Hon. Mauril Bélanger (Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
Mr. Speaker, Discussions have taken place among all parties and I believe you will find there is unanimous consent that the recorded division on the motion for second reading of Bill C-12 scheduled for Wednesday, February 18, 2004, be taken today at 5:30 p.m.
Is it agreed?
Agreed.
Mr. Roy Bailey (Souris—Moose Mountain, CPC)
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present two petitions from different areas, not quite worded the same, but dealing with marriage. The constituents call on the government to revisit the topic of what actually constitutes marriage. The petitioners are from across western Canada. They are pleading with the government to do what they are asking for in these petitions.
Mr. Joe Comartin (Windsor—St. Clair, NDP)
Mr. Speaker, I have several petitions. The first one is mostly from members of my riding in the City of Windsor with a couple hundred signatures in support of Bill C-10B, which is the bill providing further protection to animals in our society by way of amendments to the Criminal Code.
Mr. Joe Comartin (Windsor—St. Clair, NDP)
Mr. Speaker, the second one is again from the City of Windsor regarding the definition of marriage.
Mr. Joe Comartin (Windsor—St. Clair, NDP)
The third petition is in regard to the use of sonar, and the disruption and damage it causes to wildlife in the ocean. This petition has come from a good number of signatories in the province of British Columbia.
Mr. Joe Comartin (Windsor—St. Clair, NDP)
Mr. Speaker, the final petition is in regard to the destruction of a forest and the building of an opera house here in Ontario. I am filing this petition on behalf of residents residing in that region of the province.
Mr. Janko Peric (Cambridge, Lib.)
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 it is my privilege to present to the House a petition dealing with marriage and signed by 110 concerned constituents.
The petitioners wish to draw to the attention of the House that the institution of marriage has always been defined as the union of a man and a woman. It was upheld as such by votes in this very House.
The petitioners pray and request that the Parliament of Canada respect and uphold the current understanding of marriage as a union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others.
Mr. Howard Hilstrom (Selkirk—Interlake, CPC)
Mr. Speaker, my petition is one more of millions that have come in from across Canada in regard to marriage.
The petitioners from Manitoba, including Winnipeg and my own riding, point out that marriage is the jurisdiction of Parliament. They ask that Parliament pass legislation recognizing marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
Mr. James Lunney (Nanaimo—Alberni, CPC)
Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions on the subject of marriage. They represent approximately 1,050 signatures.
The petitioners are calling on the government to recognize that social policy should be decided by elected members of Parliament, not by unelected judges, that support of the legal definition of marriage as the voluntary union of a single man and a woman remain, and that Parliament respect the vote in 1999.
Mr. James Lunney (Nanaimo—Alberni, CPC)
Mr. Speaker, I have another petition with nearly 900 signatures. It is on the subject of private member's Bill C-420.
The petitioners are calling on the government to respect the freedom of choice of Canadians in health care products. They suggest that herbs, dietary supplements and other traditional natural health products should be classified as food and not arbitrarily restricted as drugs. They also remind Parliament that the weight of modern scientific evidence confirms the mitigation and prevention of many diseases and disorders through the judicious use of natural health products.
We hope that all members will support that bill.
Mr. Grant McNally (Dewdney—Alouette, CPC)
Mr. Speaker, I have petitions from about 600 constituents who are asking Parliament to pass legislation to recognize the institution of marriage in federal law as the lifelong union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.
Mr. Randy White (Langley—Abbotsford, CPC)
Mr. Speaker, I have several petitions. The first one asks that Parliament legislate an opposite sex requirement for the institution of marriage and that marriage be restricted to be between one man and one woman.
Mr. Randy White (Langley—Abbotsford, CPC)
Mr. Speaker, the second petition asks Parliament not to amend the Human Rights Code, the Canadian Human Rights Act nor the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in any way that would tend to indicate societal approval of same sex relationships, or of homosexuality, including amending the Human Rights Code to include the prohibited grounds of discrimination and the undefined phrase “sexual orientation”.
Mr. Randy White (Langley—Abbotsford, CPC)
Finally, Mr. Speaker, the last petition asks Parliament to protect the rights of Canadians to be free to share their religious beliefs without fear of prosecution.
Mr. Dale Johnston (Wetaskiwin, CPC)
Mr. Speaker, I have a petition with in excess of 500 signatures, all from Albertans and mostly from my riding. The petitioners call upon Parliament to pass legislation to recognize the institution of marriage in federal law as being a lifelong union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.
Mr. Dale Johnston (Wetaskiwin, CPC)
Mr. Speaker, I also have a petition from the rural route mail cariers which calls upon the Government of Canada to repeal section 13.5 of the Canada Post Corporation Act, the part that forbids rural route mail cariers from having collective bargaining rights.
Hon. Roger Gallaway (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
Is it agreed?