House of Commons Hansard #268 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was goods.

Topics

Public Transit Operators Protection ActRoutine Proceedings

3:50 p.m.

NDP

John Rafferty NDP Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-531, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (public transit operators).

Mr. Speaker, recently in Thunder Bay we have had some violent incidents. Two transit drivers from Local 966 of the Amalgamated Transit Union have become victims of assault while carrying out their duties on our behalf.

Harassment and assault against those who have dedicated their lives to the service of the public is completely unacceptable to the people of Thunder Bay—Rainy River and indeed Canadians coast to coast.

Because of the nature of their work and their inherent inability to defend themselves against aggressive acts while carrying out their primary duties, transit drivers face a number of unusual and unpredictable threats in their workplace that most Canadians do not.

I hope this bill will act as a deterrent to such violent incidents upon transit drivers in our communities and complement what I hope will be more vigorous efforts by provincial and local governments to offer greater physical protections to transit operators while they are on the job and serving the public.

This bill has been drafted in consultation with my New Democrat colleagues from across Canada, and I would like to thank them for sharing their thoughts and support for putting this bill forward. I would also like to thank the newly independent member of Parliament for Edmonton—St. Albert, who tabled a similar bill in the last Parliament and consulted with me on the drafting of this bill, and who indeed supports this bill.

In closing, I would like to assure members of the Amalgamated Transit Union and other transit operators across Canada who devote themselves to providing a very high level of public service that New Democrats and Canadians stand with them and are committed to making their workplace as safe as possible.

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

Navigable Waters Protection ActRoutine Proceedings

3:50 p.m.

NDP

Rathika Sitsabaiesan NDP Scarborough—Rouge River, ON

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-532, An Act to amend the Navigable Waters Protection Act (Rouge River).

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to introduce the bill, an act to amend the Navigable Waters Protection Act in relation to the Rouge River. Our lakes and rivers deserve the utmost environmental protection, and this bill would ensure that the Rouge River is listed in the act.

The Rouge River is a beautiful component of Scarborough—Rouge River and Scarborough itself. It runs through our local gem, Rouge Park, and it is visited and enjoyed by residents across the GTA. Moreover, it is a vital component of the ecological integrity and biodiversity of Scarborough and eastern Toronto.

Under the Conservative changes, fewer than 2% of our lakes and rivers are left protected. Certainly Rouge River, which runs through what will be Canada's first urban national park, should be among these protected waterways.

Environmental protection is a priority of mine, as it is for the NDP and Canadians across the country. I am proud to introduce a bill that upholds this Canadian value.

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

Protecting Canada's Public Transportation Workers ActRoutine Proceedings

3:55 p.m.

Liberal

Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-533, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (protecting public transportation workers).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to present this private member's bill, providing an alternative approach to the one that was tabled earlier by the member for Thunder Bay—Rainy River. I look forward to all members of the House having an opportunity to collaborate as these pieces of legislation move forward.

More than 2,000 Canadian bus drivers are assaulted annually in the course of their duties. They may be spat upon or punched or attacked with a knife or even sexually assaulted as they perform their jobs of providing open, inclusive service to the general public in all places and at all hours of the day and night.

While courts sometimes make a point of taking the public service and the vulnerability of bus drivers into account when sentencing those who are convicted of offences against transit operators, this is not a comprehensive legal requirement.

The bill that I am proposing would change that. Section 718.2 of the Criminal Code sets out the overarching rules that deal with sentencing; this bill would insert the specific requirement that courts shall, when imposing a sentence for any offence, take into consideration as an aggravating circumstance the fact that the victim was a public transportation employee on duty.

This would provide a higher degree of protection for bus drivers, especially when coupled with a vigorous public communications campaign to warn potential offenders that attacking a transit employee will expose them to more severe criminal penalties.

I am glad to have the support of the Canadian Council of the Amalgamated Transit Union in my hometown of Regina and across the country. I hope that all hon. members will see the merit in this particular approach.

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

Genetically Modified AlfalfaPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Merv Tweed Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB

Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of presenting two petitions calling on Parliament to impose a moratorium on the release of genetically modified alfalfa in order to allow proper review of the impact on farmers in Canada.

