Debates of March 18th, 2013

Employment Insurance

[Chris Charlton, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to table a petition today that was signed by dozens of people from Prince Edward Island who are profoundly upset about the government's ill-considered changes to the employment insurance program.

The petition was circulated by an amazing group of community activists who have come together as the PEI Coalition for Fair EI. The petitioners are incensed by the lack of consultation and have outlined some of the devastating impacts of the irresponsible and unfair changes made to EI in last year's budget omnibus bill. The petitioners are therefore calling on the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development to cancel the changes to EI and instead support those Islanders who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

While I know that the rules of the House do not allow me to endorse a petition, let me just say that it was a privilege to meet with the PEI Coalition for Fair EI when I was in Charlottetown and that I look forward to continuing to work with it to fix EI.

Korean War Service Medal

[Corneliu Chisu, Conservative, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as a veteran with service in Afghanistan and on the Year of the Korean War Veteran, which marks the 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, I am honoured to present a petition on behalf of the Canadian veterans who fought in the Korean War, the Royal Canadian Legions 606 and 43, and constituents from my riding of Pickering—Scarborough East.

The petitioners are calling on the Canadian government to take the necessary steps in order for the Republic of Korea service medal to be recognized as a war medal of honour and awarded to Korean War veterans.

The Korean War service medal was authorized in 1954 by the South Korean government to all United Nations troops who fought in Korea between June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953.

Employment Insurance

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to present a petition today signed by over 100 residents from all over New Brunswick condemning the government's changes to employment insurance. The petitioners maintain that the changes will have a very negative effect on seasonal industries and their employees. They are asking the government to reverse this reckless and unfair course.

International Development

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I have the great honour to present an impressive petition calling on the government to cancel budget cuts to international development.

This petition has almost 400 signatures and was given to me at an event held on Parliament Hill that was part of a large campaign to cancel the cuts. I have seen the results of the campaign. I was at the event, which was attended by so many people that they were standing and the room was overflowing. I have seen this campaign unite so many Canadians from across the country who believe that Canada can make a difference in the world and that it has a role to play.

Employment Insurance

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of a number of Prince Edward Islanders who also wish to petition the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development against the proposed changes to employment insurance.

The petitioners have a large number of concerns. However, they indicate that the government did not consult those who would be hurt by the proposed changes that force people to drive unreasonable distances in order to obtain employment and take 50¢ of every dollar that they would earn from the first hour that they work while on EI, which would just create poverty.

The residents of Prince Edward Island ask the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development to cancel the proposed changes to the employment insurance program.

[Anne-Marie Day, NDP, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition to oppose some provisions of the budget that are against employment insurance. I am referring to the definition of suitable employment and reasonable efforts, and the creation of a social security tribunal. We believe that these measures will be detrimental to regional development and Canada's economy.

Rail Transportation

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, hundreds of people from Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo, Sarnia and Grand Bend, Petrolia, St. Marys, London and throughout southwestern Ontario are deeply concerned about cuts to rail service from VIA Rail Canada. They are calling on the government to reverse its cuts to VIA Rail in the budget and re-enable optimal rail passenger service as it affects students, seniors and residents of smaller communities, and is an affordable, convenient and ecological travel alternative.

Search and Rescue

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present three petitions.

The first is from thousands of Canadians who are calling on the government to save the Kitsilano Coast Guard station. The petitioners call on the government to rescind the decision and reinstate full funding to maintain the Coast Guard station in Kitsilano.

Shark Finning

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

Mr. Speaker, thousands of Canadians also call for a ban on the importation of shark fin to Canada.

Experimental Lakes Area

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

Mr. Speaker, finally thousands of Canadians also call on the government to save Canada's leading freshwater research institute. They want the government to reverse the decision to close the ELA research station.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions today.

With the looming deadline of March 31 and despite the fact that buildings are already being bulldozed at the ELA, we are still receiving hundreds of petitions imploring the government to rethink its foolish decision to close the ELA and to continue the staffing and funding for the Experimental Lakes Area.

Rail Transportation

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

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is in support of my “revive Superior rail” motion, calling for the re-establishment of passenger rail service on the north shore of Lake Superior and across Canada.

The Environment

[Marie-Claude Morin, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table two petitions today.

First, I would like to table a petition on behalf of my hon. colleague, the member for Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel. The petition is in support of a motion to help Canadians who have septic systems in order to safeguard our environment and public health. I am pleased to table this petition.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Marie-Claude Morin, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to table a petition in support of a family from my riding that has been extradited. The petition was signed by people in my riding who want the family to remain in Canada. I believe it is important to table this petition.

