House of Commons Hansard #40 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was workers.
Peter MacKay ConservativeMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, that is false. The Prime Minister provided accurate and correct information. It is true that this mission involves significant risks.
This is the reason we continue to support our men and women in uniform with appropriate equipment to protect them, to support them in every way we can. We have nothing but the highest regard, admiration, and respect for the men and women in uniform, and their families, for what they do for our country at home and abroad.
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation of the Canada–Europe Parliamentary Association, respecting its participation in the 34th annual interparliamentary meeting with the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Canada and the parliamentary mission to Denmark, the next country to hold the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, held in Strasbourg, France and Copenhagen, Denmark, September 10 to 17, 2011.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
The hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs is rising on a point of order.
John Baird ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I would just like to correct the record. In an answer to a question from the New Democrats, I said contribution agreements were drafted by Treasury Board. Of course, they were drafted by Infrastructure Canada. I regret any false impression I may have left.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to present a petition signed by literally thousands of Canadians from all across Canada who call upon Parliament to take note that asbestos is the greatest industrial killer the world has ever known. The petitioners point out that more Canadians now die from asbestos than all other industrial causes combined. They also remind Parliament that Canada remains one of the largest producers and exporters of asbestos in the world and spends millions of dollars subsidizing the asbestos industry and curbing international efforts to curb its use.
Therefore, these petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to ban asbestos in all of its forms and institute a just transition program for asbestos workers and the communities they live in. They call upon government to end all subsidies of asbestos, both in Canada and abroad, and to stop blocking international health and safety conventions designed to protect workers from asbestos, such as the Rotterdam Convention.
David Wilks Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Mr. Speaker, today I am honoured to present a petition on behalf of 5,600 constituents from coast to coast. It calls for a national child abduction and kidnapping registry, informing communities of high-risk offenders. It calls for protocols to nationalize the AMBER Alert program, and to introduce a three tiered classification system for child abduction and kidnapping laws, similar to the Adam Walsh child protection and safety act, passed on July 27, 2006, as the United States federal statute reflects.
It is imperative that we take care of our children in this country and that our communities understand what we will do for them. I present this on behalf of all of them.
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from people from all over Ontario who are concerned with the proposed mega-quarry in Melancthon Township in Dufferin County, which would be the largest open pit quarry in Canada at over 2,300 acres.
The petitioners are concerned about a number of things, one of which is that the proposed mega-quarry would remove from production some of Ontario's best farmland. They are asking that the Government of Canada conduct an environmental assessment under the authority of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act on the Highland Companies' proposed mega quarry development.
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to present a petition signed by prominent leaders in the Iranian Canadian community. A similar petition has been signed by thousands of human rights advocates, particularly from the Iranian community in Canada.
The petitioners are bringing the case of Mr. Khavari to Parliament's attention. Mr. Khavari, a dual Iranian–Canadian citizen and former chairman of Iran's largest bank, is wanted for questioning in Tehran. During the time he reportedly obtained his Canadian citizenship, Mr. Khavari led a financial institution belonging to the Iranian revolutionary guards, a known international sponsor of terrorism and the source of much of the violence against civilians during Iran's post-election protests.
The petitioners are requesting that the government investigate the conditions of Mr. Khavari's citizenship to see whether he obtained it by meeting all the legal requirements. This is a growing problem that the Iranian Canadian community is raising with the government. Just today, we read that a second Iranian banker has settled in Montreal. These individuals are associated with the Iranian regime, even if they find themselves on the wrong side of the regime today.
Many Iranian Canadians contacting my office argue that Canada should not be a safe haven for these individuals. It is a slap in the face of so many of the people who have moved to Canada to avoid the torture and violence of this regime.
Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by a number of citizens across west central Saskatchewan. They are expressing concern about their fellow Canadians who suffer from both CCSVI, which is chronic cerebral spinal venous insufficiency, and multiple sclerosis. They point out that the unfortunate occurrence of both of those serious diseases can often result in particular treatment being denied with respect to CCSVI.
The petitioners call upon the Minister of Health to consult more broadly and thoroughly with experts in Canada and around the world who actually have direct experience with the treatment of CCSVI. They urge the Minister of Health to proceed with phase 3 clinical trials on an urgent basis and to provide assistance to follow up on the experience of these patients over time so that Canada can develop the information base that is necessary to ensure that CCSVI is properly treated in Canada with the new technology that is available.
Rob Anders Conservative Calgary West, AB
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the first of thousands of petitions asking to end the patently unfair taxpayer subsidy of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Canadians from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario all want to end the $1,160,000,000 taxpayer subsidization of the CBC.
Rural Canadians from Innisfail, Alberta; Chemainus, British Columbia; Waldheim, Saskatchewan; and Exeter, Ontario, are calling for an end to the $1 billion public subsidy of the state broadcaster.
When we live in a 1,000-channel universe, why spend over $1 billion on a state broadcaster like the CBC?
Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise in the House today to present two petitions.
The first petition contains many pages of petitioners from Peterborough who want to draw attention to kidney disease, a huge and growing problem in Canada.
While real progress is being made in a variety of ways of preventing and coping with kidney disease, the petitioners also call upon Parliament to make research funding available to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for the explicit purpose of conducting bioartificial kidney research as an extension of the research that is being successfully conducted at several centres in the United States.
Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, the second petition comes from Vancouver and is signed by members of the Kurdish community and other concerned Canadian citizens who want to draw attention to the serious violations of human rights by the Kurdistan regional government, KRG, in the northern part of Iraq, Kurdistan.
The petitioners point out that activists, journalists, academics, members of the opposition, political parties and ordinary citizens who have been participating in demonstrations and assemblies are often arrested, tortured and killed. Kurdish towns and cities have been militarized and further opposition has been crushed.
Therefore, the petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada and all of us to condemn these violations against the demonstrators by the KRG in the northern part of Iraq, Kurdistan.
Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present two petitions. The first petition is with respect to a matter that has already been brought before us about a particularly compelling matter.
The first petition is from a group of Iranian Canadians who wish to bring to the attention of the House the concerns they have with regard to Mahmoud-Reza Khavari, a former managing director and chairman of the board of the largest state-owned Iranian financial institution, the Melli Bank. He was also director on the board of another principal state-owned entity, the Sepah Bank.
Of particular concern is Mr. Khavari's alleged settling here in Canada. These two banks, with which Mr. Khavari has been intimately associated, are state-owned entities that have been blacklisted by the United States, the European Union and the United Nations for having assisted Iran, both with respect to its nuclear weaponization program and with respect to its financing of terrorist activities, thereby threatening international peace and security.
The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to recognize the grave concern that Mr. Khavari poses in this regard to peace and security in general. They ask that the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism look into the situation with respect to the acquisition of citizenship and permanent residence, and whether these were acquired by fraud, misrepresentation or any form of concealed material circumstances.
Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition to condemn the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China and, in particular, to save members of Canadian families. According to the petitioners, Falun Gong is a beneficial and peaceful spiritual practice based on the principles of truth, compassion and tolerance. In addition, the petitioners claim that in July 2000, China's Communist Party launched a campaign to eradicate Falun Gong, and that 12 members of Canadian families are serving sentences of up to 12 years simply for believing in Falun Gong.
The petitioners are calling on the Canadian government to publicly condemn China's Communist regime for its illegal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and to save the members of Canadian families mentioned, who are incarcerated in China simply for believing in Falun Gong.
Garry Breitkreuz Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure today to present a large number of petitions from Canadians from coast to coast.
The petitioners call upon the government to de-fund the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. They would particularly like to draw the attention of the House to the fact that the Government of Canada funds the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to the sum of $1.1 billion per year and that the vast amount of the Government of Canada funding gives the CBC an unfair advantage over its private sector competitors.
The petitioners call upon Parliament to end the public funding of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to present a petition on a subject that has already been touched upon in the House today and that is the treatment by the government of the People's Republic of China of the Falun Gong, a very peaceful and spiritual group of people who are exercising their right to pursue their principles of truth, compassion and forbearance.
It is reported that more than 3,448 practitioners have been tortured to death in the People's Republic of China. It is certainly the case that the UN special rapporteur on torture has reported many victims of alleged torture and ill treatment in China as Falun Gong practitioners. There, apparently, are 12 people in forced labour camps in the People's Republic of China who have close family ties to Canadian Chinese citizens. Any free and democratic nation has the responsibility to condemn crimes against humanity wherever they occur.
The petitioners call upon the Canadian government to use every channel possible to call for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong, especially when it meets with top Chinese leaders at international forums, and also to help rescue the family members of Canadian residents who are incarcerated because of their belief in Falun Gong.
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, Question No. 129 will be answered today.
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
With regard to visa holders, for each of the fiscal years from 2001-2002 to 2010-2011, expressed as both a raw number and a percentage of total visas issued, what is the total number of instances of visa holders overstaying the length of their temporary residence visa, (i) in total, (ii) broken down by country of origin of the visa holder, (iii) broken down by issuing visa office?
Question No. 129Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings
Provencher Manitoba
Conservative
Vic Toews ConservativeMinister of Public Safety
Mr Speaker, the CBSA does not collect this type of information.
The CBSA is mandated to ensure the safety and security of Canada’s population by taking appropriate enforcement action against individuals who are non-compliant with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, including investigations, arrests, detentions and removals. In support of its mandate, the CBSA makes use of referrals from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, police, and tips from the public to investigate cases of possible non-compliance.
The CBSA does not proactively monitor foreign nationals who have been authorized to work in Canada. Until such time as Canada has a system in place for exit controls, it is difficult for the CBSA to establish whether foreign nationals authorized to work in Canada have complied with all conditions imposed or have remained in Canada beyond the period of time authorized for their stay.
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. 132 and 138 could be made orders for return, these would be tabled immediately.
Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS
With regard to Environment Canada and the oil and gas sector in Canada: (a) what does Environment Canada’s economic modelling show about the effect of a carbon price on natural gas consumption in Canada, relative to business as usual; (b) has Environment Canada performed any assessment or updating of its methane emission factors for natural gas extraction, processing, transmission and distribution, and what is the source of the emission factors it is currently using; (c) has Environment Canada performed any analysis on whether to include oil and gas wells in the National Pollutant Release Inventory such that the composition and volume of fracking fluids would be publicly reported; (d) what recent analysis has Environment Canada performed concerning the structure and use of groundwater resources in Canada; (e) what analysis, if any, has Environment Canada performed concerning the effect of natural gas prices on potential shale gas expansion; (f) what analysis has Environment Canada done concerning the cumulative impacts of natural gas development on Canada’s natural environment; (g) what analysis has Environment Canada done concerning the cost per tonne of carbon capture and storage for natural gas processing plants; (h) what analysis has Environment Canada done of changes to disclosure rules concerning gas development in other jurisdictions, and what is Environment Canada's position on those proposals; (i) what analysis has Environment Canada done of “pauses” or moratoria on gas development in other jurisdictions, and what is Environment Canada's position on those proposals; and (j) what analysis, if any, has Environment Canada done on the role of switching to natural gas in reaching Canada’s 2020 greenhouse gas emission target?
(Return tabled)