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39th PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION

Journals No. 64 Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:00 a.m.

Prayers

Daily Routine Of Business

Tabling of Documents

Pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), Mr. Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform) laid upon the Table, — Government responses, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), to the following petitions:

— No. 392-0252 concerning the criminal justice system. — Sessional Paper No. 8545-392-68-01;

— No. 392-0256 concerning the Canada Post Corporation. — Sessional Paper No. 8545-392-58-03;

— No. 392-0258 concerning the Canadian Armed Forces. — Sessional Paper No. 8545-392-69-01;

— No. 392-0308 concerning the tax system. — Sessional Paper No. 8545-392-15-02;

— No. 392-0310 concerning crimes of violence. — Sessional Paper No. 8545-392-56-02;

— Nos. 392-0311 to 392-0325, 392-0348, 392-0373 to 392-0375 and 392-0391 concerning the sexual exploitation of minors. — Sessional Paper No. 8545-392-38-05;

— No. 392-0371 concerning the Criminal Code of Canada. — Sessional Paper No. 8545-392-26-07.

Presenting Reports from Committees

Mr. Richardson (Calgary Centre), from the Standing Committee on International Trade, presented the Third Report of the Committee, "A Study of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Negotiations". — Sessional Paper No. 8510-392-83.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the Committee requested that the government table a comprehensive response.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meetings Nos. 5, 7 to 9 and 11 to 17) was tabled.

Introduction of Private Members' Bills

Pursuant to Standing Orders 68(2) and 69(1), on motion of Ms. Wasylycia-Leis (Winnipeg North), seconded by Mr. Marston (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek), Bill C-524, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (exception to inadmissibility), was introduced, read the first time, ordered to be printed and ordered for a second reading at the next sitting of the House.

Presenting Petitions

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

— by , one concerning the income tax system (No. 392-0446);

— by , three concerning national parks (Nos. 392-0447 to 392-0449);

— by , one concerning passports (No. 392-0450) and one concerning transportation (No. 392-0451).

Business of Supply

The Order was read for the consideration of the Business of Supply.

Mr. Crête (Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup), seconded by Mr. Ouellet (Brome—Missisquoi), moved, — That, in the opinion of the House, the government should immediately abandon the idea of creating a common securities regulator, since securities regulations fall under the legislative jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces and because this initiative is unanimously condemned in Quebec.

Debate arose thereon.

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.

Ways and Means

Mr. Flaherty (Minister of Finance) laid upon the Table, — Notice of a Ways and Means motion 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. (Ways and Means No. 10) — Sessional Paper No. 8570-392-12.

Pursuant to Standing Order 83(2), at the request of Mr. Flaherty (Minister of Finance), an Order of the Day was designated for the consideration of this Ways and Means motion.

Business of Supply

The House resumed consideration of the motion of Mr. Crête (Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup), seconded by Mr. Ouellet (Brome—Missisquoi), in relation to the Business of Supply.

The debate continued.

At 5:15 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 81(16), the Speaker interrupted the proceedings.

