Jay Hill

[Question No. 186, November 14th, 2005]

What steps has the government taken to give effect to the motion adopted by the House on February 22, 2005, that called on the government to implement the measures recommended in the Auditor General's report to improve the framework for the accountability of foundations, in particular, to ensure that foundations are subject to performance audits that are reported to Parliament and that the Auditor General be appointed as the external auditor of foundations; if no action has been taken, what explanation can the government give to justify its decision?

(Return tabled)

[Question No. 187, November 14th, 2005]

What steps has the government taken to give effect to a motion adopted by the House on April 20, 2005, that sought compensation from the government for all victims of Hepatitis C; if no action has been taken, what explanation can the government give to justify its decision?

[Petitions, November 14th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to rise again, as I have endeavoured to do all fall in this session of Parliament, to present petitions on an issue of great importance to citizens from coast to coast. This petition is signed by citizens from Toronto, Mississauga, Scarborough, Welland, Port Colborne, Paris and other towns and cities in the great province of Ontario.

The petitioners would like to draw the attention of the House to the fact that on average about 2,000 children are adopted from foreign countries and brought to Canada, yet they do not receive automatic citizenship.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon Parliament to immediately enact legislation to grant automatic citizenship to those minors adopted from other countries by Canadian citizens with the citizenship being immediately granted upon the finalization of the adoption.

I need not remind members again that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration has committed to doing this. We are in mid-November and we still do not have the legislation to do it. I call upon him, on behalf of these citizens and many others, to bring that forward post-haste.

[Question No. 185, November 4th, 2005]

What steps has the government taken to give effect to the motion adopted by the House on February 8, 2005, that called on the government to immediately drop the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization deposit requirement and honour the commitments it has already made to Canadian producers; if no action has been taken, what explanation can the government give to justify its decision?

[Petitions, November 2nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, again, as I have been doing at virtually every opportunity, it is my pleasure to present a petition on behalf of adoptive families here in Canada.

This petition is from citizens in Port Colborne, Niagara Falls, Mallorytown, Burnstown, Welland and Chesterville in Ontario and also from Truro, Halifax, New Glasgow and Pictou Landing in Nova Scotia.

All of these citizens wish to draw the attention of the House to the fact that on average about 2,000 children are adopted from foreign countries every year and brought to our nation and yet, unlike other countries, specifically the United States of America and Great Britain, these children are not granted automatic citizenship in Canada.

Therefore these citizens are seeking that Parliament immediately enact legislation to grant automatic citizenship to those minors adopted from other countries by Canadian citizens with this citizenship being immediately granted upon the finalization of the adoption.

[Sponsorship Program, November 1st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, today, as this country pours over the details of Justice Gomery's interim report on the sponsorship program, I would like to remind the House of those individual Canadians who are truly affected by this scandal.

We should think of whom that $250 million, when combined with the money blown on all the other scandalous and wasteful Liberal programs, could have helped.

We should think of seniors on fixed incomes this winter who face the choice of heating their homes or putting food on their tables.

We should think of students who face a bleak future burdened by the threat of bankruptcy due to exorbitant tuition and student loans.

We should think of our nation's farmers who face the very real prospect of losing their family farms because they cannot survive one crisis after another.

We should think of the thousands of sick and dying patients who face a wait for desperately needed medical treatment that will not come in time.

We should think of the millions of low and middle income overtaxed parents who face an uphill struggle to provide their young children with a secure and hopeful future.

These are the people the federal Liberal government could have helped but did not because it was more preoccupied with serving its own self-interest.

[Petitions, October 31st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, as you undoubtedly know by now, at every opportunity this fall I have been rising on the same issue.

These citizens of our country, mostly from Port Colborne but also from Welland, Markham and St. Catharines in Ontario, from Laval, Quebec and Victoria, British Columbia, wish to draw to the attention of the House that each year roughly 2,000 children are adopted from foreign countries and brought to Canada and yet, unlike other nations, specifically the United States of America and Great Britain, these children are not granted automatic citizenship.

Therefore the petitioners call upon Parliament to immediately enact legislation to grant automatic citizenship to minors adopted from other countries by Canadian citizens with this citizenship being immediately granted upon finalization of the adoption.

It is the last day of October and fall is marching on. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration made this commitment to these people and the citizenry of our country and I hope he will fulfill that promise as quickly as possible.

[Business of the House, October 27th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that the hon. member for Kootenay--Columbia had exercised his right to exchange the date, and so it is currently November 4.

[Business of the House, October 27th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions between all parties and I think if you seek it, you will find acceptance for the following motion:

That, notwithstanding any Standing Order, Bill C-357, an act to provide for an improved framework for economic, trade, cultural and other initiatives between the people of Canada and the people of Taiwan, standing in the name of the hon. member for Kootenay--Columbia, scheduled for debate on November 4, 2005, be dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence; that private member's hour be suspended for that day; and that the House continue with the business before it prior to private member's hour until the ordinary hour of daily adjournment.

[Privilege, October 27th, 2005]

It is a point of order. I did not say it was a point of privilege. Listen for a change.