House of Commons Hansard #273 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was money.

Topics

Algoma Passenger Rail ServicePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

NDP

Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table another petition in support of the Algoma passenger train. It is signed by constituents in my riding of Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, in particular from Debra, as well as from the riding of Sault Ste. Marie.

The petitioners remind the government that the Algoma train is still not back in operation and this has resulted in substantial hardship for the area's residents, businesses, and communities. The impact on the economy in the Algoma district has definitely been negatively impacted.

The petitioners call on the Minister of Transport to put the Algoma passenger train back in service.

Canada Summer Jobs ProgramPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Conservative

Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition today signed by a number of constituents of mine, and ironically someone from Holland.

The petitioners call on the government to remove the discriminatory requirement in the summer jobs program application and allow Canadians to continue to exercise their freedom of religion and freedom of expression without facing institutionalized discrimination by the Government of Canada.

PensionsPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition signed by members of the KODA Retirees Association, representing 600 retirees from Kodak Canada, living across Canada, with the majority in Ontario.

The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to change federal legislation to ensure both federal and provincial legislation are harmonious in protecting employee pension plans, implement legislation to ensure that pension plan deficiencies be a first and super-priority creditor when companies file for and are placed under protection of the CCAA or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, and create legislation to hold foreign parent companies responsible for their Canadian subsidiaries' employees, debts, and responsibilities in the event of the dissolution of the Canadian subsidiary.

The EnvironmentPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

NDP

Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC

Mr. Speaker, I am rising to present an e-petition, e-1360, with 902 signatures from residents of my riding of South Okanagan—West Kootenay.

The petitioners call upon the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to end the proposal of a national park reserve in the Southern Okanagan and ask that there be a referendum on this subject once and for all.

IsraelPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Conservative

David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions from residents of my riding of Dufferin—Caledon.

The first petition calls on the Government of Canada to immediately act in response to the impending humanitarian disaster in Israel, as Israel plans to forcibly deport thousands of asylum seekers, beginning in March.

Canada Summer Jobs ProgramPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Conservative

David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is also signed by residents of Dufferin—Caledon.

The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to remove the discriminatory requirement in the Canada summer jobs program application and allow Canadians to continue to exercise their freedoms of belief and expression without facing institutionalized discrimination by the Government of Canada.

TelecommunicationsPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

NDP

Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC

Mr. Speaker, I am incredibly proud and honoured to be standing in the House today to present a petition from the Village of Gold River.

The petitioners, who are residents of the village of Gold River, British Columbia, request that the Government of Canada provide funding to support the installation and expansion of mobile phone networks in rural and remote communities, such as Gold River, including Highway 28, Campbell River to Gold River; the village of Tsawwassen; the village of Tahsis; and the Tree to Sea Drive between Gold River and Tahsis.

This is incredibly important to the people of my riding, and I am happy to present it today.

PharmacarePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition. This petition garnered over 8,000 signatures, a grassroots petition that started in my community but reached out to all provinces and territories throughout the country.

The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to implement a federal law, a pan-Canadian universal pharmacare plan, within this 42nd Parliament; and implement a national formulary for medically necessary drugs, including a drug monitoring agency, providing regulations and oversight for protecting Canadians.

I recognize the government is currently working on this, but I, too, would like to lend my support to making it known that this is a great need in our country. I look forward to a result from that committee.

Canada Summer Jobs ProgramPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Conservative

David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition from residents of Saskatchewan.

The petitioners point out that section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms identifies freedom of conscience, freedom of thought, and freedom of belief as fundamental freedoms and that the Government of Canada must defend the rights of all Canadians, regardless of whether they agree with their views or not. They believe that the current Liberal government's proposed attestation requirement that Canadian summer jobs program applicants hold the same view as the government would contravene the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The petitioners call on the Prime Minister to defend their freedoms of conscience, thought, and belief, and to withdraw the attestation requirement for applicants to the Canada summer jobs program.

The EnvironmentPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

NDP

Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise to table a petition on behalf of several British Columbians.

The petitioners are calling on the government to work with the provinces, municipalities, and indigenous communities to develop a national strategy to combat plastic pollution around aquatic environments. This would include regulations aimed at reducing single-use plastics; permanent, dedicated, and annual funding for marine debris cleanups; the cleanup of derelict fishing gear; and support for Motion No. 151.

British Columbians are on the front line of this global crisis and they are calling on the government to take real action.

AgriculturePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition from residents of Saanich—Gulf Islands.

The petitioners recognize that most farmers around the world are women and that farming is a labour-intensive task. They point out that farmers primarily in the global south rely on being able to save their own seeds from season to season. The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to develop policies that would allow small family farmers to protect, use, exchange, and save seeds from season to season.

Falun GongPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Conservative

Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition dealing with human rights in China.