The question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following division:
(Division No. 63 -- Vote n^o 63)
YEAS: 73, NAYS: 198
YEAS -- POUR André Angus Asselin Atamanenko Bachand Barbot Bell (Vancouver Island North) Bellavance Bevington Bigras Blaikie Blais Bonsant Bouchard Bourgeois Brunelle Cardin Carrier Charlton Chow Comartin Crête Crowder Cullen (Skeena—Bulkley Valley) Davies DeBellefeuille Demers Deschamps Dewar Duceppe Faille Freeman Gagnon Gaudet Godin Gravel Guimond Julian Laforest Laframboise Lavallée Layton Lemay Lessard Lévesque Lussier Malo Marston Martin (Winnipeg Centre) Martin (Sault Ste. Marie) Masse Mathyssen McDonough Ménard (Hochelaga) Ménard (Marc-Aurèle-Fortin) Mourani Mulcair Nadeau Nash Ouellet Paquette Perron Picard Plamondon Priddy Roy Siksay St-Cyr St-Hilaire Stoffer Thi Lac Vincent Wasylycia-Leis Total: -- 73
NAYS -- CONTRE Abbott Ablonczy Albrecht Alghabra Allen Allison Ambrose Anders Anderson Arthur Bagnell Bains Baird Barnes Batters Bélanger Bell (North Vancouver) Bennett Benoit Bernier Bevilacqua Bezan Blackburn Blaney Boshcoff Boucher Breitkreuz Brison Brown (Leeds—Grenville) Brown (Barrie) Bruinooge Byrne Calkins Cannan (Kelowna—Lake Country) Cannis Cannon (Pontiac) Carrie Casson Chan Chong Clement Comuzzi Cotler Cullen (Etobicoke North) Cummins Cuzner D'Amours Davidson Day Del Mastro Devolin Dhalla Dion Dosanjh Doyle Dryden Dykstra Easter Emerson Epp Eyking Fast Finley Fitzpatrick Flaherty Fletcher Folco Fry Galipeau Gallant Godfrey Goldring Goodale Goodyear Gourde Grewal Guarnieri Hanger Harris Harvey Hawn Hearn Hiebert Hill Hinton Holland Hubbard Ignatieff Jaffer Jean Jennings Kadis Kamp (Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission) Karygiannis Keddy (South Shore—St. Margaret's) Kenney (Calgary Southeast) Khan Komarnicki Kramp (Prince Edward—Hastings) Lake Lauzon Lebel Lee Lemieux Lukiwski Lunn Lunney MacAulay MacKay (Central Nova) MacKenzie Malhi Maloney Manning Mark Marleau Martin (Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca) Matthews Mayes McCallum McGuire McKay (Scarborough—Guildwood) McTeague Merrifield Miller Mills Minna Moore (Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam) Moore (Fundy Royal) Murphy (Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe) Murphy (Charlottetown) Neville Nicholson Norlock O'Connor Obhrai Oda Pacetti Paradis Patry Pearson Petit Poilievre Preston Rajotte Ratansi Redman Regan Reid Richardson Ritz Rota Russell Savage Scarpaleggia Scheer Schellenberger Scott Shipley Silva Simard Simms Skelton Smith Solberg Sorenson St. Amand St. Denis Stanton Storseth Strahl Sweet Szabo Telegdi Temelkovski Thibault (West Nova) Thompson (New Brunswick Southwest) Thompson (Wild Rose) Tilson Toews Tonks Trost Tweed Valley Van Kesteren Van Loan Vellacott Verner Volpe Wallace Warawa Warkentin Watson Wilfert Williams Wilson Wrzesnewskyj Yelich Zed Total: -- 198
PAIRED -- PAIRÉS Guay Guergis Kotto Lalonde Pallister Prentice

Private Members' Business

At 5:45 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 30(7), 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 Fisheries and Oceans of Bill S-215, An Act to protect heritage lighthouses.

Mr. Miller (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound), seconded by Mr. Keddy (South Shore—St. Margaret's), moved, — That the Bill be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.

Debate arose thereon.

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

Accordingly, Bill S-215, An Act to protect heritage lighthouses, was read the second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.

Government Orders

Pursuant to Order made Thursday, March 6, 2008, the House resumed consideration of the motion of Mr. Van Loan (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform), seconded by Mr. Prentice (Minister of Industry), —

Whereas,

the House recognizes the important contribution and sacrifice of Canadian Forces and Canadian civilian personnel as part of the UN mandated, NATO-led mission deployed in Afghanistan at the request of the democratically elected government of Afghanistan;

the House believes that Canada must remain committed to the people of Afghanistan beyond February 2009;

the House takes note that in February 2002, the government took a decision to deploy 850 troops to Kandahar to join the international coalition that went to Afghanistan to drive out the Taliban in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and that this deployment lasted for six months at which time the troops rotated out of Afghanistan and returned home;

the House takes note that in February 2003, the government took a decision that Canada would commit 2000 troops and lead for one year, starting in the summer of 2003, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul and at the end of the one-year commitment, Canada’s 2000 troop commitment was reduced to a 750-person reconnaissance unit as Canada’s NATO ally, Turkey, rotated into Kabul to replace Canada as the lead nation of the ISAF mission;

the House takes note that in August 2005, Canada assumed responsibility of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kandahar province which included roughly 300 Canadian Forces personnel;

the House takes note that the government took a decision to commit a combat Battle Group of roughly 1200 troops to Kandahar for a period of one year, from February 2006 to February 2007;

