House of Commons Hansard #177 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was agreements.
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 74 petitions.
John Duncan Conservative Vancouver Island North, BC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-47, An Act to enact the Nunavut Planning and Project Assessment Act and the Northwest Territories Surface Rights Board Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Joe Preston Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 31st report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
The committee advises that, pursuant to Standing Order 91.1(2), the Subcommittee on Private Members' Business met to consider the order for the second reading of a private member's bill originating in the Senate and recommends that the item listed herein, which has been determined should not be designated non-votable, be considered by the House.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
Pursuant to Standing Order 91.1(2) the report is deemed adopted.
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-463, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (travel expenses).
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise here today to introduce my private member's bill, the discover your Canada act. The bill seeks to amend the Income Tax Act in order to make travel within Canada more affordable for Canadians by providing income tax deductions on the expense of purchasing tickets for the taxpayer or a dependent child of the taxpayer for non-business travel by airplane, train or bus, if the travel involves crossing at least three different provincial boundaries.
Travellers would receive a 100% deduction for the cost of bus tickets, a 75% deduction for train tickets and a 40% deduction for plane tickets up to a maximum of $1,000 per year, per person.
At almost 10 million square kilometres, Canada is the second largest country in the world. As such, we face challenges trying to foster a sense of connection between our people, since some Canadians live more than 9,000 kilometres apart. The costs of travelling such long distances are often prohibitive, especially due to the fact that travelling a similar distance to either the U.S., Europe or the Caribbean can often be significantly less expensive.
I believe that facilitating travel within Canada is an ideal way to promote Canada's rich cultural diversity and that if it were easier for Canadians to visit distant provinces, it would not only foster a stronger knowledge of our shared history but would also promote a sense of unity and understanding among Canadians who would otherwise seldom interact.
Being a member of Parliament has allowed me to discover my country as I have travelled across Canada by road, sea and rail for various reasons. This has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my job. I would like to make it easier for Canadians to go where I have gone, see what I have seen and meet who I have met. I am sure that if more Canadians have a chance to discover Canada, as I have been fortunate enough to do, our country would be more united than ever.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Matthew Dubé NDP Chambly—Borduas, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition in support of Bill C-400, introduced by my hon. colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot. Like my colleague, as a member from Montérégie, I know that the housing problem extends beyond large urban centres. Furthermore, it is a problem that very few people are aware of. I am therefore very pleased to support my colleague's bill and to present a petition that also supports it.
I hope that this House will one day adopt a national housing strategy. This is a pressing problem that affects the well-being and dignity of all Quebeckers and Canadians.
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present this petition regarding CCSVI.
Conservative senators are refusing to hear from those who have MS. Can anyone imagine a committee silencing a cancer patient, a heart patient or someone living in poverty? Why, then, are MS patients being silenced, such as well-known Canadian CCSVI expert, Dr. Sandy McDonald. Why is the government shutting down these important voices? Petitioners call for the Minister of Health to undertake phase 3 clinical trials on an urgent basis at multiple sites across Canada and to require follow-up care.
François Pilon NDP Laval—Les Îles, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition calling on the government to restore funding to the Development and Peace organization at 2011 levels.
Rathika Sitsabaiesan NDP Scarborough—Rouge River, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present two petitions today.
The first petition is from residents across Toronto who are petitioning the government because the Oshawa Port Authority has given permission to FarmTech Energy to build an ethanol-producing facility at the Oshawa harbourfront on Crown land, adjacent to a sensitive wetland, which is home to species at risk, a wildlife preserve and a provincial park. No public consultation was undertaken with the residents, elected council members of Oshawa or the regional municipality of Durham, and a complete environmental assessment was not undertaken.
The petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to divest the federal port authority to the City of Oshawa, to halt the construction of the ethanol facility and to instruct that public hearings be held and a complete environmental assessment be conducted at the site and surrounding areas.
Rathika Sitsabaiesan NDP Scarborough—Rouge River, ON
Mr. Speaker, I also have another petition signed by hundreds of people who live in my riding of Scarborough—Rouge River and who are calling for the repeal of Bill C-31, which they are calling “the punishing refugees act”.
Because Bill C-31 concentrates more power in the hands of the minister by allowing him or her to name safe countries for refugees around the world and restricts access to humanitarian and compassionate consideration, the undersigned petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to repeal Bill C-31, the punishing refugees act, and to return to the framework of the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, passed with the support of all parties in the previous Parliament.
Ryan Leef Conservative Yukon, YT
Mr. Speaker, I table a petition today from constituents in my riding, calling on the House to pass Bill C-398 without significant amendment and to facilitate the immediate and substantial flow of life-saving generic medicines to developing countries.
Bruce Hyer Independent Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions today. The first petition I present concerns the ELA.
Residents of Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster, B.C., are unhappy with the government's decision to close the Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario. These petitioners note that closing that world-renowned facility will jeopardize unique research and our understanding of human impact on lakes, rivers and fish.
