House of Commons Hansard #169 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was rights.

Topics

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Abadula Gemeda, Speaker of the House of Peoples' Representatives of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear!

Interparliamentary DelegationsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Etobicoke—Lakeshore Ontario

Conservative

Bernard Trottier ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the delegation of the Canadian branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie concerning its participation in the bureau meeting and the XLIX ordinary session of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, from July 8 to 12, 2013.

Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

Daryl Kramp Conservative Prince Edward—Hastings, ON

Mr. Speaker, today I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security in relation to Bill C-12, an act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act. The committee studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House without amendment.

Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

Joe Preston Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON

Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 28th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs presented on December 8, 2014, concerning the Standing Orders of the House, be concurred in.

Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton

Does the hon. member for Elgin—Middlesex—London have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?

Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton

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

Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton

(Motion agreed to)

The EnvironmentPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present two petitions.

The first is from residents throughout the Gulf Islands, including Pender Island and Mayne Island as well as the town of Sidney, who call on the government to take steps to protect the Salish Sea from raw sewage, primarily from recreational boaters. Over 400,000 recreational boaters ply the beautiful waters of the Salish Sea, and the petitioners want action to prohibit raw sewage discharge.

The second petition calls for a national climate strategy. Petitioners from Galiano, Pender, Mayne, and Sidney, as well as from Nanaimo, call on the government to put in place a strategy to ensure that greenhouse gas levels are reduced by no less than 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.

Impaired DrivingPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Conservative

Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present two petitions signed by a number of citizens of Canada. They want to see tougher laws in the implementation of new mandatory minimum sentencing for those persons convicted of impaired driving causing death. They also want the Criminal Code of Canada to be changed to redefine the offence of impaired driving causing death as vehicular manslaughter.

Canada PostPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

NDP

Alain Giguère NDP Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC

Mr. Speaker, I want to present two petitions, with more than 5,000 signatures, from my constituents who are protesting the end of door-to-door service.

My constituents were among the first in Canada to get a taste of Canada Post's medicine, and they cannot stomach it. More than 5,000 people have signed these petitions, and they will remember who was responsible for the end of door-to-door service come election time.

AgriculturePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure to table a petition today signed by a large number of people from all over the city of Regina, expressing their concern about the situation affecting small family farmers, especially women; recognizing the role that small farmers play in the struggle against hunger and poverty; and calling upon the world, and the Canadian government in particular, to adopt policies that allow such farmers to preserve, use, and freely exchange seeds.

Impaired DrivingPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Conservative

Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege and an honour to present two petitions today.

The first one follows what was said earlier. Recognizing the interests of public safety, these citizens of Canada want to see tougher laws and the implementation of new mandatory minimum sentences for persons convicted of impaired driving causing death, and a change to the Criminal Code to redefine impaired driving as vehicular manslaughter.

Sex SelectionPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Conservative

Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

Mr. Speaker, the second petition comes about as a result of a documentary that revealed that ultrasounds have been used in Canada to determine the sex of an unborn child and to terminate pregnancies if the unborn child is a girl.

Surveys and polls have shown that 92% of Canadians believe sex-selective pregnancies should be illegal. Different societies are opposing the non-medical use of fetal ultrasounds. Therefore, the petitioners condemn discrimination against girls occurring through sex-selective pregnancy termination.

AgriculturePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

NDP

Hélène LeBlanc NDP LaSalle—Émard, QC

Mr. Speaker, as the member for LaSalle—Émard and as an agronomist, I am very pleased to present a petition signed by dozens of members of my community. They are asking the Government of Canada to respect the right of small-scale family farmers to preserve, exchange, and use seeds.

The government has a very important role to support small family farmers, especially women, in international aid policy. They call on the government to ensure that policies and programs are developed in consultation with small family farmers and that they protect the rights of small family farmers in the south to preserve, freely use, and exchange seeds.

Eating DisordersPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

Mr. Speaker, eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are serious mental illnesses that can be fatal. More than 600,000 Canadians have been incapacitated by eating disorders. They suffer long waiting lists for help and limited access to mental health services.

The petitioners call upon the government to work with provinces, territories, and stakeholders to develop a pan-Canadian strategy for eating disorders, including better prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and support.

Impaired DrivingPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Conservative

James Rajotte Conservative Edmonton—Leduc, AB

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour today to present a petition on behalf of hundreds of people from British Columbia and Alberta who are very concerned about the drinking and driving laws in Canada. They want to see tougher implementation of new mandatory minimum sentencing for those persons convicted of impaired driving causing death. They also want to see a redefinition of the offence of impaired driving causing death as vehicular manslaughter.

Foreign AffairsPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

NDP

Pierre-Luc Dusseault NDP Sherbrooke, QC

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, on behalf of 125 of my constituents from Sherbrooke, a petition calling for the release of Raif Badawi. They are calling on the Government of Canada to use its diplomatic tools to put pressure on the Saudi Arabia government to free Raif Badawi and to allow him to join his family in Sherbrooke.

AgriculturePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Conservative

Joyce Bateman Conservative Winnipeg South Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, today it is my honour to present a petition from hundreds of my constituents. The petition is a demand for respect for the right of small-scale farmers, family farmers, to preserve, exchange, and use seeds. The petitioners seek the House of Commons' support in adopting international aid policies that support small family farmers, especially women, and recognize their vital role in the fight against hunger and poverty. They want Canadian policies to reflect that.

Mining IndustryPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

NDP

Jamie Nicholls NDP Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to present three petitions from my constituents.

The first petition has to do with the creation of a corporate social responsibility ombudsman for extractive companies. These petitioners think that Canada should be a leader in promoting the social responsibility of extractive companies.

Rail SafetyPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

NDP

Jamie Nicholls NDP Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC

Mr. Speaker, the two other petitions have to do with rail safety. My constituents are increasingly concerned about the transportation of dangerous goods through Vaudreuil—Soulanges. They want the government to take action and adopt policies that will protect people in my region.

DementiaPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

NDP

Craig Scott NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from several hundred people from the greater Toronto area calling for support for Bill C-356, an act respecting a National Strategy for Dementia, which has been introduced by our colleague, the member for Nickel Belt.

Public TransitPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Kellway NDP Beaches—East York, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today with a petition to implement a national public transit strategy.

The signatories to the petition note that Canada is the only OECD country that does not have a national public transit strategy and that it is estimated that over the next five years there will be an $18 billion gap in transit infrastructure needs.

The signatories to the petition call upon the House to enact a national public transit strategy, to provide permanent investment support for public transit, and to establish accountability measures to ensure that all governments work together to increase access to public transit.