Debates of Nov. 8th, 2012

Justice

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, since forming government we have passed legislation to address auto theft, ID theft, fraud and white-collar crime. All of these are directed at criminal organizations that turn a profit at the expense of Canadians.

We have had lots of legislation dealing with organized crime. If the hon. member wants to put the mob out of business, his party should start supporting our efforts to do so.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Order. This concludes question period for today.

Although we are following a Friday schedule, I believe the hon. opposition House leader has his regular Thursday question today.

Business of the House

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise on behalf of the official opposition to ask the government what it has planned for the House for the remainder of this week and next week.

As MPs head back to their ridings to mark the solemn occasion of Remembrance Day, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the ultimate price that has been paid all too many times by men and women, affecting all too many families, in the name of Canadians and our most cherished rights and freedoms at home and abroad. We will never forget their sacrifice particularly over the week of Remembrance Day ceremonies.

I have two specific questions for the House leader today. First, what does he have planned for the House in the days following the Remembrance Day constituency week? Second, given the absolute disaster and sham of a process that the government has set up on the committees study of its monster budget bill in which a number of ministers, parliamentary secretaries and government MPs have contradicted one another as to what the process actually is, does the government leader simply expect more from his most senior Minister of Finance on something so important as the budget of Canada, or is this sham of a process going to suffice from now until the budget's reintroduction in the House?

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

Mr. Speaker, this afternoon, before we depart to our constituencies and events for Remembrance Day where most of us will be participating in remembrance services in our ridings, we will resume third reading debate on Bill C-28, the financial literacy leader act.

The week of November 19 will continue to see a lot of important action at the House committee level, where we are looking at the budget implementation act, Bill C-45, the jobs and growth act, as it advances through the legislative process. The finance committee is supported by 10 other committees looking at it and all together they will conclude the review of this very important bill and the very important job creation and economic measures that are laid out, measures that were first put before Parliament back in our March budget.

Meanwhile, on Monday the House will continue the third reading debate of Bill C-44, the helping families in need act, which we started this morning. Given support for the bill from all corners of the House, I hope it will pass that day so the Senate can pass it before the end of the year.

After Bill C-44, it is our intention to take up the report stage and third reading of Bill S-11, the safe food for Canadians act, which was reported back from the agriculture committee yesterday. I hope we will see strong interest in passing that bill quickly, just as we did for second reading.

Once that bill passes on Monday, the House will return to third reading of Bill C-28, the Financial Literacy Leader Act, if we do not finish the debate today.

That will be followed by second reading of Bill S-8, the Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, the chamber will consider report stage and third reading of Bill C-27, the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, which was also reported back from committee yesterday.

I should also advise the House that on Tuesday when we return from the Remembrance Day week, immediately after question period I will call ways and means Motion No. 14 respecting some technical amendments to tax laws. Let me assure the House that there should be no doubt about this, but the opposition will no doubt be disappointed. This motion will definitely not implement the New Democrats' $21.5 billion job-killing carbon tax.

Finally, on Thursday before question period, the House will resume second reading debate of Bill S-8 and after question period we will take up Bill S-2, the family homes on reserves and matrimonial interests or rights act, also at second reading.

A message from His Excellency the Governor General transmitting supplementary estimates (B) for the financial year ending March 31, 2013, was presented by the President of the Treasury Board and read by the Speaker to the House.

Performance Reports, 2011-12

[Tony Clement, Conservative, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table in both official languages, on behalf of 95 departments and agencies, the performance reports for 2011-12.

I invite members to access the performance reports at www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/dpr-rmr.

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 43 petitions.

Interparliamentary Delegations

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, 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 Parliamentary Delegation of the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group respecting its participation at the 18th bilateral meeting with the Japan-Canada Diet Friendship League, which was held in Tokyo and Tohoku region, Japan, from May 20 to 25.

Official Languages

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages concerning the assessment of the roadmap and the improvement of programs and service delivery.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109 of the House of Commons the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, this was the longest study on official languages undertaken by Parliament. I can certainly say that it was longer than the study of the budget. It took a year and several months to conduct this review.