John McCallum, Canada's ambassador to China said that Canada has more in common with China than with the United States. These petitioners know better. They highlight that 13 family members of Canadians, including Canadian citizen Ms. Qian Sun and Canadian citizen applicant Ms. Aiyun He, are illegally incarcerated in China due to their spiritual beliefs in Falun Gong, also Falun Dafa. They highlight other facts about this persecution.

The petitioners call on Parliament and the government to call on Chinese officials to immediately end the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and release all prisoners of conscience, including Canadian citizens and their family members, and to take every opportunity to establish measures to investigate the Chinese regime's harvesting of innocent people for their organs. We have a private member's bill on that as well, Bill C-350.

Abandoned VesselsPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

NDP

Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC

Mr. Speaker, these petitioners from Nanaimo call on the government to legislate action on abandoned vessels.

Although the announcement by the Minister of Transport last week in Ladysmith was nice, it was only $64,000, which is clearly not enough.

The petitioners call on the government to designate the Coast Guard as the responsible agency to be the first to take action on abandoned vessels. They are calling for repair in legislation of vessel registration, and a pilot vessel turn-in program to deal with the tremendous backlog of abandoned vessels polluting our coastlines.

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Winnipeg North Manitoba

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, if the government's responses to Questions Nos. 1472 to 1483 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately.

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Is that agreed?

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Question No. 1472Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

NDP

Karine Trudel NDP Jonquière, QC

With regard to federal spending from October 20, 2015, to December 31, 2017: (a) what expenditures were made in the following municipalities (i) City of Saguenay, (ii) City of Saint-Honoré, (iii) Municipality of St-Ambroise, (iv) Municipality of Saint-Fulgence, (v) Municipality of Sainte-Rose-du-Nord, (vi) Municipality of Saint-Charles-de-Bourget, (vii) Municipality of Bégin, (viii) Municipality of Saint-Nazaire, (ix) Municipality of Labrecque, (x) Municipality of Lamarche, (xi) Municipality of Larouche, (xii) Municipality of Saint-David-de-Falardeau; and (b) what are the particulars of all grants, contributions and loans, broken down by (i) name of recipient, (ii) date of funding, (iii) granting department or agency, (iv) amount received, (v) granting program, (vi) purpose of the expenditure?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 1473Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

NDP

Karine Trudel NDP Jonquière, QC

With regard to the operating budget of the Canada Revenue Agency’s Jonquière Tax Centre: (a) what was the Centre’s budget between April 1, 2016, and March 31, 2017; (b) what were the operating expenditures, broken down by (i) type of expenditure, (ii) date of expenditure, for one-time expenditures; and (c) how many salaried employees worked at the Centre, broken down by (i) job category, (ii) tasks and position, (iii) salary?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 1474Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

John Nater Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON

With regard to the Government’s response to petition 421-01929: (a) in respect of the comment that the “Government promised to bring real change to Parliament and remains committed to fulfilling that promise”, what changes remain outstanding and when will each change be pursued; (b) in respect of the comment that parliamentary secretaries “provide a direct link to ministers” by sitting on committees, have any parliamentary secretaries shared with ministers, their staff, or their relevant department, any confidential information from in camera committee meetings; (c) if the answer to (b) is affirmative, what are the details (without revealing the in camera information), including (i) date the information was shared, (ii) with whom it was shared, (iii) was the relevant committee notified; (d) what is each Minister’s policy regarding the provision of in camera information by their Parliamentary Secretary; and (e) in respect of the comment that the “Government is working with all Members of Parliament to implement these changes”, what are the particulars of these efforts?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 1475Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC

With regard to the Prime Minister’s trips to the riding of Bonavista—Burin—Trinity in November and December of 2017: (a) what are the amounts and details of all expenses related to the trips; (b) what are the details of all official government business conducted on the trips; (c) what amount has been received by the Receiver General for Canada from the (i) Liberal Party of Canada, (ii) Official Agent for the Liberal Party of Canada by-election campaign in Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, (iii) Official Agent for the Liberal Party of Canada by-election campaign in Bonavista—Burin—Trinity for reimbursement related to the Prime Minister’s trips; and (d) what are the details of any payment received in (c), including (i) date, (ii) amount, (iii) description of expenses for which taxpayers were reimbursed, (iv) sender?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 1476Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC

With regard to the Canada child benefit, since January 1, 2016: (a) how many (i) primary caregivers, (ii) other individuals have applied for the benefit; (b) of the applications in (a)(i), how many were rejected; (c) of the applications in (a)(ii), how many were rejected; (d) what were the reasons for rejection in (b) and (c), including the number of applications rejected for each reason; (e) how many applicants who were subsequently rejected were required to reimburse the government the amounts received in relation to the benefit; (f) what is the total amount recovered as a result of the reimbursements in (e); (g) how many individuals have had their marital status changed by the Canada Revenue Agency for taxation purposes following a rejection of benefits; and (h) for the individuals in (g), what was the number of each type of status change, such as single to common-law, married to single, and any other status changes, broken down by status change?