Peter Stoffer

[Income Tax Act, November 21st, 2008]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-212, An Act to amend the Income tax Act (in-home care of relatives).

Mr. Speaker, as everybody knows, there is quite a sandwich generation in this country where individuals are looking after their children as well as looking after their seniors. In many cases, some seniors are infirm with various ailments and concerns.

We believe that any expenses incurred by those individuals should be tax deductible. We also believe they should be allowed time off work to provide care so that seniors and people with certain disabilities have the opportunity to stay at home and be cared for by their loved ones.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Seniors' Day Act, November 21st, 2008]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-211, An Act respecting a Seniors’ Day.

Mr. Speaker, this is a non-monetary bill.

Many seniors in my riding have asked that a special day be marked on the calendar honouring the work and sacrifices made by our seniors. It would be just a token gesture to pick a day on the calendar as seniors' day to recognize and honour those golden citizens, as we call them, for their great work in building this country, for keeping an eye on us and for helping to raise us.

This is a non-monetary bill and something which could be adopted unanimously fairly quickly.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Canadian Forces Superannuation Act, November 21st, 2008]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-210, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act (marriage after the age of sixty years).

Mr. Speaker, if we truly believe in supporting our troops, we need to ensure that we support them long after the uniform comes off.

Many people do not realize that when a military person remarries after the age of 60 and then dies, the second spouse is not entitled to any of the person's pension benefits. This needs to change. There should be no discrimination when a military person or another person marries after the age of 60. That is there personal business. The reality is that those people who care for our veterans and others deserve to have that pension benefit.

We ask that the government remove that clause from the act so that these men and women can have these benefits as properly accorded to them.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Internet Child Pornography Prevention Act, November 21st, 2008]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-209, An Act to prevent the use of the Internet to distribute pornographic material involving children.

Mr. Speaker, we see governments at all levels around the world moving toward this type of legislation. One of the most despicable crimes we have in the world involve pedophiles and individuals who use the Internet to lure unsuspecting children for despicable acts.

The premise of my bill would give ISP providers some responsibility to monitor the sites and encourage them to inform authorities of any information they may run across so direct action can be taken.

If the Conservatives believe in being tough on crime, this is something they should be working on immediately to help reduce child pornography on the Internet.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Sale of Medals Prohibition Act, November 21st, 2008]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-208, An Act to prohibit the sale of Canadian military and police medals.

Mr. Speaker, our honoured veterans are very proud of the medals they received. These medals are not currency on their chest. They are given for valour, service, honour and duty to their country. Most important, these men and women wear their medals in remembrance of those who never had the opportunity to wear their medals because they paid the ultimate sacrifice.

I do not believe these medals should end up at flea markets, garage sales or on e-Bay. They should not be sold. They are too honourable for that. The reality is that nobody should profit financially from the valour of other human beings.

I encourage quick adoption of the bill by the House at its earliest convenience.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Excise Tax Act, November 21st, 2008]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-203, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (no GST on the sale of home heating fuels).

Mr. Speaker, when the GST was introduced by the previous Conservative Party, our party clearly said that if it was put on essentials like home heating oil or electricity to heat people's homes it was going to have a detrimental effect. That is exactly what has happened. In Atlantic Canada we have the HST, where the provincial and federal taxes are combined on home heating oil and electricity to heat homes. A surprise to the government I know, but people in Canada actually have to heat their homes and putting a tax on that essential is simply wrong. We would like that eliminated to put more money into people's pockets. They should never be taxed on an essential such as heating their homes and we would like it removed immediately.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Parliament of Canada Act, November 21st, 2008]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-202, An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (members who cross the floor).

Mr. Speaker, as everyone who has been here in the House for a short while knows, I personally despise people who cross the floor to another party while they are sitting as elected representatives. My firm belief is that if members wish to cross the floor, members should resign their seat, seek the nomination of the new party, and allow their constituents to determine what party banner they should fly under in the House of Commons.

I encourage quick adoption of this bill to prevent floor crossing because the carpet between the two rows is very expensive. We cannot keep replacing it every time people cross it, so we need to put an end to that practice immediately.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Canadian Forces Superannuation Act, November 21st, 2008]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-201, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act (deletion of deduction from annuity).

Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank my hon. friends and people of the riding of Sackville—Eastern Shore for re-electing me for the fifth time to represent them in the House of Commons.

On behalf of Roger Boutin, Mel Pittman and John Labelle, it is a great honour to introduce this legislation which would end the clawback from the pensions of our military personnel and RCMP personnel at age 65. We all in this House support the troops but the reality is that we need to learn to support them long after the uniform comes off and clawing back their pensions at age 65 is simply wrong. It is time to reverse that decision. This bill will do it.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Mining Industry, November 21st, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, in the last couple of years we have seen a lot of mining companies in Canada use freshwater habitat for tailing ponds; in other words, turning them into cheap waste disposal sites.

The reality is that no government and no society should ever use freshwater healthy aquatic systems as toxic tailing ponds; whereas the alternative would be to have independent tailing ponds for the mining operation.

Would the government commit to an action plan, as New Brunswick did earlier this year, to prevent freshwater habitat from being used as toxic tailing ponds for these mining companies?

[The Environment, June 17th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, that is absolutely nonsense.

The minister knows in his own province that DFO environmental assessment officers even said that they did not do a good enough job on Trout River Pond and hopefully they would do better in the future.

The Conservatives are giving those mining companies a huge subsidy by allowing them to use freshwater aquatic systems that are fish-bearing lakes as cheap waste disposal sites. What they should be doing is having independent linings and holes filled with water and put the tailings in those, free and clear of any natural water system.

Why is the government continuing to pander to the mining companies at the sake of fish and their habitat?