CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 145 Ï NUMBER 058 Ï 3rd SESSION Ï 40th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday, June 8, 2010 Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 3517 HOUSE OF COMMONS Tuesday, June 8, 2010 The House met at 10 a.m. report of the Standing Committee on Health, entitled “The Way Forward: Addressing the Elevated Rates of Tuberculosis Infection in on Reserve First Nations and Inuit Communities”, and the fifth report in relation to a motion adopted at the committee on Tuesday, Prayers June 1, on product safety legislation. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS *** Ï (1000) OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE [English] ACCOUNTABILITY ACT PRIVACY COMMISSIONER The Speaker: I have the honour to lay upon the table the report of Mr. Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, NDP) moved for leave the Privacy Commissioner on the application of the Personal to introduce Bill C-528, An Act to amend the Official Development Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act for the year Assistance Accountability Act (poverty reduction). 2009. [Translation] He said: Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to introduce legislation Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h), this report is deemed that would require Canada to contribute at least 0.7% of our gross permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Access to national product to official development assistance. Information, Privacy and Ethics. *** This bill was drafted based upon an idea from a high school [English] student in Vancouver Kingsway, Puneet Riar, one of the winning ideas from the contest I ran called Create Your Canada. This contest IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE PROTECTION ACT engaged high school students from my riding to suggest ideas to Hon. Jason Kenney (Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and improve Canada and the world. Our office received over 50 Multiculturalism, CPC) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-35, submissions and the winners were picked by a panel of community An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. judges. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) *** Ms. Riar's idea was an entry that would require Canada to meet the target of 0.7% of our gross national product to be used for INTERPARLIAMENTARY DELEGATIONS development assistance. Puneet is on the Hill today to watch her idea Mr. David Tilson (Dufferin—Caledon, CPC): Mr. Speaker, be introduced as legislation in Parliament. I am going to quote from pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present to the Puneet's submission: House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, re- We who are fortunate enough to live in Canada cannot imagine the hardships that specting its participation in the second part of the 2010 Ordinary people in developing countries face&It is a tradition for Canada to be a donor. It has Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, been a moral obligation for Canada to give aid to those who need it. held in Strasbourg, France, on April 26 to 30. *** I congratulate Puneet from Windermere Secondary School for her COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE compassion and for her vision of Canadian leadership in global poverty reduction. I also want to acknowledge her grade 12 history HEALTH teacher, Jeff Mazo, who promoted the Create Your Canada contest, Mrs. Joy Smith (Kildonan—St. Paul, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I as well as principal Rob Schindel, and social studies department have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth head, Corrie Clutchey, who offered their support for this program. 3518 COMMONS DEBATES June 8, 2010 Routine Proceedings I urge all members of the House to support this important piece of The Speaker: Does the hon. member for Markham—Unionville legislation and congratulate Puneet Riar and all the students from have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion? Windermere Secondary School for their care and concern to help make Canada a better place for everyone. Some hon. members: Agreed. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) The Speaker: The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it *** the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Ï (1005) Some hon. members: Agreed. EXCISE TAX ACT (Motion agreed to) Mr. Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, NDP) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-529, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the *** Income Tax Act (extra-energy-efficient products). PETITIONS He said: Mr. Speaker, I rise again to introduce a bill inspired by the second winner of the Vancouver Kingsway Create Your Canada PRISON FARMS contest, Hansel Fung, from Eric Hamber Secondary School. Hansel's winning entry proposed a system of tax incentives to encourage Mr. Jim Maloway (Elmwood—Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, Canadian families to lower their energy consumption. I have two petitions to present this morning. The first is a call to stop the closing of the six Canadian prison farms. Dozens of Canadians This bill would provide financial incentives for individual families have signed this petition demanding that the government reconsider to take action to lower their carbon footprint by reducing their energy its decision. consumption and use. It would create a GST exemption to lower the price on household appliances deemed by regulation to be extra The six prison farms, including Rockwood Institution in energy efficient. The existing energy star program helps consumers Manitoba, have been functioning farms for many decades, providing make informed choices by highlighting energy efficient products, food to prisons and the community. The prison farm operations but this bill would go one step further by exempting such products provide rehabilitation and training for prisoners through work with from the GST. and caring for plants and animals. The work ethic and rehabilitation benefit of waking up at 6 a.m. and working outdoors is a discipline Families would be rewarded for making green choices when they that Canadians can appreciate. purchase low-energy household appliances and products such as compact fluorescent light bulbs. This bill would also create a tax Closing these farms would mean a loss of the infrastructure and credit to be claimed at the end of the year, where families could would make it too expensive to replace them sometime in the future. deduct 10% of the cost of the purchase of low-energy appliances. Therefore, the petitioners call on the Government of Canada to stop In his submission, Hansel stated: the closure of the six Canadian prison farm operations across Canada, and to produce a report on the work and rehabilitative With this Bill, I am trying to encourage Canadians to think “green”. This is just an benefit to prisoners of the farm operations and on how the program encouragement to think about the environment. This Bill would make Canada “greener”, but not just Canada, the entire world as well. This would give Canada a could be adapted to meet the agriculture needs of the 21st century. very good image and set an example for other countries to follow. Ï (1010) I commend Hansel Fung from Eric Hamber Secondary School for EARTHQUAKE IN CHILE his innovative idea and his concern for the future of our planet. I also want to acknowledge the head of the social studies department, Mr. Mr. Jim Maloway (Elmwood—Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, David Smith, for his help and collaboration in promoting the Create the second petition is signed by dozens of Canadians. They are Your Canada contest at Eric Hamber Secondary. I ask my hon. calling on the government to match funds personally donated by the colleagues to give Hansel's idea and this bill the support they both citizens of Canada to the victims of the earthquake in Chile. On deserve. February 27, 2010, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) southern Chile. The Chilean-Canadian community has mobilized. They have had many socials in Winnipeg and across the country. *** People keep asking me, when will the Prime Minister give the MICROCREDIT LENDING same treatment to the earthquake victims in Chile that he did for the Hon. John McCallum (Markham—Unionville, Lib.): Mr. earthquake victims in Haiti and match funds personally donated by Speaker, there have been discussions among House leaders of all Canadians to help the victims of the earthquake in Chile. four parties and I think you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: SEEDS REGULATIONS That, in the opinion of the House, the government should consider providing Mr. Larry Miller (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, CPC): Mr. additional funding, within the next 12 months, to competent organizations for the purpose of carrying out microcredit lending targeted at people living on less than Speaker, I wish to table a petition from a couple hundred people $1.25 per day in least developed countries. from my riding and other ridings in support of Bill C-474. June 8, 2010 COMMONS DEBATES 3519 Government Orders QUESTIONS PASSED AS ORDERS FOR RETURNS REQUEST FOR EMERGENCY DEBATE Mr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of HAITI the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): Mr. Speaker, if Questions Nos. 218, 220, 222, and 224 could be made orders for The Speaker: The chair has received a request for an emergency returns, these returns would be tabled immediately. debate from the hon. member for La Pointe-de-l'Île. I will hear her submission now. The Speaker: Is that agreed? [Translation] Some hon. members: Agreed. Ms. Francine Lalonde (La Pointe-de-l'Île, BQ): Mr. Speaker, I know that you can be uncompromising on such matters, but I want to [Text] emphasize the fact that five days from today, five months will have passed since the terrible earthquake in Haiti, and Canada's Question No.