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CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 140 Ï NUMBER 045 Ï 1st SESSION Ï 38th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday, December 14, 2004 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 2729 HOUSE OF COMMONS Tuesday, December 14, 2004 The House met at 10 a.m. GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO PETITIONS Hon. Marlene Jennings (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Prayers Minister (Canada—U.S.), Lib.): Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 14 petitions. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS *** COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE Ï (1000) ACCESS TO INFORMATION, PRIVACY AND ETHICS [English] Mr. Derek Lee (Scarborough—Rouge River, Lib.): Mr. CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER Speaker, I am presenting the third report of the Standing Committee The Speaker: I have the honour to lay upon the table the final on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, regarding changes to printed version of the report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada the standing orders respecting the mandate of the committee. on the 38th general election held on June 28, 2004. *** [Translation] [Translation] This report is deemed to have been permanently referred to the PETITIONS Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. NATIONAL DEFENCE *** Ms. Christiane Gagnon (Québec, BQ): Mr. Speaker, it is with Ï (1005) great interest that I am tabling this petition signed by 1,202 Quebeckers from throughout Quebec. [English] The petition's message to Canada is that Canada's full or partial HOUSE OF COMMONS involvement in the United States missile defence plan would go The Speaker: I also have the honour to lay upon the table the against our interests and values. report on the strategic outlook for the 38th Parliament of the House of Commons administration. This petition is more evidence that the people of Quebec are against the missile defence shield. I want to remind hon. members *** that according to a CRIC poll conducted on November 4, 65% of Quebeckers and 52% of Canadians are against this bill. ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS Here is hoping that the government will hear the message in this Hon. Ethel Blondin-Andrew (Minister of State (Northern petition and realize that it must say no to the missile defence project. Development), Lib.): Mr. Speaker, under the provisions of Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, JUSTICE copies of the 2001-02 annual report of the Yukon Land Claims and Ms. Denise Poirier-Rivard (Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, Self-government Agreements; the 2002-03 annual report of the BQ): Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed Nisga'a Final Agreement; and the 2003 annual report on the state of by 1,300 people. This petition is calling for an amendment to the Inuit culture in society in the Nunavut settlement area. sentence of second degree murder for crimes involving spousal *** abuse. ORDER IN COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS *** Hon. Marlene Jennings (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER Minister (Canada—U.S.), Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to Hon. Marlene Jennings (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime table, in both official languages, a number of order in council Minister (Canada—U.S.), Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I ask that all appointments recently made by the government. questions be allowed to stand. 2730 COMMONS DEBATES December 14, 2004 S. O. 52 The Speaker: Is that agreed? INTERPARLIAMENTARY DELEGATIONS Mr. Greg Thompson (New Brunswick Southwest, CPC): Mr. Some hon. members: Agreed. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 31, I have the honour, on behalf of the Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group, to present to *** the House, in both official languages, two reports. PETITIONS The first is a report on the Canadian delegation to the agricultural 1906 CENSUS RECORDS tour for U.S. congressional staffers held in Calgary, Alberta, from September 21 to 23, 2004. Hon. Don Boudria (Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I know that other hon. members also want to table petitions. The second is a report of the Canadian delegation to the Atlantic Provinces Chambers of Commerce Atlantica Prosperity meeting held The petition I want to table calls on Parliament to take the in Bangor, Maine, from September 30 to October 1, 2004. necessary measures to amend protection of information provisions in the Statistics Act in order to allow public access to the 1906 census *** records. [Translation] [English] REQUEST FOR EMERGENCY DEBATE ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS TEXTILE INDUSTRY Ms. Alexa McDonough (Halifax, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I have the The Speaker: The chair has received a notice of motion pursuant honour to table a large number of petitions. I think we now have to Standing Order 52 from the hon. member for Roberval—Lac- received over 12,000 petitions lobbying against the taxation of Saint-Jean. aboriginal post-secondary funding. Mr. Michel Gauthier (Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, BQ): Mr. Speaker, under Standing Order 52, I wish to request that an I think it is well known to the House that the Canada Revenue emergency debate be held this evening regarding the absolutely Agency has announced that beginning in 2005 aboriginal post- disastrous situation facing the textile industry. secondary students' support funding would be treated as income, including tuition, book allowance, living allowance, scholarships, In support of my request, I would remind the Chair that, yesterday, bursaries and travel dollars. 800 workers from the municipality of Huntingdon, in the riding of Beauharnois—Salaberry, that is 75% of the work force in this We have a disgrace in this country in terms of the limited access municipality, learned that they were losing their jobs on a permanent there has been to post-secondary education. We are talking about the basis, either immediately or in the spring. poorest families in this country who desperately need the education that should be available to them. They do not need this new barrier to Thousands of jobs are currently at stake in Quebec, and the impact stand in the way. is very great. I will simply remind the House that there are 600 such jobs in Trois-Rivières, 600 more in Drummondville and another 800 Ï (1010) yesterday in Huntingdon. Quebec is experiencing an economic crisis, as is the rest of Canada. Altogether, the number of jobs located ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES in Canada is about 75,000. Ms. Alexa McDonough (Halifax, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I have a So, I ask for agreement of the House to hold this emergency second petition that is very straightforward. It calls upon the House debate. Before we permanently and prematurely adjourn for the of Commons to oppose the candidacy of Mr. Francisco Flores Perez holidays, I believe it is important for members of this House to take a for secretary general of the Organization of American States. few hours to debate, with the government, the thousands of jobs that Canada is a member nation of the Organization of American have been lost, as well as all those that will be lost shortly. States. Many concerns have been expressed about the inappropriate- This is an extremely urgent matter. It is the result of a tragic ness and unacceptability of Mr. Perez being considered for secretary decision that is affecting, among many others, the municipality of general. This is heartfelt by many Canadians who have taken the Huntingdon, where 75% of the work force is being permanently laid opportunity to sign a petition asking us to support their opposition to off overnight. this appointment. I think that, in keeping with the holiday spirit, parliamentarians Mr. Greg Thompson: Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. will surely agree to spend a few hours longer in the House to hold With your permission I would seek unanimous consent to revert to this debate on the textile industry. That seems logical to me. We presenting interparliamentary reports. I was late getting into the cannot deny this opportunity to those who have just learned the House and I was hoping I could do that today. worst news anyone can get 15 days before Christmas, in other The Speaker: Is there unanimous consent to revert to presenting words, that they have lost their job and come to the end of their reports from interparliamentary delegations? career. We want to question the government about this. No measures have been implemented yet to help these industries suffering from Some hon. members: Agreed. the loss of hundreds of jobs. December 14, 2004 COMMONS DEBATES 2731 Government Orders Mr. Speaker, I am confident that you will allow this emergency would stop the illegal discharge of oily bilge waters from ships, debate to be held, given the extreme urgency of the situation and also which is threatening natural resources in our coastal waters. the fact that the House will not be able to consider this matter again before the end of January, when the House resumes. I am confident The dumping of oil into water is avoidable. Many ships travel that the Chair will agree that our work, which normally would have through Canadian waters far from the sight of land. It has not been continued until Friday, can at least continue until later this evening. easy to determine which ships are responsible for the many In many cases, it is a matter of survival for the people of Huntingdon discharges of oil into marine waters. For this reason, some ship and others in the industry. We must question the government before operators who pollute may think they will never get caught.