House of Commons Hansard #39 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was firearms.
Raymond Côté NDP Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Mr. Speaker, the government could end up depriving the Canadian economy of millions of dollars in tourism spinoffs, because tourists from the countries for which Canada requires a visa must go through a completely arbitrary process. Every year, one out of every five visitors is denied entry to the country. There are no clear criteria, guidelines or standards for granting entry.
What is this government doing to make the tourist visa process fairer?
Maxime Bernier ConservativeMinister of State (Small Business and Tourism)
Mr. Speaker, I am happy that my counterpart is interested in tourism. This industry is very important to Canada. I want to say that we are working with the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism to ensure that our visa process is effective. I just got back from China, where I met with my counterparts over there. I can say that Canada has a very competitive process for granting visas to foreign visitors, compared to what is done elsewhere.
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Conservatives introduced a bill that would irreversibly decrease Quebec's political weight. The Quebeckers in this House have an obligation to object to this assault on the Quebec nation and denounce the bill.
The National Assembly has spoken out three times and Quebec's minister of intergovernmental affairs has made it clear, “...there is an exceptional consensus; Quebec does not want to see its weight decreased.”
Will the government respect the Quebec nation and correct its bill in order to maintain Quebec's current political weight?
Tim Uppal ConservativeMinister of State (Democratic Reform)
Mr. Speaker, we have introduced principled legislation that is fair for all provinces. Quebec has 23% of the population and will have 23% of the seats in the House of Commons.
The fair representation act would bring every single province closer to representation by population. We on this side of the House are governing for all Canadians.
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), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's responses to seven petitions.
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 8th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
Pursuant to Standing Order 92(3)(a), the committee hereby reports that it has concurred in the report of the subcommittee on private members' business advising that Bill C-292, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (victims' restitution and monetary awards for offenders), should be designated non-votable.
Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-339, An Act to condemn corruption and impunity in Russia in the case and death of Sergei Magnitsky.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a bill entitled an act to condemn corruption and impunity in Russia in the case and death of Sergei Magnitsky.
The tragic torture and death in detention of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who uncovered the largest tax fraud in Russian history and paid for it with his life, is a looking glass into the pervasive culture of corruption and impunity implicating senior government officials in Russia today.
The bill notes that no objective official investigation has been conducted by the Russian government into the Magnitsky case, despite extensive documented evidence incriminating Russian officials in serious human rights violations, in the embezzlement of funds from the Russian treasury, and in the retaliation against Mr. Magnitsky, nor have the individual persons been identified, apprehended and brought to justice in Russia.
Accordingly, this bill establishes a process by which the Canadian government must prepare a list of individuals responsible for the torture and death of Sergei Magnitsky, for the conspiracy to defraud the Russian federation of taxes paid by the foreign investment company known as Hermitage, and for efforts to shield those culpable of those gross violations of human rights. It imposes restrictions on the listed individuals and their family members, such that they are inadmissible for the purposes of entering or remaining in Canada.
The ongoing impunity, and indeed, in this instance shocking impunity, regarding Russian officials is as scandalous as it is shocking. This legislation would uphold the rule of law, would assure Russian human rights defenders that they are not alone, would protect Canadian business interests in Russia, and in particular would remember and honour the heroic sacrifice of Sergei Magnitsky. He acted on behalf of all of us in his protection of the rule of law.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Bruce Hyer NDP Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure of presenting a petition on behalf of the residents of Rossport, Terrace Bay and Schreiber in support of restoring vital passenger rail service that was cut in the late 1980s.
The petitioners note that rail is both environmentally friendly and efficient. Returning passenger rail to one of the most spectacular routes in the country, along the north shore of Lake Superior through Thunder Bay, would be a huge boost to north shore communities and to rail tourism alike.
The petitioners are asking for MPs to support Motion No. 263 to return passenger rail along the beautiful north shore of Lake Superior to Thunder Bay and beyond.
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Mr. Speaker, I present a petition in which 30 Canadians from Saskatchewan and Ontario want the government to ensure the Holodomor and Canada's first national internment operations are permanently and prominently displayed at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to present petitions with 753 signatures from across Canada. The petitions were started by people within Saanich—Gulf Islands who are concerned about the fate of sharks globally because of the single practice of killing the shark to obtain the fin to make shark fin soup.
Earlier this week, Toronto City Council took decisive action and voted at the municipal level, as many other municipalities are now doing, to ban shark fins. This petition asks that this House look at the issue. I hope that we will also see a private member's bill on this matter.
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 Questions Nos. 133, 135 and 137 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately.
Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS
With regard to Table 2-16 in the 2008 Greenhouse Gas Inventory produced by Environment Canada and submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: (a) what are the corresponding sector by sector greenhouse gas emission figures for 2009; (b) has the government revised any of the greenhouse gas emissions estimates from the years included in the above-mentioned Table 2-16, and if so why; and (c) do the oil sands sector figures reported for each year included in the above-mentioned Table 2-16 include the indirect emissions resulting from the electricity used in oil sands facilities, transportation of the oil, refining, and from any associated land use changes or deforestation, and if they are not included (i) why are they not included, (ii) what is the government’s estimate for what they would be?
