Mr. Speaker, I also have a petition that calls upon the government to protect children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that all material which promotes or glorifies pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children is outlawed.
Lost her last election, in 2006, with 39% of the vote.
Petitions October 23rd, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I also have a petition that calls upon the government to protect children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that all material which promotes or glorifies pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children is outlawed.
Petitions October 23rd, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions that are signed by folks from British Columbia to New Brunswick who call upon the government to remember the United Nations convention on the rights of the child that indicates that children have the right to have access to both parents.
The petitioners call upon the government to immediately enact its family legislation which incorporates the presumption of shared equal parenting. I have affixed my signature.
The Economy October 4th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, the recent Speech from the Throne reminds us that because of our collective efforts we have new opportunities, new possibilities and new choices for the Canada we want.
Could the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and the Status of Women tell the House what the Canadian government is doing to advance women's economic possibilities, choices and opportunities in the new economy?
Petitions October 2nd, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I have two additional petitions that call upon the government to focus its legislation on non-embryonic stem cells, or adult stem cells, for research which finds cures and therapies necessary to treat the illnesses and diseases of suffering Canadians, and I affix my signature to these petitions as well.
Petitions October 2nd, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I wish to present two petitions which call upon the House to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed. Pursuant to the Standing Orders I have affixed my signature.
Immigration June 17th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and the Status of Women.
The recognition of foreign credentials is a longstanding concern for many newcomers to Canada. It is an acknowledged fact that Canadians are expected to account for all the net labour force growth by 2011. Could the secretary of state tell the House what is being done through multiculturalism programs to address the recognition of foreign credentials?
Canada Labour Code June 17th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join in the debate on Motion No. 23 which asks that we amend the Canada Labour Code to increase employee vacation entitlements as set out in section 184 of part 3 of the code.
On the surface it looks like a fairly straightforward matter: Change the law and everyone will get another week off. Unfortunately, as is so often the case in matters that relate to the Canada Labour Code, the issues the motion raises are not that simple. They are quite complex. Because it is a complex matter we should not make changes on the spur of the moment. We must think carefully about the implications of the changes proposed by Motion No. 23.
For example, in our system of shared constitutional jurisdiction for labour matters what would be the implications of the proposals on the provinces? How do employers feel about the proposed changes? What kinds of changes are employees looking for? Are they looking at other ways to balance their work and family lives? As responsible legislators we must ask about the economic costs. These are just a few of the questions that come to mind when we look at the motion.
The hon. member opposite must realize that we need to consult widely before making major changes to labour legislation. Consultations must include those who would be most affected by the proposed changes. Before we make changes to Canada's labour legislation one of our first steps is to make sure the proposals make sense to those on whom they would impact.
This is the attitude we bring to the motion. We need to think carefully about the implications. We need to know what other stakeholders think before we know whether it is the correct way to go. This is not to say the hon. member's proposal is a bad one. From a political perspective I can well understand why he would bring forward a motion like this.
However we in the Government of Canada must think in terms of the broadest public interest. We must make certain any proposal we agree to has been discussed with other stakeholders in the labour community. We call this consultation. It is an approach the government has used successfully in the past when making changes to the Canada Labour Code. We followed the consultative approach when we brought in amendments to part 1 of the code, the section on labour relations. We followed the consultative approach when we followed up with amendments to part 2 of the code, the section on workplace health and safety. It is the approach we will again follow when considering changes to part 3 of the code, the part governing workplace standards such as vacation entitlements.
It does not make sense to amend part 3 of the code in piecemeal fashion. We do not want to change section 184 today, another section later, and other sections of part 3 at another time. It would make more sense to bring all the proposals for changes into an overall consultation process. This has worked well in the past. This way the pros and cons of individual proposals could be considered in the overall context of the stakeholders which include workers and their unions, employers and the business community, provincial and territorial governments, and the federal minister of labour and the Government of Canada.
If the government ignored the need to consult stakeholders and moved unilaterally to increase paid vacation time for those under federal jurisdiction it would be creating other unwelcome problems. Unilaterally raising minimum standards for paid vacations for workers under federal jurisdiction, who comprise some 10% of the national workforce, could put unwelcome pressure on provincial governments to make changes in their standards before they were ready to do so.
Let us remember that under the constitution each province and territory sets the standards it considers most appropriate for its circumstances and for the workplaces under its jurisdiction. Many provinces do not provide for three weeks paid vacation after six years of continuous employment.
Let us also remember that the provisions of the code are minimum standards. Through the collective bargaining process employers and employees are free to negotiate whatever amount of vacation they choose. Many employers under federal jurisdiction have already agreed to vacation entitlements that are the same or more than the motion calls for. These vacation periods have been negotiated, not imposed by law.
Let us also remember that there is currently a situation of harmony in federal-provincial legislation governing vacation entitlements. Not every province has the same standards but there is a sense of equilibrium in the system which a unilateral move at the federal level would disrupt. As representatives of the federal level of government we must think about the federal-provincial dimension of the issue. We must be careful not to do anything that would jeopardize this relationship.
While I understand the member's interest in increasing the amount of paid vacation for workers under federal jurisdiction, the motion is premature and I cannot support it at this time.
Committees of the House June 14th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.
The report is entitled “Promoting Equality in the Federal Jurisdiction: A Review of the Employment Equity Act”.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of the committee for their work on this report and to commend the many witnesses that appeared before us. I would also like to say special thanks to our clerk, Danielle Bélisle and to our researchers, Kevin Kerr and Bill Young for their tireless efforts on our behalf. We could not have done it without them.
Ethics June 14th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, on June 11 the government released its ethics and integrity package.
Could the government House leader tell Canadians what actions have been taken to begin implementation of the measures announced by the Prime Minister?
Committees of the House June 12th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons With Disabilities, entitled “Building on Success”.
Pursuant to Standing Order 109, your committee requests the government to table a comprehensive response to this report.
The report “Building on Success” makes important recommendations to the House. The subcommittee, chaired by the hon. member for Don Valley West, urges the government to substantially change the way it administers programs for first nations families and young children living on reserves by streamlining federal funding and accountability mechanisms for early childhood development services into one envelope.