Debates of June 5th, 2014

Privacy Commissioner

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, thank you very much for that explanation, but I would like to explain my actions yesterday when I walked in by myself.

We had an agreement with the official opposition that we would have the vote right after question period, with no bells. When that was changed, right after question period, I was waiting down at the other end to enter the chamber for the vote. Then we had to go through a 15-minute unnecessary wait when we were all here. That is why, when 15 minutes expired, I walked up the aisle.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

While the Chair appreciates the comments made by the chief government whip, nothing that he said in any way detracts from or contradicts anything I just said, which is that all hon. members should be here on time in the future.

We will continue with routine proceedings.

Agriculture

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

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from a number of farmers in my riding who save, reuse, select, exchange, and sell seeds, and they are concerned with the current newly proposed restriction on farmers' traditional practices.

The petitioners ask that the government refrain from making any changes to the Seeds Act or the Plant Breeders' Rights Act though Bill C-18, which is an act to amend certain acts relating to agriculture and agri-food, that would further restrict farmers' rights or add to farmers' costs.

Canada Post

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

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions asking the government to put a stop to Canada Post service cuts, particularly the ones that will affect seniors and persons with disabilities. The petitioners are also wondering who will pay the bill when people fall going to get their mail in the winter. Will it be the municipality, the province or the federal government? I am presenting two petitions.

Impaired Driving

[Russ Hiebert, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of constituents in my community, I would like to present this petition in which they call for mandatory minimum sentences for those convicted of impaired driving causing death and the redefinition in the Criminal Code of an offence of impaired driving causing death to vehicular manslaughter.

The Environment

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition on behalf of several constituents from and around the Bonavista north area as well as Change Islands, Fogo Island, and Twillingate Island.

The petitioners are deeply concerned about a freighter that sank off their coast back in 1985. About a year ago, or a little more, the freighter started to leak oil at the bottom of the ocean, which is now affecting seabirds and could eventually be a major disaster to the entire ecosystem.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to take immediate action to help clean up this potential disaster.

Shark Finning

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition from thousands of Canadians who want the government to take measures to stop the global practice of shark finning and to ensure responsible conservation and management of sharks.

The petitioners call upon the government to immediately legislate a ban on the importation of shark fin to Canada.

Sex Selection

[Bradley Trost, Conservative, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I present a petition today from citizens mostly of the Vancouver area.

The petitioners call upon members of the House to condemn discrimination against females occurring through sex-selective pregnancy termination.

Health

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians from Guelph and across Canada are calling upon the Government of Canada to require all producers and manufacturers of prepackaged foods to include potassium on the nutritional facts table on all food labels.

The petitioners are seriously concerned that many prepackaged foods are not required to list potassium additives in the best interest of those who must keep an eye on intake, such as people suffering from heart and kidney disease, hypertension, and many other similar conditions.

The petitioners call upon the government for assistance and to take a proper, more active role in the promotion of health by requiring potassium to be included on the list of all nutritional facts.

Blood and Organ Donation

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present today, which I will do quickly.

The first petition is signed by residents who ask that the sexual preferences of people not be an instant refusal of the right to donate blood, bone marrow, and organs.

The petitioners request the Government of Canada to return the rights of any healthy Canadian to give the gift of blood, bone marrow, and organs to those in need.

Health Care

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is signed by residents who want to draw to our attention that Canadians support their public health care system and want to ensure every Canadian has the same access to high-quality health care services wherever they live.

Animal Welfare

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have many petitions here respecting the banning of cat and dog fur. I have introduced thousands of these petitions over the last couple of years.

The petitioners point out that we should join the U.S.A., Australia, and the EU in banning the importation of cat and dog fur and that we are the only country without such a ban.

The petitioners call on the House of Commons to support legislation to bring this into effect.

Emergency Protection Order

[LaVar Payne, Conservative, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present today.

The first petition is with regard to the emergency order for protection of the greater sage grouse in Canada. The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to rescind the emergency protection order.

This petition is from citizens of my riding of Medicine Hat.

Endangered Species

[LaVar Payne, Conservative, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is also from residents of Medicine Hat.

The petitioners are asking that the House of Commons rescind the Species at Risk Act and replace it with an act that would encourage voluntary implementation.

Firearms Reclassification

[LaVar Payne, Conservative, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition is also from citizens of Medicine Hat.

The petitioners point out that law-abiding Canadian citizens should be free to use firearms for recreational use. They call upon the House of Commons to fix legislation so that unelected bureaucrats no longer have control over weapons classifications.

Canada Post

[Judy Foote, Liberal, Random—Burin—St. George's, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of constituents who live in the west coast part of my riding, in the Stephenville area, who are opposed to the cuts announced by Canada Post.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to have Canada Post reinstate door-to-door delivery, because a lot of the individuals who live in this part of my riding are seniors or are disabled.

The petitioners are asking the government to work with Canada Post to reinstate these services.

Housing

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

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

The first petition calls for a national housing strategy. The petition recognizes that one and a half million households, almost 13% of the Canadian population, is in core housing need. Canada is the only industrialized country that does not have a national housing strategy.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to develop a housing strategy that would ensure secure, accessible, and affordable housing for all Canadians.

Canada Post

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

Mr. Speaker, the second petition calls for an end to the cuts at Canada Post.

In my community, people rely on door-to-door delivery, whether it is individual homes or small businesses. They believe that cuts to home delivery will have a tremendously negative effect on our communities.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to stop these devastating cuts to our postal service.

Impaired Driving

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition today signed by thousands of Canadians.

The petitioners say that current impaired driving laws are much too lenient. They are asking that there be mandatory minimum sentencing for those persons who have been convicted of impaired driving causing death.

The petitioners also want the Criminal Code of Canada to be changed to redefine an offence of impaired driving causing death as vehicular manslaughter.

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to present two petitions.

Appropriately enough, today is World Environment Day.

The first petition is from more than 1,200 petitioners from British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia. The petitioners call upon the House of Commons to put forward a meaningful climate plan that would reduce greenhouse gases to those levels that will avoid a 2° Celsius average global temperature increase. Those levels were once adopted by the 40th Parliament of Canada, 25% below 1990 levels by 2020, 80% reductions by 2050.

41st General Election

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

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from residents primarily in the Victoria area of my riding and that of the member for Victoria.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada for a full investigation of what occurred in the 2011 election, generally referred to as robocalls, although some of them were live calls. All of the calls appear to have been motivated by a desire to confuse electors and deny them their right to vote. The petitioners believe there should be an inquiry.

Zamudio Family

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is with a sense of urgency that I am presenting this petition, which is calling on the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to allow the Zamudio family to stay in Canada on humanitarian grounds. One thousand people in my riding have signed this petition. It is with some concern that I am presenting it. The Zamudio family is to be deported on June 25, and we are hoping that the minister will listen to what the community is saying.

Sex Selection

[Leon Benoit, Conservative, Vegreville—Wainwright, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. The first petition is on gender selection abortion. It was determined that ultrasounds are being used in Canada to determine the gender of an unborn child, and if the child is a girl, the girl is often aborted. The petitioners are calling on Parliament to condemn this practice of discrimination against girls through gender selection abortion.

Agriculture

[Leon Benoit, Conservative, Vegreville—Wainwright, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is from petitioners who recognize that farmers have the right to save, reuse, select, exchange, and sell seed. The petitioners are encouraging Parliament to do nothing to restrict that practice.

Canada Post

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions, signed mainly by people in the riding of Hamilton Mountain. The petitions are about cuts to Canada Post and are calling on the government to reverse its decision regarding these cuts. I am pleased to present these petitions on behalf of my colleague from Hamilton Mountain.