Alex Atamanenko

[Petitions, March 5th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I have two different petitions on Canada Post from Castlegar, Nelson, Slocan Valley and East Kootenay, one calling on the Government of Canada to reverse cuts to services by Canada Post, and the other instructing Canada Post to halt its plan to downsize and downgrade public post offices.

[Ukraine, March 4th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, we are all united in our desire for peace and stability in Ukraine, and we will stand with all those who reject the use of armed forces to resolve differences.

It is wrong to use military means to achieve what you cannot through the ballot box or through non-violent protests. The actions of the government of the Russian Federation are being condemned around the world.

[Member spoke in Ukrainian and provided the following translation:]

The Russian people are also crying out for peace. We see demonstrations against this action. I call on the Russian people to use their voices to urge their government to change direction and walk towards peace.

[Petitions, February 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, in my second petition there are hundreds of names from B.C., Ontario, and Quebec in support of my Bill C-322, an act to prohibit the exportation of horses for slaughter for human consumption, as well as horse meat products for human consumption, mainly because horses are commonly administered drugs that are strictly prohibited in the food chain and, thus, people would like us to support this bill.

[Petitions, February 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I have here close to 100 names of citizens from Kaslo, Ainsworth, Trail, Meadow Creek, and Nelson, who are concerned about Bill C-18, especially the changes to the Seeds Act or plant breeders' rights. They do not want further restrictions of farmers' rights or addition to farmers' costs, and they call upon Parliament to enshrine in legislation the inalienable rights of farmers and other Canadians to save, reuse, select, exchange, and sell seeds.

[Canada Post, February 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I am receiving hundreds of letters from citizens concerned about the cuts to our postal service. Municipalities such as Nelson have written the minister urging Canada Post to reconsider its five-point action plan. Ending home delivery will have a huge impact on seniors, small businesses, those with disabilities, as well as many other Canadians.

Will the minister order Canada Post to put its proposed changes on hold until after the upcoming government postal review? Would she also ensure that the review process is open to public participation and will consider all innovative suggestions and proposals?

[Canada-U.S. Relations, February 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as of July, the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FACTA, will require all Canadian financial institutions to provide the U.S. government with confidential financial information on Canadians deemed to be U.S. persons. Millions are affected. This includes Canadians who emigrated from the U.S. and their children born in Canada, and Canadian citizens who share accounts, investments or property with an American spouse, as well as small family-owned businesses in Canada with a U.S. family member.

Negotiations are being held behind closed doors with a complete lack of transparency. Our Minister of Finance is on the record saying that the Canada Revenue Agency will not collect U.S. tax liability or penalties on Canadian citizens.

However, we must do more. I call upon the Prime Minister to inform the U.S. President that Canadian financial institutions will not provide any financial disclosures about Canadian citizens to the U.S. Internal Revenue Agency.

This is not only a blatant violation of our constitutional rights and privacy, but also an attack on Canadian sovereignty.

[Petitions, January 31st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, on the second petition most of the 250 names are from my community of Castlegar. The petitioners would like the Government of Canada to instruct Canada Post to keep and expand public post offices instead of opening privately run offices or franchises, which seems to be the trend.

[Petitions, January 31st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions. The first one is from residents of Nelson, Castlegar, Trail, Rossland, Crescent Valley, Winlaw, Salmo, New Denver and Cranbrook, who are upset over the cuts to Environment Canada. They call upon Parliament to undertake a thorough assessment of the needs and priorities of Environment Canada's mandate, taking into account regional differences and specifics, and also to have Environment Canada conduct an assessment of the risks and impacts on environment and human health that may arise from these decisions.

[Petitions, January 29th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I have over a thousand names of people from Ontario, B.C., and Alberta, who are in support of my Bill C-322 to end horse slaughter in Canada. Petitioners point out that horses are commonly administered drugs that are strictly prohibited from being used at any time to food producing animals destined for human supply. Petitioners would like to see the bill enacted.

[Meat Inspection Act, January 29th, 2014]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-571, An Act to amend the Meat Inspection Act and the Safe Food for Canadians Act (slaughter of equines for human consumption).

Mr. Speaker, the bill I am proposing would prohibit the sending or conveying from one province to another, or the importing or exporting of horses or other equines for slaughter for human consumption, or the production of meat products for human consumption.

However, it also provides for an exception to that prohibition. That exception is that if the horses or other equines are raised primarily for human consumption and if the horse is accompanied by a medical record that contains its standardized description and a complete lifetime record in chronological order of medical treatment then this meat would then be acceptable.

We do not have a system that has stringent regulations right now, and in the name of food safety, the bill fits in with the new Safe Food for Canadians Act. It is an expansion of Bill C-322. It conforms with trade regulations and it tightens up the whole aspect of food safety.

I would urge all members of the House to support the bill, especially all of those hundreds of thousands of people who supported Bill C-322.

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