CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 138 Ï NUMBER 067 Ï 2nd SESSION Ï 37th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday, February 25, 2003 Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) All parliamentary publications are available on the ``Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire´´ at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 3943 HOUSE OF COMMONS Tuesday, February 25, 2003 The House met at 10 a.m. human life should be protected prior to birth and yet there is still no law protecting unborn children. The petitioners pray and request that the Parliament of Canada Prayers enact legislation that would provide legal recognition and protection of children from fertilization to birth. EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Mr. Reed Elley (Nanaimo—Cowichan, Canadian Alliance): Ï (1005) Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I would like to present two petitions from constituents in my riding in the greater Nanaimo [English] area. TRANSPORTATION The first petition deals with the employment insurance program. Hon. David Collenette (Minister of Transport, Lib.): Mr. The petitioners state that over $35 billion in unpaid insurance Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) I have the honour to table, benefits have been taken out of the program by the federal in both official languages, two copies of a document entitled government since it started the EI program and that in 1999 the EI “Straight Ahead: A Vision for Transportation in Canada”. program paid more money to the Department of Finance than it did to people who were unemployed. *** TRANSPORTATION AMENDMENT ACT The petitioners ask that Parliament enact legislation that would modernize the employment insurance program according to the plan Hon. David Collenette (Minister of Transport, Lib.) moved for proposed by the Canadian Labour Congress. leave to introduce Bill C-26, an act to amend the Canada Transportation Act and the Railway Safety Act, to enact the VIA Ï (1010) Rail Canada Act and to make consequential amendments to other CHILD PORNOGRAPHY acts. Mr. Reed Elley (Nanaimo—Cowichan, Canadian Alliance): (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) Mr. Speaker, the second petition deals with child pornography. It is *** signed by 43 petitioners asking that the House adequately address the problem of child pornography in Canada so that it would in no PETITIONS way, shape or form be legal at all. REFUGEES STEM CELL RESEARCH Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I am Mr. Paul Szabo (Mississauga South, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to present a petition from pleased to present a petition signed by a number of Canadians, thousands of people who live in the Ottawa and Montreal areas who including in my own riding of Mississauga South, regarding stem are concerned about the desperate situation of Algerian refugees. cells. The petitioners call upon Parliament to immediately end the The petitioners would like to bring to the attention of the House deportation of non-status Algerians, to re-establish the moratorium that Canadians do support ethical stem cell research, which has on deportations to Algeria, and to regularize the status of all non- already shown encouraging potential to provide cures and therapies status Algerians. for the illnesses and diseases of Canadians. They point out that non- RIGHTS OF THE UNBORN embryonic stem cells, also known as adult stem cells, have shown significant research progress without the immune rejection or ethical Mr. Janko Peric (Cambridge, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, pursuant to problems associated with embryonic stem cells. Standing Order 36 I have the privilege to present to the House a petition from hundreds of concerned citizens from my riding of The petitioners call upon Parliament to focus its legislative Cambridge. In Canada, one out of four children dies before birth support on adult stem cell research to find those cures and therapies from induced abortion. More than half of all Canadians agree that for Canadians. 3944 COMMONS DEBATES February 25, 2003 The Budget CHILD PORNOGRAPHY Recognizing the critical link between social and economic policy, Mr. Peter Goldring (Edmonton Centre-East, Canadian the 2003 budget contributes to building the Canada we want by Alliance): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present a petition put forth by emphasizing investments in individual Canadians, their families and many concerned Canadians. These petitioners ask the Prime Minister communities. and the Minister of Justice to stop the exploitation of our children in child pornography. They demand that Parliament take all necessary This approach to building a better Canada by linking social and steps to ensure that all materials that promote or glorify pedophilia economic priorities was heralded in the 2002 Speech from the with children be outlawed. Throne when the government reaffirmed its commitment to helping FREEDOM OF RELIGION children and families out of poverty, to building competitive cities and healthy communities, and attracting and retaining talent and Mr. Bob Speller (Haldimand—Norfolk—Brant, Lib.): Mr. investment from other parts of the world. Speaker, I rise under Standing Order 36 to present two petitions. The first deals with Bill C-250. The petitioners call upon We feel that these priorities are of great importance to all Parliament to protect the rights of Canadians to be free and share Canadians and that the 2003 budget reflects the engagement of the their religious beliefs without fear of prosecution. Canadian government to their realization. CHILD PORNOGRAPHY Mr. Bob Speller (Haldimand—Norfolk—Brant, Lib.): Mr. The federal budget presented by the Minister of Finance on Speaker, the second petition deals with child pornography. The February 19, 2003, features several elements which are of particular petitioners call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all relevance for multiculturalism. These include: foreign credentials the necessary steps that are available to ensure that all materials recognition, facilitating the economic integration of newcomers to which promote or glorify pedophilia are outlawed. Canada, the promotion of healthy communities and cities, and the *** celebration of all cultures and values. Of particular importance to women are initiatives in the areas of health care, poverty and QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER affordable housing, making our communities more livable, support Mr. Geoff Regan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of to aboriginal communities, and increases in international aid. the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand. The first element concerns the financial support in the 2003 The Deputy Speaker: Is that agreed? budget for expanding the skills of our labour force and helping all Canadians who want to work, including new Canadians, to apply Some hon. members: Agreed. their talents and initiatives to productive enterprise. The government will invest considerable sums over the next few GOVERNMENT ORDERS years to help new Canadians integrate quickly into our economy by [English] providing more funding to second language skills, supporting faster recognition of foreign credentials and through pilot projects to attract THE BUDGET skilled immigrants to smaller communities across the country. FINANCIAL STATEMENT OF MINISTER OF FINANCE The House resumed from February 19 consideration of the Helping new Canadians integrate quickly into our economy, motion that this House approves in general the budgetary policy of including the faster recognition of foreign credentials, directly affects the government; of the amendment; and of the amendment to the immigrant women. At present, regardless of their educational amendment. qualifications, women wanting to enter Canada tend to be allowed Hon. Jean Augustine (Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) in through temporary foreign worker programs that place them in (Status of Women), Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time low skilled, precarious employment situations—factors that increase with the member for Yukon. their vulnerability to violence. Better recognition of skills earned abroad will provide immigrant women with the conditions they need As Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and the Status of for economic autonomy, access to opportunity, and a better quality of Women, I would like to comment on the 2003 federal budget life. regarding its relevance for the realization of the objectives of the multiculturalism policy and how it will help to advance the status of women in Canada today and in the future. The Department of Canadian Heritage, through the multicultur- alism program, has worked in collaboration with Citizenship and A budget is more than a simple accounting of finances. It is the Immigration Canada and Human Resources Development Canada on expression of a nation's values and priorities. It is a tool to protect the issue of recognition of foreign credentials. I am very pleased to and help build the kind of society Canadians value. It also recognizes see what our collective efforts have achieved and will continue to that a secure society is the foundation for a strong economy. achieve. February 25, 2003 COMMONS DEBATES 3945 The Budget In this regard, the government will continue to work with its We have expanded the employment insurance program to allow partners to break down the barriers to the recognition of foreign for compassionate family care benefits for those who