the House takes note that in January 2006, the government participated in the London Conference on Afghanistan which resulted in the signing of the Afghanistan Compact which set out benchmarks and timelines until the end of 2010 for improving the security, the governance and the economic and social development of Afghanistan;

the House takes note that in May 2006, Parliament supported the government’s two year extension of Canada’s deployment of diplomatic, development, civilian police and military personnel in Afghanistan and the provision of funding and equipment for this extension;

the House welcomes the Report of the Independent Panel on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan, chaired by the Honourable John Manley, and recognizes the important contribution its members have made;

the House takes note that it has long been a guiding principle of Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan that all three components of a comprehensive government strategy – defence, diplomacy and development – must reinforce each other and that the government must strike a balance between these components to be most effective;

the House takes note that the ultimate aim of Canadian policy is to leave Afghanistan to Afghans, in a country that is better governed, more peaceful and more secure and to create the necessary space and conditions to allow the Afghans themselves to achieve a political solution to the conflict; and

the House takes note that in order to achieve that aim, it is essential to assist the people of Afghanistan to have properly trained, equipped and paid members of the four pillars of their security apparatus: the army, the police, the judicial system and the correctional system;

therefore, it is the opinion of the House,

that Canada should continue a military presence in Kandahar beyond February 2009, to July 2011, in a manner fully consistent with the UN mandate on Afghanistan, and that the military mission should consist of:

(a) training the Afghan National Security Forces so that they can expeditiously take increasing responsibility for security in Kandahar and Afghanistan as a whole;

(b) providing security for reconstruction and development efforts in Kandahar;

that, consistent with this mandate, this extension of Canada’s military presence in Afghanistan is approved by this House expressly on the condition that:

(a) NATO secure a battle group of approximately 1000 to rotate into Kandahar (operational no later than February 2009);

(b) to better ensure the safety and effectiveness of the Canadian contingent, the government secure medium helicopter lift capacity and high performance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance before February 2009; and

(c) the government of Canada notify NATO that Canada will end its presence in Kandahar as of July 2011, and, as of that date, the redeployment of Canadian Forces troops out of Kandahar and their replacement by Afghan forces start as soon as possible, so that it will have been completed by December 2011;

that the government of Canada, together with our allies and the government of Afghanistan, must set firm targets and timelines for the training, equipping and paying of the Afghan National Army, the Afghan National Police, the members of the judicial system and the members of the correctional system;

that Canada’s contribution to the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan should:

(a) be revamped and increased to strike a better balance between our military efforts and our development efforts in Afghanistan;

(b) focus on our traditional strengths as a nation, particularly through the development of sound judicial and correctional systems and strong political institutions on the ground in Afghanistan and the pursuit of a greater role for Canada in addressing the chronic fresh water shortages in the country;

(c) address the crippling issue of the narco-economy that consistently undermines progress in Afghanistan, through the pursuit of solutions that do not further alienate the goodwill of the local population;

(d) be held to a greater level of accountability and scrutiny so that the Canadian people can be sure that our development contributions are being spent effectively in Afghanistan;

that Canada should assert a stronger and more disciplined diplomatic position regarding Afghanistan and the regional players, including support for the naming of a special envoy to the region who could both ensure greater coherence in all diplomatic initiatives in the region and also press for greater coordination amongst our partners in the UN in the pursuit of common diplomatic goals in the region;

that the government should provide the public with franker and more frequent reporting on events in Afghanistan, offering more assessments of Canada’s role and giving greater emphasis to the diplomatic and reconstruction efforts as well as those of the military and, for greater clarity, the government should table in Parliament detailed reports on the progress of the mission in Afghanistan on a quarterly basis;

that the House of Commons should strike a special parliamentary committee on Afghanistan which would meet regularly with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and National Defence and senior officials, and that the House should authorize travel by the special committee to Afghanistan and the surrounding region so that the special committee can make frequent recommendations on the conduct and progress of our efforts in Afghanistan;

that, the special parliamentary committee on Afghanistan should review the laws and procedures governing the use of operational and national security exceptions for the withholding of information from Parliament, the Courts and the Canadian people with those responsible for administering those laws and procedures, to ensure that Canadians are being provided with ample information on the conduct and progress of the mission; and

that with respect to the transfer of Afghan detainees to Afghan authorities, the government must:

