Debates of April 19th, 2010

Public Accounts

[Shawn Murphy, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following reports of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts: the eight report on Chapter 6, Selected Contribution Agreements, Natural Resources Canada, of the spring 2009 report of the Auditor General of Canada; and the ninth report on Chapter 2, Intellectual Property, of the spring 2009 report of the Auditor General of Canada.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109 of the House of Commons, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to both these reports.

Motor Vehicle Safety Act

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

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-513, An Act to amend the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Department of Transport Act (safety information).

Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Department of Transport Act, called the consumer's accountability and reporting act. The CAR bill would make the industry more accountable, with a new reporting system that would put crucial safety information in the hands of consumers.

The bill would clarify that the vehicle event data recorder, or black box, information is owned by the owner of the vehicle and that the information must be made available at an easily understood format by the manufacturer.

It would require automakers to report real safety issues identified in Canada and elsewhere to Transport Canada within seven days and to the owner of the vehicle within thirty days. It would bring in a standardized consumer safety complaint procedure, with dealers and automakers reporting to Transport Canada within seven days.

It would require safety information, including worldwide recalls, automaker service bulletins to dealers, which are also known as secret warranties, as well as any legal actions against automakers here and abroad, to posted on automaker and Transport Canada websites.

It would bring in a one-year cooling off period before former Department of Transport employees could accept employment from an automaker or importer.

The bill would also improve communication across the country, with the federal minister providing the safety complaints to the appropriate provincial departments within seven days.

Consumer groups in Canada and abroad have called the CAR bill the world's best and a world first for elements of accountability and safety for consumers.

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

Scrutiny of Regulations

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, consultations have taken place among all parties and I ask for unanimous consent that the first report of the Standing Joint Committee on the Scrutiny of Regulations be concurred in.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Does the hon. member for Brampton West have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

(Motion agreed to)

Housing

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to present three petitions.

The first is many pages of petitions concerning a national housing strategy. I would like to thank the staff and students at Windermere Secondary School in Vancouver, particularly Donna Lee, who collected signatures. The petitions have also come in from Victoria, Vancouver, Saskatoon, Langley, Burnaby, Kingston, Ontario, Salmon Arm, B.C., Prince Rupert, Powell River, North Vancouver, Barrie, Ontario, right across the country.

The petitioners call for a national housing strategy that will ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for all Canadians and for the passage of Bill C-304.

Animal Welfare

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from constituents who call upon us to ensure that all efforts are made to prevent animal cruelty and reduce animal suffering.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to support a universal declaration of animal welfare.

Seeds Regulations

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the third petitioner is from people in Vancouver.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to enshrine in legislation Bill C-474, An Act respecting the Seeds Regulations, to require that an analysis of the potential harm to export markets be conducted before the sale of any new genetically engineered seed is permitted.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by Canadian citizens residing mainly, but not exclusively, in eastern Ontario and western Quebec.

The signatories are asking the government to be more flexible in determining who can be included in the family class.

Specifically, they want the government to create a special immigration process to enable Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor family members who were personally and directly affected by the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti, regardless of their age.

Air Passengers' Bill of Rights

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

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.

The first petition involves thousands of Canadians who call on Parliament to adopt Canada's first air passengers' bill of rights.

Bill C-310 would compensate air passengers with all Canadian carriers, including charters, anywhere they fly in the world. The bill would provide compensation for overbooked flights, cancelled flights and long tarmac delays. It would address issues such as late and misplaced bags and requires all-inclusive pricing in the advertising of all airlines.

Legislation of this type has been in effect in Europe for five years and actually a lot longer in a different form. The question is why passengers with Air Canada should get better treatment in Europe than they do in Canada.

Airlines would have to inform passengers of any flight changes, either delays or cancellations. The new rules would have to be posted in airports and airlines must inform passengers of their rights and the process to file for compensation. In fact, if airlines follow the rules, it would cost them nothing.

The petitioners call upon the government to support Bill C-310, which would introduce Canada's air passengers' bill of rights.

Earthquake in Chile

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

Mr. Speaker, the second petition, signed by dozens of Canadians, calls upon the government to match funds personally donated by the citizens of Canada for the victims of the Chilean earthquake. As members know, the earthquake occurred February 27. It was an 8.8 magnitude earthquake in southern Chile.

