Jim Maloway

[Petitions, May 13th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.

The first petition is signed by dozens of Manitobans. The current EI program provides adoptive parents with 35 weeks of paid leave, followed by a further 15 weeks of unpaid leave. Biological mothers are given both the first 35 weeks and the latter 15 weeks as paid leave. We know that adoptions are expensive, lengthy and stressful to adoptive parents and their families. There have been recent studies out that an additional 15 weeks of paid leave would help parents to support the adoptive children and to help them through a difficult period.

The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Bill C-413 tabled by my colleague, the member for Burnaby—New Westminster, which would amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code to ensure that an adoptive parent is entitled to the same amount of paid leave as the biological mother of a newborn child.

[ATLANTIC SHELLFISH INDUSTRY, May 12th, 2010]

Mr. Chair, I am pleased to ask a question in the debate tonight.

I listened earlier to my good friend from Baie Verte who spoke about the 63% drop in the allowable catch and about the major mismanagement of the government. I think he nailed it down pretty well. He explained about the enormous costs involved to get into the business in the first place. He wanted to know what the government will do to help the people in the plants and the fishers to get through this situation.

Could the member tell me what sort of programs he thinks the government should put in place as a temporary measure until the fishery gets back to where it should be in a couple of years from now?

[Competition Act (Inquiry into Industry Sector), May 12th, 2010]

Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate the member for bringing in a real consumer bill. Perhaps the Conservatives could learn by this member's example. I think it will certainly be groundbreaking, particularly in view of the fact that he has reported that Exxon earned a record $45.2 billion in 2008.

The consumers are not unaware of this. They know what is happening with the gas companies and how they are being hosed at the pumps. They know that over the last number of years, 125 studies have shown over and over again that there is price fixing, but we cannot get to the bottom of it because we require changes to the Competition Act.

That is what this bill is all about. I want to congratulate the member. I encourage all members here to vote for this bill to get it to committee. We will see where we can go from there.

[Fairness at the Pumps Act, May 12th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I have been looking forward to asking my question of a government member but I have not been able to find one to speak to this bill over the last couple of days. However, I know the member is a rather good lawyer and I am sure he will be able to answer my question.

I referred a question a couple of days ago to legislative counsel about whether Bill C-14 would inadvertently increase the fines for odometer rollbacks, which members know has been a big issue in this country for many years. People are not discouraged from rolling back odometers because the fines have been too low over the years. Clause 27 of this bill deals with the altering of odometers. The government has brought in increased fines, which is just great, but it also covers the rollback of odometers. I am just wondering why the government is not taking credit for that.

Why is there no mention whatsoever of all this good news for consumers in any of the government's press releases? Does the government even know it has done it?

[Fairness at the Pumps Act, May 12th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I will try to finish my previous question. Under the Weights and Measures Act, section 27 deals with the issue of odometer rollbacks, odometer replacement and odometer tampering. Inadvertently by bringing in the new penalties in this bill, those cover odometer rollbacks. That is a good thing for consumers. Is anyone aware of that and why is it not mentioned in any of the government press releases?

[Fairness at the Pumps Act, May 12th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I really do think that the Bloc's Bill C-452, sponsored by the member for Shefford, has a lot of potential. I have been following this issue for probably 20 years now and there have been 125 studies done in this country. Piles of studies and thousands of dollars have all come up with the same conclusion: the authorities cannot track down the price fixing in the gasoline industry because of the Competition Act.

This bill is going to amend the Competition Act to authorize the Commissioner of Competition to inquire into the entire industry sector. I think that this Parliament owes it to debate this Bloc bill later on today and refer it to committee. I think we are going to have some real potential here for some real change.

Dealing with Bill C-14 itself, I do want to ask questions of government members, but for the last two days I have not seen one yet. I do want to talk about the whole area of—

[Fairness at the Pumps Act, May 12th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the member has nailed the real problem 100%. Over many years, the provinces have done about 125 studies on price fixing, trying to nail those gas companies, those retailers. In fact, Bill C-452, as proposed by the Bloc, comes up this very day. The bill would amend the Competition Act to authorize the commissioner to conduct inquiries into the entire sector.

We have always said that the bill has some pluses to it. The increased penalties are a positive. However, the idea that giving an offset to the private sector and farming out the inspections is the wrong way to go. If I were a retailer, I would rather have the government doing the inspection on a random basis than pay some private entrepreneur who may charge me double or triple what he or she should in this situation.

The Conservatives never come up with consumer protection unless there is an offset to private business, and that is what this is.

[Starred Questions, May 12th, 2010]

With regard to body armour and fortified vehicles used by criminal gangs, what measures is the government planning to introduce to cooperate with provinces, such as Manitoba, to make these security features illegal?

[Petitions, May 12th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is signed by dozens of Canadians who are calling upon the Canadian government to match funds personally donated by the citizens of Canada for the victims of the Chilean earthquake.

Parliament knows that an 8.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in southern Chile on February 27, 2010 that caused massive damage in the country. The Chilean Canadian community has been mobilizing with social events trying to raise money for the victims of the earthquake.

People want to know when the Prime Minister will give the same treatment to the victims of the Chilean earthquake as he did for the victims of the Haitian earthquake and match funds personally donated by Canadians.

[Petitions, May 12th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.

The first petition is signed by dozens of Manitobans who are calling for equal employment insurance benefits for adoptive parents. The current EI program provides adoptive parents with 35 weeks of paid leave, followed by a further 15 weeks of unpaid leave. A biological mother is given both the first 35 weeks and the latter 15 weeks as paid leave.

We all know that adoptions are expensive, lengthy and stressful for the adoptive parents and their families. Studies have shown that an additional 15 weeks of paid leave would help parents to support their adoptive children and help them through a very difficult period.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to support Bill C-413 tabled by my colleague, the member for Burnaby—New Westminster, which would amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code to ensure that adoptive parents are entitled to the same number of weeks of paid leave as the biological mother of a newborn child.