House of Commons Hansard #320 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was cptpp.
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
I have the honour to lay upon the table the 2017-18 annual reports on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act from the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. These documents are deemed to have been permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 12th report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage entitled “Moving Forward--Towards A Stronger Canadian Museum Sector”.
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114 I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 68th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership of committees of the House.
If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 68th report later today.
If the House gives its consent, I move that the 68th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs presented to the House today, be concurred in.
(Motion agreed to)
Marwan Tabbara Liberal Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON
Mr. Speaker, I wish to present e-petition 1576, which I sponsored and which has been certified by the clerk of petitions. The petition has been signed by 554 Canadian citizens of Sudanese origin and residents of Canada. Sudanese applicants for Canadian visas are obliged to travel all the way to Egypt, over 2,000 kilometres, Ethiopia, or the U.A.E. in order to do a 30-minute process of having their biometric fingerprints taken, which is an inconvenience for many Sudanese Canadians. The petition calls upon the Government of Canada to provide visa and immigration services including biometric fingerprinting in Khartoum, Sudan for Sudanese applicants for Canadian visas.
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
Mr. Speaker, I have several petitions that I wish to present today and table on behalf of the petitioners.
The first e-petition is number 1620 and 1,859 Canadians signed it. It calls on the Government of Canada to re-establish election observation missions throughout the world, specifically looking at making sure we are defending democracies in places like Ukraine where we have such a long history of providing observers to ensure they have free and fair elections.
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
Mr. Speaker, the second e-petition is number 1636, with 842 petitioners who are calling on the government to expand the Magnitsky law and investigate the actions of certain Russian organizations as they have impacted Russians, the Russian economy, the way their political and civic organizations operate; as well as the way the Russians have assisted Assad in Syria and the terror we are seeing in that civil war combined with everything else that is happening in the region of Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and the Crimean Tatars.
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
Mr. Speaker, the final e-petition, number 1643, has over 1,391 petitioners who signed it. It is looking at the First World War internment burial grounds, a cemetery at Spirit Lake, Quebec, which sits on private land. The petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to use whatever measures are necessary to provide for the archeological examination, restoration, reconsecration, and limited ongoing sites for the commemorative and religious services at the Spirit Lake internee cemetery; and to work with the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund, the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to introduce in the House a petition signed by over 3,000 petitioners from the length and breadth of British Columbia. Added to it will be several thousand other names today.
Many of the petitioners are activists for the Elizabeth Fry Society and they are seeking to end the discrimination that currently exists in federal programs for children whose parents are either homeless or incarcerated. As we know, the Canada child benefit and the homelessness partnering initiative currently do not provide the same supports for children whose parents are incarcerated or homeless. The petitioners are asking the federal government to end that discrimination and provide benefits to all children and special supports as well for children who are in unusual living situations because their parents are either homeless or incarcerated.
On behalf of these 3,000 petitioners, I am asking Parliament and the government to change a situation that disadvantages children who end up in unusual situations because their parents are either homeless or incarcerated.
Jim Eglinski Conservative Yellowhead, AB
Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.
I am pleased to table today in the chamber my first e-petition, e-petition 1595. The petitioners believe that the current definition of “eligible residents” in the National Parks Act is outdated and limiting as it denies those demonstrating a connection and commitment to communities that lie within our national parks the right to reside in places they call home. Therefore, they are asking that the amendments be made to the act so that those raised in communities within national parks can remain connected.
Jim Eglinski Conservative Yellowhead, AB
Mr. Speaker, my second petition says that the undersigned residents of Canada draw to the attention of the House of Commons that whereas increased concern about international trafficking in human organs removed from victims without consent has not yet led to legal prohibition on Canadians travelling abroad to acquire or receive such organs and whereas there are currently two bills before the Parliament proposing to impede the trafficking of human organs obtained without the consent or as a result of financial transaction, Bill C-350 in the House of Commons and Bill S-240 in the Senate, the undersigned urge the Parliament of Canada to move quickly on the proposed legislation so as to amend the Criminal Code and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present.
