Debates of June 8th, 2016

Interparliamentary Delegations

[Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, two reports of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union respecting its participation at the third IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians and the 134th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly and related meetings in Lusaka, Zambia, March 16 and 17, 2016, and March 19 to 23, 2016; and the 60th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, New York, March 15, 2016.

Government Operations and Estimates

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, entitled “Supplementary Estimates (A) 2016-17: Vote 1a under Privy Council Office, Votes 1a and 5a under Public Works and Government Services, Votes 1a and 5a under Shared Services Canada, Votes 1a and 20a under Treasury Board Secretariat”.

Framework on Co-operatives Act

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—Saint-Lambert, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-286, An Act respecting the establishment of a framework to promote the development of co-operatives in Canada and amending the Department of Industry Act and other Acts.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise today to introduce my private member's bill entitled, “an act respecting the establishment of a framework to promote the development of co-operatives in Canada and amending the Department of Industry Act and other acts”. I thank my colleague from Guelph for supporting this.

This bill follows up on the work started by my hon. colleague, the member for Ottawa—Vanier, and the 2012 recommendations of the Special Committee on Co-operatives.

The objective of the bill is to legally make the Department of Innovation, Sciences and Economic Development responsible for the co-operative sector.

We also want to promote the co-operative movement, contribute to its development, and facilitate exchanges and communication between the federal government and the co-operative sector.

I hope and trust that, co-operatively, all members will support this legislative initiative.

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

Canadian Environmental Protection Act

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-287, An Act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (nanotechnology).

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the very hard-working member for Essex for seconding my bill.

Nanotechnology is the application of science and technology in the manipulation of matter on an atomic or molecular scale. Nanomaterials are the materials of a device or structure that measure between one and 100 nanometres. These materials are present in more than 1,000 consumer goods, including food and cosmetics. The current regulatory framework is inadequate to deal with the growing proliferation of nanoproducts.

It is for this reason that the NDP is bringing forward a balanced approach, ensuring the responsible development of nanotechnology and the safe use of nanomaterials in Canada. The bill would mandate a risk-assessment process to identify the potential benefits and possible risks of nanotechnologies before nano products enter the market. It would also require a comprehensive publicly accessible database that lists existing nanomaterials identified by the Government of Canada.

I hope, and it just makes good common sense, that all members of the House of Commons will support this act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, for nanotechnology. I hope to have the support of all members.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I would remind hon. colleagues that the introduction of a private member's bill is not the time to make arguments about it, but simply the time to explain what it is about.

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

Address by President of the United States of America

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and if you seek it, I believe you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:

That, the Address by the President of the United States of America, to be delivered in the Chamber of the House of Commons on June 29, 2016, before Members of the Senate and the House of Commons, together with all introductory and related remarks, be printed as an appendix to the House of Commons Debates the last sitting day preceding June 29, 2016; and form part of the records of this House;

and that the media recording and transmission of such Address, introductory and related remarks be authorized pursuant to established guidelines for such occasions.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

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

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

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, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

(Motion agreed to)

Freedom of Speech

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present two petitions today.

The first petition is from 1,300 Canadians who point out that Canadians are deeply affected by the fate of Mary Wagner, a prisoner of conscience, detained for the belief that unborn children have the right to be born alive, and for merely speaking and praying for that intention.

The petitioners call upon the Parliament of Canada to amend the Criminal Code to prohibit the detention before trial or custodial sentencing of anyone accused solely of a non-violent offence consisting of the presence or the words of the accused occurring in the course of the free exercise of speech by the accused or the free exercise of conscience by the accused.

Physician-Assisted Death

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition I wish to present is related to the issue of physician-assisted suicide, and it is signed by hundreds of Canadians.

The petitioners call upon the Parliament of Canada to draft legislation that would include adequate safeguards for vulnerable Canadians, especially for those suffering with mental health challenges, provide clear conscience protection for health care workers and institutions, and provide protection for children and those under 18 years of age from physician-assisted suicide.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition to present to the House today to establish conscience protection for physicians and health care institutions.

