Alex Atamanenko

[Petitions, February 27th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, I present a petition. There is a scientific consensus and public acknowledgment that animals can feel pain and that all efforts should be made to prevent animal cruelty. A billion people around the world rely on animals for their livelihood. Animals are significantly affected by natural disasters and yet are seldom considered during relief efforts and emergency planning. 0ver 100 folks in my riding have signed this petition to ask the Government of Canada to support the universal declaration on animal welfare.

[The Environment, February 27th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Americans are spending millions of dollars on a feasibility study to build a hydroelectric dam at Shanker's Bend on the Similkameen River. An 80 metre dam, if built, would flood 7,200 hectares in Canada.

The Okanagan Alliance of First Nations and the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen have stated their opposition as has the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.

Will the minister notify the U.S. government that Canada is opposed to this project and will he insist that the government of British Columbia do the same?

[Social Assistance, February 23rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, my office has been flooded with calls from people who are falling through the cracks. We have seniors living in poverty whose pensions are not adequate and whose homes need repair, yet folks cannot tap into government programs because money is required up front and only part of their expense is reimbursed.

A lot of people who have lost their jobs cannot reach the employment insurance office by phone. They are forced to wait four to six weeks because of the delay.

People are running out of benefits, and the new five-week extension is not applicable to everyone currently receiving assistance.

Immigration backlogs continue to result in family separation, with the very frequent denial of visitor visas. Eligibility for the child tax benefit is often hard to prove to the satisfaction of Revenue Canada. Day care is very hard to secure for young working parents, and students are being punished with the unfairness of student loan programs. Many of our civil servants are overworked and cannot keep up with the increasing demand for help.

It is high time our government found enough resources to ensure that the most vulnerable get the help they need.

[Petitions, February 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the last petition I wish to present to the House deals with the subject of trafficking of persons worldwide.

The petitioners are asking us, as a duty of Parliament, to protect the most vulnerable members of society from harm, those being the victims of human trafficking. They are requesting that the government continue its work to cull that trafficking of persons worldwide.

[Petitions, February 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the next petition deals with former Bill C-51. The petitioners are calling on Parliament to vote against this bill if it comes up again, in order to protect their rights as consumers of natural health products. Given that 70% of the Canadian population already uses natural health products, the petitioners do not wish to have natural health products in the same category as pharmaceuticals.

[Petitions, February 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the next series of petitions relate to animal transport.

The people who signed this petition are asking the House to ensure that animal transport regulations be consistent with the findings of the European Union's scientific committee on animal health and welfare. They want the government to reduce transport time for pigs, poultry, horses, calves and lambs to 8 hours, and 12 hours for cattle, sheep and goats. They also they want the House to ensure adequate enforcement of the regulations. The petitioners ask that the amendments be passed quickly.

[Petitions, February 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I have a series of petitions to present.

The first petition deals with the security and prosperity partnership.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to stop further implementation of the security and prosperity partnership until there is a democratic mandate from the people of Canada, parliamentary oversight and a consideration of profound consequences of Canada's existence.

Over 300 folks have signed this petition.

[Business of Supply, February 5th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, it appears that members of the Conservative Party are in complete agreement with the recent statement made by the hon. member.

If we look at what has been happening and the economists who are gathering, if we look at those people, the elite who are represented, and the Canadian Council of Chief Executives in our country and the parallel organizations in the other three NAFTA countries, we see who is driving the agenda. Of course those driving the agenda do not want government to have any kind of control, or part control, over the economy. Of course they are going to be saying that this is not right.

I would like to remind the hon. member that people in both countries are elected. They are elected on various platforms. They are elected to do something. President Obama was elected to ensure that he gets the best for the American people.

Having said that, nobody is saying that we should shut down the borders. It is completely false to say that we are basing things on a protectionist philosophy. All we are saying, and many Canadians are saying, is to look at it before we sign everything away and let us make sure that we can maintain jobs here. Maybe we should have some buy Canadian provisions for the steel industry. Maybe we should have some exemptions in this agreement with the United States. That is all we are saying.

[Business of Supply, February 5th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, I must first apologize for not making a French copy of my speech. I nearly managed to, but I did not have enough time.

I cannot explain this government's lack of empathy towards workers. I listened to the speeches given this week and, as I told my colleagues, it is as though the Conservatives were living in a glass bubble and came from another planet. They do not understand what is happening in my riding, for example. They do not understand that there is a forestry worker right now who is losing not only his job, but also his house. He will have to live in his truck and will have to start the truck's engine every so often to warm up. That is the truth.

That is part of the neo-liberal or Conservative philosophy. It is reminiscent of the Milton Friedman school, with its regulations and privatizations, this notion that the government does not have the right to interfere in the affairs of the nation.

But that—

[Business of Supply, February 5th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, what a bunch of garbage from my former colleague on the agriculture committee. That is partisan rhetoric.

As far as what happened in the depression, we should study history and look at the fact that it was a lack of infrastructure and other factors. In regard to COOL, country of original labelling, of course I agree with the hon. member that we have to fight this and we will be doing so on the agriculture committee.

There is a difference between encouraging a policy to buy Canadian and supporting a buy American policy. It is not the same thing. We can encourage a Canadian policy and have fair trade with our neighbours. There is nothing wrong with that. It happens back and forth and we have done it and we will continue to do so in this country.

This knee-jerk reaction and the comment about dogma do not make any sense. We can still be nationalists. We can still want the best for our country and try to encourage more jobs in Canada without completely opening up our borders and letting those corporations take over, which they are doing. I have pointed it out in agriculture and we know it is happening in other industries, that if we let them take over completely, eventually we will have no control.

There has to be a fine line drawn and surely it has to be based on what is in the best interests of Canadians.