The first is in support of postal banking. Nearly two million Canadians desperately need an alternative to payday lenders. Those predators are crippling members of our community because they charge outrageous rates for loans. There are 3,800 Canada Post outlets that already exist in rural and remote areas where there are fewer or no banks at all. These petitioners are asking Parliament to enact Motion No. 166, my motion to create a committee to study and propose a plan for postal banking under Canada Post Corporation.
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Mr. Speaker, my second petition is in regard to the Thames River system. As we will recall, the Conservative government stripped away environmental protections and the current government promised to bring them back, but did not. Therefore, these petitioners, who are very concerned with the health of this important river, are asking that Parliament support my bill, Bill C-355, which commits the government to prioritize the protection of the Thames River by amending the Navigation Protection Act.
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
This being the beginning of the fall session, it is a good opportunity to remind members that presenting petitions is not a time for debate but to present petitions and what petitioners are saying.
The hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to be here. I will be presenting two petitions today.
The first is about pipelines. People in my riding recognize the importance of pipelines and want the government to do more to develop pipelines in Canada.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Mr. Speaker, the second petition is with respect to my private member's bill, Bill C-350, as well as a similar bill in the Senate, Bill S-240.
The petitioners call on the government and all parliamentarians to support the speedy passage of these bills. They would make it a criminal offence for a Canadian to go abroad and receive an organ for which there was not consent. This is an effective legislative tool to combat the scourge of forced organ harvesting.
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to table a petition on behalf of residents from Harrington, Parksville and Qualicum Beach calling on the government to create a national strategy to combat plastic pollution in our waterways.
As we know, all of our waterways are under immediate threat from plastic pollution. The petitioners are calling for the government to establish a framework that will regulate single-use plastics, and fill the government's legislative and regulatory void that currently needs to be addressed.
This is given on the eve of the meeting of the G7 environment ministers taking place in Halifax, and just following the endorsement by the Union of British Columbia Municipalities that supports this motion and supports these petitioners.
This is an urgent matter, and we hope the Government of Canada will take immediate action to support my motion, Motion M-151.
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to table a petition from 75 Canadians.
The petition is based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, specifically that the interests of the child be a primary consideration in all actions concerning children.
The petitioners call on the government to take a series of actions, including recognizing the barriers in funding, including homelessness, impacting children; providing Canadian children with benefits and special allowances to all children, including those whose parents are incarcerated or addicted; and reducing interprovincial disparities that impact children and reduce their supports.
Arnold Viersen Conservative Peace River—Westlock, AB
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in this place today to present a petition on events that have moved in the direction that the petitioners had hoped for, but the full text of their demands is important to table in the House.
This is from constituents from Saanich—Gulf Islands seeking the House to recognize the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to, moreover, stand up for the rights of indigenous peoples to their full effect.
Wayne Stetski NDP Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to stand today and present petition number 421, which complements some of the other petitions offered earlier by the Elizabeth Fry Society.
The purpose of the petition is to make sure that no child gets left behind in Canada. It talks about homelessness and housing. It talks about services provided by government. It talks about financial supports. It is really important that these most vulnerable children are protected in a country as wealthy as Canada.
Christine Moore NDP Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition about children's rights that was done in collaboration with the Elizabeth Fry Society. The petitioners are calling on the government to recognize that other family members may take care of children while their parents are incarcerated or homeless. Because those other family members are not eligible for family-related benefits, children miss out on that support. It is important to understand that family situations are not the same as they were back in the day. I sincerely hope the government will take action on this issue.
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, I am joining my colleagues who have also tabled petitions through the amazing work of Elizabeth Fry.
This petition contains 1,000 signatures. The petitioners are calling for the government to ensure that all children benefit from special protection measures and assistance. It notes that Canada is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and yet we have programs in place where children cannot access services and programs that they need to ensure they have the opportunity to succeed. Just because of circumstances that are out of their control, for example, homelessness impacting their parents, perhaps parents' incarceration or other situations, the result of that is that those children are not accessing services they deserve.
The petitioners call for action. I am happy to table this petition calling on the government to make that change immediately.
Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand.