Pursuant to Standing Order 31, Members made statements.

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

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:

Pursuant to Standing Orders 68(2) and 69(1), on motion of Mr. Nicholson (Minister of Justice), seconded by Mr. Van Loan (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform), Bill C-31, An Act to amend the Judges Act, was introduced, read the first time, ordered to be printed and ordered for a second reading at the next sitting of the House.

Mr. Sorenson (Crowfoot), from the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, presented the First Report of the Committee (Supplementary Estimates (A), 2007-2008 — Votes 1a, 5a, 10a, 20a, 25a, L40a, 45a and 50a under FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE). — Sessional Paper No. 8510-392-07.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 4) was tabled.

Mr. Sorenson (Crowfoot), from the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, presented the Second Report of the Committee (Bill C-9, An Act to implement the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States (ICSID Convention), without amendment). — Sessional Paper No. 8510-392-08.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meetings Nos. 3 and 4) was tabled.

Pursuant to Standing Orders 68(2) and 69(1), on motion of Mr. Masse (Windsor West), seconded by Ms. Bell (Vancouver Island North), Bill C-487, An Act to prevent psychological harassment in the workplace and to amend the Canada Labour Code, was introduced, read the first time, ordered to be printed and ordered for a second reading at the next sitting of the House.

Pursuant to Standing Orders 68(2) and 69(1), on motion of Mr. Simard (Saint Boniface), seconded by Mr. D'Amours (Madawaska—Restigouche), Bill C-488, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Employment Insurance Regulations (excluding pension from earnings when calculating employment insurance benefits), was introduced, read the first time, ordered to be printed and ordered for a second reading at the next sitting of the House.

By unanimous consent, Ms. Chow (Trinity—Spadina), seconded by Mr. Devolin (Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock) and, by unanimous consent, by Mr. Lee (Scarborough—Rouge River) and Ms. Faille (Vaudreuil-Soulanges), moved, — That, in the opinion of the House:

i. during its wartime occupation of Asia and the Pacific Islands, from the 1930s through the duration of World War II, the Imperial Armed Forces of Japan officially commissioned the acquisition of young women for the sole purpose of sexual servitude, who became known as “comfort women”;

ii. some Japanese public officials have recently expressed a regrettable desire to dilute or rescind the 1993 statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono on the “comfort women”, which expressed the Government's sincere apologies and remorse for their ordeal;

iii. Japan has made progress since 1945 in recognizing and atoning for its past actions, and for many decades has been a major contributor to international peace, security, and development, including through the United Nations;

iv. the Canada-Japan alliance continues to be based on shared vital interests and values in the Asia-Pacific region, including the preservation and promotion of political and economic freedoms, support for human rights and democratic institutions, and the securing of prosperity for the people of both countries and the international community; and

v. the government of Canada should therefore encourage the government of Japan to abandon any statement which devalues the expression of regret from the Kono Statement of 1993; to clearly and publicly refute any claims that the sexual enslavement and trafficking of the “comfort women” for the Japanese lmperial Forces never occurred; to take full responsibility for the involvement of the Japanese Imperial Forces in the system of forced prostitution, including through a formal and sincere apology expressed in the Diet to all of those who were victims; and to continue to address those affected in a spirit of reconciliation.

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

Pursuant to Standing Order 36, a petition certified correct by the Clerk of Petitions was presented as follows:

Mr. Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform) presented the answer to question Q-73 on the Order Paper.

Pursuant to Standing Order 39(7), Mr. Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform) presented the returns to the following questions made into Orders for Returns:

The Speaker ruled that Bill C-418, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (deductibility of remuneration), was improperly before the House and declared the first reading null and void.

Accordingly, the Order for the second reading of the Bill was discharged and the item was dropped from the Order Paper.

The House resumed consideration of the motion of Mr. Nicholson (Minister of Justice), seconded by Mr. Thompson (Minister of Veterans Affairs), — That Bill C-2, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, be now read a third time and do pass.

The debate continued.

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

Accordingly, the Bill was read the third time and passed.

The Order was read for the second reading and reference to the Standing Committee on Finance of Bill C-28, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 19, 2007 and to implement certain provisions of the economic statement tabled in Parliament on October 30, 2007.

Ms. Ambrose (President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada) for Mr. Flaherty (Minister of Finance), seconded by Mr. Hill (Secretary of State), moved, — That the Bill be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Finance.

Debate arose thereon.

Pursuant to Standing Order 93(1), the House proceeded to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion of Mr. Ménard (Marc-Aurèle-Fortin), seconded by Mrs. Thi Lac (Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot), — That Bill C-426, An Act to amend the Canada Evidence Act (protection of journalistic sources and search warrants), be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

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

Pursuant to Standing Order 93(1), the House proceeded to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion of Mr. Blais (Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine), seconded by Mr. André (Berthier—Maskinongé), — That Bill C-357, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (Employment Insurance Account and premium rate setting) and another Act in consequence, be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

The question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following division:

Pursuant to Standing Order 98(4), the House proceeded to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion of Mr. Cullen (Skeena—Bulkley Valley), seconded by Ms. Nash (Parkdale—High Park), — That Bill C-307, An Act respecting bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate and dibutyl phthalate, be now read a third time and do pass.

By unanimous consent, the motion was agreed to.

Accordingly, the Bill was read the third time and passed.

Pursuant to Standing Order 93(1), the House proceeded to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion of Ms. Beaumier (Brampton West), seconded by Mr. Dhaliwal (Newton—North Delta), — That Bill C-362, An Act to amend the Old Age Security Act (residency requirement), be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

By unanimous consent, the motion was agreed to on division.

Accordingly, Bill C-362, An Act to amend the Old Age Security Act (residency requirement), was read the second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

Pursuant to Standing Order 93(1), the House proceeded to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion of Ms. Bennett (St. Paul's), seconded by Mrs. Redman (Kitchener Centre), — That Bill C-378, An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act and the Food and Drug Regulations (drug export restrictions), be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Health.

The question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following division:

At 6:25 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 30(7), the House proceeded to the consideration of Private Members' Business.

The Order was read for the consideration at report stage of Bill C-253, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (deductibility of RESP contributions), as reported by the Standing Committee on Finance with amendments.

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

Mr. McTeague (Pickering—Scarborough East), seconded by Mr. Malhi (Bramalea—Gore—Malton), moved Motion No. 1, — That Bill C-253, in Clause 2, be amended by deleting lines 10 to 24 on page 1.

Mr. McTeague (Pickering—Scarborough East), seconded by Mr. Malhi (Bramalea—Gore—Malton), moved Motion No. 2, — That Bill C-253, in Clause 2, be amended by replacing lines 8 and 9 on page 2 with the following:

Debate arose on the motions in Group No. 1.

Mr. St-Cyr (Jeanne-Le Ber), seconded by Mr. André (Berthier—Maskinongé), moved the following amendment, — That Motion No. 2 be amended by adding after the word “years” the following:

The debate continued on motions in Group No. 1.

Pursuant to Standing Order 98(2), the Order was dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the Order Paper.

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

At 7:25 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 38(1), the question “That this House do now adjourn” was deemed to have been proposed.

After debate, the question was deemed to have been adopted.

Accordingly, at 7:33 p.m., the Speaker adjourned the House until tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).