Claude Gravelle

[Petitions, April 16th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by dozens of people from the riding of Nickel Belt.

The petition states that when Canadian-owned Inco was acquired by Vale S.A. in 2006, the company made undertakings to the Government of Canada. When Canadian-owned Falconbridge was acquired by Xstrata, it also committed to undertakings with the Government of Canada. Industry Canada, Vale S.A. and Xstrata have refused to make these specific undertakings public.

Therefore, the petitioners request that the Minister of Industry and the House of Commons amend section 36 of the Investment Canada Act in order to make the details of undertakings made by foreign companies during Canadian acquisitions public. They further request that the Minister of Industry make the undertakings made during the acquisition of Inco and Falconbridge public. They support Bill C-488, Bill C-489 and Bill C-490.

[Vale Inco, April 16th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, we know that Vale Inco is using strikebreakers to carry on its operations in Sudbury.

Not only is Vale Inco using scabs regardless of the problems that is causing for the community, but a very credible report suggests that several of these strikebreakers have come from the United States.

Can the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism tell us whether temporary work permits were issued to foreign workers employed by Vale Inco?

Is the government letting scabs into the country?

[Vale Inco, April 16th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, since the beginning of the strike at Vale Inco nine months ago, the Conservatives have claimed time and time again that this is exclusively a provincial matter. However, Vale Inco reps have met five times with the senior bureaucrats, six times with ADMs, eleven times with the chief of staff, once with the PMO, once with the Minister of Labour and once with the Minister of Industry.

Are these 25 meetings not the real reason why these Conservatives are refusing to show leadership regarding the Vale Inco strike?

[Keeping Canadians Safe (International Transfer of Offenders) Act, April 16th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, could the hon. member for Ajax—Pickering tell me what he thinks about criminals who serve their time in foreign jails, are released and eventually come back to Canada with no monitoring, or prisoners who are transferred to Canada, serve their time in jail, and then paroled and followed by a parole officer with limitations of what they can do and where they can go? Would that not be better for public safety than having criminals coming from foreign countries with no rules?

[Mining Industry, April 15th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the doors of the Prime Minister's office are wide open for large companies such as Vale Inco.

The day after the strike began in Sudbury, on July 14, 2009, the Prime Minister's policy director, Paul Wilson, met with Vale Inco representatives.

There have been a total of 25 meetings since 2008 between government and Vale Inco representatives.

Did the Prime Minister's Office and various ministers discuss the labour conflict with Vale Inco at their meetings or did they ignore the reality?

[Petitions, April 14th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to present this petition in the House of Commons today.

The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to extend the funding for healing programs under the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. Residential schools caused extensive physical and mental trauma experienced by the survivors that was also passed on to future generations. Healing from the impacts of residential schools is far from complete after 10 years, which is the length of time that the Aboriginal Healing Foundation has existed

The petitioners are asking the Government of Canada to leave a true legacy of action to residential school survivors and support the process of healing through an extension of funding for the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.

[Petitions, April 12th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I too have petitions from dozens and dozens of citizens from Nickel Belt who are concerned about what is happening in my community. They are presently being held hostage by a company called Vale Inco, a company that was allowed by the government to purchase our natural resources, resources that belong to Canadians. This company has tried to bring a third world mentality to Canada.

The petitioners request that the Minister of Industry and the House of Commons amend section 36 of the Investment Canada Act in order to make details of undertakings made by foreign companies during trial acquisitions public.

They further request that the Minister of Industry make the undertakings made during the acquisition of Inco and Falconbridge public. They support Bill C-488, Bill C-489 and Bill C-490.

[Petitions, April 1st, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I too have petitions from the riding of Kings—Hants. The petitioners want the government to stop this bill that would have Colombia access Canada through the free trade agreement.

The petitioners call on Parliament to reject the Canada-Colombia trade deal until an independent human rights impact assessment is carried out and to negotiate the agreement along the principles of fair trade, which would take environmental and social impacts fully into account while genuinely respecting labour rights and the rights of all affected parties.

Like I said a while ago, these petitions are all from Kings—Hants. There is a PS on this petition. The petitioners would like to know when their member of Parliament is going to start listening to them.

[Petitions, March 31st, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to present a petition containing well over 100 names.

The petitioners, members of the St. Alexander Church in Azilda and Chelmsford, Ontario, call upon the Minister of Justice and the House of Commons to oppose Bill C-384, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (right to die with dignity).

[Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, March 30th, 2010]

Madam Speaker, the member asked me why the Conservatives are pushing this free trade deal but I would remind the member that without the help of the Liberals this free trade agreement would be dead. If memory serves me right, they initiated this free trade agreement.

The member also mentioned the MPs from across northern Ontario. I can assure my colleague that most of us from northern Ontario, at one time or another, belonged to a trade union. If we lived in Colombia, we would not be here today. We probably would be dead. This is the type of agenda that the Conservatives and the Liberals want to push on the people of Colombia.