Lost his last election, in 2008, with 29% of the vote.
Research and Development January 31st, 2002
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for Science, Research and Development.
All members of the House know that investing in Canadian students and Canadian research will ensure that Canada remains a world class centre for research and development. Could the secretary of state tell the House what recent initiatives the government has taken to attract and retain the best and the brightest researchers in the world?
International Trade November 27th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister for International Trade announced the launch of bilateral free trade negotiations with El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Could the minister's parliamentary secretary explain what Canadians can expect from new bilateral agreements with these countries?
Ukraine November 22nd, 2001
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to ask Canadians to mark November 24 as a day of remembrance for the more than seven million Ukrainians who were victims of the famine and genocide of 1932-33.
This famine was not a result of natural causes but was perpetrated by the communist leader of the time, Josef Stalin. In a move to force both farmers and peasants into collective farming Stalin increased the grain procurement quota for Ukraine by 44%, knowing that this would cause a grain shortage which would result in the inability of both farmers and peasants to feed themselves. Soviet law stated that no grain would be provided to Ukraine until the quota was met. This action resulted in over seven million Ukrainians dying.
On November 26, 1998, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma issued a presidential decree designating every fourth Saturday of November as the National Day of Remembrance of the victims of this horrific act. This weekend on November 24 Canadians will join with millions of Ukrainians throughout the world to mark this terrible event.
It is my sincere hope as a Canadian of Ukrainian descent that the world will learn from this tragic episode in history and ensure that it will never happen again in the future.
Literary Awards November 19th, 2001
Madam Speaker, last week the Canada Council for the Arts announced the recipients of this year's Governor General's Literary Awards.
These awards recognize the best in Canadian fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction, children's literature and translation. Through these works Canadians see a reflection of our own hopes and dreams, trials and triumphs. It is through its literature that a society truly expresses itself.
I ask the House to join me in congratulating this year's recipients. In particular, let us congratulate Richard B. Wright, whose book Clara Callan also won the prestigious Giller prize in Toronto last week.
Other winners include: novelist Andrée Michaud, poets George Elliot Clark and Paul Chanel Malenfant, playwrights Kent Stetson and Normand Chaurette, non-fiction authors Thomas Homer-Dixon and Renée Dupuis, children's authors Arthur Slade and Christine Duchesne, illustrators Mireille Levert and Bruce Roberts, and translators Fred Reed, David Homel and Michel Saint-Germain.
We thank each of these authors for enriching our lives through their words and we wish them all the best for the future.
Richard B. Wright November 7th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Richard B. Wright on his splendid achievement in winning the 2001 Giller Prize for his novel Clara Callan . Clara Callan , Mr. Wright's ninth novel, is a remarkable depression era story of two sisters from small town Ontario whose lives diverge radically during a period marked by social upheaval and the imminence of war. As the jury remarked, Wright succeeds in “precisely evoking the Depression...while portraying Clara and her radio-actress sister with grace and wit”.
This is not the first time Richard Wright's work has received recognition. His first novel, The Age of Longing , was nominated for both the Giller Prize and the Governor General's Award. With his recent retirement from a teaching position at Ridley College in St. Catharines we can hope to see more work flow from the pen of this prolific and talented Canadian writer.
In 1994 Jack Rabinovitch established this Canadian literary prize to celebrate Canada's best fiction writing and to honour the memory of his late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller.
On behalf of the Government of Canada I congratulate Richard Wright for this achievement and wish him many productive years to come for the benefit of Canadian literature.
National Sleep Awareness Week October 22nd, 2001
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House and all Canadians that October 22 to October 28 has been designated National Sleep Awareness Week.
Over three million Canadians suffer from sleep disorders yet many are unaware they are affected. Sleep disorders reduce the quality of life by decreasing alertness and the ability to perform effectively on a daily basis.
Sleep/Wake Disorders Canada responds to the needs of people with various sleeping disorders ranging from the most common, insomnia, to sleep apnea where breathing stops periodically throughout the night possibly inducing heart attack or stroke.
With the goal of improving the quality of life of affected individuals, Sleep/Wake Disorders Canada distributes information, encourages research and establishes local self-help groups. I ask members to join me in wishing Sleep/Wake Disorders Canada a successful public awareness week.
Nick Basciano October 1st, 2001
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured today to pay tribute to Mr. Nick Basciano, a well respected home builder, who passed away on June 27, 2001. Nick Basciano, born in Italy in 1944, came to Canada, left school early and received his first lessons about construction work by pushing wheelbarrows around a construction site.
Mountainview Homes was conceived in 1979 by Nick and Mary Basciano and Mary's brothers, Frank and Lou Memme. Mountainview built over 3,000 homes and became Niagara's top home builder by always bringing a family oriented approach to its business.
Mountainview Homes received both the Niagara Home Builders Award and the St. Catharines Company of the Year Award as well as the prestigious Ontario award for after sales service excellence.
Nick never forgot his community. He generously gave back to it in the form of anonymous donations and his involvement with Partners in Education.
I wish to express my condolences to Nick's wife Mary, his children Mark and Michelle, and all of his family. Nick Basciano was a passionate man. He loved what he was doing. He loved his family, his friends, his community and his country, Canada. He was a true friend.
Terrorism September 17th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to offer, on behalf of all the citizens of the Niagara region, our deepest sympathies to our American neighbours following the horrific events of Tuesday, September 11, 2001.
