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Thursday, March 24, 2016 (No. 35)

Orders of the Day

Government Orders

Business of Supply

December 4, 2015 — The President of the Treasury Board — Consideration of the Business of Supply.
Supply period ending June 23, 2016 — maximum of 8 allotted days, pursuant to Standing Order 81(10)(a).
Days to be allotted — 8 days in current period.

Opposition Motions
December 8, 2015 — Mr. Ritz (Battlefords—Lloydminster) — That the House call on the government to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, given its importance to the Canadian economy and the reliance of one in five Canadian jobs on export markets.

December 8, 2015 — Ms. Bergen (Portage—Lisgar) — That, in the opinion of the House, in order to support jobs and economic security in the oil sector, and in light of the fact that the government has indicated that it will be enacting new approval processes for pipelines, the government should grandfather all pipeline proposals already in the environmental-approval process instead of requiring new applications under yet-to-be disclosed new processes.

December 8, 2015 — Mr. Warkentin (Grande Prairie—Mackenzie) — That the House: (a) acknowledge the government's neglect even to mention farmers, ranchers, and the Canadian agricultural sector in the recent Speech from the Throne; and (b) call upon the government to make agriculture a priority henceforth, and to use every mechanism available to resolve the issue of Country of Origin Labelling practices by the United States.

December 8, 2015 — Ms. Rempel (Calgary Nose Hill) — That, given that minority groups in Iraq and Syria are facing rape, kidnapping, death, and sexual slavery at the hands of the self-styled Islamic State, this House: (a) condemn the violence and atrocities committed against religious minorities, women, members of the LGBTQ community, and those who do not subscribe to the laws of the self-styled Islamic State; (b) recognize that the self-styled Islamic State has committed genocide against persecuted religious minorities in the region such as Christians, Yezidis, and Shia Muslims, in Iraq and Syria; (c) acknowledge that many of the members of these groups cannot flee to refugee camps because they face persecution in those places; (d) reaffirm Canada’s support of religious freedom around the world; and (e) call upon the government to acknowledge that individuals from these groups are facing immediate death or bodily harm at the hands of the self-styled Islamic State, and should be prioritized as refugees to Canada as part of the government’s Syrian refugee plan.

January 29, 2016 — Mr. Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby) — That the House (a) recognize that the government must take action to close the unacceptable gap in pay between men and women which contributes to income inequality and discriminates against women; (b) recognize pay equity as a right; (c) call on the government to implement the recommendations of the 2004 Pay Equity Task Force Report and restore the right to pay equity in the public service which was eliminated by the previous Conservative government in 2009; and (d) appoint a special committee with the mandate to conduct hearings on the matter of pay equity and to propose a plan to adopt a proactive federal pay equity regime, both legislative and otherwise, and (i) that this committee consist of 10 members which shall include six members from the Liberal Party, three members from the Conservative Party, and one member from the New Democratic Party, provided that the Chair is from the government party, (ii) that in addition to the Chair, there be one Vice-Chair from each of the recognized opposition parties, (iii) that the committee have all of the powers of a standing committee as provided in the Standing Orders, as well as the power to travel, accompanied by the necessary staff, subject to the usual authorization from the House, (iv) that the members to serve on the said committee be appointed by the Whip of each party depositing with the Acting Clerk of the House a list of his or her party’s members of the committee no later than February 17, 2016, (v) that the quorum of the committee be as provided for in Standing Order 118, provided that at least one member of each recognized party be present, (vi) that membership substitutions be permitted from time to time, if required, in the manner provided for in Standing Order 114(2), (vii) that the committee report to the House no later than June 10, 2016.

January 29, 2016 — Mr. MacGregor (Cowichan—Malahat—Langford) — That, in the opinion of the House, (a) no one should have to grow old in poverty, insecurity, or isolation; (b) all Canadians deserve a dignified retirement; (c) it is a national shame that 600,000 Canadian seniors currently live in poverty; (d) it is unacceptable that senior women are twice as likely to live in poverty as senior men; and (e) the government should honour its overdue promise to immediately increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement to help raise low-income seniors out of poverty.

January 29, 2016 — Mr. Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby) — That, in the opinion of the House, (a) no one should have to grow old in poverty, insecurity, or isolation; (b) all Canadians deserve a dignified retirement; (c) it is a national shame that 600,000 Canadian seniors currently live in poverty; (d) it is unacceptable that senior women are twice as likely to live in poverty as senior men; and (e) the government should honour its overdue promise to immediately increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement to help raise low-income seniors out of poverty.

