Bruce Hyer

[Petitions, June 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from many residents from across Canada, including Ontario, Quebec, and Ymir, B.C. They draw the attention of the House to the current moratorium on the oil tanker traffic along the rugged coast of British Columbia, which has so far kept that wilderness free of oil spills since 1972. They feel the federal government has a constitutional responsibility to protect the environment and the rights of first nations and are calling on the House to halt the partisan support for the northern gateway pipeline.

[Petitions, June 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition from many residents of Thunder Bay, Toronto, Neebing, Dryden, Ear Falls, Murillo, and all over Canada, who are concerned that the closure of Canada's only dedicated blood plasma clinic in Thunder Bay could jeopardize the Canadian supply. U.S. plasma will be imported to make up the supply shortfall, but U.S. plasma is often from paid donors, which is against World Health Organization guidelines because it is risky. The petitioners are calling on the government as a regulator to take action.

[Committees of the House, June 18th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I will be voting yes.

[Petitions, June 15th, 2012]

Madam Speaker, I would like to present a second petition signed by fellow Canadians who are concerned that the recent cuts to CBC Radio-Canada will endanger more services and the long-term viability of our national broadcaster.

Radio-Canada plays an absolutely vital role in providing Canadians with a voice to express our ideas, concerns and opinions.

[Petitions, June 15th, 2012]

Madam Speaker, I would like to present a petition from citizens in places like Nipigon, Red Rock, Thunder Bay, Kakabeka Falls, Terrace Bay, Rossport and Schreiber, all in my riding.

The petitioners call on the government in the wake of Thunder Bay losing the only stand-alone blood plasma clinic in Canada. Aside from the loss of 30 jobs, the petitioners note that we will now have to import U.S. blood plasma to make up the supply. This will be sourced from paid U.S. donors, putting the supply at risk.

The petitioners call on the government to take action on this.

[The Environment, June 15th, 2012]

Madam Speaker, the Conservatives are attacking science again. The Minister of the Environment is dumping our Experimental Lakes Area, saying that research will just move west to study oil sands' impact on water. World-renowned scientists such as Dr. David Schindler say that makes no sense scientifically or financially. For example, the Alberta oil sands research program has been doing oil and water research at the ELA since 1976.

What is the real reason the minister is closing the ELA? Is it to drown freshwater science in Canada to avoid inconvenient truths?

[Petitions, June 13th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is from the residents of Thunder Bay, Shuniah, Markdale, Jacques and Fort William First Nation.

The petitioners petition the House to reinstate funding cut from aboriginal health and health research undertaken by the National Aboriginal Health Organization, First Nations Statistical Institute, the Assembly of First Nations, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Native Women's Association of Canada, the Métis National Council, the Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada and the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. They note that the cuts would undermine health outcomes for aboriginal people in Canada and will cost more in health spending in the long run.

[Petitions, June 13th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition from many residents from Terrace Bay, Neebing, Schreiber, Ear Falls and Thunder Bay.

The petitioners are deeply concerned with the recent closure of the Thunder Bay blood plasma clinic, the only dedicated blood plasma clinic in all of Canada. They point out that an increase in costly U.S. blood plasma imports may put our supply at risk since it is from paid donors. They note that FDA approved infected plasma product exported in the 1980s led to thousands of lives lost.

[Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act, June 12th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am quite distressed. I am a terrestrial ecologist. I am not as expert as some of the members in the House here about what is under the water, but I know enough to know that it is ecosystems that matter. It is not just the fish that are fished by humans that matter. It is all fish, and beyond that it is all ecosystems.

Some of us know, but not all Canadians know, so let us share it with them one more time, that the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act is basically repealed in this omnibus bill. One of the things that is repealed is the definition of environment. The definition was written way back in 1993 under a previous Conservative government, I will add, a more sophisticated and knowledgeable government. That definition included the land, the water and the air, including all layers of the atmosphere, all organic and inorganic matter and living organisms and the interacting natural systems that include components referred to, et cetera.

I would like to ask the Conservatives why they simply do not care about ecosystems any more. Why, whether it is critters or fish, do they only care about the ones that are taken for human needs?

[Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act, June 12th, 2012]

Thunder Bay—Superior North will be voting no.