44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 12, 2023 10:00AM
- Dec/12/23 10:15:36 a.m.
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That is exactly what I just said, that the hon. member will get to the essence.
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- Dec/12/23 10:15:43 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, on a point of order, the government is challenging your ruling. You have asked the member to read the petition. He is reading the petition—
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- Dec/12/23 10:15:52 a.m.
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I asked for the essence of the petition, as is the rule for everyone.
The hon. member for Prince George, please.
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- Dec/12/23 10:15:58 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, we, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following: Whereas the Prime Minister's government has attempted to ban—
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- Dec/12/23 10:16:09 a.m.
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Read the essence of the petition, as is the rule. Members cannot read all the articles because they will read the whole petition.
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- Dec/12/23 10:16:20 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I guess the truth hurt over there. The Liberals do not like us reading a pro law-abiding firearms petition into the record in the House of Commons.
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
Mr. Bob Zimmer: Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister's government has attempted to ban and seize hunting rifles and shotguns of millions of Canadians. The targeting of farmers and hunters does not fight crime.
The Prime Minister's government has failed those who participate in the Canadian traditions of sport shooting. Therefore, the undersigned petitioners call on the Government of Canada to stop any and all current and future bans on hunting and sport shooting firearms.
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- Dec/12/23 10:17:28 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have a few petitions to present today.
The first petition is on public prayer in the Canadian Armed Forces. The recent directive that was issued to military chaplains banning religious symbols and prayer at public ceremonies, such as that of Remembrance Day, undermines our religious freedom. Ironically, this is one of the very values that our men and women in uniform have fought to defend.
The petitioners are calling on the House of Commons to affirm the right to public prayer in our Canadian Armed Forces.
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Madam Speaker, my next petition is with regard to Canadians having the right to be protected against discrimination. Canadians can and do face political discrimination, but it is a fundamental Canadian right to be politically active and vocal.
It is in the best interest of Canadian democracy to protect public debate and the exchange of differing ideas. Bill C-257 seeks to add protection against political discrimination to the Canadian Human Rights Act.
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Madam Speaker, in my final petition, the undersigned understand that adoptive and intended parents are at a disadvantage when it comes to leave and time with their children. All parents deserve equal access to parental leave benefits, and Bill C-318 would deliver this equitable access.
The Speaker has said this bill needs a royal recommendation, and the undersigned are asking that the government provide that royal recommendation to Bill C-318.
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- Dec/12/23 10:19:10 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will be presenting two petitions today.
The first petition is from members of my constituency who are very concerned about the climate emergency. They are asking the government to reduce emissions by at least 60% below 2005 levels, to make sure the fossil fuel industry and related infrastructure wind down, to end fossil fuel subsidies, to transition to a decarbonized economy and to focus on protecting and strengthening human rights, workers' rights and indigenous rights, sovereignty and knowledge.
There are many signatures, and I appreciate the petitioners' hard work. They want to make sure this transition happens by increasing the taxes on the wealthiest corporations and people to finance it.
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- Dec/12/23 10:19:59 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the second petition is with respect to a big issue in the riding I represent of North Island—Powell River regarding foam in marine infrastructure that continues to pollute Canadian beaches. The petitioners talk about expanded polystyrene, commonly known as styrofoam, in the marine environment and the harm it causes for marine life, seafood resources and ecosystems.
These citizens are calling on the Government of Canada to prohibit the use of expanded polystyrene in the marine environment.
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- Dec/12/23 10:20:33 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have two petitions to present today, both on the same subject. One is signed by members of the North Addington Education Centre in Kingston, and the other is signed by the St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Catholic School community.
These petitioners are calling on the federal government to implement a national school food program through budget 2024 for implementation in the fall of 2024. They bring to the government's attention Statistics Canada data from 2022 indicating that one in four children in Canada lives in a food-insecure household. They also draw to the government's attention that Canada is the only G7 country without a school food program.
Finally, they draw to the government's attention that there are 388 million children throughout the world in developed countries who benefit from such a food program, yet we do not have one in Canada.
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- Dec/12/23 10:21:35 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, indulge me for a moment:
Joy to the world, the Lord is comeLet Earth receive her King...
