House of Commons Hansard #122 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was information.

Topics

Strengthening Aviation Security ActGovernment Orders

5:20 p.m.

NDP

Jim Maloway NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Madam Speaker, as I have indicated, there are other extremely important areas that we should be looking at, including the trusted shippers program and all of the exposure to the packages, letters and bags going onto our planes unchecked. I would like to know what the government is doing about that, as opposed to simply rolling over on an American demand that we provide this information with no guarantee as to how it will be dealt with.

All I am saying is that it would be a big improvement if they would simply adopt the provisions of the Canada-EU agreement. Why would the government not have insisted that there be specific time periods for disposal of data, that the data use is limited and that the data individualization is changed so that the information is rendered anonymous, as per the EU.

Those are all things that would help and the Americans could still build up their profile without attaching the information to the individuals. Hence, the privacy situation would be somewhat mitigated.

Strengthening Aviation Security ActGovernment Orders

5:20 p.m.

NDP

Dennis Bevington NDP Western Arctic, NT

Madam Speaker, one of the more absurd parts of this whole negotiation that took place was the exemption that the U.S. gave to domestic flights.

Quite clearly, the history of terrorist action in aircraft in the United States was domestic to domestic. We saw that in the terrible events of 9/11. Quite clearly, in Canada, when we are travelling domestic to domestic, what we have to produce is a simple piece of photo ID, quite easily duplicated and forged. The level of security on these flights is extremely low. As well, domestic to domestic flights in Canada fly over some of the more populated areas in the United States and yet the U.S. government is quite willing to give this exemption for those flights. Why is that?

Does this relate to what the Prime Minister will be doing in the United States with information about all Canadians in this deal that he is signing or working out with President Obama on Friday?

Strengthening Aviation Security ActGovernment Orders

5:25 p.m.

NDP

Jim Maloway NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Madam Speaker, no doubt there is an overall objective and an overall plan that the security people in the United States have in mind here.

The member is right. The airplanes that were used in 9/11 were domestic airlines. They were not international flights. They were domestic flights that were commandeered in the United States.

Here we have many domestic flights that are taking off from Toronto going to Vancouver and crossing over American air space. He certainly exposes some truth there. Certainly the Prime Minister is under a lot of pressure from the Americans but all we say is that he have some backbone here. The flights were not shut down during the first time they said they would be and they will not be shut down in the future.

We can certainly vote against this bill—

Strengthening Aviation Security ActGovernment Orders

5:25 p.m.

NDP

The Acting Speaker NDP Denise Savoie

Resuming debate. The hon. member for Vancouver East. I should let her know ahead of time that I will have to interrupt her at 5:30. She has a few minutes to begin her comments.

Strengthening Aviation Security ActGovernment Orders

5:25 p.m.

NDP

Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC

Madam Speaker, although I only have a few minutes this afternoon, I am sure this debate will continue tomorrow because it is a very important bill that we are debating. I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak to Bill C-42, the Aeronautics Act.

I first want to thank my colleague from Western Arctic who is the NDP transport critic. I know the member from Western Arctic and his team, the folks in his office, his researchers, have put together just a wealth of information that when one reads through it leaves one with a very troubling sense as to what the bill is all about.

The bill was before the House before the holiday break. There was a sense of urgency, a deadline and it had to be rushed through. This is such a familiar story in this place that it almost makes the notion of Parliament and the work of parliamentarians seem redundant. Everything has an urgency and must be rushed through.

We are here to dig into legislation, to find out what it is about, to look at its merits, to give it a sober first thought and second thought, to have it go through committee and then through all the other processes. That is very important, especially in this day and age when everything is so focused on security, technology and the movement of information from government to government. There are huge issues involved here in terms of people's privacy.

While we have the opportunity and the right to see this legislation, we just think of what it means to the people out there who have not the vaguest notion of how these massive changes are taking place in our society. These days, travelling by air is something that millions of people do. It is part of daily living, part of business and part of one's family life.

Something I find deeply troubling is that most people have absolutely no awareness or knowledge of the rules that are being imposed, the secret agreements that are being laid out, which affect how their personal information is being used. When we relate that to a bigger picture about what is taking place with the deep integration with United States' policies, whether it is trade, security issues or border issues, this is something that I know many Canadians are more and more concerned about.

Strengthening Aviation Security ActGovernment Orders

5:30 p.m.

NDP

The Acting Speaker NDP Denise Savoie

The hon. member will have seven minutes left for her comments when this debate resumes.

The House resumed from Wednesday, December 15, 2010, consideration of the motion.

Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

5:30 p.m.

NDP

The Acting Speaker NDP Denise Savoie

It being 5:30 p.m., pursuant to order made Wednesday, December 15, 2010, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion to concur in the first report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security.

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #153

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I declare the motion carried.

The House resumed from February 1 consideration of the motion that Bill S-6, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and another Act, be read the third time and passed.

Serious Time for the Most Serious Crime ActGovernment Orders

6:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at the third reading stage of Bill S-6.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #154

Serious Time for the Most Serious Crime ActGovernment Orders

6:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I declare the motion carried.

(Bill read the third time and passed)

The House resumed from December 16, 2010 consideration of the motion

Environment and Sustainable DevelopmentCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion to concur in the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development concerning the extension of time to consider Bill C-469, An Act to establish a Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights.

Environment and Sustainable DevelopmentCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:20 p.m.

Conservative

Gordon O'Connor Conservative Carleton—Mississippi Mills, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. If you seek it, I believe you will find agreement to apply the vote from the previous motion to the current motion, with the Conservatives voting yes.

Environment and Sustainable DevelopmentCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

Is there agreement to proceed in this way?

Environment and Sustainable DevelopmentCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Environment and Sustainable DevelopmentCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:20 p.m.

Liberal

Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party will vote in favour of this bill.

Environment and Sustainable DevelopmentCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:20 p.m.

Bloc

Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois will vote yes.

Environment and Sustainable DevelopmentCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:20 p.m.

NDP

Chris Charlton NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON

Mr. Speaker, NDP members will vote yes.

Environment and Sustainable DevelopmentCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

February 2nd, 2011 / 6:20 p.m.

Independent

Helena Guergis Independent Simcoe—Grey, ON

Mr. Speaker, I vote yes.

Environment and Sustainable DevelopmentCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:20 p.m.

Independent

André Arthur Independent Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC

Mr. Speaker, I vote in favour of the bill.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #155