Svend Robinson

[Trade, February 20th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I wish the minister could have just said no. The minister has said that he will not make the FTAA negotiating documents public unless we get permission from all 33 of our FTAA partners.

Why is the minister giving effectively a veto to these countries over the right of Canadians to know the contents of these important documents that affect our future? Why is he paying more respect to the governments of St. Lucia, Barbados and Peru than he is to the people of Canada? Why the contempt for Canadian people?

[Trade, February 20th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the trade minister. Yesterday Metalclad Corporation was in a B.C. court defending its NAFTA right to run a toxic waste dump in Mexico, which ignores the health and environmental concerns of elected local and state governments.

While the federal government has intervened in this corporate attack on democracy, will the minister assure the House that Canada will not sign any new FTAA accord that includes any type of investor state provision like that in chapter 11 in NAFTA which led to this dangerous and destructive Metalclad tribunal decision?

[Petitions, February 20th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition which has been signed by hundreds of residents of British Columbia that underscores the concern that Canadians do not wish to be party to a policy that involves the death of over 5,000 Iraqi children every month.

The petitioners note that Denis Halliday, the former UN undersecretary for Iraq and co-ordinator of the 661 committee, has said that the situation amounts to genocide.

The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to pursue urgently the de-linking of economic from military sanctions and to rapidly lift economic sanctions in order to improve significantly the humanitarian situation of the Iraqi people. I support the petition strongly.

[Marriage (Prohibited Degrees) Act, February 14th, 2001]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-264, an act to amend the Marriage (Prohibited Degrees) Act (marriage between persons of the same sex).

Mr. Speaker, today being Valentine's Day, the day that we celebrate love and romance, it is timely that I table the bill that would amend federal law to clearly recognize same sex marriages, the right of gay and lesbian people to marry their partners if they choose to do so.

The bill reflects the inclusive spirit of the charter of rights as well as recent Supreme Court of Canada rulings, and celebrates the diversity of Canadian families. It in no way threatens traditional heterosexual marriage or religious traditions. Rather, it acknowledges that our relationships as gay and lesbian people are just as strong, just as loving, just as committed as any others. Canada should follow the lead of the Netherlands in recognizing same sex civil marriages.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I hope you will indulge me on this special Valentine's Day by allowing me to wish Happy Valentine's Day to my partner Max across the land in Burnaby, British Columbia.

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

[Foreign Affairs, February 14th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. It concerns the greatest possible threat to human rights, and that is nuclear war.

The Chinese government has strongly condemned the proposed U.S. national missile defence system that would breach the ABM treaty, destroy the non-proliferation treaty and ignite a new global arms race.

Did the Prime Minister in his meeting yesterday with the Chinese leadership make it very clear that Canada also opposes the destructive new star wars scheme and that Canada will not participate in any way in this scheme? If not, why not? When will Canada finally get off the fence and say no to the national missile defence system?

[Foreign Affairs, February 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps the minister might want to indicate whether Canada will co-sponsor a resolution at the upcoming commission.

Last week the Dutch foreign minister cancelled his upcoming visit to China because the Chinese government refused to allow a round table to go ahead in Hong Kong with human rights practitioners including Falun Gong.

If Canada is serious about human rights in China, will our government and Prime Minister sponsor a similar round table during this current team Canada visit to China? Will we show we are serious about human rights?

[Foreign Affairs, February 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Last week Amnesty International urged the Prime Minister and team Canada to speak out on the dramatic deterioration of human rights in China, including assaults on freedom of religion of Falun Gong practitioners and, in Tibet, torture and the suppression of dissent and labour rights.

How then does the foreign minister explain the Prime Minister's bizarre suggestion yesterday that the human rights situation in China has actually improved? Will this minister show that Canada is serious about human rights by co-sponsoring a strong resolution on China at the upcoming session of the UN commission on human rights?

[Conscientious Objection Act, February 6th, 2001]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-232, an act respecting conscientious objection to the use of taxes for military purposes.

Mr. Speaker, this bill would permit individuals who object on conscientious grounds to paying taxes that might be used for military purposes to direct that an amount equivalent to a prescribed percentage of the income tax they pay in a year be diverted to a special account established by this enactment. This account would direct funds toward peaceful purposes such as peace education, war relief, humanitarian and environmental projects.

The fund would be established in consultation with groups including: The Canadian Yearly Meeting—Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, the Canadian Conference of Mennonites; Conscience Canada Inc.; Mennonite Central Committee of Canada; and Nos impôts pour la paix.

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

[Board Of Internal Economy, January 31st, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order to seek guidance of the Chair. There have been consultations on all sides of the House and an agreement from members representing all parties. With great respect, I wonder if the Speaker might seek consent of the House once again. I think he might find that it is forthcoming.

[Board Of Internal Economy, January 31st, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to seek the consent of the House, following consultation on all sides, to present without debate the following motion. It is a motion that I believe is supported by members of all parties represented in the House and is seconded by my colleague, the member for Vancouver East.

I move that this House condemn the cruel punishment of 100 lashes administered on the 22nd of January last to Bariya Magazu, a Nigerian child in Zamfara state, as an act of torture and a breach of Nigeria's commitments under the UN convention against torture, the UN convention on the rights of the child and the international covenant on civil and political rights, and call on the Canadian government to work with the Nigerian federal government and all relevant authorities in an effort to ensure that this cruel and unusual punishment is not repeated.