Leon Benoit

[Technical Tax Amendments Act, 2012, February 27th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP member opposite talked about the NDP record in government. That party has never been in government at the federal level. Let us hope that trend will continue so its record is not blemished. Those members have not had an opportunity to do that and let us hope they do not get that opportunity.

There is a trend here that I am really bothered by. The legislation would make technical amendments to the tax code. The member talked about how the bill is too big for his party to deal with properly. Those members complained about the two budget implementation bills that implemented our last budget, saying they were too big to deal with effectively. There is a trend. The opposition seems unwilling to do the work required to provide proper scrutiny for these bills. The opposition seems to be a bit lazy, quite frankly.

Why does the member not do his homework and deal with the bill and other bills like it?

[Petitions, February 27th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition on behalf of constituents from Sedgewick, Killam and Viking, in my constituency. They ask that all parties in the House condemn sex selection abortion and note that 92% of Canadians believe that sex selection abortion should be illegal.

The petitioners call upon members of Parliament to support Motion No. 408 and condemn discrimination against females occurring through gender selection pregnancy termination.

[Petitions, February 14th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition on behalf of constituents who note that CBC revealed ultrasounds are being used in Canada to determine the gender of a child so that unborn female children can be aborted.

The petitioners call on the House to support Motion No. 408 and condemn the discrimination against females occurring through sex-selective pregnancy termination.

[Safer Witnesses Act, February 11th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Thunder Bay—Rainy River focused a lot of his presentation on making the money available and on jobs. I find that ironic because he is a member of a party that has been working with some radical groups to slow down every resource project we have been developing in this country, and that is starting to show some negative results. Alberta has a deficit now of about $7 billion. That is going to start reflecting directly on the revenue coming in to the federal government. On the one hand the NDP keeps asking for money, and on the other hand it keeps working with radical groups to slow down development of the resource sector. The member has to answer to this. He has to bear some responsibility for this.

I would like the member to comment on that.

[Sex Selection, February 7th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, last year, Reggie Littlejohn successfully led international efforts to free blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, who has fled four years of house arrest in China. Today, here in Ottawa, she asks parliamentarians to stand together against discrimination against girls occurring through sex selection.

Over decades, sex selection has caused a critical gender imbalance leading to human trafficking, kidnapping and sex slavery. Two hundred million girls are missing. As CBC reported, this is happening in Canada. The United Nations reports, “Renewed and concerted efforts are needed by governments and civil society to address the deeply rooted gender discrimination which lies at the heart of sex selection”.

We thank Reggie Littlejohn for her courage and determination to end discrimination against women and girls. We also thank her for calling on this Parliament to unite in its condemnation of discrimination against girls occurring through sex selection.

[Petitions, February 7th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition on behalf of people from Viking, in my constituency.

The petitioners call upon the House of Commons to condemn discrimination against females occurring through sex selective pregnancy termination. They note that CBC did a program that exposed this practice in Canada. They note that 92% of Canadians believe that sex-selective pregnancy termination should be illegal. The petitioners also pointed out that all parties in the House supported ending this practice.

The petitioners call upon the House of Commons to condemn discrimination against females occurring through sex selective pregnancy termination.

[Petitions, January 31st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I have one petition to table today. A few months ago, CBC revealed that ultrasounds are being used in Canada to tell the sex of an unborn child, so the parents can choose to terminate the pregnancy in the case where the unborn child is a girl.

The petitioners note that 92% of Canadians believe that sex selective pregnancy termination is wrong and should be ended. The petitioners are calling on Parliament to support Motion M-408 to condemn discrimination against females occurring through sex selective pregnancy termination.

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, December 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to the member's comments. He would know that the funding to SR and ED, which was a program that certainly many would argue had some value, has been much better focused through other programs. Innovators actually get more of the funding and the funding is also spread to a broader community, so taxpayers are getting good value for money spent on innovation. I think the member knows that.

As well, the member does understand that our budget implementation bill is a good bill. He does not want to say it because he is a Liberal, but in listening to him, a lot of the undertones indicated that. He recognizes that a lot of what we are doing had to be done. I am sure he will back me up on this completely, when he answers.

[Rights of the Unborn, December 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, a few months ago, my daughter, Jennifer, and her husband were devastated when they lost their unborn child through a miscarriage. She cried herself to sleep for weeks, and maybe still does.

My wife, Linda, and I experienced the same sense of loss and emptiness when we lost our first child to a miscarriage. People never really get over it.

I know that many parents experience this same pain but what I cannot square and what I need someone to explain to me is why the loss is any less when a child is aborted. Why is the loss any less, why does the child become less just because it is not wanted?

[Petitions, November 28th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present today a petition from constituents who are very concerned that there is no restriction whatsoever on abortion in Canada. They note that we are in the company of countries like China and North Korea.

The petitioners call on Parliament to speedily enact legislation that restricts abortion to the greatest extent possible.