In places of worship across this country, Canadians come together to sing Joy to the World and other Christmas carols during Advent and the Christmas season. Unfortunately, the Canadian Human Rights Commission recently stated that this holiday is discriminatory, colonialist and intolerant to Canadian society.
My constituents reject that notion and call upon the Government of Canada to denounce the recent report by the Canadian Human Rights Commission, which discriminates against Christianity and freedom of religion for all Canadians.
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- Dec/12/23 10:22:25 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have two petitions to present today on behalf of my constituents.
The first one draws attention to the fact that only 41% of doctors with international credentials work as doctors in Canada, and 30% of nurses with international credentials work as nurses in Canada. That is about 53,000 foreign or internationally trained professionals, and many of them have great difficulty. We just had a case of that here in the Ottawa region, where an Ottawa doctor did not get her PR status.
My constituents are calling for the Minister of Employment to create a blue seal program with a 60-day standard for licensing doctors and nurses. This will make processes more streamlined and help fill Canada's shortages of health care professionals.
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Madam Speaker, my second petition draws the attention of the House to the following: The value of the energy sector is about 10% of Canada's GDP. It pays over $26 billion in taxes at all levels of government, and it paid about $48 billion in royalties and taxes in 2022.
Constituents are calling for Bill C-50, the “unjust transition act”, to be abandoned. They say that a central planning agenda is not fair, just or right. Instead, they would like the acceleration of Canadian energy projects and infrastructure, technology and exports and green-lighting of green energy projects.
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Madam Speaker, I have a number of petitions to present to the House today.
The first is from some great people from Skeena—Bulkley Valley. I want to thank them for signing this petition in support of Bill C-257. It is a private member's bill put forward by me in the House to combat political discrimination.
Petitioners note that it should be a protected right in Canada to be free from discrimination on the basis of political views, yet there is no such protection in the Canadian Human Rights Act. They support this bill, which would add political belief and activity to the Canadian Human Rights Act as prohibited grounds of discrimination.
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- Dec/12/23 10:24:28 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, next I am pleased to table a fairly lengthy petition about human rights in Eritrea, which was organized and signed by members of the Eritrean Canadian community. They are deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Eritrea and about attempts at foreign interference by Eritrea here in Canada.
To briefly go through the points, they note how Eritrea has been ruled by a brutal authoritarian dictator for the last 30 years, with no constitution, no elections, no parliament, no freedom of the press and no freedom of movement and association. Eritrea has been called the “North Korea of Africa”. They note how Eritreans continue to flee indefinite military conscription and religious persecution, how hundreds of thousands of Eritreans have fled the country, how those who have managed to flee still face intimidation and extortion from representatives and agents of the Eritrean regime abroad and how their families in Eritrea are harassed and forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars simply because their children have fled.
Petitioners note that the Eritrean embassy and other representatives of the diaspora have been utilized to surveil and monitor those in the diaspora. Various concerns are raised throughout this petition about violence that is organized outside Eritrea by the Eritrean regime. Petitioners also note the alignment of Eritrea's dictator with Vladimir Putin and the collaboration with Russia's aggressive agenda around the world.
Therefore, the petitioners call on the Government of Canada to engage Eritrean political and human rights activists and pro-democracy groups to take a leadership role among western allies to challenge the Eritrean dictators' malicious conspiracy with Vladimir Putin; to do more to combat foreign interference in Canada by Eritrea, including rejecting the entry visas of those who are affiliated with the regime; to enforce Canada's asylum laws properly against those who provide—
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- Dec/12/23 10:26:26 a.m.
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May I remind the hon. member that we really just want a short summary of each petition and not the whole reading out of it. I know it is a lengthy one, but it does go into many details.
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- Dec/12/23 10:26:36 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to commend the petitioners, who have worked very hard to put many different items in this petition. I am summarizing it, but there is a great deal raised.
Petitioners want the proper enforcement of Canada's asylum laws and strengthened sanctions for human rights abusers. They also want Canada to call for the release of imprisoned journalists, including Swedish Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak, and 11 imprisoned parliamentarians. Petros Solomon, Mahmoud Ahmed Sheriffo, Haile Woldetensae and Ogbe Abraha are political prisoners—
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- Dec/12/23 10:27:14 a.m.
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The hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader is rising on a point of order.
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