January 29, 2016 — Ms. Boutin-Sweet (Hochelaga) — That, in the opinion of the House, the government should take immediate action in response to the growing affordable housing crisis and rampant income inequality which makes it harder for Canadians to afford rent or mortgage payments, by (a) preserving the financing of the social agreements that have not yet expired; (b) restoring the funding from expired long-term operating agreements to social housing programs; (c) funding, in Budget 2016, the immediate construction of new affordable housing, the renovation of existing social housing, and the expansion of rent supplements.

January 29, 2016 — Mr. Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby) — That, in the opinion of the House, the government should take immediate action in response to the growing affordable housing crisis and rampant income inequality which makes it harder for Canadians to afford rent or mortgage payments, by (a) preserving the financing of the social agreements that have not yet expired; (b) restoring the funding from expired long-term operating agreements to social housing programs; (c) funding, in Budget 2016, the immediate construction of new affordable housing, the renovation of existing social housing, and the expansion of rent supplements.

January 29, 2016 — Mr. MacGregor (Cowichan—Malahat—Langford) — That, in the opinion of the House, (a) retirement security is one of the most pressing economic and inequality issues facing Canadian families today; (b) the previous government let down Canadian seniors by raising the age of Old Age Security (OAS) from 65 to 67 without consultation and without stating their intention to do so in the previous election; (c) OAS and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) provide crucial support to Canada’s most vulnerable seniors; and (d) the government should immediately restore the age of eligibility for OAS and GIS to 65, reversing the legislative changes of the previous Conservative government that raised it to 67.

January 29, 2016 — Mr. Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby) — That, in the opinion of the House, (a) retirement security is one of the most pressing economic and inequality issues facing Canadian families today; (b) the previous government let down Canadian seniors by raising the age of Old Age Security (OAS) from 65 to 67 without consultation and without stating their intention to do so in the previous election; (c) OAS and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) provide crucial support to Canada’s most vulnerable seniors; and (d) the government should immediately restore the age of eligibility for OAS and GIS to 65, reversing the legislative changes of the previous Conservative government that raised it to 67.

February 2, 2016 — Mr. Scheer (Regina—Qu'Appelle) — That the House (a) recognize the good work being done by Canada’s Office of Religious Freedom, in particular its work within the Department of Global Affairs to build the Department's capacity to address threats to religious freedom, and to directly promote peace, freedom, tolerance, and communal harmony; and, as a consequence, (b) call on the government to renew the current mandate of the Office, since the continuation of its vital work is needed now more than ever.

February 2, 2016 — Mr. Albas (Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola) — That, given this time of economic uncertainty, the House: (a) recognize the importance of internal trade which generates $366 billion in economic activity; (b) acknowledge that no Cabinet Minister has internal trade referenced in a mandate letter; (c) acknowledge that, through consultations at the Council of the Federation conference, Canadian Premiers have agreed to negotiate and conclude a new Agreement on Internal Trade by March 2016; and (d) express its hope that this timeline will be honoured in order to help grow the Canadian economy through increased internal trade and the further elimination of interprovincial trade barriers.

February 2, 2016 — Mr. Scheer (Regina—Qu'Appelle) — That, given this time of economic uncertainty, the House: (a) recognize the importance of internal trade which generates $366 billion in economic activity; (b) acknowledge that no Cabinet Minister has internal trade referenced in a mandate letter; (c) acknowledge that, through consultations at the Council of the Federation conference, Canadian Premiers have agreed to negotiate and conclude a new Agreement on Internal Trade by March 2016; and (d) express its hope that this timeline will be honoured in order to help grow the Canadian economy through increased internal trade and the further elimination of interprovincial trade barriers.

February 2, 2016 — Mr. Scheer (Regina—Qu'Appelle) — That the House: (a) thank the independent non-partisan officials from the Department of Finance for their hard work and evidence-based analysis; (b) acknowledge their most recent Fiscal Monitor which informed Members and Canadians that, for the period from April to November 2015 of the 2015-2016 fiscal year, the previous government posted a budgetary surplus of $1.0 billion; and (c) concur in its conclusions and express its confidence in the Deputy Minister and his team.

February 16, 2016 — Ms. Rempel (Calgary Nose Hill) — That, given Canada and Israel share a long history of friendship as well as economic and diplomatic relations, the House reject the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which promotes the demonization and delegitimization of the State of Israel, and call upon the government to condemn any and all attempts by Canadian organizations, groups or individuals to promote the BDS movement, both here at home and abroad.