Agriculture and Agri-foodPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:55 p.m.

NDP

Malcolm Allen NDP Welland, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition on behalf of many prairie landowners and folks in the Prairies around what is quite commonly called the prairie shelterbelt program, which has literally inundated the Prairies with trees over the many years. The petitioners are calling on the government to restore funding to ensure that those millions of seedlings can be planted annually going forward and to re-establish that program.

The EnvironmentPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:55 p.m.

Liberal

John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to rise today to present a petition signed by hundreds of residents of the eastern GTA regarding the Rouge national park. The petitioners are calling on the government to protect the 100 square kilometre public land assembly surrounding the Rouge River and Duffins Creek watersheds and to conduct a rational, scientific and transparent planning process that will ensure a healthy, sustainable Rouge national park for all Canadians to enjoy.

Canada PostPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB

Mr. Speaker, I stand in the House to present these petitions from Canada Post workers in the Miramichi area concerning postal services.

Animal WelfarePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:55 p.m.

NDP

Alex Atamanenko NDP British Columbia Southern Interior, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have here over 700 names from B.C. and Ontario, including a petition for Justice for Captain, of people who want stronger animal cruelty legislation. They call upon the House of Commons to work with the provinces to ensure that federal and provincial laws are constructed and enforced and to ensure that those responsible for abusing, neglecting, torturing or otherwise harming animals are held appropriately accountable.

Health of Animals and Meat InspectionPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4 p.m.

NDP

Alex Atamanenko NDP British Columbia Southern Interior, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have another petition in support of my Bill C-322, which calls upon the House of Commons to amend the Health of Animals Act and the Meat Inspection Act, thus prohibiting the importation or exportation of horses for slaughter for human consumption, as well as horse meat products for human consumption.

Search and RescuePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4 p.m.

Liberal

Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC

Mr. Speaker, I rise to table yet another set of petitions from the citizens of Vancouver, who wish the government to rescind the closure of Kitsilano Coast Guard base in that it will put many lives at risk.

HealthPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4 p.m.

Liberal

Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC

Mr. Speaker, I also want to table another petition from people in Vancouver, who would like to see a royal commission on the environment and health set up because they argue that there are thousands of new cancer-causing agents and industrial processes that are harming the lives of Canadians.

VenezuelaPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4 p.m.

Conservative

Wladyslaw Lizon Conservative Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to table a petition on behalf of Ontarians, many of them Venezuelan Canadians. They would like to bring the attention of the House to the fact that since the last presidential election in Venezuela, the human, electoral and civil rights of the Venezuelan people have been shamefully violated. They are asking our government to take a strong position regarding this matter and to call for a peaceful and democratic resolution to the current crisis in Venezuela.

Gasoline PricesPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4 p.m.

NDP

Glenn Thibeault NDP Sudbury, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise today to present petitions signed by hundreds of members of my great riding of Sudbury, who are asking the government to protect consumers from gas price gouging. The cost of gasoline is continuing to fluctuate erratically. Prices are prone to wide variations between communities and sharp spikes in anticipation of higher demand. The petitioners want the federal government to take action to ensure that gas prices are fair and competitive, despite the fact that there have been numerous complaints from citizens and watchdogs.

The undersigned are calling on the Minister of Industry to present legislation on behalf of the government to protect consumers from price gouging by gasoline retailers.

Sex SelectionPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4 p.m.

Conservative

Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today from the residents of Kitchener and Waterloo, totalling about 100 signatures, over 85% of whom are women. The petitioners request that sex selection be condemned by Parliament, pointing out that 92% of Canadians, an overwhelming majority, believe that sex-selective pregnancy termination should be illegal.

Genetically Modified AlfalfaPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4 p.m.

NDP

Craig Scott NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition today signed by over 1,000 people, many from my riding of Toronto—Danforth and others from all over the GTA. The petitioners wish to draw attention to the House that unwanted contamination from genetically modified alfalfa is inevitable, and that this contamination threatens both export markets and organic farming.

