CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 138 Ï NUMBER 098 Ï 2nd SESSION Ï 37th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Thursday, May 8, 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 5949 HOUSE OF COMMONS Thursday, May 8, 2003 The House met at 10 a.m. COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES Prayers Mr. Mauril Bélanger (Ottawa—Vanier, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(d) and its mandate to monitor Ï (1005) the administration of the Official Languages Act, your committee [Translation] has conducted a study on immigration and official language minority communities, and has agreed, on Wednesday, April 30, 2003, to INTERNATIONAL TRADE report its observations and recommendations to the House. The Hon. Pierre Pettigrew (Minister for International Trade, Lib.): committee also asks for a government response within the 150-day Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to period provided for in the Standing Orders. table in the House, in both official languages, the fourth annual report on Canada's international trade, entitled “State of Trade Essentially, the report invites the government to act on amend- 2003”. ments to the Immigration Act to ensure that demographics in Canada *** are not negatively affected by immigration but, on the contrary, improved and made reflective of the reality of official language GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO PETITIONS minority communities. Mr. Geoff Regan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, FINANCE pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table in the House, in both official languages, the government's response to nine Mrs. Sue Barnes (London West, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have the petitions. honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-28, the Budget *** Implementation Act, 2003. LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES OF CANADA ACT *** Hon. Don Boudria (for the Minister of Canadian Heritage) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-36, An Act to establish the [English] Library and Archives of Canada, to amend the Copyright Act and to amend certain Acts in consequence PETITIONS (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) *** IRAQ INTERPARLIAMENTARY DELEGATIONS Mr. Werner Schmidt (Kelowna, Canadian Alliance): Mr. Mr. Benoît Sauvageau (Repentigny, BQ): Mr. Speaker, pursuant Speaker, I would like to present a petition on behalf of a few to Standing Order 34, I am pleased to present, in both official constituents in Kelowna. These constituents pray that the govern- languages, the report of the Canadian branch of the Assemblée ment denounce any further aggression against Iraq and declare parlementaire de la Francophonie, and the related financial report. Canadians' non-participation in such aggression. They further urge The report deals with the meeting of the APF Committee on the United Nations to seek a peaceful solution that respects the Education, Communication and Cultural Affairs, held in Châlons-en- charter of the United Nations and all other international law, Champagne, from April 15 to 18, 2003. including the sovereign equality of nations. 5950 COMMONS DEBATES May 8, 2003 Routine Proceedings FREEDOM OF RELIGION Mr. Dale Johnston: Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Since Mr. Darrel Stinson (Okanagan—Shuswap, Canadian Alli- we are in a reverting sort of mood today I wonder if I could seek ance): Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition for my permission in the House to revert to presenting petitions. I have three constituents of Okanagan—Shuswap who feel that the addition of petitions to present. sexual orientation as an explicitly protected category under sections The Acting Speaker (Mr. Bélair): Is that agreed? 318 and 319 of the Criminal Code could lead to individuals being unable to exercise their religious freedom, as protected under the Some hon. members: Agreed. Charter of Rights and Freedoms. They call upon Parliament to protect the rights of Canadians to be free to share their religious *** beliefs without fear of prosecution. PETITIONS MARRIAGE FREEDOM OF RELIGION Mr. Myron Thompson (Wild Rose, Canadian Alliance): Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of a number of Mr. Dale Johnston (Wetaskiwin, Canadian Alliance): Mr. residents from the city of Airdrie in my riding of Wild Rose who are Speaker, I thank my colleagues for allowing me to revert to petitions. calling on Parliament to pass legislation to recognize the institution I have a petition signed by several hundred of my constituents in of marriage in federal law as being a lifelong union of one man and Wetaskiwin. They are concerned that the adoption of the explicit one woman to the exclusion of all others. protection of homosexuals under Bill C-250 would imperil their religious freedoms. I would like to present that petition on their Ï (1010) behalf. IRAQ Ï (1015) Mr. Peter Adams (Peterborough, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I rise to present two petitions from citizens of Ontario who were and still are MARRIAGE concerned about the war in Iraq. They support the fact that Canada is Mr. Dale Johnston (Wetaskiwin, Canadian Alliance): Mr. not involved in that war. Speaker, other petitioners have concerns with the definition of *** marriage. They want to make sure that the House of Commons maintains the present term of marriage, which is the union of a man QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER and a woman to the exclusion of all others. Mr. Geoff Regan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of CHILD PORNOGRAPHY the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand. Mr. Dale Johnston (Wetaskiwin, Canadian Alliance): Mr. The Acting Speaker (Mr. Bélair): Is that agreed? Speaker, I have a petition to present from several constituents on the issue of child pornography. The petitioners call upon Parliament to Some hon. members: Agreed. protect our children by taking all necessary steps so that all materials that promote or glorify pedophilia are eliminated. Mr. Peter Adams: Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I in fact would like to seek unanimous consent to return to presenting reports Mr. Peter Adams: Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I do from committees and also to motions. I will explain. I have the apologize for this confusion. It is entirely my fault. I arrived here and reports on the changes in riding boundaries in Manitoba and New I was a bit confused. I did present the House with the 29th report, Brunswick. I apologize that I was not here earlier. I need to table which referred to Manitoba. I would now like to table in exactly the those reports, which were accepted unanimously in the committee, same way, if there is unanimous consent, exactly the same report for and I later need to seek concurrence in them. New Brunswick. I would be grateful, Mr. Speaker, if you would be The Acting Speaker (Mr. Bélair): Is that agreed? patient with me once more and seek unanimous consent for me to table this report. Some hon. members: Agreed. The Acting Speaker (Mr. Bélair): Is that agreed? *** Some hon. members: Agreed. COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE *** PROCEDURE AND HOUSE AFFAIRS Mr. Peter Adams (Peterborough, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have the COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE honour to present the 29th report of the Standing Committee on PROCEDURE AND HOUSE AFFAIRS Procedure and House Affairs regarding the report of the electoral boundaries commission for Manitoba. This report and related Mr. Peter Adams (Peterborough, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am evidence will be forwarded to the commission for its consideration. pleased to table the report of the Standing Committee on Procedure I do not need concurrence in this motion. I was mistaken and I do not and House Affairs regarding the report of the electoral boundaries need to return to motions. I do not need concurrence in that report. I commission for New Brunswick. This report and related evidence apologize for the confusion. will be forwarded to the commission for its consideration. May 8, 2003 COMMONS DEBATES 5951 Supply GOVERNMENT ORDERS Whether or not ordinary Canadians agree with conclusions reached by the courts, it is apparent that Parliament's social policy [English] leadership is becoming irrelevant since its choices are limited by the SUPPLY political choices of the courts as Parliament is ordered to comply with judicial policy directions in all existing and future legislation. ALLOTTED DAY—PARLIAMENT AND COURT DECISIONS As a law-making body, Parliament is becoming less relevant, less Mr. Vic Toews (Provencher, Canadian Alliance) moved: creative, less effective, and less vigorous as a result of this shift in power. That this House call upon the government to bring in measures to protect and reassert the will of Parliament against certain court decisions that: (a) threaten the traditional definition of marriage as decided by the House as, “the union of one man Recently, three provincial courts have ventured into the realm of and one woman to the exclusion of all others”; (b) grant house arrest to child sexual social policy and have ordered Parliament to redefine the institution predators and make it easier for child sexual predators to produce and possess child of marriage. It is important to note that Canada is the only country in pornography; and (c) grant prisoners the right to vote. the world whose courts have determined the issue of same sex He said: Mr.
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