House of Commons Debates VOLUME 147 Ï NUMBER 207 Ï 2nd SESSION Ï 41st PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday, May 5, 2015 (Part A) Speaker: The Honourable Andrew Scheer CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 13425 HOUSE OF COMMONS Tuesday, May 5, 2015 The House met at 10 a.m. who have asked our government to give serious consideration to offering protection to Christians who are being the special targets of persecution in Iraq by putting in place a special program to bring these Christians into Canada if they would like to come. Prayers SEX SELECTION Mr. Leon Benoit (Vegreville—Wainwright, CPC): Mr. Speaker, ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS the second petition is to do with gender selection abortion. The Ï (1005) petitioners ask Parliament to condemn the practice of discrimination [English] against girls through gender selection abortion. GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO PETITIONS PUBLIC TRANSIT Hon. Greg Rickford (Minister of Natural Resources and Mr. Matthew Kellway (Beaches—East York, NDP): Mr. Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Speaker, I am very pleased to rise today to present three petitions Northern Ontario, CPC): Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order to the House. The first petition calls for a national public transit 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the strategy noting that Canada is the only OECD country that does not government's response to 12 petitions. have such a strategy and it calls upon the House to provide a *** permanent investment plan to support public transit in Canada. ANTI-TERRORISM ACT, 2015 THE ENVIRONMENT Hon. John Duncan (Minister of State and Chief Government Whip, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I move: Mr. Matthew Kellway (Beaches—East York, NDP): Mr. Speaker, the second petition is with respect to the issue of climate That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House at the conclusion of the debate later today on Bill C-51, an act to enact the security of change, noting that the economic costs of climate change to Canada Canada information sharing act and the secure air travel act, to amend the Criminal range between $21 billion and $43 billion. The petitioners call on the Code, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act and the Immigration and House to allocate scarce resources to programs that help Canadians Refugee Protection Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other adapt to climate change. Acts, all questions necessary to dispose of the third reading stage of the said bill be deemed put and a recorded division deemed requested and deferred until Wednesday, May 6, 2015, at the expiry of the time provided for government orders. PEACE TAX I believe you will find unanimous consent for that motion. Mr. Matthew Kellway (Beaches—East York, NDP): Mr. The Speaker: Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent Speaker, the third petition is with respect to a peace tax legislation. of the House to propose this motion? The petitioners note that the Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and religion. The signatories to the petition call on the Some hon. members: Agreed. House to establish a peace tax by passing into law a bill such as the conscientious objection tax. The Speaker: The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Translation] Some hon. members: Agreed. CBC/RADIO-CANADA (Motion agreed to) Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP): Mr. Speaker, *** it is an honour to rise today to present three petitions. PETITIONS The first petition has to do with Canada's public broadcaster. IRAQ These Nova Scotian citizens want Parliament to establish a system to Mr. Leon Benoit (Vegreville—Wainwright, CPC): Mr. Speaker, ensure that our public broadcaster, Radio-Canada/CBC, can have a I have two petitions today. The first is from constituents and others sustainable future. 13426 COMMONS DEBATES May 5, 2015 Routine Proceedings [English] Since 1972, Canada has banned commercial whaling in Canadian PUBLIC SAFETY waters and Canada is signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species which has listed the fin whale and Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP): Mr. Speaker, other endangered whales under the category requiring the highest I have two different petitions from two different parts of Canada. level of protection against commercial trade. They are both identical and pertain to Bill C-51. The first petition is from residents throughout Vancouver Island. The petitioners are calling upon the Canadian government to join Over 140 petitioners from Campbell River, Duncan, Comox and with the U.S. and Germany to take concrete action to prevent the Victoria call on the House assembled to reject Bill C-51 as an assault trade of endangered whale meat in our respective territories and for on Canadian constitutional rights. Canada to be an international leader in protecting all endangered species. The second group of petitioners, just shy of 170, from throughout the GTA, are all calling for the House to reject Bill C-51. *** IMPAIRED DRIVING Mr. Mark Warawa (Langley, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I am QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER presenting a petition that, sadly, informs the House that Karen East was tragically killed by a drunk driver, a person who chose to drive Hon. Greg Rickford (Minister of Natural Resources and while impaired. The East family has been left devastated. Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Families for Justice is a group of Canadians who have lost loved Northern Ontario, CPC): Mr. Speaker, Question No. 1115 will be ones to an impaired driver. answered today. The petitioners believe that impaired driving laws in Canada are [Text] much too lenient. They want the crime to be called what it is, “vehicular homicide”, which is the number one cause of death in Canada. They want mandatory sentencing for those convicted of Question No. 1115—Hon. John McCallum: impaired driving causing death. With regard to government communications: for each message event proposal PHARMACARE prepared since January 1, 2014, (a) what is the (i) originating department, agency, or Mr. Bruce Hyer (Thunder Bay—Superior North, GP): Mr. crown corporation, (ii) date, (iii) file number, (iv) title or description of the event, (v) event type, (vi) desired headline, (vii) key messages, (viii) media lines, (ix) strategic Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. objectives, (x) desired soundbite, (xi) ideal speaking backdrop, (xii) ideal event photograph, (xiii) tone, (xiv) attire, (xv) rollout materials, (xvi) background, (xvii) The first petition is with respect to national pharmacare. It is from strategic considerations; and (b) for each message event proposal, did the message various communities and people throughout the Thunder Bay— event take place, (i) if so, what was the date and location of the message event, (ii) if Superior North riding. not, why not? The petitioners basically want three things. They want to establish Mr. Paul Calandra (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime a Canada-wide prescription drug program that would cover all Minister and for Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): Mr. citizens; they want to reduce the cost of prescription drugs through Speaker, many message event proposals are submitted in the bulk buying by the government; and, they want to ensure that all language of origin only. Producing and translating the information new drugs are evaluated through sufficient evidence-based research. requested would involve thousands of records and is not possible in Ï (1010) the time period required for this response. NUCLEAR WASTE Mr. Bruce Hyer (Thunder Bay—Superior North, GP): Mr. *** Speaker, the second petition is also from various communities and people in Thunder Bay—Superior North and northwestern Ontario, [English] including Schreiber, Nipigon and Manitouwadge. The petitioners are concerned that the Nuclear Waste Management QUESTIONS PASSED AS ORDERS FOR RETURNS Organization is planning or hoping or at least considering burying nuclear waste in northern Ontario. They would not like that to Hon. Greg Rickford (Minister of Natural Resources and happen and they would not like to have high-level nuclear waste Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for transported through northern Ontario communities. Northern Ontario, CPC): Mr. Speaker, if Questions Nos. 1116 to 1118 could be made orders for return, these returns would be tabled INTERNATIONAL TRADE immediately. Mr. Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by dozens of Vancouver residents, many in Vancouver Kingsway, who are concerned about the shipment of The Speaker: Is that agreed? illegal whale meat through Canadian ports. It has been discovered this happened last year. Some hon. members: Agreed. May 5, 2015 COMMONS DEBATES 13427 Government Orders [Text] founder of the Canadian Coalition Against Terror, and lost a relative Question No. 1116—Hon. Wayne Easter: on the American Airlines flight on 9/11. With regard to the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) and the Canadian Some hon. members: Oh, oh! Criminal Real-Time Identification Services (CCRTIS): broken down annually since 2006, (a) what is the detailed budget for CPIC and CCRTIS; (b) how many Criminal Mr. Steven Blaney: Mr. Speaker, I would invite the opposition Record checks have been submitted to CPIC and CCRTIS; (c) how many Criminal members to listen to this important speech for the safety of our Record checks have been processed; (d) how many Criminal Record checks have been backlogged; (e) how many Vulnerable Sector checks have been submitted to nation and to feel free to comment afterward during their period for CPIC and CCRTIS; (f) how many Vulnerable Sector checks have been backlogged; questioning, and to show respect for someone who stands up for our (g) what is the average processing time for Criminal Record checks; (h) what is the country and who actually lost someone from an act of terrorism.