Debates of June 13th, 2012

Government Operations and Estimates

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Order, please. When we get to the point of a recorded division, the chief government whip or the chief opposition whip can ask unilaterally to have that vote deferred until the end of the next sitting day of the House.

Once again, I would remind all hon. members, if they are unclear on the rules of this place or the Standing Orders, it is not appropriate in each case to stand for an explanation under the guise of a point of order, but rather they may go to the lobby and someone there will be able to assist them with that matter.

Abortion

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the constituents in my riding, I rise to present a petition that asks the House of Commons to quickly enact legislation to restrict abortion to the greatest extent possible.

The Environment

[Matthew Kellway, NDP, Beaches—East York, ON]

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

With respect to the first petition, there is a project afoot to develop a megaquarry north of Toronto, in Melancthon country. This quarry would be big enough to swallow up 60% of my riding and deep enough to bury a 20-storey building. This megaquarry would sit atop a complex watershed and threaten to poison the drinking water of about one million Canadians. The farmland that it would take out of production produces about half the potatoes eaten in the GTA each year.

This is an issue that brings into stark relief the challenge of sustainable urban development. I am, therefore, happy to table in the House a petition calling upon the Government of Canada to conduct an environmental assessment of this megaquarry development.

May this petition, and the next one I will present, serve as a last minute reminder of what a tragic disservice the government proposes to visit, not only on Canadians, but on our Earth, with the anti-environmental provisions of Bill C-38.

I am honoured to table my second petition from citizens in and around my riding.

The petitioners are deeply concerned with the current perilous trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions and the rapidly closing window to avert dangerous global warming in a socially responsible manner.

Among other things, the petitioners call upon this Parliament, in concert with provinces and territories, to create and implement a science-based and innovative Canadian energy strategy that would position Canada as a world leader on climate change solutions.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Before I go to the next hon. member, I would remind all hon. members to keep their explanation brief. There appears to be many people who would like to present petitions in the 15 minutes.

The hon. member for Nickel Belt.

International Co-operation

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by hundreds of people in Sturgeon Falls, West Nipissing and Verner. The preamble is too long and therefore I will read only the last sentences.

We call on Parliament to adopt the following policy goals:

Demonstrate international responsibility by re-committing Canada to contribute 0.7% of GDP to Official Development Assistance;

Prioritize responsive funding to those NGOs that Canadians support and which have seen their funding cut by CIDA;

In the spirit of global solidarity, provide in full the funding of $49.2 million requested by D&P over the next five years.

Rights of the Unborn

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table four petitions from people all across my riding, places like Alexandria, Bourget, Hammond, Curran, Pendleton, Plantagenet, St-Eugène, Vankleek Hill.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to review Canada's 400-year-old definition of a human being, which says that a child does not become a human being until the moment of complete birth. This is contrary to modern science.

I would also like to point that on the Hill there was a demonstration of about 20,000 Canadians supporting this type of motion.

International Aid

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition from hundreds of concerned Guelph residents on the need to implement recommendations designed to retool our international aid commitments through an expert panel, focused implementation and making CIDA projects more open and transparent.

Health

[Bruce Hyer, Independent, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition from many residents from Terrace Bay, Neebing, Schreiber, Ear Falls and Thunder Bay.

The petitioners are deeply concerned with the recent closure of the Thunder Bay blood plasma clinic, the only dedicated blood plasma clinic in all of Canada. They point out that an increase in costly U.S. blood plasma imports may put our supply at risk since it is from paid donors. They note that FDA approved infected plasma product exported in the 1980s led to thousands of lives lost.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Bruce Hyer, Independent, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is from the residents of Thunder Bay, Shuniah, Markdale, Jacques and Fort William First Nation.

The petitioners petition the House to reinstate funding cut from aboriginal health and health research undertaken by the National Aboriginal Health Organization, First Nations Statistical Institute, the Assembly of First Nations, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Native Women's Association of Canada, the Métis National Council, the Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada and the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. They note that the cuts would undermine health outcomes for aboriginal people in Canada and will cost more in health spending in the long run.

Abortion

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition from northeastern B.C..

The petitioners note that Canada is the only nation in the western world, in the company of China and North Korea, without any laws restricting abortion and that Canada's Supreme Court has said that it is Parliament's responsibility to enact abortion legislation.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon the House of Commons and Parliament assembled to speedily enact legislation that restricts abortion to the greatest extent possible.

Old Age Security

[Francine Raynault, NDP, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the petition I am presenting concerns old age security. It states:

We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Parliament of Canada to maintain funding for the OAS and make the requisite investments in the guaranteed income supplement to lift every senior out of poverty.

It is a pleasure and an honour for me to submit this petition.

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have 12 petitions in which members of the metro Vancouver community call upon the government to maintain the current retirement age for old age security benefits.

The petitioners from Surrey, Richmond, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, north Vancouver, Vancouver, my riding of Vancouver Quadra and many other communities in metro Vancouver point out that over half of old age security recipients earn less than $25,000 a year, that this two year delay will cost up to $30,000 per person over two years for those with the lowest incomes and that single women will be disproportionately affected by the change.

The petitioners call upon the government to remove the two year increase from Bill C-38 to ensure that we do not increase income inequality with this measure.

