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House of Commons Debates VOLUME 146 Ï NUMBER 134 Ï 1st SESSION Ï 41st PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday, June 5, 2012 (Part A) Speaker: The Honourable Andrew Scheer CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 8811 HOUSE OF COMMONS Tuesday, June 5, 2012 The House met at 10 a.m. workers. They also know that the loss of these jobs would have a devastating effect on thousands of families and on their commu- nities. Prayers Understanding that the government has repeatedly failed to protect the interest of Canadian jobs, as it is obliged to do under the Investment Canada Act, and seeing the disastrous impact that the ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS foreign takeovers of Alcan, Inco, Falconbridge and Electro-Motive Diesel have had on Canadian jobs and communities all under the Ï (1005) government's watch, the petitioners are asking the House to review [English] the sale of Zellers to Target to ensure that jobs, seniority, wages and benefits of Zellers' workers are respected. ACCESS TO INFORMATION, PRIVACY AND ETHICS The Speaker: I have the honour to lay upon the table the report of [Translation] the Privacy Commissioner on the application of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act for the year THE ENVIRONMENT 2011. Mr. Thomas Mulcair (Outremont, NDP): Mr. Speaker, today I [Translation] am pleased to present a petition signed by Canadians who are opposed to the closure of the Polar Environment Atmospheric Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h), this report is deemed Research Laboratory, more commonly known as PEARL. Last year, permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Access to in co-operation with other scientists, researchers from this laboratory Information, Privacy and Ethics. discovered the largest hole in the ozone layer ever measured. *** [English] Unlike the Conservatives, who refuse to take action on this issue, these Canadians know that climate change is going to have a COMBATING TERRORISM ACT growing impact on them. They know that the effects of climate Hon. Gordon O'Connor (for the Minister of Justice) moved change are being felt more strongly in the far north and that PEARL for leave to introduce Bill S-7, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, is essential. the Canada Evidence Act and the Security of Information Act. (Motion agreed to and bill read the first time) This petition demonstrates the Conservatives' contempt for atmospheric sciences. These Canadians are calling for action on *** climate change and are hoping that PEARL will be saved and that [Translation] the Conservatives will stop sabotaging our environmental research programs. PETITIONS EMPLOYMENT The petitioners are asking the federal government to restore funding to the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Mr. Thomas Mulcair (Outremont, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I have Science so that PEARL can continue its essential work. two petitions to present. I am presenting the first as the leader of the official opposition. [English] [English] HUMAN TRAFFICKING I am pleased to rise today to submit a petition on behalf of concerned Canadians who worry that the sale of Zellers to the Mrs. Tilly O'Neill Gordon (Miramichi, CPC): Madam Speaker, American retail giant Target will result in the loss of over 5,000 jobs. I rise in the House today to present a petition signed by many great Canadians from across our great country requesting that the The petitioners are dismayed that Target claims to have no government develop and implement a comprehensive national action obligation to recognize the seniority, wages and benefits of Zellers' plan to combat human trafficking. 8812 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2012 Routine Proceedings AIR CANADA The first petition is signed by residents within my constituency, Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North, Lib.): Madam residents of Salt Spring Island, who have petitioned this House, as Speaker, it is with pleasure that I table a petition today signed by many, I think thousands by now, have before to take action to restrict Canadians in regard to Aveos and the ultimate bankruptcy. the practice of shark finning by ending the consumption of shark fins within Canada. There are thousands of employees who should be working with Air Canada but unfortunately the government has not seen the The petitioners call upon the House assembled to ban the wisdom of fighting for those jobs and holding Air Canada possession, distribution or sale of shark fins within Canada accountable to legislation. Therefore, those jobs are now in jeopardy. understanding that this sole practice is driving the species to This affects individuals living in Winnipeg, Mississauga, Montreal extinction. and the surrounding communities. THE ENVIRONMENT The petitioners are calling on the government to hold Air Canada accountable to the Air Canada Public Participation Act, thereby Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP): Madam saving these most valuable jobs in our aerospace industry. Speaker, the second petition I present today is relevant to today, which is World Environment Day, and it is on behalf of residents of WINE INDUSTRY Calgary, Guelph, Victoria, Saanichton, Ottawa and Montreal. Mr. Ron Cannan (Kelowna—Lake Country, CPC): Madam Speaker, it is a privilege and honour to rise this morning to table a The petitioners plead that this House and the government remove petition on behalf of numerous constituents of Kelowna—Lake all those sections of omnibus budget bill, Bill C-38, that have Country. nothing to do with the budget, remove all sections that relate to degrading the environment and bring forward a bill in the proper These wise folks realize it is time to free our grapes and to allow form. the archaic 1928 Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act to be amended. They are in support of Bill C-311 by my hard-working *** colleague from Okanagan—Coquihalla. Tomorrow we hope to bring this archaic legislation to the 21st QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER century. Mr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of PENSIONS the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): Madam Ms. Joyce Murray (Vancouver Quadra, Lib.): Madam Speaker, Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 601 I am pleased to rise today to present yet another petition from and 605. members of the Vancouver Quadra community and other commu- [Text] nities in greater Vancouver. Question No. 601—Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: The petitioners are concerned that the planned delay of retirement benefits, old age security and the guaranteed income supplement, With regard to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP): (a) what were the total net assets will create hardship for those in our society who have the least now of the CPP fund at the end of the three latest fiscal years; (b) for each fiscal year, what and that it will increase income inequality. Single women will be portion of these assets was in the form of cash; (c) for each fiscal year, what was the total amount paid out in CPP benefits; (d) when was the latest actuarial assessment of disproportionately impacted. In fact, over 40% of old age security the CPP fund with respect to its capacity to meet anticipated demand for benefits recipients earn less than $20,000 a year in retirement. They will be carried out; and (e) when is the next such assessment planned? forced to work for two more years or to seek alternative benefits, which would load more costs onto the province. Hon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Ï (1010) Development, CPC): Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), as reported in the annual reports of the Canada pension plan, CPP, the CPP’s ABORTION assets available for benefit payments as at March 31, 2011, were Mr. Randy Kamp (Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission, valued at $151.6 billion; at March 31, 2010, they were valued at CPC): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present a $131.4 billion; and at March 31, 2009, they were valued at $110.0 petition from residents of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia. billion. The petitioners note that Canada is the only nation in the western With regard to (b), the CPP’s consolidated financial statements are world, in the company of China and North Korea, without any laws included in the public accounts and published in the annual reports regarding abortion. They point out that the Supreme Court has said of the CPP. The cash balances reported in the CPP’s consolidated that it is Parliament's responsibility to enact abortion legislation. financial statements consist of the total cash held by the CPP account Therefore, the petitioners call upon the House to speedily enact and the CPP Investment Board, the CPPIB. legislation that would restrict abortion to the greatest extent possible. As at March 31, 2011, the deposit with the Receiver General for SHARK FINNING Canada in the CPP account was $23 million and CPPIB's cash was Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP): Madam $11 million, for a total of $34 million in the consolidated statement Speaker, I rise today to present two petitions. of financial position and the consolidated statement of cash flow. June 5, 2012 COMMONS DEBATES 8813 Routine Proceedings As at March 31, 2010, the deposit with the Receiver General for [Text] Canada in the CPP account was $175 million and CPPIB’s cash was $5 million, for a total of $180 million in the consolidated statement of net assets and the consolidated statement of cash flow. Question No. 589—Hon. Irwin Cotler: As at March 31, 2009, the deposit with the Receiver General for Canada in the CPP account was $90 million and CPIB’s cash was $5 For each