House of Commons Hansard #74 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was agreements.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I have the honour to lay upon the table the 2009-10 annual report on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
These documents are deemed to have been permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Pursuant to Standing Order 28(2)(b), I have the honour to lay upon the table the House of Commons calendar for the year 2011.
Courts Administration ServiceRoutine Proceedings
Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles Québec
Conservative
Daniel Petit ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(1) and subsection 12(2) of the Courts Administration Service Act, I have the honour to table in the House of Commons, in both official languages, the 2009-10 annual report of the Courts Administration Service.
Daniel Petit ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice
Mr. Speaker, furthermore, pursuant to Standing Order 32(1) and section 696.5 of the Criminal Code, I have the honour to table in the House of Commons, in both official languages, the report entitled “Applications for Ministerial Review - Miscarriages of Justice”.
Sustaining Canada's Economic Recovery ActRoutine Proceedings
Whitby—Oshawa Ontario
Conservative
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-47, A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 4, 2010 and other measures.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the following report of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association respecting its participation at the subcommittee on democratic governance and the Georgia-NATO Interparliamentary Council held in Tbilisi, Georgia from April 5-8, 2010.
Pursuant to Standing Order 31, I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the following report of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association respecting its participation at the Mediterranean and Middle East special group held in Rome, Italy from June 27-28, 2010.
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to table in the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, respecting its participation in the APF's Commission de la coopération et du développement, held in Rome, Italy, on June 8 and 9, 2010.
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-566, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (sponsorship of relative).
Mr. Speaker, generations of immigrants who settled in Canada shared a common dream that one day their loved ones would join them in their new homeland. However, the immigration laws of today are harsh and tear families apart.
Why can ordinary Canadians not sponsor their brother or sister? A 20-year old daughter left alone cannot join her parents in Canada. Keeping families separate is un-Canadian. Before the nineties, half of landed immigrants who came to Canada were sponsored by family members. Now it is less than one-quarter.
My bill would allow Canadians, once in their lifetime, to fulfill their dreams to sponsor a loved one to join them in Canada. Let us go back to the core Canadian family values and support this once in a lifetime chance for family reunification.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-567, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (fairness for home buyers).
Mr. Speaker, as members are aware, as the cost of home ownership continues to increase over time in this country, one of the valuable tools that middle-class families use is the homebuyers' plan. Unfortunately, the homebuyers' plan is not indexed. What happens over time is that the homebuyers' plan continues to diminish in value.
What we need to do, in the NDP's opinion, is index the homebuyers' plan so that over time the purchasing value of the money that is put into the homebuyers' plan by families across this country continues to have the same value. Whether they purchase now, 5 years from now, or 10 years from now, that homebuyers' plan should have the same strength.
The Greater Vancouver Real Estate Board has endorsed this bill that has come forward. This in fact comes from the real estate agents lobbying across the country, speaking out on ensuring the cost of home ownership and accessibility to home ownership.
I am pleased to rise in the House to move this bill, fairness for home buyers, which would assure that over time people would have the same access to home ownership in Canada.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-568, An Act to amend the Statistics Act (mandatory long-form census).
Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to present this bill in view of the motion in the House last night. Both the Minister of Industry and the Prime Minister have clearly stated that they will not abide by the will of this House. I am pleased to table this bill.
The groups that were not consulted on this want this mandatory long form census to be placed into the Statistics Act of Canada such that any future government cannot go forward with the census without the mandatory long form census.
I am very pleased to present this bill this morning and pleased to have the support of the member for Ottawa—Vanier, the member for Windsor West and the member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, the industry critic.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
John Rafferty NDP Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-569, An Act respecting the establishment of a National Strategy for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to table this bill on behalf of many of my constituents and other families across Canada who have been affected by FASD on some level.
I would particularly like to recognize Dave and Margie Fulton, Marilyn Leiterman and Elspeth Ross, who have worked countless hours to improve the lives of affected families and to reduce the occurrence of FASD in our society.
FASD takes an enormous toll upon families, communities and governments. FASD is a serious but entirely preventable,public health issue. A federal strategy designed at prevention and treatment of FASD is long overdue. This bill, if passed, will ensure that such a strategy is finally put into place.