Experimental Lakes Area

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I table a petition signed by many Manitobans who are truly concerned about the hundreds, if not thousands, of lakes in the province of Manitoba and beyond. The petitioners are calling upon the government to reverse the decision to close the ELA research station, recognizing that the Experimental Lakes Area provides wonderful research that is necessary to protect our freshwater lakes and our environment.

The Environment

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to table a petition concerning the protection of water and the health of the environment. The petition is in support of Motion No. 400, moved by the hon. member for Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, which proposes helping individuals in rural areas who need to bring their septic systems up to standard.

This is unfair. We give help to city dwellers, but we are not doing the same for people in rural areas. That is why I am presenting this petition.

Experimental Lakes Area

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Mr. Speaker, I join the parade of MPs today putting forward petitions from Canadians asking for the saving of the ELA freshwater research station, and asking the government to change its decision to close this great facility.

Homes Not Connected to a Sanitation System

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to present this petition in the House today. It is signed by Canadians from every province in the country, supporting my Motion No. 400. This is a national issue, which is important in all rural communities across the country. I hope that on Wednesday our members of Parliament on the Conservative side will be voting in favour of the motion on behalf of their constituents.

Lyme Disease

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

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

The first is primarily from residents of Langley and Maple Ridge, British Columbia who are urging the House to support the private member's bill I put forward. Bill C-442 proposes a national Lyme disease strategy.

Canadians from coast to coast support this. Also, I hear from so many members of Parliament, on all sides of the House, who are hearing from their constituents of the debilitating, really dreadful symptoms, which are quite often misdiagnosed. Pulling together to ensure a national Lyme disease strategy would put us on the right path.

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, the second petition comes from residents of Salt Spring Island, within my own constituency.

The petitioners call on the House to take action along the lines of the bill that passed in the House of Commons, but was defeated in the Senate, the former Bill C-311. They urge the government to take action to reduce greenhouse gases to the levels that science recommends, moving as rapidly as possible to 90% reductions below 1990 levels by 2050.

Gatineau Park

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present two petitions.

The first is a request from dozens of Canadians who want legislation that would protect and preserve Gatineau Park.

Employment Insurance

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a second petition, which I feel very strongly about as a representative of eastern Quebec. It calls for the current employment insurance reform to be suspended. Very few people in my region, if any, were consulted. That includes large industries that generate billions of dollars each year.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 1137, 1144 and 1152.

Question No. 1137

[Scott Andrews, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

With regard to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Canadian embassy in Ireland: (a) what guests visited the embassy and met with the Ambassador, between December 1, 2010, and December 1, 2012, including the (i) home address of each visitor, (ii) date of the visit, (iii) purpose of the visit; and (b) what entertainment or hospitality expenses were incurred for each visit?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the mandate of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada is to manage Canada’s diplomatic and consular relations and to encourage the country’s international trade. This includes ensuring that Canada’s foreign policy reflects Canadian values; advancing Canada’s national interests; strengthening rules-based trading arrangements and expanding free and fair market access at bilateral, regional and global levels; and working with a broad range of partners inside and outside government to increase economic opportunities and enhance security for Canadians and Canadian businesses.

The Embassy of Canada to Ireland, under the leadership of the ambassador, seeks to advance these priorities by representing Canada’s interests in Ireland. Indeed, as stated on the embassy’s website: “In recent years, shared values and interests have provided the basis for a further strengthening of the Canada-Ireland relationship, particularly in meeting the challenges of domestic and global governance. There is a growing dialogue and increased co-operation and sharing of ‘best practices’ on development assistance, education, parliamentary reform, health care, and in other social and economic policies.”

With regard to part (a), on any given day, the ambassador will meet both formally and informally with a number of individuals including, but not limited to, private or official Government of Canada business, academic or trade delegations, diplomatic counterparts, tourists, or Canadians seeking consular assistance. Thus, these visits are not formally tracked to the level of detail requested. It is also important to note that the names and home addresses of guests, and possibly the purpose of their visit to the embassy, are considered personal information and is subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act.

With regard to (b), as part of regular reporting requirements, a list of travel and hospitality expenses for the Embassy of Canada in Ireland can be found on the department’s website: http://w03.international.gc.ca/dthe-dfva/Year-Annee.aspx?lang=eng&dept=FAAE&prof_id=457