(Return tabled)
Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS
With respect to the business-as-usual Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission projections for Canada, last published in 2008: (a) what are the government's 2011 GHG emission projections for the years 2015 and 2020, disaggregated by source of emission and by sector, including, with respect to the oilsands sector, the GHG emissions related to in-situ bitumen mining, bitumen mining and upgrading; and (b) what are macroeconomics assumptions, data on demand by industry for electricity and energy, petroleum supply and distribution, natural gas supply and disposition, conversion and emission factors and other assumptions that these business-as-usual GHG emissions projections are based upon?
(Return tabled)
Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC
With regard to recommendation number seven of the Report of the Standing Committee on Health, tabled on June 17, 2010, titled “Promoting Innovative Solutions to Health Human Resources Challenges”: (a) what is the government’s position with respect to physiotherapy as a method to reduce health care spending while increasing the capacity of Canadian physicians; (b) what is the government’s position with respect to a pan-Canadian increase in direct access to physiotherapy services without gate-keeper consultation from physicians; (c) what is the Treasury Board’s position with respect to allowing employees of the federal public service and members of the federal client groups, including, First Nations and Inuit, RCMP, veterans, immigrants and refugees, federal inmates, and members of the Canadian Forces, to have direct access to physiotherapists, without gate-keeper consultation from physicians?
(Return tabled)
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Mr. Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.
The House resumed consideration of the motion that Bill C-19, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act, be read the second time and referred to a committee, and of the amendment.
Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
Mr. Speaker, to finish my speech, I would like to mention two main things about Bill C-19, or two arguments that have been repeated and that need to be corrected.
My first point—and we agree with the government—is that the cost of initially implementing the registry—over $2 billion—was far greater than what was planned and announced by the Liberal government in office at the time. The cost of implementing the registry was staggering. However, the registry now exists. I found it interesting that the member for Cariboo—Prince George was asked a question by a member of his own party about the annual costs. He was unable to respond. I can say that the current costs are minimal compared to the program's contribution. The registry currently exists. We can use it.
It is a little bit like if someone decides to renovate his or her basement. That individual is told that the renovations will cost $10,000 but, in the end, they actually cost $50,000. Will the person completely scrap the renovations because they cost too much? No. That person will work with what they have got. The fact that the registry initially cost a lot of money—$2 billion—does not justify eliminating it. That does not make any sense. The registry currently exists. The operating costs are minimal, and the registry has many benefits, as I mentioned in my speech before question period.
The second point that I would like to make is that the Conservatives have now decided that abolishing the registry means that all the data must be destroyed, even though the provinces—Quebec, among others—want to keep this data to manage their own program. The Conservatives are saying that they mentioned doing this in their election campaign, but I honestly did not hear anything about it.
The hon. member for Beauce said that this falls under federal jurisdiction, but justice is a shared jurisdiction. The Criminal Code does fall under federal jurisdiction, but the administration of justice comes under provincial jurisdiction and, as far as I know, the Sûreté du Québec does not fall under federal jurisdiction. So now we should all be able to agree. The NDP did its part to search for a middle ground between the government, which wants to completely abolish the long gun registry, and those who want to keep it, including the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. Such groups suggest, and rightfully so, that the registry is used repeatedly and regularly. Many of my colleagues have made that argument. I know that the police forces in my riding of Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques use it. I know they use it especially frequently in cases where there is a risk of domestic violence. This argument cannot be casually dismissed, which is what government members so often like to do.
The firearms registry should be amended to eliminate the sticking points that we have mentioned, that we continue to mention and that I talked about before question period. Those sticking points can be eliminated. My constituents in Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques have said that corrections must be made, including decriminalizing a first offence when someone fails to comply with the registration requirement. There are other sticking points. The NDP is prepared to sit down with the government to eliminate them and ensure that the registry continues in the same direction.
This is an important policy issue. This is not a trivial matter or delay tactic, but rather a fundamental issue concerning Canada's social fabric. That is why we want to work with the government to amend Bill C-19, but we will not be voting in favour of this bill in its current form.
Raymond Côté NDP Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Mr. Speaker, I really enjoyed the hon. member's speech. When we talk about the firearms registry, I think back to the time when I worked at a furniture and appliance store, Ameublements Tanguay. A number of my colleagues were hunters. Some told me they felt as though they were being treated like criminals. I was aware of this type of argument.
We have to remember that at the time of the previous crisis, triggered by this government, with regard to this very registry, Mr. Layton had proposed, both within our caucus and to the government, that there be some sort of arrangement so that people who have to register their firearms could do so in a dignified manner without being labelled as potential criminals. I would like the hon. member to elaborate on this and to reach out to the government so that we can find a solution that suits everyone.
