House of Commons Hansard #164 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was csis.

Topics

Oral QuestionsPoints of OrderOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Does the hon. member have unanimous consent to table the document?

Oral QuestionsPoints of OrderOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Some hon. member

Agreed.

Oral QuestionsPoints of OrderOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.

Oral QuestionsPoints of OrderOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, as a matter of rules of procedure, I do not know that anyone can judge unanimous consent. I did not hear what the hon. member wanted to read out. Surely, the rules allow reading the statement.

Oral QuestionsPoints of OrderOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

It seems like some members did not need to hear the whole quote to decide that they were not going to grant consent. I heard that clearly expressed.

Therefore, at the risk of getting further into debate, we will move on to tabling of documents.

Foreign AffairsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Cypress Hills—Grasslands Saskatchewan

Conservative

David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and pursuant to Standing Order 32 (2) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, two treaties entitled: “Protocol between Canada and The Kingdom of Spain Amending the Convention Between Canada and Spain for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital, signed at Ottawa on 23 November 1976” done at Madrid on November 18, 2014; and the “Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters”, done at Beijing on November 8, 2014.

An explanatory memorandum is included with each treaty.

Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with DisabilitiesCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

Phil McColeman Conservative Brant, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. The committee has studied and has decided to report back to the House.

Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with DisabilitiesCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

NDP

Sadia Groguhé NDP Saint-Lambert, QC

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the dissenting opinion of the NDP, the official opposition, regarding the study on the renewal of labour market development agreements.

This dissenting opinion presents the many relevant recommendations made by labour market stakeholders for creating good jobs for the middle class, recommendations that the committee did not include in its report. The purpose of this dissenting opinion is to make the government aware of these recommendations so that it can respond to them.

HealthCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

Ben Lobb Conservative Huron—Bruce, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Health in relation to Bill C-608, An Act respecting a National Day of the Midwife. The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House without amendment.

Payments in Lieu of Taxes ActRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Dubé NDP Chambly—Borduas, QC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-650, An Act to amend the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act (independent assessment).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Halifax for seconding my bill. This is an issue that affects many, an issue about which we were able to pressure the minister during question period.

In fact, the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act was passed in the 1970s because the federal government cannot be taxed by a local authority. Nonetheless, in the interest of fairness to taxpayers, money must be given to a municipality where the federal government has property. The federal government must pay its fair share just like businesses and taxpayers.

Unfortunately, over the past few years, the government has turned a deaf ear to the municipalities, resulting in cases that have gone all the way to the Supreme Court and revealing the fact that some property values have been underestimated.

My bill seeks to ensure that the government and local municipalities can agree on independent assessors who will set the amount. Then, the minister would be required to accept that amount. This would ensure taxpayer fairness. That is what is essential here.

Again, I want to thank my colleague from Halifax, and I am very pleased to be able to improve this process for the good of the taxpayers of Chambly, Halifax and all the municipalities in Canada where a national historic site is located.

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

Canadian Railway Museum ActRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

NDP

Sylvain Chicoine NDP Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-651, An Act to amend the Museums Act in order to establish the Canadian Railway Museum.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher for agreeing to second this bill. I am particularly pleased to rise in the House on behalf of the people of Châteauguay—Saint-Constant in order to introduce my second bill, entitled An Act to amend the Museums Act in order to establish the Canadian Railway Museum.

The Canadian railway museum, known as Exporail in Saint-Constant, is the largest railway museum in Canada. Moreover, according to several museum curators, it is one of the best in the world. Given the pivotal role played by railways in the creation of the Canadian federation, I believe that it is important for Canada to have its own official museum dedicated to telling the history of the country and the role of trains in creating this federation. I would also like to remind members that in 2007, the House voted in favour of the 13th report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, which recommended that Exporail be officially designated as the national railway museum and that it be allocated long-term funding.

Clearly, the current government has always refused to act on the motion and recognize Exporail as the Canadian railway museum.

The museum is in dire need of stable, predictable funding in order to maintain its collection. It would also be an important means of celebrating Canada's 150th anniversary.

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

Canada PostPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

NDP

Raymond Côté NDP Beauport—Limoilou, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition with dozens of pages signed by people from Beauport—Limoilou who are concerned about the cuts at Canada Post. They are worried about the future and the survival of home mail delivery, a service that is very beneficial to my constituents. I am pleased to give them a voice here today.

Impaired DrivingPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC

Mr. Speaker, the first petition I am honoured to present sadly highlights that 22-year old Kassandra Kaulius was killed by a drunk driver.

