Debates of May 6th, 2019

Status of Women

[Pierre-Luc Dusseault, NDP, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by the people of Sherbrooke and the Eastern Townships, who are calling for better funding for feminist organizations. They want to draw the attention of the Government of Canada to the underfunding of feminist women's organizations in Sherbrooke, the Eastern Townships and across the country. They are calling for secure, multi-year core operational funding for these organizations. I have the honour to table this petition to draw the attention of the Government of Canada to this issue on their behalf.

School Food

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition calling upon the Minister of Health to implement an adequately funded national cost-shared universal healthy school food program, enabling children to develop the food and nutrition habits they need to lead healthy lives and succeed at school.

This aligns with Senator Eggleton's Senate Motion No. 358, which is in the Senate at the moment.

I would like to thank Debbie Field and the Coalition for Healthy School Food for their support and all of the work they did in favour of this petition and for healthy school food programs across our country. This aligns with more than 40 organizations across our country that are working to make sure all children have the healthy school foods they need to be able to thrive.

Physician-Assisted Dying

[Dave Van Kesteren, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions calling on 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 to refer for assisted suicide or euthanasia.

Human Organ Trafficking

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition in the House on the increasing concerns about international trafficking of human organs.

It talks about the fact that we have two bills before Parliament, Bill C-350 and Bill S-240. The petitioners are calling on Parliament to move quickly to pass the legislation.

Indigenous Affairs

[Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Liberal, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a petition on behalf of a citizen, Randolph Shrofel, who talks about how the Canadian coat of arms is found on all documents and buildings and should represent all the founding peoples of Canada.

He is calling on the Government of Canada to change the coat of arms of Canada to reflect the contributions of indigenous peoples.

Religious Freedom

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to table a petition signed by residents of Canada calling on the House of Commons to permit Christians to robustly exercise their religious beliefs and conscience rights, both in private and public acts, without coercion, constraint or discrimination.

Human Rights

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition today from about 30 members of my community who are calling on the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister to invite Nasrin Sotoudeh to serve on one or more institutions whose international standing is similar to the G7 gender equality advisory council, as other nations have done.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Members cannot present petitions a second time without unanimous consent. Is the member for Winnipeg Centre asking for unanimous consent to present his second petition?

[Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Liberal, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to present another petition. I wanted to give other members an opportunity before me by not presenting too many petitions at once. I have one final petition to present, and I hope I can have permission.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to present his petition?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Public Safety

[Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Liberal, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table another e-petition on behalf of fellow citizens from Winnipeg Centre. This one relates to military assault weapons and how Canada should immediately draft legislation to ensure that these assault weapons do not have a place in our society.

Questions on the Order Paper

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

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Questions Nos. 2341 and 2343.

Question No. 2341

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

With regard to expenditures by the Advisory Council on Climate Action, since the announcement of the formation of the group: (a) what are all the total expenditures by the organization broken down by year; (b) what is the breakdown of the yearly expenditures by (i) line item, (ii) financial code used by organization; and (c) what are the details of all contracts issued in relation to the group, including (i) vendor, (ii) date, (iii) amount, (iv) description of goods or services?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, as of April 23, 2019, Environment and Climate Change Canada has not yet incurred expenditures related to Q-2341.

Question No. 2343

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

With regard to the integrity regime since January 1, 2016: how many times did SNC-Lavalin or affiliates of SNC-Lavalin request advanced determinations of ineligibility, broken down by (i) date of request for advanced determination, (ii) date of decision on the request from Public Services and Procurement Canada?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the ineligibility and suspension policy, a supplier or potential supplier may request an advanced determination of its own status under the integrity regime. Since January 1, 2016, there have been no advanced determinations of ineligibility requested by SNC-Lavalin or one of its affiliates under the integrity regime.

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns

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

Mr. Speaker, if the government's responses to Questions Nos. 2339, 2340, 2342, and 2344 to 2346 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Question No. 2339

[Alex Nuttall, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

With regard to the government paying for outside legal counsel for individuals related to the SNC-Lavalin scandal: (a) what is the complete list of individuals for which the government has approved paying legal fees; (b) for each individual in (a), (i) what firm has been retained, (ii) what is the retainer or agreed upon rate, (iii) what is the maximum expenditure amount the government has authorized?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 2340

[Alex Nuttall, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

With regard to the preservation of documents and communication, including PINs, text messages, and all other forms of electronic communication by staff of the Office of the Prime Minister: (a) how many smartphones or other electronic devices assigned to an individual in the Office of the Prime Minister have been “wiped” or cleared of communication sent and received from the device, broken down by month since January 2017; and (b) for each instance in (a) what was the reason for the device being “wiped”?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 2342

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

With regard to government communication with the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) Working Group on Bribery and the statement by the spokesperson for the Minister of Foreign Affairs that “We will continue to work with and update the Working Group on the robust and independent domestic processes currently underway in Canada”: (a) what are the dates and details of all updates which have been provided to the OECD; (b) did the government inform the OECD that partisan Liberal Members control a majority of the votes on the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights; and (c) what are the “robust and independent” processes currently underway to investigate the allegations of corruption and inappropriate pressure applied by individuals in the government?