point.

Commissioner of Official LanguagesRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I have the honour to lay upon the table the annual reports on the Access to Information and the Privacy Acts of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages for the year 2009-10.

These reports are deemed permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

Certificates of NominationRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Ottawa West—Nepean Ontario

Conservative

John Baird ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 110(2) I have the honour to table in the House of Commons and refer to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, a certificate of nomination from the Prime Minister for the reappointment of Jennifer Stoddart as Privacy Commissioner for a term of three years.

Government Response to PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

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

Interparliamentary DelegationsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

Steven Blaney Conservative Lévis—Bellechasse, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian parliamentary delegation respecting its participation in the ninth Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region, held from September 13 to 15, 2010, in Brussels, Belgium.

Interparliamentary DelegationsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles Québec

Conservative

Daniel Petit ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, two reports of Canadian delegations to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly respecting their participation in the ninth winter meeting in Vienna, Austria, on February 18 and 19, 2010, and in the 19th annual session in Oslo, Norway, from July 6 to 10, 2010.

Public AccountsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on the international peer review of the Office of the Auditor General of Canada.

Citizenship and ImmigrationCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Conservative

David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration in relation to Bill C-35, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.

Agriculture and Agri-FoodCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Conservative

Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food and the supplementary estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011.

FinanceCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Conservative

James Rajotte Conservative Edmonton—Leduc, AB

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eight report of the Standing Committee on Finance concerning Bill C-47, A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 4, 2010 and other measures.

The committee has reported it back to the House without amendment.