Bonnie Hickey

[Fisheries, March 16th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, there are 50,000 people out of work in Atlantic Canada because of the collapse of our fishery. These 50,000 people were forced to turn to government assistance to help put food on the table.

During the election campaign, Liberals pledged that our government would support its fishermen, deal with foreign overfishing and help preserve the remaining fish stock. Over the past week, our government has come through on this commitment 100 per cent.

On behalf of my constituents, I commend our minister of fisheries for taking a strong stand against foreign overfishing, ensuring that the turbot does not go the way of the cod. Over the past week I have received faxes, phone calls, petitions and letters of support for the minister of fisheries. That support has been well founded.

Today foreign ships are no longer fishing on the nose and tail of the Grand Banks. We are on the verge of negotiating stricter international rules.

Today I challenge all MPs to stand behind the minister as he continues to fight to protect and preserve the Canadian fishery.

[Gun Control, February 20th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, at a gun control meeting in St. John's East my constituents raised concerns with the Minister of Justice about BB and pellet guns. Children have been seriously injured playing with these guns. The city of St. John's has banned them and the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities has unanimously asked that BB guns and air guns be classified as firearms.

How will the minister address the concerns of my constituents regarding the danger of BB and air guns?

[Social Program Reform, December 15th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, many of my constituents of St. John's East have given the discussion paper on reforming our social programs serious consideration. They have written and phoned me with their views and come into my office for meetings. Also, over 100 constituents turned out to a public meeting that I hosted on November 29.

I am pleased to say that this meeting was a success. It was good to see on a cold Newfoundland night that there was a good cross-section of people in my riding who had come out to express their opinions.

I am currently preparing a report which summarizes the points made at the meeting and will be forwarding it to the minister and the standing committee on human resources.

The government has asked Canadians for their views on social security reform. I have told my constituents that I will ensure their views on this issue are well known.

[Cable Television, December 13th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

Cable companies are now providing unordered cable service and automatically billing consumers for a service they did not request or may not even want. This puts the onus on the consumer to write to the cable companies to inform them that they do not want this service.

Can the minister please tell us what it is he is planning to do to end this unfair marketing?

[Employment, November 25th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, in committee a member of Parliament made it clear that in hiring he asked potential employees if they were married. He also expressed concern that mothers might bring their parental responsibilities into the office which would impair their ability to do their job.

I am a mother and a wife. I am proud to say that the constituents of St. John's East do not feel the same way as my colleague from across the House. My constituents believe that I am capable of representing their views and fulfilling my job as a mother, and I am proud to do so.

[Fisheries, November 24th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, last July, Canada arrested two U.S. fishing vessels fishing Icelandic scallops beyond our 200 mile limit. At that time Canada's actions were described by the United States spokesperson as illegal.

Can the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans tell the House what action has been taken to resolve this disagreement with our friends in the United States?

[Bell Island, November 1st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the 69 men who perished in the fall of 1942 near Bell Island, Newfoundland. I would also like to pay tribute to those in the community of Bell Island who have kept the memory of these men alive.

Many Canadians do not know that Bell Island was the only community in North America to come under direct enemy fire during World War II. In the fall of 1942 four ships, three from Britain and one from France, were sunk by U-boats in two separate incidents. Although 69 men died the people of Bell Island are credited with saving many lives.

Tomorrow, November 2, the Royal Canadian Legion of Bell Island will dedicate a seamen's memorial at Lance Cove Beach, close to the spot where the four ships were sunk. A special plaque to honour the people of Lance Cove is also included in the memorial.

The liberal government has introduced the Canada remembers program, and in this spirit tomorrow the community of Bell Island plans to commemorate an event that should never be forgotten.

[Autism, October 6th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker the Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador has brought to my attention that this is Autism Awareness Month.

Autism is a developmental disorder which occurs in approximately 15 out of every 10,000 births. It is estimated that there are over 500 people affected with this disorder in Newfoundland alone. It is four times more common in boys than it is in girls, with symptoms appearing during the first three years of life. Autism causes severe communication difficulties. Social interaction and behavioural problems are also evident.

It was first diagnosed in 1943 and is one of the most complex disabilities to understand. In fact, 50 years of research has failed to find an exact cause or cure.

I commend the Autism Society for its work on raising public awareness of this disorder and I am pleased to bring this to the attention of the House.

[International Women's Day, March 8th, 1994]

Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity today, International Women's Day, to speak on the future of young women in Canada.

Young women face the same pressures as their male counterparts when they consider their future. They are concerned about obtaining a quality education and about having employment opportunities. However they face the added pressures of being women in a society that is not always receptive to their needs and is often hostile.

I urge the government to take into account the unique needs of young Canadian women as it addresses the overall social and economic needs for our society.

If we are ever to obtain full equality we must first obtain economic independence. We must improve our education and training opportunities for women and we must provide them with employment opportunities.

[Fisheries, February 3rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

The European countries import millions of dollars of Canadian fish and fish products every year. For the past two years the government has been asking to have Canadian fish products exempt from EC mandatory border inspections.

Has the government made any progress in its efforts to eliminate this restriction on access of Canadian fish products to this important market?