Debates of March 31st, 2014

Chief Electoral Officer of Canada

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I have the honour to lay upon the table the report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada on the administration of the Labrador by-election held on May 13, 2013; and the Bourassa, Brandon—Souris, Provencher, and Toronto Centre by-elections held on November 25, 2013.

This document is deemed permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

Documents Regarding Afghan Detainees

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and for International Human Rights]

Mr. Speaker, I am retabling documents concerning the transfer of Afghan detainees, originally tabled on June 22, 2011. Following the House's unanimous consent, we originally tabled this important information in untranslated form in order to expedite its availability to the public.

Pursuant to recommendations received from the Office of the Official Languages Commissioner in October 2013, I am now retabling these documents in both official languages, in good faith, and in order to ensure that the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development is fully complying with its obligations under the Official Languages Act.

Procedure and House Affairs

[Joe Preston, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 10th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding membership in committees of the House.

If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 10th report later this day.

Criminal Code

[Ryan Leef, Conservative, Yukon, YT]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-583, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder).

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to rise today. I should thank the member for Sault Ste. Marie for seconding this bill on my behalf.

As mentioned, it is an act to amend the Criminal Code of Canada in respect to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Specifically, this bill would define fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and allow the courts to order assessments and to consider mitigating circumstances where conditions of FASD contribute to the offence.

I would like to thank all the groups and organizations in the Yukon Territory for demonstrating their leadership on FASD in our territory and right across Canada, in particular FASSY, Options for Independence, the Yukon government, the Yukon division of the Canadian Bar Association, Rod Snow, and Heather McFadgen for all their support.

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

Corporate Social Responsibility of Extractive Corporations Outside Canada Act

[Ève Péclet, NDP, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-584, An Act respecting the Corporate Social Responsibility Inherent in the Activities of Canadian Extractive Corporations in Developing Countries.

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to rise to introduce my bill today.

Canada is in a unique position. Over 75% of all mining corporations and corporations in the extractive sector are incorporated here in Canada.

In most cases, these companies operate in countries with populations that are vulnerable because of factors such as political instability and lack of security. They also operate in countries where workers' rights, human rights and environmental protections are neither adequately respected nor effectively enforced.

Respect for these principles should not be limited by a state's ability to fulfill its obligations in this arena or its interest in doing so. That is why, today, I am introducing a bill that calls for the creation of an ombudsman for the corporate social responsibility of Canadian extractive corporations, to promote the responsible mining development values that all Canadians subscribe to outside Canada.

This bill was drafted in response to a recommendation from the 2007 report of the National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility.

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

Procedure and House Affairs

[Joe Preston, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 10th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier today, be concurred in.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Does the hon. member have the consent of the House to propose this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

(Motion agreed to)

Animal Welfare

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to present two petitions.

The first has several hundred signatures from both Vancouver and Calgary. I have presented these petitions on many occasions in the House. The petition draws to the attention of the Government of Canada and parliamentarians that every year hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats are brutally slaughtered for their fur in a number of Asian regions and that these animals live in deplorable conditions. The petitioners are calling on Government of Canada to join the U.S.A., Australia, and the European Union in banning the import and sale of dog and cat fur.

I want to thank the organizations that are collecting these signatures. I have now tabled thousands and thousands of these petitions over the last year. They are obviously very dedicated organizations that are very concerned about this issue and urge us to take action.

Canada Post

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from people who are very concerned about the cuts to Canada Post.

We know that postal increases are taking place. The petitioners are calling on us to reverse the elimination of door-to-door delivery. They are very concerned that these cuts will hurt seniors and disabled Canadians in particular. They believe that Canada Post is a public institution and that public service should be protected. The petitioners are urging the Government of Canada to reverse the cuts to services announced by Canada Post.

Jericho Garrison Lands

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition from my riding of Vancouver Quadra.

There are literally hundreds of people who have signed the petition so far, expressing their concern about the imminent strategic disposal of a parcel of property called the Jericho Garrison lands, currently owned by the Department of National Defence.

There has been no consultation with local residents, and no plan for a full consultation process on the future uses of these lands has been made known. The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to commit to a complete public consultation and accommodation regarding any potential divestment of the Jericho Garrison lands.

Canada Post

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions.

The first is a petition asking the Government of Canada to reverse the cuts to services announced by Canada Post.

Agriculture

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is calling on Parliament to refrain from making any changes to the Seeds Act or the Plant Breeders' Rights Act through Bill C-18.

Dementia

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition signed by many Canadians asking for a national dementia strategy. They call on the Minister of Health and the House of Commons to pass Bill C-356, an act respecting a national strategy for dementia, introduced by the member for Nickel Belt.

Canada Post

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to table two petitions. The first is one that we have heard over and over today, about Canada Post. The petitioners are concerned about the elimination of door-to-door delivery and the closing of post offices, the loss of jobs, and how this will impact seniors. They are asking the government to reverse the cuts to services and to look instead for ways to innovate.

Rail Transportation

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the other petition is about the cuts to the Algoma Central Railway line. I am pleased to rise on behalf of people from Sault Ste. Marie, since their member is not getting up in the House to speak on this; and from Wawa; Collingwood; and Leduc, Alberta as well. They are asking the government to reinstate the funding for this critical piece of infrastructure and rail, which has such an impact on their economy. They would certainly like the government to act before the train leaves the station.

VIA Rail

[Philip Toone, NDP, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present two petitions with similar themes. Both have to do with VIA Rail.

A number of petitioners in my riding denounce the total abandonment of my region by VIA Rail.

I also have a petition from northern New Brunswick that denounces the potential abandonment of that region by VIA Rail, which may happen by July 1.

I would like to point out that I had the pleasure of taking the train today. With the storm we had in eastern Canada, there is no way that I would be here in the House of Commons if it were not for the train. A number of people on the train were in the same situation. The only way to get out of the storm was by VIA Rail.

We depend on this service a great deal. I hope that the government is taking note.

41st General Election

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

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from people across Canada who are concerned about voter suppression and the deliberate misleading of voters in the May, 2011 election. They are asking for a complete and independent well-resourced investigation to determine the responsible persons or organizations. They are further asking that any financial awards for that election be cancelled and returned to Elections Canada.

Pensions

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to table today. The first is from residents of Edmonton—Sherwood Park, expressing concern about the cuts to old age security, which they say will slash $11 billion in retirement income from seniors. They are calling on the government to immediately agree to the request made by the provincial and territorial finance ministers to move forward with pension benefits under the Canada and Quebec pension plans, and to phase in those increases without delay.

Housing

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from residents of Saskatchewan and Alberta, expressing concern about the failure to properly support housing for the homeless. They are calling for a reinvestment of $1.7 billion annually in social housing subsidies, and are calling on the federal government to coordinate a pan-Canadian housing strategy based on the human right to housing.

Pensions

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to table a petition from residents of Winnipeg North, who are concerned about Canada's pension programs. They state that people should be able to continue to have the option to retire at the age of 65 and that the government should not in any way diminish the importance and value of Canada's three major seniors programs: the OAS, GIS, and the CPP.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions. The first is in regard to a terrible tragedy that we experienced in London, Ontario, where we lost three members of a family.

The petitioners are very cognizant of the fact that there has been a reduction in public service staffing levels and that this has increased the workload in federal departments. They are asking, therefore, that Citizenship and Immigration Canada ensure that the department is properly staffed and resourced in order to reach decisions on applications in a fair and timely manner, and to ensure that immigration officials consider all factors in regard to an individual's application for status, including humanitarian and compassionate grounds.