Nuclear Weapons

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present two petitions.

The first petitioner is signed by 58 constituents from southwestern Ontario. The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to issue an invitation to international states to gather in Canada to begin discussions needed for a global ban on nuclear weapons.

Rights of the Unborn

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from about 150 residents from southwestern Ontario. The petitioners call upon the House of Commons to confirm that every human being is recognized by Canadian law as a human being by amending section 223 of the Criminal Code in such a way as to reflect 21st century medical evidence.

Public Transit

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition from constituents in my riding.

The petitioners are concerned about the failure of governments to invest in public transit, in particular in electric public transit, given that the WHO has today declared that diesel exhaust is of the same calibre and has the same carcinogenic effect as asbestos and arsenic.

The petitioners suggest that the Government of Canada enact a national public transit strategy seeking to involve all levels of government in developing and planning a funding strategy to provide fast, affordable and accessible public transit across Canada.

Immigration

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

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

The first petition is signed by members of my riding of Kitchener—Waterloo pertaining to Bill C-31.

Dental Mercury

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition calls upon the Canadian government to take a global leadership role in recommending the phase-out of dental mercury.

Fisheries Act

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition from thousands of Canadians.

The petitioners call upon the Conservative government to keep section 35(1) of the Fisheries Act as it is currently written with its emphasis on habitat protection. They believe that the weakening of habitat protection in section 35 of the Fisheries Act will negatively impact Canada's water quality, the environment and the fisheries.

The petitioners also want to bring to the attention of the House that it is critical that any changes to the Fisheries Act not jeopardize the ecosystems on which we and future generations depend simply to provide short-term profits.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by voters. It reads as follows:

We, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:

WHEREAS the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), as the national public broadcaster, plays an important role in reflecting Canada and its regions to national and regional audiences, while serving the special needs of those regions

WHEREAS, in our current media environment, public broadcasting is an essential promoter and defender of Canadian culture, in both French and English

WHEREAS Canadians should continue to have access to Canadian stories and Canadian content and media should provide vibrant and rewarding new avenues for expression by Canadian artists

WHEREAS Canada requires a broadcaster that reflects the different needs and circumstances of each official language community, including the particular needs and circumstances of English and French linguistic minorities

WHEREAS Canadians can benefit from a shared national consciousness and identity

WHEREAS the public broadcasters, Radio Canada and CBC, have a crucial role to play in achieving these objectives

WHEREAS the CBC requires steady funding to maintain national, regional and local programming, including news coverage and services to linguistic minorities throughout Canada—

I will leave it at that, but there is more.

International Co-operation

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

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition signed by many people from Sherbrooke who are upset the Development and Peace organization has seen its budget reduced by three-quarters. These cuts will result in almost $35 million less in matching government monies for Development and Peace over the next five years. This organization was supporting over 250 partners in about 40 different countries.

CIDA’s new agreement designates funds for a mere seven countries, only one of which is in Africa. Development and Peace has already had to reduce financial support to 32 partner groups in the Global South. And funding for 48 other countries will likely have to be cut completely. Furthermore, 15 staff positions have been lost in Canada.

In the interests of international solidarity, the petitioners are calling on the government to fully restore the $49.2 million in funding to Development and Peace.

Public Transit

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions.

The first petition is from petitioners calling on the federal government to enact a national public transit strategy. Their reason behind this is because Canada is the only OECD country that does not have a national public transit strategy. It is estimated that over the next five years, there will be an $18 billion gap in transit infrastructure needs.

The petitioners are calling for a transit strategy that would provide a permanent investment plan to support public transit that is fast, reliable, accessible and affordable. They are calling for different levels of government to work together to provide sustainable, predictable, long-term and adequate funding for public transit. They also call for accountability measures to ensure that all governments work together to increase access to public transit.

Motor Vehicle Safety

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is from cyclists and pedestrians who are concerned about very large trucks in big cities. The petitioners are concerned that Canada does not have a requirement for side guards on large trucks and trailers. The coroner, in 1998, looking into the death of a Toronto cyclist, found that large vehicles were involved in 37% of collisions resulting in cyclist fatalities.

Therefore, the petitions recommend that Transport Canada look into the feasibility of mandating large trucks to have side guards—

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Order. A few minutes ago I had urged all hon. members to present their petitions quickly so that their colleagues would have time. Presenting petitions, there is a few seconds left for the hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am rising to present two petitions.

The first petition is on the subject of the importance of stable, affordable, long-term funding for our national public broadcaster. It is signed primarily by residents of the Toronto area, but also by some from British Columbia.

These petitioners call for stable, long-term funding for the CBC, a call we have heard from many petitioners before.

Bill C-38

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is signed by nearly 600 people from almost every province in Canada.

These written petitions resonate with the over 58,000 signatures that were revealed earlier today by the group Avaaz.

These petitioners from my riding, Mayne Island, North Saanich, Sidney, as well as from other places within British Columbia, Ottawa, Montreal, Alberta, Calgary and Edmonton, virtually coast to coast, from almost every province, call on this House of Commons to reject Bill C-38. They are calling on the current Privy Council officers to withdraw the parts of the bill that have nothing to do with the budget so that parliamentarians can do their job and vote on a budget implementation bill without voting to destroy environmental laws.