As I did with Bill C-532, my first piece of legislation on this matter, I encourage all members who have the opportunity to put forward a bill for debate before the next election to strongly consider adopting this bill, making it their own, so that we can move forward on this matter as quickly as possible.
Working together, we can make a difference.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-570, An Act respecting the labelling of food products containing sodium.
Mr. Speaker, I am introducing legislation to improve the labelling of salt in processed food. The nutrition facts tables currently express the amount of sodium both in milligrams per serving as well as a percentage of the daily value quote. The daily value percentage is based on the upper intake level, which is the maximum amount of sodium that should be consumed in a day.
This bill would ensure that the daily value percentage is calculated according to Health Canada's recommended adequate intake of 1,500 milligrams per day. The labels now are misleading Canadians instead of helping us make healthier choices.
I invite the government to adopt this bill and its regulations so that when the minister tells Canadians to pay closer attention to the label on the food, the label will be giving the consumer the correct information.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
seconded by the member for Etobicoke Centre, moved for leave to introduce Bill C-571, An Act respecting corporate practices relating to the purchase of minerals from the Great Lakes Region of Africa.
He said: Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the Liberal Party for seconding the bill.
The illegal extraction of minerals from Africa's great lakes region has been directly financing the conflict in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo where millions have lost their lives and the human rights of millions more have been violated. We are connected to these conflicts through our use of minerals that finance these conflicts.
The UN Security Council has made recommendations to put an end to the trade of conflict minerals and this bill heeds the call to that action of the Security Council. It would create a due diligence mechanism for Canadian companies to ensure that they are not purchasing minerals that finance conflicts. The bill would also mandate the extractive sector's Corporate Social Responsibility Counsellor to report to the minister and Parliament as to which companies are not practising due diligence in purchasing these materials.
I invite the government to adopt this bill. Should we win a seat on the Security Council, this will be an area where Canada can play a significant leadership role in promoting global peace and security.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-572, An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (Parliamentary Budget Officer).
Mr. Speaker, I present to the House an bill to strengthen fiscal transparency.
On numerous occasions, parliamentarians are asked to make decisions without being provided any information about the fiscal and economic implications of the choices before us. The government created the Parliamentary Budget Officer. However, the design had major flaws.
Although the officer's mandate is broad and strong, the position does not have the tools and independence necessary to deliver that mandate. This bill would address those flaws by making the Parliamentary Budget Officer an independent officer of Parliament, with the same powers as Parliament's other officers. This is in keeping with the spirit of the Federal Accountability Act.
I hope to have the full co-operation of all hon. members, particularly the government, in advancing fiscal transparency and accountability in our country and in Parliament.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition from people requesting that the House direct the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism to use his ministerial discretion to grant a temporary resident permit to Mr. Freeman on humanitarian and compassionate grounds so that he can be reunited with his family.
Mr. Freeman has spent most of his life in Canada. He has four Canadian-born children and his wife is Canadian. He had a run-in with the American justice system at a time when there was significant racial violence in Chicago. He has fully paid his debt to society, having served his entire sentence in the United States following a plea bargain with American prosecutors.
Those who have signed the petition feel that we should help him so that he can be with his family again.
Jim Maloway NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Mr. Speaker, I present a petition which calls on the Canadian government to negotiate with the United States government to reduce the U.S. and Canadian passport fees.
The number of American tourists visiting Canada is at its lowest level since 1972. It has fallen by five million in the last seven years, from 16 million in 2002 to only 11 million in 2009.
Passport fees for multiple member families are a significant barrier to traditional cross-border family vacations. The cost of the passports for an American family of four can be over $500. While over half of Canadians have passports, only a quarter of Americans have passports.
At the Midwestern Legislative Conference of the Council of State Governments attended by me and over 500 other elected representatives from 11 border states and three provinces, a resolution was passed unanimously which reads as follows:
RESOLVED that [the] Conference calls on President Barack Obama and the Prime Minister...to immediately examine a reduced fee for passports to facilitate cross-border tourism;
...we encourage the governments to examine the idea of a limited time two-for-one passport renewal or new application; and be it further
RESOLVED, that this resolution be submitted to appropriate federal, state and provincial officials.
