Debates of May 16th, 2012

Interparliamentary Delegations

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

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 branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, respecting its participation in the meeting of the APF Cooperation and Development Committee, held in Delémont, Switzerland, from April 1 to 5, 2012.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 31(4) I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the following report of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association respecting its participation at the joint visit of the Committee on Civil Dimension of Security and the Sub-Committee on East-West Economic Co-operation and Convergence, held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina from October 25 to 27, 2011.

Official Languages

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, concerning the main estimates for 2012-2013.

Employment Insurance Act

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-423, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (labour dispute).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Hamilton Mountain for seconding my bill.

The bill to amend the Employment Insurance Act would help thousands of workers without proper insurance benefits. The federal government must support workers who lose their jobs and provide the right protection for those who suffer a job loss due to a labour dispute.

This bill would extend the qualifying period in the event of a labour dispute. It would make any person absent from work during a strike or lockout caused by a labour dispute eligible to receive employment insurance benefits and therefore be legally protected.

I strongly encourage all members to support this initiative and vote in favour of the bill.

Canada should remain committed to defend the rights of workers, while improving and increasing the access to employment insurance. To allow for those who have lost their jobs to recover their due rights is simply the right thing to do.

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

[John Weston, Conservative, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, parliamentarians from all corners of the House have recently eclipsed the sometimes adversarial nature of the House by supporting the parliamentary fitness initiative.

Today we witnessed the first ever National Life Jacket and Swim Day on the Hill and the members for Etobicoke North and Sackville—Eastern Shore and others joined me in trying to bring about national health and fitness day, involving local governments across Canada.

To that end, I seek the unanimous support of the House for a motion to enable a fellow Conservative and I to swap positions in the order of precedence, specifically: That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, the hon. member for Fundy Royal exchange positions in the list for the consideration of private members' bills with the hon. member for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House for this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

Rights of the Unborn

[LaVar Payne, Conservative, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition to the House of Commons from residents all across my riding.

The petitioners ask that Parliament amend section 223 of the Criminal Code to ensure every human being is recognized by Canadian law.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I see several members rising for petitions. Sometimes in the past members have taken quite a long time to summarize very briefly their petitions. I would ask that members really try to keep their remarks short so we can accommodate everybody.

The hon. member for Hamilton Mountain.

Pharmacare

[Chris Charlton, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to present a number of petitions from people in my riding of Hamilton Mountain, all of which address the urgent need for a national pharmacare program in our country.

The petitioners point out that our goal ought to be to have a national drug plan that would enable all Canadians to enjoy equitable access to medicines, while at the same time controlling the rising cost of drugs.

They are keenly aware of a report released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, which concluded that the existing patchwork of private and public plans in Canada was inequitable, inefficient and costly. The report found that Canada was the third most expensive country for brand name drugs because it deliberately inflated drug prices in order to attract pharmaceutical investment.

Instead of tackling the issue head on, the government is talking about privatization and user fees. Those are hardly the answers for an aging population that is already finding it difficult to make ends meet and whose retirement savings are again—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The member has had the floor for about minute, so we will move on.

The hon. member for Random—Burin—St. George's.

Old Age Security

[Judy Foote, Liberal, Random—Burin—St. George's, NL]

Mr. Speaker, In rise to present a petition again. This is from people on the Burin Peninsula in the riding of Random—Burin—St. George's.

The petitioners really object to the government's intention to raise the age of OAS from 65 to 67. It would be a hardship on those who work in demanding and physically strenuous environments.

The petitioners say that this is not the right way to go. They ask the government to please reconsider.

The Environment

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from people all over Canada who are concerned about the proposed megaquarry in Melancthon township in Dufferin country, Ontario, which would be the largest open pit quarry in Canada, at over 900 hectares, or 2,300 acres.

The petitioners are concerned with a number of things, one of which is that the proposed megaquarry would threaten local flora and fauna, including species at risk like the Bobolink, a small endangered blackbird.

The petitioners ask that the government conduct an environmental assessment under the authority of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act on the proposed Highland Company's megaquarry developed.