Communities across Canada have since mobilized, raising money. They question every day why the Prime Minister refuses to give the same treatment to the Chilean earthquake victims as he did for the victims of the Haitian earthquake and match funds personally donated by Canadians to help the victims of the Chilean earthquake.

Canada Post Corporation

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I rise once again to present a petition on behalf of constituents regarding Canada Post. Some of the comments they have made in this petition are certainly relevant to them and many rural communities across the country.

The government expects Canada Post to inform people at least one month prior to closing, moving or amalgamating. It also calls on Canada Post to respect the moratorium of closures in rural and small towns. To connect communities throughout this vast land, the postal offices provide an invaluable service to many of the smaller communities, thousands of them across the country, and also play a key role in the social and economic life of a smaller community.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to instruct Canada Post to maintain and improve its network of public post offices and consult with the public, one that is respectful. Recently, I met with Canada Post and addressed some of these issues. I would like to thank the representatives of Canada Post for providing the opportunity.

This petition comes primarily from the residents of the town of Peterview, a few from Botwood as well as Bishop's Falls.

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. 45, 46, 74 and 116.

Question No. 45

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

With regard to the public reports which are issued by or on behalf of the RCMP, in which information is made public as to what took place each time a taser is fired or otherwise used to control a member of the public: (a) since January 1, 2001, what changes have been made, from time to time, with regard to the types of information being released, both in terms of types of information being withheld, which had previously been made public, and types of information being made public, which had previously been withheld; (b) since January 1, 2001, what instructions have been given to the individuals who prepared these reports, regarding the types of information which ought to be withheld or made public; (c) who issued any such instructions, and with whom did the instructions originate; and (d) since January 1, 2001, has additional unreleased information been collected, and, if so, what is the nature of this additional information, on any of the following topics: (i) related injuries which took place during the tasering incident, (ii) the duration of the shocks, (iii) whether the individual who was tasered had been armed, (iv) whether the individual who was tasered was violent, combative or posed a risk of death or grievous bodily harm, (v) what alternative measures the police tried before resorting to a taser, (vi) whether the individual who was tasered was first given a verbal warning, (vii) whether the individual who was tasered had already been handcuffed or otherwise restrained?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I am informed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that in regard to a) To the extent information on the conducted energy weapon, CEW, is released via the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, no changes have been made since January 1, 2001, with regards to the type of information being released. These federal acts give Canadian citizens the right to access information in federal government records and provide them with the right to access personal information held by the government and protect that information against unauthorized use and disclosure. The RCMP, as a federal agency is bound by these acts.

To the extent that the RCMP publicly reports on the use of CEWs, this began in late 2007 with the publication of the fourth quarter (October to December 2007) report on CEW use by RCMP members. Since October 2007, the RCMP has continued to prepare and publicly release quarterly reports on the use of CEWs by RCMP members. The quarterly reports are available via the Internet at: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ccaps-spcca/cew-ai/report-rapport-q4-2008-eng.htm. The RCMP also produces annual reports on our member’s use of CEWs. The 2008 annual report will be available on the same website in the near future. The 2009 report will also be posted on the RCMP website once completed.

In regard to b) To the extent that information is released via the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act, the analysts responsible for requests related to CEWs determine what information needs to be exempted and what information can be released, based on the provisions of the acts.

To the extent the RCMP reports publicly on CEW use, the instructions have been to collect data from the field and compile this information into statistical reports on a quarterly and annual basis.

In regard to c) With respect to the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act, following consultations, directions were given to the analysts responsible for the review of the records as to what information needed to be exempted and what information needed to be released.

With respect to the quarterly and annual CEW reports prepared by the RCMP, the Assistant Commissioner at Community, Contract and Aboriginal Police Services issued the instructions that the reports be prepared.

In regard to d) RCMP policy requires members to complete a report each time the CEW is used, which includes the type of information referred to. Since the RCMP approved the CEW as an intervention option, there have been thousands of CEW reports completed. Amendments or additions may have been made to some reports since the original submission to clarify or include additional detail.

Since October 2007 the RCMP has proactively provided information on CEW use in quarterly and annual reports that are available via the internet. Access to information requests are made to the RCMP as per the provisions of the Access to Information Act whereby information on CEW deployments that is held by the RCMP is disclosed.

