Sheila Finestone

[International Co-Operation, February 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, as this is international co-operation development week a key factor in the development and growth required in third world countries for their children and youth is a good health care system.

Could the Minister for International Co-operation advise us as to what Canada has done to ensure that there is sustained growth and development for the children of these countries?

[Finance, February 1st, 1999]

Go ahead and do it outside the House, and you will see what reaction you get.

I would like to ask the member who has been so busy being negative in making his comments in this House, why Quebec and he representing the Bloc Quebecois, never calculate the amount of dollars saved by the Quebec government and the Quebec people by the reduction of interest rates to benefit them and to use their priorities in the allocation of funds both as a result of the reduction in tax rates and the fact that they have had not only lower interest rates, but have had an increase and a transfer in tax points worth many millions of dollars?

With the tax points and the lower interest rates, Quebec has had a savings of hundreds of millions of dollars which the Bloc members do not care to announce, do not care to acknowledge but just care to criticize and be untruthful in their approach to the things that are going on in Quebec. They are certainly not interested in health care, certainly not interested in the citizens and certainly not interested in the education of their youth with the highest school dropout rate in the whole of Canada. The member should be ashamed of his remarks.

[Finance, February 1st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to the member for Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot.

Let me suggest that what is shameful and scandalous is the manner in which he has criticized two ministers, as he has just done here in the House, because he does not have the backbone to do so outside.

[Violence Against Women, December 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, on December 6, 1989, Canadians and the whole world realized the seriousness of the problem of violence against women when 14 young women were killed at Montreal's École Polytechnique. These young Canadians were targeted simply because they happened to be women, which is horrifying but nevertheless true.

This national tragedy galvanized all Canadians into taking action about the problem of gender-based violence. Canadians have learned a lesson from this tragedy. Initially, they suffered a deep shock and experienced tremendous sadness. Then they became convinced that we had to put an end to this violence.

We also honoured the memory of these young women by taking action and by working together to put an end to gender-based violence.

The solutions to eliminate this problem require an effort from all partners within the community. They must work together to bring about real changes. Today, I invite—

[Land Mines, December 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, on December 3, 1997, 122 countries came to Canada to work to rid the world of antipersonnel land mines thanks to a new approach to international consensus building initiated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Given that the convention will enter into force on March 1, 1999, faster than any disarmament convention in history was negotiated, will the foreign affairs minister inform the House of the status of the convention with a brief indication of what has been achieved in this past year?

[Lim Guan Eng, November 24th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, Lim Guan Eng is a member of the opposition party of the Malaysian parliament, a prisoner of conscience who is now in jail and a victim of a miscarriage of justice. He has been wrongly incarcerated for stating that double standards were applied in a statutory rape case involving a prominent state chief minister and a 15 year old school girl. Mr. Lim was jailed for sedition and publishing false news because he used the term “victim imprisoned” in reference to the rape victim.

Today we welcome his father, parliamentary leader of the opposition in Malaysia, Mr. Lim Kit Siang. It is important for all parliamentarians and all citizens to note that both these men remind us of the precious freedom of expression that we are privileged to enjoy in Canada and underscore the importance of people of courage who speak out and speak up for justice, freedom, democracy and human rights.

Our message, Mr. Lim, is to wish your son's early freedom and return to his family, his three children and to the Malaysian parliament. Good look, Mr. Lim, in your venture.

[Natural Disaster, November 23rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the world has watched in horror at the circumstances in Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador caused by hurricane Mitch. No clean water, mud up to their knees and now thousands of land mines are adding to the situation of horrible disease.

What is being done to help the people in these countries with respect to the land mines which are maiming and killing them?

[Interparliamentary Delegations, October 21st, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the delegation of the Canadian interparliamentary union group which participated at the 19th working committee and general assembly of the ASEAN Interparliamentary Organization which was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from August 24 to August 28, 1998.

I have the distinct privilege to present, in both official languages, the report of the delegation of the Canadian interparliamentary union group which travelled to Bangkok, Vientiane, Laos and Cambodia from August 28 to September 3 in support of Canadian action on anti-personnel land mines.

I take this opportunity on behalf of all parliamentarians to congratulate the Minister of Foreign Affairs who will receive later this week in Lisbon the north-south prize of the Council of Europe in recognition of his strong commitment to this struggle for democracy, global interdependence, solidarity and human rights. It is a well-deserved award. I recommend this report for reading to all members.

Pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the 100th interparliamentary conference which was held in Moscow, Russia from September 7 to September 13. I commend all delegates who worked so hard to move on international issues which are so important to all of us.

[Taxation, October 9th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development met in Ottawa to discuss electronic commerce. The issue of taxation of goods and services is a very serious one and one of great concern to many Canadians.

Can the minister of revenue explain to us what the procedure will be to analyse the application of this tax and actual taxation procedure?

[Marriage Act, 1997, October 6th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, in two minutes I can barely address this subject of great importance. I want to say right from the very outset that I think this is just the beginning of a discussion. I do not agree in any way, shape or form with the proposal put forward by my colleague, although I respect his right to that point of view. I can see that there is a place for religious, spiritual and moral approaches from his perspective, but I see the role and relationship of the state in an entirely different light.

I think the relationship of mutual obligation based on partnership is absolutely fundamental. I think to bring in legislation in terms of lives in modern day society, and never mind 1866, is a contemporary pursuit that is absolutely necessary, where the principle of equality of both parties and the right to the division of assets on an equal basis, the right to benefits on an equal basis, the right to share that companionship and that mutual support and respect has nothing to do with gender politics and gender issues.

From my perspective I can tell members that discrimination based on sexual orientation is wrong. Discrimination where we cannot have a distribution of benefits equally among partners, whether they are two males, two females or a man and a woman, is wrong. I believe we have to have equal distribution of benefits and equal rights. It should apply equally to common law couples and to couples who are looking after each other in a loving relationship.

I would love to have further used the definition of the family by the Vanier Institute. I would have liked to quote the Prime Minister who has a very strong point of view. I would have liked to tell the House what we are doing at the provincial level which will result in very uneven decisions across the land or about what has been said in the supreme courts of the country. I cannot, but they all agree with what I have just said.