Irene Mathyssen

[Seniors, October 3rd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, on Seniors Day, the government boasted about tax measures that would help seniors. The reality is that over 0.25 million--

[Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada's Immigration System Act, September 23rd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, of the 492 men, women and children who came to Canada on the MV Sun Sea, a significant number were indeed children. Ten of those children came to live in London, Ontario. They are sponsored and supported by the Tamil community there. Last Christmas they put on a concert with singing, music, and a nativity scene. Some of them were as young as two and a half years old.

I come back to the member. Why on earth would we ever support a bill that would allow for the incarceration of children?

[Senior Consumer Price Index Act, September 23rd, 2011]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-287, An Act respecting a Senior Consumer Price Index.

Mr. Speaker, this bill arises out of some consultations that I have had this spring and summer with seniors and seniors' organizations. In our country the Consumer Price Index and our understanding of the poverty level that seniors are experiencing is inadequate.

My bill would amend the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security Act to provide that pensions provided under those acts are indexed in accordance with this senior consumer price index. We have a different reality today in terms of the needs of individuals and I would hope the House would support the bill and, thus, the seniors of our country.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Employment Insurance Act, September 23rd, 2011]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-286, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (compassionate care benefits for dependent children).

Mr. Speaker, this bill is inspired by a number of realities, first and foremost, experiences in my riding.

When a parent is looking after a seriously ill child, six weeks is just not adequate. It simply will not do. I suggest and ask that the support period be extended to 15 weeks. When a child is seriously ill, the entire family suffers. Parents very often have to leave their jobs and the family is in a situation where it is financially stressed. When a child is ill, a family should not ever have to endure the extra concern of a financial impediment.

I would ask that members of the House consider the reality of families that deal with children who chronically or seriously ill and consider and support my bill.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Criminal Code, September 23rd, 2011]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-285, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda).

Mr. Speaker, this bill seeks to amend the Criminal Code to expand the definition of “identifiable group”, in relation to hate propaganda, to include any section of the public distinguished by sex.

As members will know, women are not included in this. The reality is that misogyny is alive and well and women need this protection. Therefore, I am pleased to extend this bill for consideration by the House.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Status of Women Canada Act, September 23rd, 2011]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-284, An Act respecting Status of Women Canada.

Mr. Speaker, this bill seeks to re-establish the Royal Commission on the Status of Women. As we know, Canada is a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and encourages the advancement and full participation of women in all spheres of life.

We know the commission was unceremoniously defunded in 1996 and its work was clearly not done. Its role was to advise the minister, promote gender equality and advance the full participation of women in our country.

With the current government, we have seen nothing but defunding of programs that would indeed advance the equality of women. It is time that we once again had an advocate who could advise the minister to ensure that women are regarded as they should be.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Independent and Effective Office of the Veterans' Ombudsman Act, September 23rd, 2011]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-283, An Act to establish the office of the Veterans’ Ombudsman.

Mr. Speaker, this is a bill of which I am very proud. It is in regard to support for our veterans and peacekeepers.

Too many veterans are denied benefits and former peacekeepers have been abandoned. We see the evidence of this with the many homeless veterans and people who depend on food banks.

In regard to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board, it is important to have qualified members on the board, people with medical credentials and also individuals who have served in the Canadian Forces because they have experience of the reality of CF personnel.

I hope the House will support this because it supports veterans.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Excise Tax Act, September 23rd, 2011]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-282, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (feminine hygiene products).

Mr. Speaker, this is an important bill in regard to the sale of feminine hygiene products and the extension of the GST because these products are a necessity. If we look at the experience of most women in Canada, it is a 40-year experience. These products are certainly not a luxury and that their use deems an exception from the GST.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Childhood Cancer, September 23rd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, on September 14, the waters of Niagara Falls turned gold, and on September 16, the CN Tower was bathed in golden light. These two extraordinary events were because of a courageous and remarkable young woman named Stephanie Simmons, a three time brain tumour survivor.

With the support of her incredible family, Childcan and the many organizations that help children and their families deal with cancer, Stephanie was able to organize the lighting of Niagara Falls and the CN Tower, and host a barbecue at Harbourfront. All of this was to honour the hundreds of children and families who have survived, and the bereaved families who came to Harbourfront for this first national day of awareness and action and draw attention to the reality of childhood cancer.

The House may remember Stephanie's campaign for a gold ribbon stamp and coin in honour of the victims and survivors of childhood cancer. Unfortunately, both Canada Post and the Mint have rejected Stephanie's requests, but Stephanie is persistent. Anyone who can turn Niagara and the CN Tower to gold will not be denied.

[Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada's Immigration System Act, September 23rd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the bill is targeting the vulnerable, those who are seeking asylum, because the government somehow thinks that it is going to gain points with its base if it appears to be tough on those people who it agreed to bring in to Canada under UN agreements.

In terms of smuggling, as I said in my remarks, in 2007 the committee on the status of women did a study of human smuggling. We have found absolutely that not only were people coming into this country because they were impoverished, but they were being further taken advantage of by the lack of supports here.

There is much to do, and the government refuses to do any of it.