House of Commons Hansard #266 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was treaties.

Topics

Safe Drinking Water for First Nations ActGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

I am sure the member's seatmate appreciates that. I know it is getting into the middle days of June and that has strange effects on some people. It is pretty straightforward. It will not be counted as a vote; it is a clarification. If the member wants to go one by one, I do not know what the advantage is to the House.

The whip for the official opposition, as is often our practice, has indicated which way the votes are meant to be cast. Unless there is a member who wants to contradict his or her whip, he or she can feel free to do that now. Otherwise, we will move on to the next question.

I hope the hon. member for Winnipeg North has a comment on a new point. I have made my ruling on this.

Safe Drinking Water for First Nations ActGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, just to give a bit of a difference in perspective, as individuals—

Safe Drinking Water for First Nations ActGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

I think we will move on.

The House resumed from June 7 consideration of the motion that Bill C-60, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 21, 2013 and other measures, be read the third time and passed, and of the amendment.

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1Government Orders

3:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the amendment of the motion at third reading stage of Bill C-60.

(The House divided on the amendment, which was negatived on the following division:)

Vote #743

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1Government Orders

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

I declare the amendment defeated.

The next question is on the main motion.

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1Government Orders

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

Gordon O'Connor Conservative Carleton—Mississippi Mills, ON

Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, I believe you will find agreement to apply the results of the previous motion to the current motion, with the Conservatives voting yes.

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1Government Orders

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Is that agreed?

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1Government Orders

3:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1Government Orders

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

There does not seem to be consent.

The next question is on the main motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1Government Orders

3:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

Nay.

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1Government Orders

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

In my opinion the nays have it.

And five or more members having risen:

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #744

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1Government Orders

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

I declare the motion carried.

(Bill read the third time and passed)

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1Government Orders

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

Peter MacKay Conservative Central Nova, NS

Mr. Speaker, I have a point of order arising from today's question period. In a question, the member for Scarborough—Guildwood made a definitive statement that a member of the Canadian Forces, Corporal Kirkland, had been released from the Canadian Forces.

I can now confirm that is not the case. There were papers signed and explained to him that had to do with his future career. He wilfully signed those papers, but I can confirm that he has not been released from the Canadian Armed Forces.

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1Government Orders

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

Mr. Speaker, I actually have my hands on these papers. I really do not want to get into what is essentially confidential information, but I would think that the minister would prefer to read this document and make his assessment as to whether Corporal Kirkland, when he returned to CFB Shilo, was in fact offered his military discharge.

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1Government Orders

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

This sounds like material for a future question period, perhaps. I am not sure it is a point of order.

International Civil Aviation Organization HeadquartersRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Ottawa West—Nepean Ontario

Conservative

John Baird ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both officials languages, the treaty entitled “Supplementary Agreement Between the Government of Canada and the International Civil Aviation Organization Regarding the Headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization”, done at Montreal, May 27. An explanatory memorandum is included with the treaty.

This is great news for Montreal, great news for Canada and great news for Quebec.

Government Response to PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

North Vancouver B.C.

Conservative

Andrew Saxton ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's responses to seven petitions.

Public AccountsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

NDP

David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 15th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts in relation to its study of chapter 6, Special Examinations of Crown Corporations—2011, of the spring 2012 report of the Auditor General of Canada.

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

Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 12th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. This report is a result of a study done by the Subcommittee on International Human Rights and is entitled, “Conflicting Realities: Reform, Repression and Human Rights in Burma”.

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

Navigable Waters Protection ActRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

NDP

Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-527, An Act to amend the Navigable Waters Protection Act (Lake Joseph and other lakes and rivers).

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Drummond for seconding this bill, which is designed to add several rivers, waterways and lakes in four Conservative Quebec ridings to the too-short list of waterways that will continue to be protected. Less than 2% of Canada's waterways are being protected.

Among the waterways this bill would add is the Chaudière River, which runs through a large part of the Quebec region of Beauce. Chutes-de-la-Chaudière park, near Lake Mégantic, is an important spot because numerous outdoor and tourist activities take place there.

Lac des Abénaquis, near Sainte-Aurélie, is known for its fishing. There is a fishing tournament there every summer. The fact that this lake is no longer protected because of Conservative legislation means that the right to fish and the right to navigate are no longer guaranteed.

That is why we, the NDP, have introduced bills such as this one. First of all, we want members of the public to know about the changes, and second, we want them to try and change the Conservatives' minds about Bill C-45, which has resulted in less than 2% of our waterways being protected.

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

Conservation of National Historic Sites ActRoutine Proceedings

3:45 p.m.

Conservative

Gord Brown Conservative Leeds—Grenville, ON

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-528, An Act to provide funding for the conservation of national historic sites.

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank the hon. member for Edmonton Centre for seconding my private member's bill.

I am happy to rise today to introduce this bill. It is an act to provide funding for the conservation of national historic sites. This bill would provide the means by which individuals and corporations could donate money to be used for the preservation of national historic sites and receive tax receipts. It also sets out how the money would be used.

Our national historic sites are important cultural places that help link us to our past, but there are costs to repair them, and those costs are increasing all the time. In my time at the St. Lawrence Parks Commission, when it oversaw the operation of Fort Henry in Kingston, I saw this first-hand. People came forward with ideas to contribute and get tax receipts.

There are additional national historic sites that need long-term support, such as the Rideau Canal in my riding of Leeds—Grenville, as well as Fort Wellington and the Delta mill and other national historic sites. This bill would help do that. It would help to see that these sites plan for the major restoration work that always needs to be done.

I look forward to this bill being debated and passed in order to help all of our national historic sites.

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

Navigable Waters Protection ActRoutine Proceedings

3:45 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-529, An Act to amend the Navigable Waters Protection Act (Slave River).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table my bill, an act to amend the Navigable Waters Protection Act for Slave River. I wish to thank my colleague, the member for Western Arctic, for seconding this bill, which is of great significance to his constituents.

The purpose is both simple and necessary. It will add the mighty Slave River, flowing from Alberta to the Northwest Territories, to the substantially diminished list of rivers the government has deemed worthy of protection.

According to David Livingstone, former director of Indian and Northern Affairs' water division:

Life in the North has always revolved around water in an intimate way that many other jurisdictions have lost. The value of water in the North is the same as the value of water to people who live in deserts: central to life.

This bill actually amends the 2012 Budget Implementation Act. Why? The government, absent any advance consultations, including with those directly impacted, used its budget bill to further eviscerate this century-and-a-half-year-old protection law.

The Navigable Waters Protection Act, originally enacted to guarantee navigation rights, has been upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada as an important trigger for federal action to protect rivers and lakes. The law, pre-evisceration, served as key trigger for federation assessment and permitting.

The decision to remove protective measures for the Slave River was made absent any consultations with the aboriginal peoples who have a long-standing connection to the river. In so doing, the government violated its overriding constitutional duty of prior consultation and accommodation of aboriginal rights and title.

According to Cheyeanne Paulette, former chief of Smith's Landing First Nation, located on the banks of the Slave River:

The Slave River has sustained our people since time immemorial. We have a vision for the river that ensures it will continue to be a home for our people for all time, and we know many other Northerners share our vision.

For centuries the river has provided the major transportation route between Fort Fitzgerald in the Northwest Territories and Fort Chipewyan. According to elder François Paulette, who was raised on the river, the Slave River is considered sacred and is to be respected.

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