The petitioners call on Parliament to impose a moratorium on the release of genetically modified alfalfa in order to allow proper review of the impact on farmers in Canada and to protect family farms.

Finally, I would like to thank the people at the Big Carrot Natural Food Market in Toronto—Danforth for all their work on this issue and this petition, and for their constant service to, and the example that they set in, our community.

Development and PeacePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4 p.m.

Bloc

André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, today it is my pleasure to present a petition signed by some of my constituents about funding for Development and Peace.

The petitioners are asking the government to reinstate funding for Development and Peace in the amount of nearly $50 million over the next five years. They are also asking the government to fund publicly supported NGOs whose funding was slashed by CIDA. They also want the government to allocate 0.7% of GDP to international aid, as promised in 2005. As we all know, the federal government is currently contributing barely 0.35% to international aid.

Cluster MunitionsPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4 p.m.

Conservative

Peter Braid Conservative Kitchener—Waterloo, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have one petition to table today. It is signed by constituents from my riding of Kitchener—Waterloo. The petition deals with the issue of cluster munitions.

CyberbullyingPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4 p.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to present a petition signed by students from Collège Saint-Bernard in my riding. They want the government to strengthen its commitment to fighting the cyberbullying epidemic, and are calling on the government to introduce measures to prevent cyberbullying.

I think this is a great initiative, and I would like to congratulate the students and their teachers.

Cluster MunitionsPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:05 p.m.

NDP

Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. The first one is signed by hundreds of people from my own riding in Winnipeg Centre. They largely draw the attention of the House of Commons to the fact that cluster munitions are morally and ethically reprehensible. They criticize Bill S-10, saying that it contains language that results in loopholes and exceptions, which run counter to the object and purpose of the treaty and undermine its spirit and intent.

Therefore, these petitioners call upon Parliament to amend Bill S-10 to close the loopholes and make it clear that no Canadian should ever be involved in any use of cluster munitions for any reasons, anytime, anywhere, for anyone.

AsbestosPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:05 p.m.

NDP

Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, the second petition I have has been signed by literally tens of thousands of Canadians who call upon the House of Commons to take note that asbestos is the greatest industrial killer that the world has ever known. They point out further that more Canadians now die from asbestos than all other industrial causes combined. And they call upon Canada to ban asbestos in all of its forms and to stop blocking international health and safety conventions designed to protect workers from asbestos, such as the Rotterdam Convention.

Development and PeacePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:05 p.m.

NDP

Rosane Doré Lefebvre NDP Alfred-Pellan, QC

Mr. Speaker, today it is my pleasure to present a petition signed by hundreds of people from the riding of Alfred-Pellan in Laval, mainly from the Saint-François-de-Sales and Saint-Noël-Chabanel communities.

The petitioners are asking the government to reinstate funding for Development and Peace. They are also asking the government to prioritize funding for NGOs that Canadians support but whose funding was slashed by CIDA. They also want the government to demonstrate international solidarity by reinstating the full $49.2 million over five years that Development and Peace has requested.

Fisheries and OceansPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:05 p.m.

Independent

Bruce Hyer Independent Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have two sets of petitions today.

The first is from residents from Thunder Bay and across Ontario protesting the closure of the Thunder Bay Marine Communication and Traffic Services centre, which is crucial to the safety of boaters all the way from Lake Winnipeg to Lake Huron, with Lake Superior in the middle.

The petitioners ask that the House reverse the government's decision on this matter.

Experimental Lakes AreaPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

4:05 p.m.

Independent

Bruce Hyer Independent Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON

Mr. Speaker, I continue to receive petitions regarding the Experimental Lakes Area. The petitioners would like the government to reconsider its decision in this matter to close the Experimental Lakes Area, sell it off and not fund it. They would like the funding to continue.

I would also like to give congratulations to Diane Orihel who has worked long and hard persistently to raise this issue across Canada.

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

4:05 p.m.

Cypress Hills—Grasslands Saskatchewan

Conservative

David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board

Mr. Speaker, if questions nos. 1326, 1327, 1328, 1329, 1330 and 1331 could be made orders for return, these returns would be tabled immediately.

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Is that agreed?