Question No. 46

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

With regard to the case of Adam Dormer, who was tasered by an RCMP officer on July 21, 2007: (a) what instructions were given to the individuals who prepared the public report on this incident, regarding the types of information which ought to be withheld or made public; (b) who issued any such instructions, and with whom did the instructions originate; and (c) has additional information been collected, which is not being released, on any of the following topics: (i) related injuries which may have taken place during the tasering incident, (ii) the duration of the shocks, (iii) whether he was violent, combative or posed a risk of death or grievous bodily harm, (iv) what alternative measures the police tried before resorting to a taser, (v) whether he was first given a verbal warning, (vi) whether he had already been handcuffed or otherwise restrained?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I am informed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that in regard to a) The information pertaining to Adam Dormer that was released as a public report was done as part of an access to information request in which over 4,000 conducted energy weapon , CEW, reports were released. This release was actioned as per the requirements of the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act. The analysts responsible for requests related to CEWs determined what information needed to be exempted and what information could be released, based on the provisions of the Acts.

In regard to b) Following consultations, directions were given to the analysts responsible for the review of the records as to what information needed to be exempted and what information needed to be released, based on the provisions of the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act.

In regard to c) Since the release of the access to information request in spring 2008, no new information pertaining to the Adam Dormer matter has been collected and not released on any of the topics referred to. While there is information on the details of this incident that pertains to injuries, the duration of the CEW deployment, his behaviour, the attempts to use alternative measures by police before deploying the CEW, whether he was given a verbal warning and whether or not he was handcuffed or restrained, this information was contained in the original file and the CEW report has not been modified since the CEW report was released as part of the access to information request in 2008.

Question No. 74

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

With regard to the 54th UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York in March 2010: (a) how many NGOs, organizations or individuals applied to be part of the official Canadian delegation; (b) how many groups or individuals were chosen to be delegates; (c) what were the criteria on which the delegation was chosen; (d) what rationale was used to determine those criteria; (e) were both successful and unsuccessful applicants informed of the decision; (f) how were the applicants informed; and (g) what level of support was provided to those delegates?

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, the response is as follows: a) Status of Women Canada received 27 submissions to be part of the official Canadian delegation to the 54th commission on the Status of Women.

b) Three.

c) The selection criteria was included in the call for submissions letter and is as follows: Guidelines to Assist in Selection of NGO delegates i) Overall knowledge of gender equality issues; ii) Significant expertise in one or more of the critical areas of concern of the Beijing platform for action; iii) Expertise of thematic and institutional issues to be discussed at the 54th UNCSW; iv) Potential to disseminate information and to link with other organizations in the NGO community and civil society; v) Commitment to further advance equality between women and men both in Canada and internationally; vi) Availability to attend related NGO preparatory meetings in the event they take place.

d) The criteria that was used to select NGOs is the same criteria that SWC has used for many years and is based on the expertise of the NGO delegates and how they can contribute both to the proceedings of the UNCSW as well as their ability to liaise with NGOs during the event and afterward.

e) Yes

f) Applicants were informed via email from Status of Women Canada

g) All travel-associated costs for NGO delegates chosen to be on the delegation are covered by SWC for the period of their participation on the Canadian delegation.

Question No. 116

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

With regard to the protection of intellectual property rights: (a) what measures is the government planning to implement in order to comply with the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement; and (b) when will these measures be presented?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to the protection of intellectual property rights: a)The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, ACTA, negotiations are being undertaken with a view to establishing new global standards for the enforcement of intellectual property rights, IPR, in order to more effectively combat trade in counterfeit and pirated goods. Canada is actively participating in the ACTA negotiations to help shape an international agreement that reflects our national interests. In addition, Canada is presenting a position that embodies our domestic legal and policy framework. Since these negotiations, which cover a broad range of complex issues, are ongoing, it is premature to speculate about any specific measure that the countries would agree to include in an eventual agreement.

b) Only once the negotiations are concluded and the text of the agreement is finalized, would Canada be in a position to assess whether or not it should implement any measures to meet the ACTA. Moreover, the Parliament of Canada must approve all international commitments that Canada would undertake before they are implemented. As with any trade negotiation, before acceding to any agreement, Canada would need to be satisfied that it reflects Canadian interests.

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns

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

Mr. Speaker, if Questions Nos. 2, 5, 11, 27, 29, 43, 44, 48, 57, 61, 62, 63, 66, 70, 72, 77 and 93 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately.