Debates of Nov. 4th, 2011

Oral Questions

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Are the documents in question in both official languages?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yes, they are in both official languages.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. I find it highly irregular. I appreciate that the government spares no cost in terms of tax dollars in researching the background of individuals. It was a legitimate question in regard to the actions of the government. The amount of disrespect that the minister put has cast a shadow--

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. Tabling of documents. The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs.

Eeyou Marine Region Land Claims Agreement

[Greg Rickford, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the Eeyou Marine Region Land Claims Agreement.

Government Response to Petitions

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Parliamentary 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 four petitions.

Eeyou Marine Region Land Claims Agreement Act

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations and I would ask for unanimous consent for the following motion:

That the bill on notice entitled “An Act to give effect to the Agreement between the Crees of Eeyou Istchee and Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada concerning the Eeyou Marine Region” be permitted to be introduced today.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Does the hon. Leader of the Government in the House of Commons have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

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

[Some hon. members]

Agreed

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

(Motion agreed to.)

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-22, An Act to give effect to the Agreement between the Crees of Eeyou Istchee and Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada concerning the Eeyou Marine Region.

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

Finance

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Finance in relation to Bill C-13, an act to implement certain provisions of the 2011 budget as updated on June 6, 2011 and other measures.

The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House without amendments.

Bill C-18

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the legislative committee on Bill C-18, an act to reorganize the Canadian Wheat Board and to make consequential and related amendments to certain Acts.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I want to be clear that the bill that the committee is reporting on is the bill where the Conservative government violated farmers' rights by not allowing a vote under the current legislation before the House. Is this also the committee that failed to hold hearings in western Canada and give farmers a say?

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. I can confirm to the House that this is Bill C-18 and it is from the legislative committee that was struck for Bill C-18.

Eeyou Marine Region Land Claims Agreement Act

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to the bill introduced earlier today, I wish to seek unanimous consent for the following motion:

That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practices of this House, Bill C-22, An Act to give effect to the Agreement between the Crees of Eeyou Istchee and Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada concerning the Eeyou Marine Region shall be deemed to have been read a second time and referred to a Committee of the Whole, deemed considered in Committee of the Whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at the report stage and deemed read a third time and passed.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Does the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons have the unanimous consent of the House to propose the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

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

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

(Motion agreed to, bill read the second time, considered in committee of the whole, reported without amendment, concurred in, read the third time and passed)

Mining Industry

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have today a petition to present from literally thousands of Canadians across Canada.

The petitioners point out that they are appalled by reports that Canadian mining and oil and gas companies are involved in human rights and environmental violations around the world. In particular, they are embarrassed at the Canadian government's lack of action against such violations in eastern Congo, leading to the use of the term “the iron fist of Canada” to describe the Canadian government's support of activities harmful to Congolese communities.

Therefore, the petitioners request that the House the Commons legislate the standards for Canadian mining companies operating outside of Canada to be the same as the standards they must reach operating inside of Canada. This would include, but not be limited to, making participation in corporate social responsibility review process, allowing the corporate social responsibility review to produce legally binding judgments to include the violation of human rights and other harm to communities as part of any legally binding accountability mechanism and to revitalize the spirit and the principle of Bill C-300 of the last Parliament to hold Canadian extractive companies to the standards of decency Canadians expect of their government—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. I remind the hon. member and all hon. members that the practice for petitions is to not read the petitions and to simply give a succinct summary thereof.

The hon. member for Etobicoke North on a petition.