February 23, 2016 — Mr. Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby) — That the House (a) recognize that the current first-past-the-post electoral system regularly results in one party forming a large majority government despite winning far less than a majority of the votes; (b) agree with the Prime Minister, who has regularly called for the 42nd general election to be the last under the current system; (c) acknowledge that for Canadians to have confidence in the process of reforming our electoral system, it is crucial for the political parties of all elected Members of Parliament to have a seat at the table, and that no one party should have the power to unilaterally overhaul the electoral system; and (d) appoint a special committee with the mandate to conduct hearings on replacing the current system with one that better reflects the democratic choices of Canadians, and (i) that this committee consist of 12 members which shall include five members from the government party, three members from the Official Opposition party, two members from the New Democratic Party, one member from the Bloc Québécois and one member from the Green Party, provided that the Chair is from the government party, (ii) that in addition to the Chair, there be one Vice-Chair from each of the recognized opposition parties, (iii) that the committee have all of the powers of a standing committee as provided in the Standing Orders, as well as the power to travel, accompanied by the necessary staff, subject to the usual authorization from the House, (iv) that the members to serve on the said committee be appointed by the Whip of each party depositing with the Acting Clerk of the House a list of his or her party’s members of the committee no later than three sitting days following the adoption of this motion, (v) that the quorum of the committee be as provided for in Standing Order 118, provided that at least one member of each recognized party be present, (vi) that membership substitutions be permitted from time to time, if required, in the manner provided for in Standing Order 114(2), (vii) that the committee report to the House no later than September 30, 2016.

February 23, 2016 — Mr. Cullen (Skeena—Bulkley Valley) — That the House (a) recognize that the current first-past-the-post electoral system regularly results in one party forming a large majority government despite winning far less than a majority of the votes; (b) agree with the Prime Minister, who has regularly called for the 42nd general election to be the last under the current system; (c) acknowledge that for Canadians to have confidence in the process of reforming our electoral system, it is crucial for the political parties of all elected Members of Parliament to have a seat at the table, and that no one party should have the power to unilaterally overhaul the electoral system; and (d) appoint a special committee with the mandate to conduct hearings on replacing the current system with one that better reflects the democratic choices of Canadians, and (i) that this committee consist of 12 members which shall include five members from the government party, three members from the Official Opposition party, two members from the New Democratic Party, one member from the Bloc Québécois and one member from the Green Party, provided that the Chair is from the government party, (ii) that in addition to the Chair, there be one Vice-Chair from each of the recognized opposition parties, (iii) that the committee have all of the powers of a standing committee as provided in the Standing Orders, as well as the power to travel, accompanied by the necessary staff, subject to the usual authorization from the House, (iv) that the members to serve on the said committee be appointed by the Whip of each party depositing with the Acting Clerk of the House a list of his or her party’s members of the committee no later than three sitting days following the adoption of this motion, (v) that the quorum of the committee be as provided for in Standing Order 118, provided that at least one member of each recognized party be present, (vi) that membership substitutions be permitted from time to time, if required, in the manner provided for in Standing Order 114(2), (vii) that the committee report to the House no later than September 30, 2016.

February 23, 2016 — Mr. Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby) — That the House (a) acknowledge that mounting job losses combined with a lack of access to Employment Insurance (EI) contribute to growing income inequality and a situation where too many Canadians are struggling to make ends meet; and (b) call on the government to honour its campaign promises and Throne Speech commitment to strengthen the EI system “to make sure that it best serves both the Canadian economy and all Canadians who need it,” by taking immediate action to: (i) create a universal qualifying threshold of 360 hours for EI, regardless of the regional rate of unemployment, (ii) immediately repeal the harmful reforms of the previous government, including those that force unemployed workers to move away from their communities, take lower-paying jobs and those that eliminated the Extended EI Benefits Pilot program to help seasonal workers, (iii) protect the EI account to ensure that funds are only spent on benefits for Canadians, including training, and never again used to boost the government’s bottom line.

February 23, 2016 — Mr. Nantel (Longueuil—Saint-Hubert) — That, in the opinion of the House, the government should: (a) support the vital role played by CBC/Radio-Canada with respect to culture, the regions and Canadian identity; (b) recognize the harm caused by the $364 million in cuts made by the Liberal government in the 1990s and the $115 million in cuts made by the Conservative government in 2012; (c) reinvest $150 million per year as promised during the election campaign; (d) create an arm’s length commission to make appointments to the CBC/Radio-Canada Board of Directors; and (e) impose a moratorium on transactions requiring the approval of the Governor in Council under section 48(2) of the Broadcasting Act, such as the sale of Maison de Radio-Canada in Montréal.

March 3, 2016 — Mr. Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston) — That the House: (a) acknowledge the contribution Bombardier makes to the Canadian economy and the aerospace industry; (b) recognize that there is a market solution already available that could support Bombardier; (c) acknowledge that Bombardier has designed the quietest and best aircraft in its class that is well suited to urban airports like the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport; (d) recognize that the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is a major economic driver for the Greater Toronto Area that supports both business and leisure travel; (e) recognize that the expansion of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport would allow airlines to purchase Bombardier aircraft; and (f) call on the government to reverse its decision on restricting the expansion of the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

Ways and Means

No. 2 — March 22, 2016 — Resuming the adjourned debate on the motion of Mr. Morneau (Minister of Finance), seconded by Mr. LeBlanc (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons), — That this House approve in general the budgetary policy of the government.
Budget debate — maximum of 4 days, pursuant to Standing Order 84(2).
Date to be determined — 1st day.
No. 3 — March 22, 2016 — The Minister of Finance — Consideration of a Ways and Means motion to amend the Income Tax Act and other tax legislation. — Sessional Paper No. 8570-421-3, tabled on Tuesday, March 22, 2016.
No. 4 — March 22, 2016 — The Minister of Finance — Consideration of a Ways and Means motion to amend the Excise Tax Act. — Sessional Paper No. 8570-421-4, tabled on Tuesday, March 22, 2016.
No. 5 — March 22, 2016 — The Minister of Finance — Consideration of a Ways and Means motion to amend the Excise Tax Act, the Excise Act, 2001 and other tax legislation. — Sessional Paper No. 8570-421-5, tabled on Tuesday, March 22, 2016.

Government Bills (Commons)

C-5 — February 5, 2016 — The President of the Treasury Board — Second reading and reference to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities of Bill C-5, An Act to repeal Division 20 of Part 3 of the Economic Action Plan 2015 Act, No. 1.
C-7R — March 22, 2016 — Resuming consideration of the motion of Mr. Brison (President of the Treasury Board), seconded by Mr. Duclos (Minister of Families, Children and Social Development), — That Bill C-7, An Act to amend the Public Service Labour Relations Act, the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board Act and other Acts and to provide for certain other measures, be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security.

Government Bills (Senate)

Government Business

No. 1 — December 7, 2015 — The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons — That the House consider the current state of the Canadian economy as set out in the Update of Economic and Fiscal Projections 2015 that was released on November 20, 2015, and was tabled in the House on December 7, 2015.
No. 3 — February 11, 2016 — The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons — That the House support the government’s decision to broaden, improve, and redefine our contribution to the effort to combat ISIL by better leveraging Canadian expertise while complementing the work of our coalition partners to ensure maximum effect, including:
(a) refocusing our military contribution by expanding the advise and assist mission of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in Iraq, significantly increasing intelligence capabilities in Iraq and theatre-wide, deploying CAF medical personnel, offering to provide the Government of Iraq ministerial liaison personnel to the Ministries of Defence and the Interior, enhancing capacity-building efforts with our defence partners in Jordan and Lebanon to advance regional stability, and withdrawing our CF-18s while maintaining air force surveillance and refuelling capability;
(b) improving the living conditions of conflict-affected populations and helping to build the foundations for long-term regional stability of host communities, including Lebanon and Jordan;
(c) investing significantly in humanitarian assistance while working with experienced humanitarian partners to support the basic needs of conflict-affected populations, including children and victims of sexual and gender-based violence;
(d) engaging more effectively with political leaders throughout the region, increasing Canada’s contribution to international efforts aimed at finding political solutions to the crises affecting the region and reinforcing our diplomatic presence to facilitate the delivery of enhanced programming, supporting increased CAF deployments, strengthening dialogue with local and international partners on the ground and generally giving Canada a stronger voice in the region;
(e) welcoming tens of thousands of Syrian refugees to Canada;
that the House express its appreciation and pride to the members of the CAF, diplomatic and intelligence personnel for their participation in the fight against terrorism, to Canadian humanitarian workers for their efforts to provide critical support to conflict-affected populations, and reconfirm our commitment to our allies in the coalition against ISIL; and
that the House note the government’s resolve to return to the House within two years with a new motion on Canada’s contribution to the region.

R Recommended by the Governor General