To be a fair process, passport fees must be reduced on both sides of the border. Therefore, the petitioners call on the government to work with the American government to examine a mutual reduction in passport fees to facilitate tourism, and to promote a limited time two-for-one passport renewal or new application fee on a mutual basis with the United States.
Judy Foote Liberal Random—Burin—St. George's, NL
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of 1,100 MS patients in Newfoundland and Labrador; of course, we know there are many more throughout the country.
This petition is signed by people throughout the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. They are calling on the government to make it possible for MS patients throughout the country to avail themselves of the liberation treatment.
On October 4 one of my constituents, Perry Goodyear from Grand Bank, will be flying to New York to have the treatment done. It is very costly for people to do this and it is very difficult for them as well, as some of them are confined to wheelchairs.
The petitioners are asking the government to consider the seriousness of this issue on behalf of MS patients, to recognize that the treatment that is being done by Dr. Zamboni is showing wonderful results for patients who have MS. The petitioners are asking the government to take a leadership role and to recognize that there will be provinces that will not participate unless the federal government plays a leadership role.
The petitioners are asking the government to once again recognize the need, recognize how serious this is for MS patients, to recognize the importance of doing this and to move quickly on it.
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Mr. Speaker, I too have a petition signed by fellow Canadians most of whom are from Quebec and Ontario. They are calling on the Minister of Health to convene a meeting of ministers of health of the provinces and of the federal government to discuss allowing hospitals, private clinics and individual doctors to test for and treat CCSVI in all Canadians who so desire testing and treatment, and to plan and implement a nationwide clinical trial for the evaluation of venography and balloon venoplasty for the treatment of CCSVI in persons diagnosed with MS.
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Speaker, as you well know, the government cut the funding to KAIROS a few months ago. Today I am presenting petitions signed by dozens of people from Montreal and the Eastern Townships: Cowansville, Sutton and Verdun. In light of the significant role that KAIROS plays in the network for international development funding, and given its success as an organization in terms of developing projects that truly help third-world citizens, the people who signed these petitions are asking the government to immediately reinstate funding to KAIROS and finance its overseas programs from 2010 to 2013.
Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings
Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre Saskatchewan
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
Motion to concur in seventh report of industry, science and technology committeePoints of OrderRoutine Proceedings
Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre Saskatchewan
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order to bring to your attention the motion on the order paper to concur in the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, which is essentially the same as the supply motion that was adopted yesterday.
On page 560 of O'Brien and Bosc, it refers to the rule of anticipation. It states:
The rule is dependent on the principle which forbids the same question from being decided twice within the same session.
On that same page it states:
The rule of anticipation becomes operative only when one of two similar motions on the order paper is actually proceeded with.
That is what happened yesterday with the Liberal supply motion.
I would add that the concurrence motion was moved last Friday by the NDP with the full knowledge that the subject matter of the concurrence motion was the same as that of the Liberal supply day motion which was scheduled for debate the following Tuesday.
Surely the NDP was aware that the continuation of the debate on the concurrence motion at the later date and the subsequent vote would be redundant. More important and unfortunate is that the debate on the concurrence motion interrupted the debate on Bill C-22, the protecting children from online sexual exploitation bill, which was scheduled to conclude on Friday. As a result of the concurrence motion, Bill C-22 was not sent to committee.
Mr. Speaker, as you know, there is one hour and 36 minutes remaining in the debate on the concurrence motion, and the government is bound by the rules to schedule a continuation of this debate within 10 sitting days, which will conclude in a division on the same question twice.
Mr. Speaker, in order to prevent this unnecessary debate and vote from taking place, I would ask that you strike the motion to concur in the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology from the order paper.
Motion to concur in seventh report of industry, science and technology committeePoints of OrderRoutine Proceedings
Liberal
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I thank the hon. parliamentary secretary for his submissions on this matter. I will look into it further and get back to the House in due course.
The House resumed from September 29 consideration of the motion that Bill C-46, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Republic of Panama, the Agreement on the Environment between Canada and the Republic of Panama and the Agreement on Labour Cooperation between Canada and the Republic of Panama, be read the second time and referred to a committee, and of the amendment.