Families for Justice, a group of people who have also lost loved ones to impaired driving, believes that the current impaired driving laws are much too lenient. It is calling for new mandatory minimum sentencing for people who have been convicted of impaired driving causing death. It also wants the Criminal Code to be changed to redefine the offence to what it is, vehicular homicide.

Sex SelectionPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC

Mr. Speaker, the second petition I am honoured to present highlights that 92% of Canadians believe that sex selection should be made illegal.

The U.K. Parliament is dealing with this issue and there is a bill to make it illegal. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada vehemently opposes sex selection.

The petitioners call on Parliament to condemn the practice of discrimination against girls through sex selection.

AgriculturePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

NDP

Sadia Groguhé NDP Saint-Lambert, QC

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by over 150 people from the south shore of Montreal. They are concerned about the threat that patenting seeds could pose to biodiversity and farmers' ability to freely use the seeds that are produced by their work.

The petitioners are therefore calling on the government to take action to support small-scale farmers and protect their right to save, use and exchange their seeds as they wish.

AbortionPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present three petitions.

The first petition is signed by a great number of constituents from Central Alberta who outline the fact that Canada has no abortion law in line with that of Korea and China.

The petitioners call upon the Parliament of Canada to enact legislation that restricts abortion to the greatest extent possible as demanded by the Supreme Court of Canada.

Sex SelectionPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB

Mr. Speaker, the second petition calls upon Parliament to condemn the discrimination against girls through sex-selective abortion, and to do all it can to prevent sex-selective abortions from being carried out in Canada.

The petition is signed by a large number of constituents in my riding.

Firearms RegistryPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB

Mr. Speaker, last but not least, I have a petition from firearms owners, hunters, fishermen, trappers, sport shooters and so on, in my riding who call upon the Government of Canada to pass the common sense firearms licensing bill as quickly as possible.

AgriculturePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

NDP

Alex Atamanenko NDP British Columbia Southern Interior, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions.

The first petition is from over 70 residents of Rossland and Trail, also from Alberta and Ontario, who call on Parliament to refrain from making changes to the Seeds Act and to ensure that we enshrine in legislation the inalienable rights of farmers and other Canadians to save, reuse, select, exchange and sell seeds.

International DevelopmentPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

NDP

Alex Atamanenko NDP British Columbia Southern Interior, BC

Mr. Speaker, the second petition has over 250 names from Nelson, Grand Forks, Midway, Greenwood, Rossland, Trail, and surrounding areas.

The petitioners call on the government to adopt international aid policies that support small family farmers, especially women, that recognize their vital role in the struggle against hunger and poverty, that ensure Canadian policies and programs are developed in consultation with small family farmers and that they protect their rights in the global south to preserve, use and freely exchange seeds.

The EnvironmentPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Green

Bruce Hyer Green Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from people across Canada who are concerned about the use, for the past 70 years, of tens of thousands of chemicals, many of them cancer causing, which resonates with me as a cancer survivor.

The petitioners are concerned that these chemicals are ubiquitous, that they are in our air, water and food. They ask for two things: that there be a royal commission on the environment and health to look at the full suite of new chemicals and to make recommendations regarding them; and to apply the precautionary principle when dealing with new chemicals.

CBC/Radio-CanadaPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Kellway NDP Beaches—East York, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased today to present a petition to the House with respect to the future of the CBC.

The signatories to the petition note that since 1936, CBC/Radio-Canada has been a core Canadian cultural institution, broadcasting our nation's unique identity and linguistic realities. They note further that the Conservative government and the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages have imperilled our public broadcaster when they should be doing the exact opposite.

Finally, the petitioners call upon the government to guarantee stable, adequate, multi-year financing for our public broadcaster so it may continue its work in all regions of our country.

HousingPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

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

The first petition is from residents of Saskatoon and Vernon, B.C., who are calling on the House to take action toward affordable housing.

We know there is a housing crisis across Canada. In my riding, the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce has identified as its number one issue that we do more on housing.

The petitioners call for immediate steps to ease the crisis of homelessness.

Security CertificatesPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, the second petition goes to the issue of security certificates.

The petitioners, all from within Saanich—Gulf Islands, Mayne Island, Salt Spring Island, Victoria and Sidney, call on the government to end the use of security certificates as they are open to abuse and violate the right of individuals to a fair trial.

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre Saskatchewan

Conservative

Tom Lukiwski ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.