Canada Post

[Sadia Groguhé, NDP, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present to the House two petitions from people in the riding of Saint-Lambert.

The people who signed the first petition are asking the House to tell the Government of Canada to reconsider its decision to close the post office located at 860 Sainte-Foy Boulevard in Longueuil.

Many of my constituents have come to my riding office to tell me in person that they oppose the closure of their post office. In fact, they have been insisting that access to postal service is important to the region's economic health. As I listened to them, it became clear to me that they are very frustrated with the government's decision and that they do not understand it at all.

Pensions

[Sadia Groguhé, NDP, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the people who signed the second petition are asking the House to maintain funding for old age security and to make the necessary investments to increase the guaranteed income supplement and lift all seniors out of poverty.

The people of Saint-Lambert, the riding I represent, believe that the changes to old age security announced by the government constitute a direct attack on the poorest seniors who depend on that money for their daily needs.

Canada Post

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present this petition on behalf of the residents of Montreal who are opposed to the closure of the Canada Post office located at 3575 avenue du Parc, in Montreal.

The post office provides very useful services to individuals, businesses and organizations located in the area it serves.

The petitioners are asking the minister to instruct Canada Post not to close the post office located at this address.

Rights of the Unborn

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions.

The first petition calls on Parliament to reaffirm that every human being is recognized by Canadian law and that the law reflect 21st century medical evidence.

Land of Israel

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition calls on the House of Commons to reaffirm Jewish legal rights in the Land of Israel and the former mandated Palestine previously assented to by Canada in 1922.

Pensions

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

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to present a petition from people in Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie.

The petition is signed by 368 people from Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie who are asking the government to maintain the status quo for funding because, according to experts, the old age security program is viable.

The petitioners would also like to see an increase in the guaranteed income supplement in order to end seniors' poverty.

The Environment

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition from residents of Guelph and across southwestern Ontario who are deeply concerned with climate change.

The petitioners call on Parliament to sign and implement a binding international agreement committing nations to reduce carbon emissions and set fair and clear targets to keep global average temperatures below a 2°C increase and to assist internationally in mitigating the effects of climate change, actions the government, despite its claims, has yet to do.

Rights of the Unborn

[Garry Breitkreuz, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition here today from the community of Foam Lake.

Many of the constituents there have a concern regarding the definition of a human being. They say our definition is 400 years old. A child does not become a human being until the moment of complete birth. They say that Parliament has a solemn duty to reject any law that says some human beings are not human.

The petitioners call upon the House of Commons assembled to confirm that every human being is recognized by Canadian law as human by amending section 223 of our Criminal Code in such a way as to reflect 21st century medical evidence.

Animal Welfare

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to present yet more petitions, about 50 pages of petitions, from residents in the metro Vancouver area.

The petitioners want to draw our attention to the fact that every year hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats are brutally slaughtered for their fur in a number of Asian regions. They point out that Canada should join the U.S.A., Australia and the European Union in banning the import and sale of dog and cat fur. They also ask that it be mandatory that all fur products being imported or sold in Canada have labelling identifying the species of origin.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition from quite a number of constituents in Prince Edward Island.

The petitioners are very concerned about the evolving DFO fleet separation and owner-operator policies. They believe the fleet separation and owner-operator policies form the backbone of the Atlantic inshore and midshore fisheries. They are very concerned about the government's proposal in this regard.

The petitioners call upon Parliament and the Prime Minister to maintain and strengthen the fleet separation and owner-operator policies.

Housing for Victims of Human Trafficking

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise today to present a petition signed by 579 people from my riding of Red Deer.

The petitioners urge the federal government to honour its commitment to the UN protocol by providing adequate funding to set up safe housing for victims of human trafficking.

Pensions

[Pierre-Luc Dusseault, NDP, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I have the honour to present a petition on behalf of some 100 people from Sherbrooke. I imagine that a petition like this comes up quite often in every riding: the petitioners are opposed to increasing the age of eligibility for old age security from 65 to 67. The people of Sherbrooke are against this action by the government and so are people in many other ridings, as has been mentioned today.

On behalf of the people of Sherbrooke, I want to express their opposition to this action by the government.