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39th PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION

Journals No. 102 Friday, May 30, 2008 10:00 a.m.

The Clerk informed the House of the unavoidable absence of the Speaker.

Whereupon, Mr. Galipeau (Ottawa—Orléans), Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole, took the Chair, pursuant to Standing Order 8.

Prayers

Government Orders

The Order was read for the consideration at report stage of Bill C-50, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 26, 2008 and to enact provisions to preserve the fiscal plan set out in that budget, as reported by the Standing Committee on Finance without amendment.

Pursuant to Standing Order 76.1(5), the Speaker selected and grouped for debate the following motions:

Group No. 1 — Motions Nos. 1 to 5.

Group No. 2 — Motions Nos. 6 to 20.

Group No. 1

Mr. St-Cyr (Jeanne-Le Ber), seconded by Ms. Picard (Drummond), moved Motion No. 1, — That Bill C-50 be amended by deleting Clause 116.

Mr. St-Cyr (Jeanne-Le Ber), seconded by Ms. Picard (Drummond), moved Motion No. 2, — That Bill C-50 be amended by deleting Clause 117.

Mr. St-Cyr (Jeanne-Le Ber), seconded by Ms. Picard (Drummond), moved Motion No. 3, — That Bill C-50 be amended by deleting Clause 118.

Mr. St-Cyr (Jeanne-Le Ber), seconded by Ms. Picard (Drummond), moved Motion No. 4, — That Bill C-50 be amended by deleting Clause 119.

Mr. St-Cyr (Jeanne-Le Ber), seconded by Ms. Picard (Drummond), moved Motion No. 5, — That Bill C-50 be amended by deleting Clause 120.

Debate arose on the motions in Group No. 1.

Statements By Members

Pursuant to Standing Order 31, Members made statements.

Oral Questions

Pursuant to Standing Order 30(5), the House proceeded to Oral Questions.

Daily Routine Of Business

Tabling of Documents

Pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), Mrs. Yelich (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development) laid upon the Table, — Government responses, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), to the following petitions:

— Nos. 392-0588 to 392-0590 concerning the Criminal Code of Canada. — Sessional Paper No. 8545-392-26-17;

— No. 392-0598 concerning museums. — Sessional Paper No. 8545-392-67-02.

Presenting Reports from Interparliamentary Delegations

Pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), presented the report of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union respecting its participation at the Parliamentary Panel within the framework of the WTO Public Forum 2007, held in Geneva, Switzerland, on October 4, 2007. — Sessional Paper No. 8565-392-60-03.

Pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), presented the report of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union respecting its participation at the Fifteenth Session of the Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO, held in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 14 and 15, 2007. — Sessional Paper No. 8565-392-60-04.

Motions

The following motion, standing on the Order Paper in the name of Mr. Dion (Leader of the Opposition), was called and, pursuant to Standing Order 81(4)(b), was deemed adopted, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 81(4)(b), consideration by the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food of Votes 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 under AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD in the Main Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009, be extended beyond May 31, 2008.

Presenting Petitions

Pursuant to Standing Order 36, petitions certified correct by the Clerk of Petitions were presented as follows:

— by , one concerning the Criminal Code of Canada (No. 392-0732);

— by , one concerning the situation in Sudan (No. 392-0733);

— by , one concerning the Criminal Code of Canada (No. 392-0734);

— by , two concerning aboriginal affairs (Nos. 392-0735 and 392-0736);

— by , one concerning the criminal justice system (No. 392-0737);

— by , one concerning the Canada Post Corporation (No. 392-0738);

— by , one concerning national parks (No. 392-0739) and one concerning sponsorships (No. 392-0740).

Questions on the Order Paper

Pursuant to Standing Order 39(7), Mrs. Yelich (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development) presented the returns to the following questions made into Orders for Return:

Q-249 — — With respect to Canada’s fiscal framework: (a) which sectors benefited the most from the tax cuts announced in The Budget Plan 2008; (b) when drafting The Budget Plan 2008, were investments on social or infrastructure projects considered but rejected in order to implement the tax cuts and, if so, which investments were rejected; (c) what is considered the largest source of tax “leakage” by the government on an annual basis for the last five years and (i) what are these losses worth on an annual basis, (ii) from which provinces are most of these losses incurred; (d) which countries, in terms of size of Canadian assets, are considered the largest foreign tax havens and what plans, if any, does the government have to tighten the restrictions on the use of such tax havens; (e) with respect to a comparison between a 0.5% cut to the lowest marginal tax rate and lowering the goods and services tax (GST) by 1%, which of these initiatives would benefit more Canadians, in dollars and people, according to income level; and (f) with respect to a comparison between a $ 500 increase in the basic personal exemption and lowering the GST by 1%, which of these initiatives would benefit more Canadians, in dollars and people, according to income level? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-392-249.

Q-250 — — With respect to newly implemented tax credits: (a) what was the anticipated cost of the public transit tax credit measure prior to its implementation and how many Canadian transit users, by urban centre, were expected to file for this credit; (b) since its inception, on an annual basis, what has been the cost of implementing the public transit tax credit and how many Canadian transit users, by urban centre, have filed for this credit; (c) what would be the costs of extending the public transit tax credit to users who pay for their transit on a basis other than with a monthly travel pass (i.e. on a daily or weekly basis, or by buying blocks of transit chits); (d) by what margin was transit ridership expected to increase with the implementation of this tax credit, by urban area and on an annual basis; (e) since the inception of this credit, how much has ridership increased or decreased, by urban area and on an annual basis; (f) what was the anticipated cost of the tax credit to promote physical fitness among children prior to its implementation; (g) how many Canadian families, by urban centre, were expected to file for this credit; (h) since its inception, on an annual basis, what has been the cost of implementing this tax credit; (i) how many Canadian families, by urban centre, have filed for this credit; (j) under existing regulations what length of time must a sports program be in operation for a family to be eligible for the tax credit; (k) what would be the costs of extending this credit to families who enroll children in sports programs whose duration is for two weeks or longer; and (l) since its implementation, what are the sports, by category that have most and least been utilized under this tax credit? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-392-250.

Government Orders

The House resumed consideration at report stage of Bill C-50, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 26, 2008 and to enact provisions to preserve the fiscal plan set out in that budget, as reported by the Standing Committee on Finance without amendment;

And of the motions in Group No. 1 (Motions Nos. 1 to 5).

The debate continued on the motions in Group No. 1.

Private Members' Business

At 1:30 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 30(6), the House proceeded to the consideration of Private Members' Business.

The Order was read for the second reading and reference to the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates of Bill S-201, An Act to amend the Financial Administration Act and the Bank of Canada Act (quarterly financial reports).

Mr. Warkentin (Peace River), seconded by Mr. Kramp (Prince Edward—Hastings), moved, — That the Bill be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates.

Debate arose thereon.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

Accordingly, Bill S-201, An Act to amend the Financial Administration Act and the Bank of Canada Act (quarterly financial reports), was read the second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates.

Returns and Reports Deposited with the Clerk of the House

Pursuant to Standing Order 32(1), papers deposited with the Clerk of the House were laid upon the Table as follows:

— by — Reports of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008, pursuant to the Access to Information Act and to the Privacy Act, R.S. 1985, c. A-1 and P-21, sbs. 72(2). — Sessional Paper No. 8561-392-632-01. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights)

Adjournment

At 2:18 p.m., the Acting Speaker adjourned the House until Monday at 11:00 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).