Debates of Feb. 13th, 2013

Foreign Affairs

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and the Province of Quebec for putting in place emergency measures to deal with the possibility of an invasion of zombies. I do not need to tell you, Mr. Speaker, that zombies do not recognize borders and that a zombie invasion in the United States could easily turn into a continent-wide pandemic if it is not contained.

On behalf of concerned Canadians everywhere, I want to ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Is he working with his American counterparts to develop an international zombie strategy so that a zombie invasion does not turn into a zombie apocalypse?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the member and all Canadians that I am “dead-icated” to ensuring that this never happens. I want to say categorically to this member, and through him to all Canadians, that under the leadership of this Prime Minister, Canada will never become a safe haven for zombies, ever.

Public Safety

[Maria Mourani, Bloc, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives boast about respecting the work of police officers and wanting to protect victims. Yet, today, the Minister of Public Safety rejected police officer Sandra Dion's request to prevent her attacker from living in a halfway house just down the street from her home.

For years, this government has done nothing to prohibit the transfer of pedophiles to a halfway house near an elementary school and daycare centre in my riding.

How can the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Safety so easily dismiss Officer Dion's request and other similar requests?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned about reports of an individual convicted of very serious crimes returning to the same area where his victim lives. Our Conservative government will be bringing forward a victims' bill of rights as part of our plan for safe streets and communities, which is one of the four priorities recently set by the Prime Minister. Our government has taken strong action, despite the opposition of Bloc members, despite the opposition of the NDP and the Liberals. We would simply ask them to help us help the victims in cases like this so we can get the job done.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of The Hon. Eva Aariak, Premier of Nunavut.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The Chair has notice of a point of order from the hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Oral Questions

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, in reference to a question I received from the member for Winnipeg Centre, we should take this issue very seriously. If there is a zombie attack, Canadians need to be well prepared. They should stock up on first aid kits, monster trucks, canned food and water, and I am not going to stand in this place and not warn Canadians that if the NDP had its way, Canadians would have to pay a carbon tax on each and every one of those—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. I do not think it needs saying that that was not a point of order.

Foreign Affairs

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, three treaties: "Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the State of Israel on Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters”, done at Ottawa on 11 December 2012; “Agreement on Social Security between Canada and the Republic of India”, done at New Delhi on 6 November 2012; and an “Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Republic of Benin for the Promotion and the Reciprocal Protection of Investments”, done at Ottawa on 8 January 2013. An explanatory memorandum is included with the treaties.

Interparliamentary Delegations

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly respecting its participation at the election observation mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly, in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 26 to 29, 2012.

[Gord Brown, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group respecting its participation at the National Conference of State Legislatures that was held in Chicago, Illinois, August 6 to 9, 2012.

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present, in both official languages, the 5th report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development in relation to 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.

The committee has studied this bill and has decided to report this back to the House without amendment.

Impaired Driving

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition representing thousands of people. The petition highlights that last year, 22-year-old Cassandra Kolias was killed by a drunk driver. A group of people who have also lost loved ones to impaired drivers, called Families for Justice, say that the current impaired driving laws are too lenient. They are calling for new mandatory minimum sentencing for people who have been convicted of impaired driving causing death. They also want the Criminal Code of Canada changed to redefine the offence of impaired driving causing death to vehicular manslaughter.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

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

The first is from a number of people across Saskatchewan who take strong exception to Bill C-45, including, in particular, its provisions that impact in such a negative fashion upon aboriginal people. The petitioners call upon the government to rescind Bill C-45 until such time as proper consultation has taken place.

Registered Disability Savings Plan

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is again from a number of people from across Saskatchewan. They are expressing concern about the limited eligibility for registered disability savings plans, in particular for those people suffering chronic conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, who may not be permanently disabled now but who expect that they may face that adversity. Yet the present rules prevent them from applying for a registered disability savings plan now. The petitioners call upon the government to correct that obvious deficiency in the design of the program.

Housing

[Chris Charlton, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition in the House today in support of Bill C-400, an act to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians. Nearly one and a half million households are in core housing need in our country and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights acknowledges that affordable housing is a fundamental right and not a privilege.

Canada is the only industrialized country that does not have a national housing strategy. Therefore, the petitioners call on the House of Commons to pass NDP Bill C-400 and finally give Canada a national housing strategy.

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

Mr. Speaker, according to the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, access to secure, accessible and affordable housing is not a privilege, it is a fundamental right. But in Canada, a rich country, this is not yet the case.

That is why hundreds of people are adding their voices to the debates in Parliament in support of Bill C-400.

I am pleased to present this petition.

Development and Peace

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

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

The first petition is signed by a number of residents from the beautiful city of Dieppe, Memramcook and Kent County, who are calling on the government to increase funding for a very important NGO, Development and Peace, that does essential work.

Employment Insurance

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition, signed by hundreds and hundreds of residents from my riding, calls on the government to stop the very negative changes to employment insurance that will hurt so many thousands of people in seasonal industries

The petitioners ask Parliament and the government to ensure that seasonal industries, their employers and employees, are treated fairly by stopping these changes to employment insurance.

Shark Finning

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

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

The first petition calls on the government to ban the importation of shark fins to Canada. The practice of shark finning results in an estimated 73 million sharks a year being killed for their fins alone. Over one-third of all shark species are threatened with extinction. They state that measures must be taken to stop this global practice of shark finning.

The petitioners call on the government to ensure the responsible conservation and management of sharks.

Search and Rescue

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

Mr. Speaker, the second petition calls on the government to save the Kitsilano Coast Guard station. The petitioners state that the recent decision by the federal government to close the Kits Coast Guard station is a grave mistake and will undoubtedly cost lives and cause peril onshore and in the water.

The petitioners call on the government to reverse the decision and keep the station open.

Housing

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition from Canadians in support of Bill C-400, an act to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians. Canada is the only industrialized country to not have a national housing strategy. The UN has declared that access to affordable housing is a fundamental right and yet one and a half million households, almost 13% of all Canadian households, are in core housing need.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon the House of Commons to pass Bill C-400 and give Canada a national housing strategy.

Experimental Lakes Area

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present three petitions to save the world renowned and unique Experimental Lakes Area.

Since its founding, ELA has been a global leader in conducting full ecosystem experiments, which have been critical to understanding harmful acid rain, algae blooms, methyl mercury and in shaping public policy. The ELA is needed to continue to find solutions to the problems that affect safe drinking water, lakes and fish populations.

The petitioners call on the government to reverse the decision to close the ELA and to continue to staff and provide financial resources at the current or a higher level of commitment.

Housing

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition in support of Bill C-400, which would give Canadians access to secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing.

The right to housing is an inalienable right. We must ensure that this bill gets passed.