As our region is in such close proximity to the border with the United States, we have many friends who reside just across the border and the Niagara region has rallied to show our support and compassion.
The regional emergency control group was convened and placed on alert status early on Tuesday as the events in New York and Washington began to unfold. This group has been ready to act and assist with whatever resources required if and when asked.
Five Niagara critical Incident staff members are assisting with family victim counselling in Washington. The Regional Municipality of Niagara has co-ordinated with the Niagara Credit Union to set up a fund for the victims of this tragedy and their families. Radio stations and many organizations have raised thousands of dollars.
The thoughts and prayers of all citizens of the Niagara region are with the American people today as they face the challenges of rebuilding their lives after this most unspeakable event which has forever changed the lives of all of us.
Mack Alumni Association May 30th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, on Friday, June 1, the Mack Alumni Association celebrates its 100th anniversary.
The St. Catharines Training School and Nurses' Residence was founded in 1874 by Dr. Theophilus Mack and was the first school for nurses in Canada under the Nightingale system. The alumni association was founded 26 years later.
The school continued until 1969 when government regulations precipitated changes. The new Mack School of Nursing carried on at the college level until 1974 when the last class of nurses graduated. That year the school ceased to exist and the nursing school was incorporated with Niagara College.
During its 100 years of existence, 1,862 persons graduated from the Mack nursing program. The alumni association has done much to keep the Mack tradition alive and I am sure the association will remain viable as long as there are living graduates.
I congratulate the Mack Alumni Association on its 100th anniversary and I look forward to participating in its celebrations this weekend.
Blood Samples Act May 16th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, the bill proposed by the member for Fraser Valley raises a number of important issues that must be thoroughly examined.
Bill C-217 provides that a justice may issue a warrant authorizing a peace officer to require a qualified medical practitioner to take or cause to be taken by a qualified technician, samples of blood from a person in order to determine whether the person carries the hepatitis B virus, or the hepatitis C virus or human autoimmune deficiency virus if the justice is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to do so. These reasonable grounds are subsequently enumerated.
At first blush the bill appeals to our desire to help those on the front lines, those individuals who in their daily work confront the possibility of putting their health at risk. We are speaking medical practitioners, firefighters and police officers to name a few.
The Minister of Health, as we all do, appreciates the work that has been done by the emergency responders in Canada. They are an essential component of the Canadian health care system. Health Canada has collaborated with the emergency responders on many occasions leading to the development of a national consensus on guidelines for the establishment of a post exposure notification protocol for emergency responders.
Those who work on the front lines as emergency responders can be exposed to blood and other body fluids in the course of their work. Of concern in this proposed piece of legislation are those injuries that could result in an exposure of blood borne pathogens, namely HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. It must be pointed out that exposure to the blood or blood fluids of an HIV, HBV or HCV infected person does not necessarily result in a transmission of the virus.
In order to properly prevent these exposures and to respond appropriately when an exposure occurs, emergency response organizations need an overall occupational health protocol. That includes immunization against hepatitis B and personal protective equipment such as gloves and safe work practices. If a possible exposure does occur, emergency responders need to be educated on the protocols of how to obtain immediate assessment and follow up.
Bill C-217, a blood samples act, would authorize the drawing of blood samples from individuals who may have accidentally or intentionally exposed frontline emergency providers or a good Samaritan to hepatitis B, hepatitis C or human immunodeficiency virus HIV. After a suspected exposure, an emergency service provider would be permitted to apply to a justice for a warrant. This warrant would authorize a medical practitioner or technician to take a blood sample from the patient in question, tests for the aforementioned diseases and provide test results to the patients and to the emergency service provider. Refusal to submit a blood test could result in a prison term of up to six months.
While we recognize that emergency service providers must act promptly to counteract the negative effects of exposure to serious diseases, it is important to note that previous requests for such testing have been rejected by the courts.
Preventive measures should be taken within hours of exposure. According to Health Canada guidelines published in the Canada communicable disease report, the option to administer post exposure prophylaxis should be established within a few hours. It is unlikely that the legal and medical procedures necessary to draw an authorized blood sample, to test it and to distribute its results could be accomplished within this brief timeframe.
While mandatory blood testing of sources in cases of genuine exposure might assist in making more informed decisions regarding the use of post exposure medications, there would also be the potential for endangering the health of the victim, especially his or her mental health, by breaking the rules on patient confidentiality.
The guidelines referred to previously and established by Health Canada in 1995, in conjunction with firefighters, police and ambulance workers, demonstrate concrete actions taken to address the risks and consequently have already anticipated the objectives of the bill.
Guidelines that ensure emergency responders will be notified quickly regarding exposures obtained in their line of work have been implemented by the provinces of Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories and by other regions and hospitals in other jurisdictions.
In 1997 a second protocol outlining assessment, testing and treatment procedures to be used to promote the well-being of health care workers, including firefighters, police and ambulance workers, was released by Health Canada. By following the second protocol, emergency responders will receive up to date care directed toward reducing the effects of an exposure.
The guidelines recommended by Health Canada for emergency responders reflect the same standard of care given to all other health care workers including nurses and physicians. The guidelines recommend testing the source in such cases but always with consent.
By following Health Canada's notification protocols emergency responders can be assured of timely, rational and effective assessment and treatment.