We approve this report, but we have some reservations. We are going to table a supplementary opinion to address certain omissions, inaccuracies and weaknesses in the scope of the recommendations, particularly with regard to funding, seniors, the media, health, the language industry, literacy, second language, early childhood and other areas.

We recommend that the government renew this roadmap in 2013 and take it seriously. When we met with community representatives, they told us that they really wanted the roadmap to be renewed for another term in 2013.

National Capital Act

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-465, An Act to amend the National Capital Act (Gatineau Park).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce my bill to protect Gatineau Park, and I thank the member for Pontiac for supporting its introduction.

Gatineau park's size, beauty and importance make it a real national treasure. It is one of the most visited parks in Canada, yet it does not currently benefit from protections that would allow us to ensure it will be preserved for future generations.

My bill would fix that by making some amendments to the National Capital Act. It would enshrine the park's boundaries in the act, give these boundaries parliamentary protection and prohibit the sale of public lands located within the park.

If we want to leave a healthy park to future generations that looks like the park we know today, we must take action now. I urge all members of all of the parties represented in the House to support my bill at second reading.

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

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among all parties and I believe that if you seek it you would find unanimous consent for the following motion:

That the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights be the committee for the purposes of section 533.1 of the Criminal Code.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

Justice and Human Rights

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

Mr. Speaker, I move, pursuant to Standing Order 56.1, and seconded by the President of the Treasury Board:

That the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights be the committee for the purposes of section 533.1 of the Criminal Code.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Will those members who object to the motion please rise in their places.

And fewer than 25 members having risen:

Fewer than 25 members having risen, the motion is adopted.

(Motion agreed to)

Experimental Lakes Area

[Mathieu Ravignat, NDP, Pontiac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.

The first petition asks the government to recognize the importance of the ELA to the Government of Canada's mandate to study, preserve and protect aquatic ecosystems and reverse the decision to close the ELA research station and continue to staff and provide financial resources to the ELA.

Access to Medicines

[Mathieu Ravignat, NDP, Pontiac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition calls upon the House to pass Bill C-398, without significant amendment, to facilitate the immediate and sustainable flow of lifesaving generic medicines to developing countries.

Experimental Lakes Area

[Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe, NDP, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition to present today about the Experimental Lakes Area.

The petitioners who signed this petition ask the government to recognize the importance of the Experimental Lakes Area. They ask the government to reserve the decision to close the Experimental Lakes Area and also to continue to provide adequate resources to the Experimental Lakes Area.

The Environment

[Mylène Freeman, NDP, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present this petition today. People in my riding and across Canada have signed the petition, which calls on Parliament to support my motion M-400 to protect water and public health in our rural communities.

This motion urges the government to support Canadians who need to upgrade their septic systems in order to protect the environment, public health and the vitality of our rural communities and in the interest of addressing the rural-urban divide.

I am proud to say that my motion has received a great deal of support from municipalities, citizens and environmental groups all over Canada, as well as the FCM.

Sri Lanka

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present two petitions on behalf of the residents of Scarborough—Rouge River as well as people in other—

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Traditionally, on petitions, the Speaker will often look around and acknowledge members from different parties as opposed to one political party consistently. The lights on the ceiling are out over at this end and maybe that is preventing our members from being seen.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

The hon. member is quite correct that the Speaker sometimes does that but it is not a requirement. It is the prerogative of the Chair to recognize members. As such, I will continue to do that. The hon. member for Scarborough—Rouge River.

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the first petition I present calls upon the Government of Canada to urge the United Nations to immediately establish an independent, international and impartial mechanism to ensure truth, accountability and justice in Sri Lanka following the United Nations report of the Secretary General's panel of experts on accountability in Sri Lanka, who found credible allegations, which have proved and indicate that, during the final stages of Sri Lanka's civil war, a wide range of serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws were committed.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in my second petition, the petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to repeal Bill C-31, which they call the punishing refugees act, and return to the framework of the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, passed with the support of all parties in the previous Parliament, as the current bill, Bill C-31, concentrates way too much power in the hands of one minister.