Bruce Hyer Independent Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Mr. Speaker, the second petition is with regard to suicide.
It gives me pleasure today to present a petition on behalf of the residents of Thunder Bay and Ottawa on the topic of suicide in Canada. Suicide kills ten Canadians every single day. It is the second biggest killer of Canadian youth. Canada is the only industrialized country in the world without a national suicide prevention strategy, and therefore these petitioners urge Parliament to act on Bill C-297 and Bill C-300, dealing with suicide.
Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition signed by many people from Ontario who are asking the Government of Canada to urge the United Nations to establish an independent, international mechanism to ensure accountability and justice in Sri Lanka. According to a UN report on accountability in that country, many serious human rights violations have been committed by the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Therefore, I am very pleased to present this petition in the House today.
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition today from petitioners who are asking for a royal commission on the environment and health.
The commission's mandate would be to examine and make recommendations regarding all aspects of the environmental and health impacts of industrial activity in Canada and the application of the precautionary principle, which protects public health and the environment from uncertain risks, to the regulation of both industrial processes and the production, distribution and availability of consumer goods in Canada.
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Speaker, Canada's Experimental Lakes Area is known throughout the world as a facility that protects and researches important information in regard to preserving our aquatic system. The petition calls upon the government to reverse its decision to close the ELA research station.
Jean Rousseau NDP Compton—Stanstead, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition on behalf of voters to rescind Bill C-31, which, as we know, will restrict immigrants' rights and refugee claims and will give more and more arbitrary powers to the minister responsible.
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, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 896 and 897.
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
With regard to the lawsuit by Suaad Hagi Mohamud against the Government of Canada: (a) what were the costs of the legal fees, broken down by category, incurred by the government to defend itself in the lawsuit and to reach a settlement; (b) what were the terms of the settlement; (c) was there a financial sum awarded to Suaad Hagi Mohamud; and (d) was a non-disclosure agreement signed with regard to the settlement and, if so, why?
Question No. 896Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings
Niagara Falls Ontario
Conservative
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, to the extent that the information that has been requested is protected by solicitor-client privilege, the federal Crown asserts that privilege and, in this case, has waived that privilege only to the extent of revealing the total legal cost.
The total legal cost is approximately $1,544,450.09.
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
With regard to the April 25, 2012, announcement by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to end the coverage of supplemental health care benefits under the Interim Federal Health Program to protected persons and refugee claimants: (a) what consultations took place before the policy decision was made; (b) who was consulted; (c) when did the consultations take place; (d) what provincial and territorial governments took part in the consultations; (e) which medical and health care associations were consulted; (f) what are the details of the documents, briefing notes or departmental recommendations that were given to the Minister before the policy decision was taken and will these be tabled in Parliament; (g) how many provincial and territorial governments have written to the Minister requesting that the policy decision be reversed; and (h) has a monitoring process been put in place to monitor the effects of the cuts on protected persons or refugee claimants and to public health?
Question No. 897Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings
November 6th, 2012 / 10:15 a.m.
St. Catharines Ontario
Conservative
Rick Dykstra ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, insofar as Citizenship and Immigration Canada, CIC, is concerned, in response to (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e), the interim federal health program, IFHP, is a federally funded discretionary program, under the authority of the order-in-council respecting the interim federal health program, 2012. The current reform of the IFHP was part of the economic action plan, budget 2012, and was under budget secrecy; therefore, no consultation took place with provincial and territorial governments or medical and health care associations prior to the policy decision being made. The health branch within CIC is composed of health care professionals with various backgrounds, including doctors and nurses. CIC’s health branch has the necessary expertise and is responsible for the management of the immigration medical examination worldwide as well as the interim federal health program. The changes to the IFHP were announced publicly in April 2012, before the policy came into effect on June 30, 2012. A news release announcing the reforms to the IFHP was posted on the CIC website and distributed to media in April 2012. All provincial and territorial governments, major medical and health care associations, other stakeholders and recipients of IFH at the time, were directly informed of the changes around the same time, in advance of them coming into effect. Over the last several years, CIC has received a significant amount of correspondence from Canadians who have asked that asylum seekers and protected persons no longer receive taxpayer funded benefits that are more generous than those received by the Canadian taxpayers who fund those benefits.
In response to (f), the documents developed and presented to the minister before the policy decision was taken are under cabinet confidence and will not be tabled in Parliament.
Regarding (g), the response is the provincial governments of Ontario and Québec.
In response to (h), the federal government has been monitoring the levels of health care services and products that are provided by medical professionals through the IFHP. The IFHP is not a service provider. It is not responsible for access to and delivery of health care products or services. Like any health insurance plan, it provides coverage for certain services and products.
If provinces and territories or health care professionals intend to study health outcomes associated with the changes to the IFHP, they are welcome to share those results with the department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. CIC is always interested in looking at studies related to the health of refugees and refugee claimants, as long as the methodology is sound and the results are evidence-based.
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Mr. Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.