Debates of March 25th, 2015

Tougher Penalties for Child Predators Act

[Jamie Nicholls, NDP, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there certainly is a cycle of abuse. I knew people in my childhood who were abused and I knew that their parents were abused as well. Therefore, the parent was both abused and the abuser. It is tragic.

The thing about the crime and punishment agenda is that yes, it is necessary to protect our society from these predators, but at the same time, sometimes the crime and punishment agenda takes away from the frank discussions that we should be having about the cycle of abuse and the effect it is having on us as a society.

It takes resources away from what we could perhaps do in preventing abuse from happening in the first place and treating this as a serious matter in families.

[Alexandrine Latendresse, NDP, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to sincerely thank my colleague from Vaudreuil-Soulanges for his speech.

I think it is important to commend the courage it took to deliver such a speech. Everyone agrees that in our society, people who sexually abuse children are among the most ostracized, and everyone also agrees that these offences are the ones we try the hardest to combat, and rightly so. However, there was one really important point in his speech that he repeated several times. Yes, of course, we must put those people in prison and the penalties must be very stiff; we do need to send a clear message. At the same time, however, every time we send someone to prison, that means a child was abused somewhere. If there is something we can do to prevent it from happening in the first place, instead of patting ourselves on the back for sending someone to prison, then that is really important.

I wonder if the member could come back to that for the few seconds he has left.

[Jamie Nicholls, NDP, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I can honestly say that that is what bothers me the most. These bills come into play after the abuse has already taken place. A child has already been abused. For once, could we work on preventing the abuse from happening? Could we put an end to these offences altogether?

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Resuming debate. The hon. member for Laval—Les Îles has only two minutes remaining.

[François Pilon, NDP, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I will start by saying that we will be voting in favour of Bill C-26. Based on the questions raised since this morning, the other side is still undecided.

As several of my colleagues mentioned this afternoon, the bill deals with the incarceration of sexual predators. We seem to be forgetting about the children. Children who have been abused are scarred for life. Clearly, incarcerating sexual predators is a good thing. However, the ideal solution would be to prevent sexual predation. As the member who spoke before me said, there is nothing in this bill to prevent sexual predators from committing the abuse. Of course they will not be able to do so once in prison, but there will be other sexual predators, because this type of abuse has always existed. We have to treat these people.

I am in a good position to talk about the damage done to abused children. My sister provides emergency foster care for youth protection services. She fosters children who must be taken away from their families on an emergency basis. Quite often the children she cares for have been taken away from their family because they were sexually abused by their own parents. These children believe that they were taken away from their families because they did something wrong.

This could all be avoided if, instead of introducing a bill to put sexual predators in jail, the government tried to prevent this type of abuse at the source.

Motion No. 17

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

It being 5:30 p.m., pursuant to an order made on Tuesday, March 24, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on Motion No. 17, under ways and means proceedings.

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #363

Ways and Means

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I declare the motion carried.

The House resumed from March 11 consideration of the motion.

Takeover of Stelco

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on Motion No. 537, under private members' business, standing in the name of the member for Hamilton Centre.

(The House divided on the motion, which was negatived on the following division:)

Vote #364

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I declare the motion defeated.

The House resumed from March 23 consideration of the motion that Bill S-219, An Act respecting a national day of commemoration of the exodus of Vietnamese refugees and their acceptance in Canada after the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Journey to Freedom Day Act

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill S-219, under private members' business.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #365

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I declare the motion carried. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

Business of the House

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties. I think if you seek it, you shall find unanimous consent for the following motion:

That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, in relation to the consideration of Government Motion No. 17,

(a) after three Members have spoken to the motion, no Member, except the leaders of officially recognized parties, shall speak for more than ten minutes, provided that following each such speech a period not exceeding five minutes shall be made available, if required, to allow Members to ask questions and comment briefly on matters relevant to the speech and to allow responses thereto;

(b) the Speaker shall, in relation to the fourth and fifth Members to speak, give preference to Members who are not members of a recognized party, before resuming the usual debate rotation observed by the Chair; and

(c) on Thursday, March 26, 2015, the motion shall be the first item considered under Government Orders following the daily routine of business, and the House may continue to sit beyond the ordinary hour of daily adjournment, until 12 midnight or until no Member rises to speak, whichever is earlier, at which time the debate shall be deemed adjourned, provided that, after 6:30p.m., no quorum calls, dilatory motions or requests for unanimous consent shall be received by the Chair.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Does the hon. government House leader have the unanimous 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)

The House proceeded to the consideration of Bill S-218, An Act respecting National Fiddling Day, as reported (without amendment) from the committee.

National Fiddling Day Act

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Joe Comartin]

There being no motions at report stage the House will now proceed, without debate, to the putting of the question on the motion to concur in the bill at report stage.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

moved that the bill be concurred in.