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CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 141 Ï NUMBER 161 Ï 1st SESSION Ï 39th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Thursday, May 31, 2007 Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) Also available on the Parliament of Canada Web Site at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 9957 HOUSE OF COMMONS Thursday, May 31, 2007 The House met at 10 a.m. both official languages, the 20th report of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-52, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 19, 2007, as agreed on Wednesday, May 30, 2007. Prayers [English] ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITIES Ï (1005) Mr. Merv Tweed (Brandon—Souris, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I have [English] the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of PRIVACY COMMISSIONER the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Commu- The Speaker: I have the honour to lay upon the table the report of nities. In accordance with the motion adopted on Monday, May 28, the Privacy Commissioner on the Personal Information Protection your committee recommends that the government provide the and Electronic Documents Act for the year 2006. committee an opportunity to study and provide recommendations to the terms of reference of any review of Canada Post prior to its [Translation] commencement. Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h), this document is deemed permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Access to Also, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the Information, Privacy and Ethics. seventh report of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infra- structure and Communities. In accordance with the order of *** reference of Tuesday, February 27, your committee has considered [English] Votes 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70 and 75 in GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO PETITIONS the main estimates under transport for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2008, and reports the same. Mr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform, CPC): Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing *** Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to two petitions. TERMINATOR SEEDS BAN ACT *** Mr. Alex Atamanenko (British Columbia Southern Interior, INTERPARLIAMENTARY DELEGATIONS NDP) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-448, An Act to prohibit the release, sale, importation and use of seeds incorporating or Mr. Rob Merrifield (Yellowhead, CPC): Mr. Speaker, pursuant altered by variety-genetic use restriction technologies (V-GURTs), to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present to the House, in also called “terminator technologies”, and to make a consequential both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation of the amendment to another Act. Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group respecting its participation at the National Governors Association winter meeting, Innovation America, in Washington, D.C., February 24-27, 2007. He said: Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table this private member's bill. Many in Canada share the conviction that Canada *** should join the ranks of countries like India and Brazil whose [Translation] governments have already legislated bans on this technology in order to protect their farmers. COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE FINANCE It is time to make a commitment to our farmers and the Mr. Paul Crête (Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Riv- international community so that terminator seed technology will not ière-du-Loup, BQ): Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in be allowed to take root in Canada. 9958 COMMONS DEBATES May 31, 2007 Routine Proceedings (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) meeting, it shall not be adjourned or suspended until it completes the committee stage of Bill C-44 except pursuant to a motion by a parliamentary secretary and, provided *** the bill is adopted by the committee, agrees to report the bill to the House within two sitting days following the completion of the committee stage. CANADA-PORTUGAL DAY ACT The Speaker: The hon. Leader of the Government in the House Ms. Olivia Chow (Trinity—Spadina, NDP) moved for leave to of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform moves pursuant introduce Bill C-449, An Act respecting a Canada-Portugal Day. to Standing Order 56.1(1)(a): She said: Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to introduce this bill That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practices of the House, when which seeks to declare June 10 as Canada-Portugal Day in the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development convenes appreciation of the Portuguese Canadians' contribution in Canada a meeting, it shall not be adjourned or suspended until it completes the committee and in celebration of the friendship between Portugal and Canada. stage of Bill C-44 except pursuant to a motion by a parliamentary secretary and, provided the bill is adopted by the committee, agrees to report the bill to the House On June 10, in Canada and throughout the world, persons of within two sitting days following the completion of the committee stage. Portuguese origin remember their cultural roots by celebrating the life of Luis de Camoes, the author of Os Lusiadas, the epic poem Will those members who object to the motion please rise in their about the history of Portugal prior to 1500. places. Portuguese Canadians have a long history in Canada. Back in the And fewer than 25 members having risen: 15th century, on the south and east shores of Newfoundland and the Strait of Belle Isle, Portuguese fishermen caught cod and dried them The Speaker: Fewer than 25 members having risen the motion is ashore. Names of Portuguese origin are found along the Atlantic adopted. coast of Canada. Canada and Portugal continue to work together and (Motion agreed to) the first annual meeting of the Canada-Portugal committee on fisheries cooperation took place in Lisbon March 16-17, 2006. *** In the 1950s, many Portuguese immigrants came to Canada to [Translation] farm and helped construct railways. Since then, thousands continue to arrive to build our cities and towns. Today almost half a million COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE people of Portuguese descent call Canada home. INTERNATIONAL TRADE With the declaration of June 10 as Canada-Portugal Day, Parliament will recognize and express gratitude for the contribution Mr. Serge Cardin (Sherbrooke, BQ): Mr. Speaker, I move that of the Portuguese Canadian community to Canada. the ninth report of the Standing Committee on International Trade, (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) presented on Friday, May 18, 2007, be concurred in. Hon. Peter Van Loan: Mr. Speaker, if you were to seek it, I hope I am very pleased to rise in this House and discuss a motion made you would find unanimous consent for the following motion: That, by the Bloc Québécois and adopted by the Standing Committee on notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practices of the House, International Trade on May 15. when the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development convenes a meeting, it shall not be adjourned or I should mention that the Conservatives did everything in their suspended until it completes the committee stage of Bill C-44, power to block and delay the adoption of this motion, but the except pursuant to a motion by a parliamentary secretary and, opposition parties set aside partisanship to address this issue, which provided the bill is adopted by the committee, agrees to report the is crucial to the sovereignty of Canada and the Quebec of the future. bill to the House within two sitting days following the completion of the committee stage. Before I go any further, I would like to read the motion, as Ï (1010) adopted by the committee. The Speaker: Does the hon. government House leader have the Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), and the motion adopted by the Committee on unanimous consent of the House to propose the motion? Tuesday, May 15, 2007 your Committee recommends: Some hon. members: Agreed. Whereas Canada’s water resources must be protected; Some hon. members: No. Whereas NAFTA covers all services and all goods, except those that are expressly excluded and water is not excluded; *** Whereas this situation puts the provincial and federal laws concerning the STANDING COMMITTEE ON ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS AND protection of water including the prohibition of bulk water exports at risk; NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT Whereas a simple agreement by exchange of letters among the governments of Canada, the United States and Mexico specifying that water is not covered by Hon. Peter Van Loan (Leader of the Government in the House NAFTA must be respected by international tribunals as if it were an integral part of of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform, CPC): Mr. NAFTA; Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 56.1(1)(a) I move: That the Standing Committee recommend that the government quickly begin talks That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practices of the House, when the with its American and Mexican counterparts to exclude water from the scope of Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development convenes a NAFTA. May 31, 2007 COMMONS DEBATES 9959 Routine Proceedings Considering that the primary responsibility of democratically exclude water from the scope of NAFTA. The threat is very real, elected political parties is to represent the people and defend their indeed, too real. interests, it is difficult to imagine that a party would refuse to support a motion intended to protect Quebec's and Canada's resources. Such In simple terms, water could be a commercial product, but as the a position has no basis in logic.