House of Commons Debates
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House of Commons Debates VOLUME 147 Ï NUMBER 227 Ï 2nd SESSION Ï 41st PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday, June 9, 2015 Speaker: The Honourable Andrew Scheer CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 14781 HOUSE OF COMMONS Tuesday, June 9, 2015 The House met at 10 a.m. of Interest and Ethics Commissioner in relation to the Conflict of Interest Act for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015. [Translation] Prayers Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h), this document is deemed to have been permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS *** Ï (1005) [English] [English] GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO PETITIONS COMMISSIONER OF LOBBYING Mr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of The Speaker: I have the honour, pursuant to section 11 of the the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): Mr. Speaker, Lobbying Act, to lay upon the table the report of the Commissioner pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both of Lobbying for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015. official languages, the government's response to 24 petitions. *** *** [Translation] PROTECTION AGAINST GENETIC DISCRIMINATION ACT PRIVACY COMMISSIONER Hon. Peter MacKay (Minister of Justice and Attorney General The Speaker: I have the honour to lay upon the table the report of of Canada, CPC) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-68, An Act the Privacy Commissioner on the application of the Personal to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Privacy Act and the Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act for the year Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. 2014. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) [English] *** Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h), this document is deemed to [Translation] have been permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE *** ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS AND NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT Mr. Blake Richards (Wild Rose, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I have the CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND ETHICS COMMISSIONER honour to present, in both official languages, the 10th report of the The Speaker: Pursuant to paragraph 90(1)(a) of the Parliament of Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Develop- Canada Act, it is my duty to present to the House the annual report ment in relation to its study entitled “Access to Capital”. of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner in relation to the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons for [English] the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the [Translation] government table a comprehensive response to this report. Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(a), this document is deemed to CANADIAN HERITAGE have been permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Mr. Gordon Brown (Leeds—Grenville, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I Procedure and House Affairs. have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, [English] the 14th report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, entitled “Review of the Canadian Feature Film Industry”. Pursuant Pursuant to paragraph 90(1)(b) of the Parliament of Canada Act, it to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government is my duty to present to the House the annual report of the Conflict table a comprehensive response to this report. 14782 COMMONS DEBATES June 9, 2015 Routine Proceedings I would like to thank the clerk, the analysts, all the witnesses, and place for young Canadians, help with their education, and this bill the members of the committee who worked so hard to complete this would help accomplish these goals. study. *** I would like to congratulate Kira and Triana on their contributions EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ACT to Parliament and their country, and thank their teachers and all who Mr. Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, NDP) moved for leave entered this contest from Windermere Secondary School in to introduce Bill C-687, An Act respecting the development of a Vancouver. national employment strategy for persons with disabilities. He said: Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise to introduce a private (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) member's bill, seconded by the hon. member for Newton—North Delta. The bill is a product of the Create Your Canada contest in my riding. It owes its genesis to the imagination and hard work of a young high school student in Vancouver Kingsway, Harriet Cross- *** field from Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School. Harriet's idea, enshrined in this bill, calls for the development of a Ï (1010) national employment strategy for persons with disabilities. This legislation would require the Minister of Employment and Social Development to draft a plan to improve the economic participation of persons with disabilities throughout Canada. Included in this plan GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS ACCOUNTABILITY ACT would be measures to educate private-sector employers about the great potential of persons with disabilities to contribute to the workforce, encourage more inclusive hiring practices, and reduce Hon. Irwin Cotler (Mount Royal, Lib.) moved for leave to stigma. Harriet's idea would tackle the unfair social exclusion faced introduce Bill C-689, Act to enact the Global Human Rights by too many persons with disabilities in Canada, and create new Accountability Act and to make related amendments to the Special potential for a more dynamic and inclusive labour force. Economic Measures Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. I would like to congratulate Harriet on her contribution to Parliament and our country, and thank her teachers and all who entered this contest from Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) He said: Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the global Magnitsky human rights accountability act, seconded by the member for *** Winnipeg North, which would allow for the sanctioning of human rights violators through the imposition of travel bans and asset STUDENT DEBT RELIEF ACT freezes. The House unanimously endorsed such measures in March. Mr. Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, NDP) moved for leave It is deeply disappointing, therefore, that the government still has not to introduce Bill C-688, an act respecting the development of a moved forward with the necessary corresponding legislation. national strategy on student loan debt. He said: Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise to introduce a private member's bill today, with thanks to my seconder, the hon. member Magnitsky sanctions, which have been recommended by legis- for Newton—North Delta. latures across Europe and implemented by the United States, are named for Moscow lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who uncovered the This bill is particularly special because it owes its existence to the largest corporate tax fraud in Russian history before being detained, imaginations and hard work of two young people in my riding of tortured, and murdered in prison in 2009. Not only have the Russian Vancouver Kingsway, Triana Segovia and Kira Bennett from officials complicit in that criminality escaped punishment, but many Windermere Secondary School. Both students are winners of my of them have, in fact, been rewarded by Vladimir Putin's regime. Create Your Canada contest, which invites high school students to develop and submit their ideas on how we can make Canada and the world a better place. It is therefore up to Canada and other members of the international Triana and Kira's idea is captured by this bill, which proposes a community to impose tangible consequences on the perpetrators and national strategy on student loan debt reduction. This idea is timely on human rights violators generally by blocking their ability to travel and speaks to the growing sense of intergenerational unfairness and trade and launder their assets around the world. I would urge the expressed by many young Canadians. Average student loan debt for government to either take over my bill or pass similar legislation on a university graduate in Canada today stands at over $25,000 and its own, both out of respect for the will of the House and out of this debt burden is felt more heavily by students from lower- and solidarity with the victims of human rights violations and those who middle-income families. More can be done to make Canada a fairer struggle valiantly on their behalf in Russia and around the world. June 9, 2015 COMMONS DEBATES 14783 Routine Proceedings (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) mental injuries people suffered, which have now been widely and universally recognized as post traumatic stress disorder, PTSD. *** Back in the 1990s, I was involved in representing a large number COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE of victims of sexual assault as children. I recall learning an awful lot PROCEDURE AND HOUSE AFFAIRS about PTSD but also being told at the time by an American military psychiatrist that there was no such thing as PTSD. That was what Mr. Joe Preston (Elgin—Middlesex—London, CPC): Mr. was believed to be the case, but he did not in fact believe in that. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 38th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs on the I found it quite surprising, but it is worth noting that acceptance of code of conduct for members, sexual harassment, presented to the the situation with PTSD is not something that has been around House yesterday be concurred in. forever, particularly within military circles. The Speaker: Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion? In Canada, we took a while to recognize the extent and state of the situation.