CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 145 Ï NUMBER 012 Ï 3rd SESSION Ï 40th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Thursday, March 18, 2010 Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 605 HOUSE OF COMMONS Thursday, March 18, 2010 The House met at 10 a.m. By way of explanation, the committee was not satisfied with the government response, and on November 26, 2009, the committee unanimously passed a motion that the Minister of Justice be requested to address each of the recommendations in the report and Prayers provide background for his caution and concerns by January 15. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS On December 10, 2009, the minister wrote to the committee and agreed to comply, subject to an extension to February 15. The Ï (1000) committee concurred with the extension but no response has yet [English] been received. Although the House was prorogued on December 30, the committee anticipated that a response would still be forthcoming. KEEPING CANADIANS SAFE (INTERNATIONAL Discussions have been held with the Minister of Justice to resolve TRANSFER OF OFFENDERS) ACT this matter and we await his consideration for his undertakings and Hon. Vic Toews (Minister of Public Safety, CPC) moved for his response to our invitation to him to appear before committee. leave to introduce Bill C-5, An Act to amend the International Transfer of Offenders Act. Finally, ostensibly the reason for re-tabling this report in the (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) House is so that there is a report which the committee can refer to in *** the current session. I expect that there may be other committees that have similar situations as a consequence of the last prorogation of COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE Parliament. ACCESS TO INFORMATION, PRIVACY AND ETHICS Mr. Paul Szabo (Mississauga South, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have I also have the honour to present, in both official languages, the two reports to present this morning. They will require some second report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, explanation, so I hope the House will indulge me. Privacy and Ethics. I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy At its meeting on Thursday, March 11 the committee unanimously and Ethics. adopted a motion that the 11th report entitled “The Access to At its meeting on Thursday, March 11 the committee unanimously Information Act: First Steps Towards Renewal” adopted and adopted a motion that the 10th report entitled “The Privacy Act: First presented to the House in the second session of the 40th Parliament Steps Towards Renewal” adopted and presented to the House in the be adopted as a report of the committee in the present session, and second session of the 40th Parliament be adopted as a report of the that the chair present the report to the House. committee in the present session, and that the chair present the report to the House. The report tabled in the last session requests that the government The report tabled in the last session requested that the government table a comprehensive response to the report pursuant to Standing table a comprehensive response to the report pursuant to Standing Order 109. As the government tabled its response to the report on Order 109. As the government did in fact table its response to the October 9, 2009, the report being tabled today is identical in all report on October 9, the report being tabled today is identical in all respects to the report tabled last session with the exception that it respects to the report tabled last session with the exception that it does not include pages 31 and 32, which only requested a does not include pages 29 and 30, which only requested a government response. government response. The minutes and evidence of the meeting of March 11 will reflect The minutes and evidence of the committee meeting of March 11 that the chair is to specifically advise the House that we are not will reflect that the chair will specifically advise the House that we requesting a government response. are not requesting a government response. 606 COMMONS DEBATES March 18, 2010 Routine Proceedings By way of explanation again, similarly, the committee was not [English] satisfied with the government response of October 9, 2009, and on November 26 the committee unanimously passed a motion that the Mr. Paul Szabo: Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. With justice minister be requested to address each of the recommendations regard to the motion just dealt with by the House, as I understood it, in the report and provide background for his caution and concerns. was it requesting an amendment to the Standing Orders? I understand that it is only temporary. For the record, identical to the previous statement, we are still in The Speaker: I believe the motion says: discussions and we look forward to receiving the justice minister's concurrence with our request for him to respond and to appear before [Translation] committee. The amendment applies only to this session of this Parliament. Ï (1005) [English] AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD Mr. Wayne Marston: Mr. Speaker, I too rise on a point of order. Mr. Larry Miller (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, CPC): Mr. There is a serious situation facing Canada's pensioners. I would like Speaker, I have the privilege of tabling two reports today, in both to ask for unanimous consent to move the following motion which official languages, from the Standing Committee on Agriculture and states that notwithstanding any order or usual practice of the House, Agri-Food. Bill C-476, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act The first report is in relation to supplementary estimates (C) of and other Acts (unfunded pension plan liabilities), be deemed to 2009-10. have been read a second time and referred to a committee of the whole, deemed considered in committee of the whole, deemed The second report is in relation to the main estimates of 2010-11. reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage, and deemed read a third time and passed. ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Mr. James Bezan (Selkirk—Interlake, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I The Speaker: Does the hon. member for Hamilton East—Stoney have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report Creek have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable motion? Development in relation to supplementary estimates (C) 2009-10. Some hon. members: Agreed. *** Some hon. members: No. [Translation] The Speaker: There is no consent. SPEECH FROM THE THRONE Mr. Michel Guimond (Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute- *** Côte-Nord, BQ): Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among all parties and I believe you would find unanimous consent for the PETITIONS following motion. CANADA POST That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, for the purpose of the debate on the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne of the Hon. John McCallum (Markham—Unionville, Lib.): Mr. third session of the 40th Parliament, Standing Order 50(4) be amended as follows: Speaker, I would like to present three petitions on behalf of “(4) On the third of the said days, if a subamendment be under consideration at constituents. fifteen minutes before the end of the time provided for the Address debate, the Speaker shall interrupt the proceedings and forthwith put the question on the said First, approximately 200 residents are concerned that Canada Post subamendment.”; and has deleted Unionville from the postal code reference library. They When the debate conclude on the said subamendment, it be deemed put, a recorded division be deemed requested and deferred until Tuesday, March 23, 2010, want the necessary steps to be taken to recognize the existence of at the expiry of the time provided for Government Orders. Unionville by restoring its name to the postal code reference library. MINING INDUSTRY Ï (1010) Hon. John McCallum (Markham—Unionville, Lib.): Mr. The Speaker: Does the hon. member for Montmorency— Speaker, the second petition is signed by approximately 400 Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord have the unanimous consent of the individuals who wish to create effective laws regarding corporate House to move the motion? social responsibility, particularly in the area of mining. They ask that we consent to the expeditious passage of Bill C-300. Some hon. members: Agreed. ANIMAL WELFARE The Speaker: The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Hon. John McCallum (Markham—Unionville, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the third petition is from approximately 150 people who Some hon. members: Agreed. petition the Government of Canada to support a universal declaration (Motion agreed to) on animal welfare. March 18, 2010 COMMONS DEBATES 607 Privilege ASSISTED SUICIDE feel pain and suffering and that we should avoid cruelty to animals Mr. Larry Miller (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, CPC): Mr. and reduce their suffering. Speaker, I have the honour to table a petition today. I will be requesting that the committee on justice and human rights look at it. The petition also states that animals are not taken into It is a petition from approximately 40 of my constituents who are consideration in the event of a natural disaster. The petitioners are opposed to Bill C-384. calling on the Government of Canada to support the universal declaration on animal welfare. This bill would legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide. My constituents are saying they oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide FINANCE as it directly threatens the lives of people with disabilities and other Mr.