Judy Sgro

[National Strategy for Eye Care Act, September 28th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I think one of the first things that have to happen as part of this framework is the establishment of someone from each province and territory who is going to sit down at the table with the federal government. Together they would move forward on how the framework will look and how it will establish the treatment opportunities for many people.

[National Strategy for Eye Care Act, September 28th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, as I indicated earlier, it takes all of us to make a difference in this country.

The national eye strategy was started by you, Madam Speaker. You were the one who started this several times through different motions that you tried to move forward. I suspect that if I had not had this opportunity because my name got picked out of the hat first, you would have been the one moving forward on this issue.

This nationalized care strategy is a tribute to you as well for the work that you have done in trying to get a vision strategy done. I acknowledge that work, Madam Speaker.

[National Strategy for Eye Care Act, September 28th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague and I work very well together and advance a lot of good, important issues at the Standing Committee on International Trade. I have lobbied many of my colleagues over the last year and spoken to them about the bill. CNIB, Fighting Blindness Canada and the other 25 organizations that are supporting the bill have all sent letters, and they have all lobbied everybody.

Tonight it is in our hands. If we simply speak briefly and let the bill collapse, it will go to a vote next Wednesday and it will be in the Senate right away. Then we can get the Senate to work as fast as all of us do, I hope.

[National Strategy for Eye Care Act, September 28th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, clearly it is the whole issue of awareness. We neglect far too many things, and eyes are another thing we neglect until we start to develop a problem, when it is often too late.

Establishing a national eye care strategy with a framework would bring the provinces to the table with the federal government and other health officials to develop a plan to increase awareness and to make sure tests are available for people everywhere, so they do not develop glaucoma or macular degeneration. By the time they find out, it is way too late. If we talk about awareness, as we do with many things, it would get people to go see a doctor earlier rather than later.

[National Strategy for Eye Care Act, September 28th, 2023]

moved that the bill be now read the third time and passed.

Madam Speaker, I want to begin, as always, by acknowledging my colleagues who are here, because it takes all of us for anything to get passed in this House.

Bill C-284 is important to me, but it is very important to the communities that we all represent: CNIB, Fighting Blindness and all of those organizations plus all of the people who are suffering from blindness and vision problems, and I know that there are many in this room itself.

Now that I have managed to get the bill to third reading, I want to begin by thanking all members for getting it that far, and I hope that this is the last time that I am speaking to it. Maybe we can get this bill eventually moved over to the Senate and get the work done there that needs to be done that will improve vision for thousands and thousands of Canadians. There are many MPs who have vision loss or vision problems themselves, and I am hoping that a nationalized strategy will bring all of the partners together as we move forward.

October starts next week. In October we will be celebrating Children's Vision Month and I am honoured to be able to speak to you all today, on the eve of this occasion, about my bill, Bill C-284, establishing a national strategy for eye care. I trust that again together, because we do not do anything alone and it takes all of us, we will be able to move this forward and get the House's support for Bill C-284 in the third reading stage to help children reach their full potential with good eye health and vision care. We cannot let the blur obscure children's future.

As early as 2003, the Canadian government made a commitment to the World Health Organization to develop a vision health plan for Canada by 2007 and implement this plan by 2009. Just to remind members, we are at 2023. The vision loss community has been waiting for a very long time to see Canada take some steps when it comes to a national eye care strategy, but Canada has lacked any substantive framework on the matter of public eye health care to this day.

When I started to look closer at the issue, it was clear to me that it has to be changed. We have taken tremendous steps forward in improving the health of Canadians with the promise of national pharmacare and most recently a plan to implement national dental care. The introduction of a strategy to improve vision care is another critical step in this direction. It is worth reminding members that, in 2021, the Canadian Council of the Blind in partnership with Fighting Blindness Canada, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society and the Canadian Association of Optometrists, with support of other organizations, commissioned a study on the cost of vision loss in Canada. The study revealed that Canada is experiencing an emerging crisis in avoidable vision loss that has the potential to get even worse unless action is taken immediately.

Members might well be aware of those striking numbers: Over eight million Canadians have an eye disease; 1.2 million live with vision loss or blindness; and 1,292 deaths were associated with vision loss in 2019 alone. There is a high percentage of seniors and school-age children who have undiagnosed eye problems. The study suggests that without changes in public policy, the number of Canadians living with a blinding eye disease will increase to up to 14 million Canadians by 2050. Meanwhile, 75% of vision loss can be prevented, and prevention is the key. Establishing a national eye care strategy would ensure that Canadians' vision health is prioritized.

We all take our vision for granted. It is only when we start to find that we cannot see as well as we used to or as well as we would like to that we start to maybe pay attention by checking the last time we had an eye exam, and making sure that we are taking good care of our eyes as we take care of other parts of our body. Unfortunately, we often do not until it is much too late.