The petitioners call upon the Parliament of Canada to enshrine in the Criminal Code the protection of conscience for physicians and health care institutions from coercion or intimidation to provide or refer for physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of hundreds of constituents in my riding of Surrey Centre.

The petitioners would like to draw the attention of the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to the burden that transportation loans have on government assisted refugees who seek to make Canada their home. They note that Canada is the only country worldwide that issues interest bearing loans to cover their transportation costs to resettle in Canada.

The department has promised that it is looking into this issue, and I want to thank it for doing that.

The Federal Council of Municipalities has called for the end of these travel loans to refugees.

I am proud to say that this was led by two councillors from Surrey namely, Judy Villeneuve and Vera LeFranc.

Animal Welfare

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to introduce to Parliament today e-petition 123 initiated by Michael Howie from Ontario. The petition calls upon the Government of Canada to ban the importation of dog and cat pelts or furs and prohibit the sale of said products in Canada.

I am delighted to announce that in four months this petition was signed by almost 14,000 Canadians from every province and every territory, including 5,381 from my home province of British Columbia.

Canadians broadly oppose the inhumane treatment of animals and this e-petition reflects the widespread opposition of Canadians to the dog and cat fur industry. It is my hope that the introduction of this e-petition will encourage the Liberal government to take concrete action to end the trade of dog and cat fur in Canada.

Natural Resources

[Louis Plamondon, Bloc, Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting three petitions signed by people in my riding who are opposed to the construction of the energy east pipeline. They do not want Quebec to become a highway for oil.

Physician-Assisted Dying

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a very complex petition here. It is regarding Bill C-14 to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide, which the government has brought forward.

The petitioners state that the killing of people is not a genuine health care solution. The undersigned residents of Canada ask the House of Commons to vote against Bill C-14 and instead to invoke the charter's notwithstanding clause which allows parliamentarians to ignore bad judicial decisions.

Agriculture

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to table another petition in this House from Land Over Landings, an organization in my constituency. Since 1972, Land Over Landings and its predecessor, People over Planes, have advocated that the federal lands in Pickering be used for natural and agricultural purposes. The lands, which encompass class 1 greenbelt farmland, have the potential to become a major food source for the GTA and province of Ontario.

I have been a proud supporter of Land Over Landings during my time in local and regional government, and I look forward to continuing to bring forward its issues in this House.

Physician-Assisted Dying

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present.

The first highlights that the vast majority of Canadians, and actually physicians and health care professionals, want their conscience protected in regard to assisted suicide and euthanasia. The petitioners are calling on Parliament to ensure that the Criminal Code has protection of conscience for physicians and health care professionals from coercion or intimidation to provide or refer for assisted suicide. They want that to be a Criminal Code offence.

Justice

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition highlights that if a pregnant woman in Canada is killed or assaulted, there is no legal protection for the preborn child today. The petitioners are calling on the House of Commons to pass legislation that would recognize preborn children as separate victims when they are injured or killed during the commission of an offence against their mothers, allowing two charges to be laid against the offender instead of just one.

Falun Gong

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this petition is one of many I have presented over the years relating to the persecution of Falun Gong in China. This particular petition draws the attention of the House of Commons to the work on the issue of organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners by the PRC regime that has been documented by the eminent Canadian human rights activists, David Kilgour and David Matas.

It makes three different points. First, it asks us to engage in measures to stop the PRC regime's crime of murdering Falun Gong practitioners for their organs. Second, it asks for Canadian legislation to be amended in order to combat forced organ harvesting. Finally, it asks for all of us to publicly call upon the PRC government to stop persecuting Falun Gong practitioners, who are peaceful and really just represent a spiritual movement seeking personal improvement.

Justice

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, as a new member of Parliament I had the privilege of presenting a private member's bill, Bill C-225, in this House. I am honoured and amazed by the people in this country who are sending in petitions in support of protecting a woman's choice to carry her child to term, and calling on our Parliament to put into place laws that protect that right and that privilege.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

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

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Is that agreed?