(a) commit to meeting the highest NATO and international standards with respect to protecting the rights of detainees, transferring only when it believes it can do so in keeping with Canada’s international obligations;

(b) pursue a NATO-wide solution to the question of detainees through diplomatic efforts that are rooted in the core Canadian values of respect for human rights and the dignity of all people;

(c) commit to a policy of greater transparency with respect to its policy on the taking of and transferring of detainees including a commitment to report on the results of reviews or inspections of Afghan prisons undertaken by Canadian officials; and

that the government must commit to improved interdepartmental coordination to achieve greater cross-government coherence and coordination of the government’s domestic management of our commitment to Afghanistan, including the creation of a full-time task force which is responsible directly to the Prime Minister to lead these efforts; (Government Business No. 5)

And of the amendment of Ms. Black (New Westminster—Coquitlam), seconded by Ms. McDonough (Halifax), — That the motion be amended by deleting all the words from “Whereas” to “goals in the region;” and substituting the following:

“That the House call upon the government to begin preparations for the safe withdrawal of Canadian soldiers from the combat mission in Afghanistan with no further mission extensions;

that, in the opinion of the House, the government should engage in a robust diplomatic process to prepare the groundwork for a political solution, under explicit UN direction and authority, engaging both regional and local stakeholders, and ensuring the full respect for international human rights and humanitarian law;

that, in the opinion of the House, the government should maintain the current suspension on the transfer of Afghan detainees to Afghan authorities until substantial reforms of the prison system are undertaken;

that, in the opinion of the House, the government should provide effective and transparent development assistance under civilian direction consistent with the Afghanistan Compact;”

and by deleting all of the words following: “to ensure that Canadians are being provided with ample information on the conduct and progress of the mission”.

The debate continued.

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 — Orders in Council approving certain appointments made by the Governor General in Council, pursuant to Standing Order 110(1), as follows:

— P.C. 2008-350 and P.C. 2008-351. — Sessional Paper No. 8540-392-1-05. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(6), referred to the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development)

— P.C. 2008-324 to P.C. 2008-326. — Sessional Paper No. 8540-392-2-06. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(6), referred to the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food)

— P.C. 2008-353 to P.C. 2008-355, P.C. 2008-358 to 2008-360 and P.C. 2008-365. — Sessional Paper No. 8540-392-3-06. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(6), referred to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage)

— P.C. 2008-297 to P.C. 2008-301. — Sessional Paper No. 8540-392-7-05. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(6), referred to the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development)

— P.C. 2008-295, P.C. 2008-296, P.C. 2008-309 to P.C. 2008-313 and P.C. 2008-362 to P.C. 2008-364. — Sessional Paper No. 8540-392-9-06. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(6), referred to the Standing Committee on Finance)

— P.C. 2008-236, P.C. 2008-263, P.C. 2008-265, P.C. 2008-293, P.C. 2008-302, P.C. 2008-304 and P.C. 2008-305. — Sessional Paper No. 8540-392-8-07. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(6), referred to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development)

— P.C. 2008-303, P.C. 2008-314 and P.C. 2008-361. — Sessional Paper No. 8540-392-4-07. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(6), referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates)

— P.C. 2008-292 and P.C. 2008-327 to P.C. 2008-349. — Sessional Paper No. 8540-392-16-07. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(6), referred to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities)

— P.C. 2008-290, P.C. 2008-291 and P.C. 2008-316 to P.C. 2008-323. — Sessional Paper No. 8540-392-22-04. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(6), referred to the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology)

— P.C. 2008-315. — Sessional Paper No. 8540-392-13-05. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(6), referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights)

— P.C. 2008-262. — Sessional Paper No. 8540-392-17-04. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(6), referred to the Standing Committee on National Defence)

— P.C. 2008-228 to P.C. 2008-234 and P.C. 2008-294. — Sessional Paper No. 8540-392-30-05. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(6), referred to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security)

— P.C. 2008-307 and P.C. 2008-308. — Sessional Paper No. 8540-392-24-07. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(6), referred to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities)

Adjournment

At midnight, pursuant to Order made Thursday, March 6, 2008, the Speaker adjourned the House until later today at 2:00 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).