There are so many challenges when one cannot see, from social isolation to depression to travel difficulties. Vision loss has a profound loss on individuals, their families and society, costing our economy an estimated $32.9 billion a year.

I will just repeat that number: The cost because of vision loss is $32.9 billion a year. Over half of that cost is attributed to the reduced quality of life primarily due to loss of independence, especially in the aging population. Another $4 billion is attributed to reduced productivity in the workplace.

Bill C-284, when passed, would commit the government to a national strategy, a framework dedicated to improved access to eye care and rehabilitation services, a strategy that also envisions the creation of a vision desk at the Public Health Agency of Canada and investments in research to find new treatments to prevent and stop blindness. The bill is also calling on an enhanced access to eye health care for indigenous people.

Our eyesight is precious. Without it, we are bound in countless ways: physically, socially, cognitively and more. The impacts of blindness include an increased risk of financial hardship, as well as the inability to drive, read, participate in physically activity or socially interact with others, which can often lead to depression and other mental illnesses. Improving eye health would contribute to improved well-being and unlock human potential for everyone. I invite my colleagues to join me on this mission to protect this valuable sense.

Making eye health, vision care and rehabilitation services a health priority requires members' support. I encourage all who are here today to become champions for Bill C-284 in their own areas and refer it to the Senate as soon as possible so we might all be able to celebrate it as the law of the land sooner rather than later.

Again, I call on all my colleagues in the House to please support Bill C-284 in its third reading today, on the eve of the Children's Vision Month of October, which is to help children reach their full potential with good eye health and vision care.

To my colleagues, I thank them very much. I appreciate getting to the third reading. The best thing tonight would be for the bill to collapse, go for a vote and have it move on to the Senate, but I am in my colleagues' hands as this debate progresses.

[National Strategy for Eye Care Act, September 28th, 2023]

moved:

That Bill C-284, in Clause 2, be amended

(a) by replacing, in the English version, line 10 on page 2 with the following:

“(a) identify the needs of health care professionals and other professionals in relation to”

(b) by replacing, in the English version, line 12 on page 2 with the following:

“ment of eye disease and on vision rehabilitation;”

The question was put on Motion No. 1 and it was agreed to on division.

[Ernie Lustig, September 28th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise in the House today to share the tragic passing of a great supporter of the Liberal Party and a truly great Canadian, Ernie Lustig. Ernie had been the riding president of Humber River—Black Creek since 1999. His contribution to the community and to my family and I was much appreciated. He was a passionate man committed to his family and his country.

Our deepest condolences go to his son Joel and daughter-in-law Fern; daughter Ellen and son-in-law Jerry; his grandchildren Lauren, David, Josh and Aubrey; and his two great-grandchildren Drew and Chloe. Ernie was predeceased by his wife of 70 years, Sharon Lustig, our first lady, as we called her all the time.

Ernie Lustig will always be remembered as a smart, generous, dedicated man who was truly one of a kind, and it was an honour to have been his friend. May my friend rest in peace.

[Affordable Housing and Groceries Act, September 27th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I do not think we should fool ourselves, and we should not be over the ceiling with anything. These are initiatives that are moving forward. I hope they will be able to materialize very quickly, but I think we have to be realistic. This is legislation that is coming in now. The needs of our communities are out there today, and there are people out there who are homeless and people in low-income families who cannot find housing because they tripled the rents that are required. I would like to see there be some rent controls in the systems that would prevent the doubling of rent.

[Affordable Housing and Groceries Act, September 27th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, the whole issue is how we need to bring in foreign workers and temporary workers to be able to help pick the tomatoes, cucumbers and all the wonderful stuff we enjoy every day. Finding Canadians to do that is very difficult, so we all know that temporary foreign workers are a very important part of our economy. They have to be treated fairly, they have to be treated appropriately and they have to have decent housing. We know with the past practices we have seen, they lack all of those things. I think a variety of pieces of legislation have been put forward in different ministries that are going to ensure that when workers come they are treated fairly, they are paid appropriately and they are also housed. Whether that will fit into the GST requirements, I do not know. It is a new announcement, but I certainly would hope that there is whatever is required to ensure those workers who are feeding us every day get the support they need.

[Affordable Housing and Groceries Act, September 27th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, certainly the government is very concerned and investing a lot of money in opportunities in the agricultural community to ensure that farmers can have more than just a comfortable living, but that they can have a good quality of life. We know many of the farmers have their own families that intend to take over their farms when they retire. It is important that the farming industry continues to be supported and that we do everything we can to assist it. The government clearly is investing a lot of money in the whole agro community that continues to supply a variety of funds and additional support.