44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 12, 2023 10:00AM
- 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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- 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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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 10:26:36 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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Madam Speaker, the next petition that I am presenting is in support of Bill C-318, for my colleague. Petitioners want to see the government support this bill and provide a royal recommendation to allow all parents to have equal access to parental leave benefits, including adoptive families.
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- Dec/12/23 10:28:34 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the next petition that I am presenting highlights the decision, according to petitioners, by the Liberal government to cut funding from women's shelters. They say that, sadly, women's shelters are seeing increased demand. They note the high cost of living and the challenges of those facing domestic violence and other areas of wasteful spending on bureaucracy and consultants, money that could be better spent on helping the most vulnerable.
Therefore, they call on the government to restore funding to women's shelters.
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- Dec/12/23 10:29:06 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, next, I am presenting a petition that is in support of Premier Blaine Higgs in New Brunswick and his policy to protect the rights of parents. The petitioners want to see the federal government butt out and not try to insert itself into decisions that should properly be made by provinces and parents.
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- Dec/12/23 10:29:27 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the final petition I am presenting today highlights the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. Petitioners discuss the history of the petition and various human rights abuses that have taken place as part of that. They call on the Canadian Parliament and the government to take action to raise the issues of the persecution of Falun Gong more frequently and more forcefully in international fora.
I commend these petitions to the consideration of colleagues.
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