Ted Hsu

[Petitions, February 6th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition from the Religious Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame in my riding of Kingston and the Islands and their friends and supporters.

The petitioners would like to tell the House that climate change is a moral issue that affects the poor of the world and the people who have the least to do with causing the problem in the first place, and that this is unjust. They wish to tell us that the lack of attention to sustainability and to climate change that we have shown in this country is a symptom of unchecked greed. In the face of this, Canada must lead by example. The federal government has not, whereas the provinces and other jurisdictions around the world have.

The petitioners call upon Canada to sign and implement a binding international agreement to replace the Kyoto accord that will keep the rise in global temperatures to under 2°C, as suggested by scientists. They ask for national targets and a national policy to achieve those targets. They call upon Canada to contribute to and support the green climate fund to help poor countries adapt to the effects of climate change.

[Purple Day Act, February 3rd, 2012]

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the member for Halifax West, who introduced Bill C-278.

The bill is designed to make March 26 Purple Day all across Canada every year. The purpose is to raise awareness of epilepsy and to help epilepsy sufferers, their families, friends and communities recognize that there are many among us who suffer from epilepsy, but they are a part of us. Awareness will help all of us recognize how to help epilepsy sufferers during seizures and reduce the stigma attached to epilepsy.

I will start by mentioning the presence here of Susan Harrison, executive director of the Epilepsy and Seizure Disorder Resource Centre in my riding of Kingston and the Islands.

I am not standing on debate today because I am an expert on epilepsy. I am relatively ignorant of epilepsy. I am standing today because of a young woman who is a friend, a constituent and a resident of Kingston. She told me during the last election campaign that I really had to go to an event called Purple Day. At first I did not know what it was, but I attended it. I sat and listened and really realized that I did not understand epilepsy at all.

I want to start off by thanking this young woman, Kim McFarlane, who is the secretary of the Epilepsy and Seizure Disorder Resource Centres of Southeastern Ontario, for inviting me to the event and also for sharing a lot of her own personal experiences, which I will relate in my speech today.

I did not know that, for example, one in a hundred people suffer from epilepsy. That means about 300,000 Canadians. Probably a couple of members of the House of Commons are epilepsy sufferers.

What is very important is I did not realize how many different types of epilepsy there were and that there were stereotypes, mostly in our visual entertainment, of what it meant to have an epilepsy seizure. That means we do not often recognize it in our daily lives. We may confuse it and think that something else is happening, when really we have to recognize that epilepsy is a possibility and deal with it accordingly.

I would like to quote from my friend Kim, who talks about her own type of epilepsy. She says:

I apparently look spaced out with a glazed look over my face for 15 seconds to a minute. However, when I come around, I don't remember anything and usually I'm pretty tired. I could walk from point A to point B, but I won't remember how I got there. I could even have a conversation with someone, yet I won't remember a word of it. One moment, I'm working away, the next thing I know that there's a lapse of time I can't account for and I'm trying to piece together what happened. Of course, I'll never remember that brief period. All seizures are different and not everyone will have the exact same every single time. Sometimes I “space out”, sometimes I'll mumble, and other times well, even carry on what I was doing. This is just a snapshot of two of the many different types of seizures that exist.

If somebody told me about those symptoms a year ago, I would not have associated them with epilepsy at all.

In recognition of a day like Purple Day, giving it official recognition across the country will help with that awareness, and every bit of awareness of fellow members of our community will help bring us closer and allow us to help each other better.

Another aspect of awareness of different kinds of seizures is to help people who are suffering from seizures with safety during the seizure and also help support them when they come out of a seizure. Often when people come out of seizures, they are confused. They might be scared because they do not remember what happened and they have to figure out where they are now that the seizure is over.

I would like to again quote from my friend, Kim, about the stigma that is connected with seizures. This is the second thing about awareness, not only when somebody is having a seizure or right afterward and learning what to do, but learning how to live with other members of the community who have epilepsy and recognizing that they are just like everybody else. There is a couple of things they cannot do. They need special care for a few minutes sometimes, or longer, but we really have to avoid the stigma.

To understand what that stigma can mean, I would like to quote from Kim McFarlane again. She suffered from epilepsy as a young child, just like the person who is responsible for this bill, Cassidy Megan, a resident of the constituency of Halifax West.

My friend, Kim, also was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was a child. She said:

I remember the first time I ever directly felt the stigma attached to epilepsy. I was in grade 6 rehearsing for our spring play, when at the moment that it was my turn to say my lines; I had an absence seizure in front of everyone. Since I wasn't saying my lines, my teacher thought I must have been defiant. She threatened to send me to the office if I didn't answer her....[T]hat day still sticks with me. There have been many other instances, too, where I've heard comments over the years, including more recently, which one could describe as ignorant. Imagine if you will hearing someone refer to the second hand of a clock as something that looks like it's having a seizure; or standing in Dundas Square in Toronto watching hip hop/breakdancers and hearing 2 guys behind you say they “look like they are having seizures”; or watching one of your favourite reality shows, and a judge refers to a contestant's dance piece as though he's having a seizure because the body movements were a little crazy and all over the place. This is only a smidgen of things I've heard, and I'm only one person. Other times people just automatically assume that because I said the word “epilepsy” or the word “seizure”--they start panicking and think I must have tonic-clonic seizures and that I will convulse on the ground because this is the only type of seizure that is typically portrayed on primetime shows. However, the reality is I'd rather someone stop and ask me questions, than just make assumptions. It's better to become educated than to remain ignorant. The point of Purple Day is about raising awareness, about education, and about eliminating the stigma that is attached to epilepsy. As long as that stigma remains, many with the disorder will not disclose or talk about it for fear of backlash and prejudice.

That is one of the purposes of designating March 26 as Purple Day, to deal with the stigma and to educate people. It is also an opportunity to tell people about some famous people who have also suffered from epilepsy. I draw today from a speech which my hon. colleague from Halifax West gave. He mentioned a number of famous people who suffered from epilepsy: Dostoevsky and Neil Young, artists; FloJo, Florence Griffith Joyner, the athlete; Margaux Hemingway and Danny Glover, actors; and Pope Pius IX.

Purple Day is a chance to tell children especially that there are many very accomplished people in history and in the world who are co-sufferers of epilepsy. Maybe even “suffering” is the wrong word to use in some cases; it is just part of who they are. They are not somebody different; they are not outside the mainstream of society. That is another opportunity we would have, if we were to make Purple Day a national day of recognition and awareness.

I would like to conclude with a statement from my friend Kim who has been working to support and help people become more aware of epilepsy for a long time. She said:

Everyone is all unique and has their own special talents. Everyone deserves to be treated equally and fairly and not threatened by backlash or prejudged in any way. If 1 in 100 Canadians have epilepsy, statistically speaking, how many Members of Parliament, Senators, staff members, and all of their family and friends, have this neurological disorder? Help bring epilepsy out of the shadows by not only supporting Bill C-278 and asking questions instead of making assumptions, but by encouraging discussion, dialogue, and awareness not only here on Parliament Hill, but also in your own constituencies.

[Financial System Review Act, February 3rd, 2012]

Madam Speaker, while I listened to the hon. parliamentary secretary, I could not help but be struck by what I would consider taking undue credit for the strength of the Canadian financial system. I am glad the legislation has some renewals on sunset clauses and technical amendments because, in the past, Conservatives urged deregulation of Canada's financial system. I believe the strength of Canada's financial system really is due to the resistance by previous Liberal governments to deregulate.

After the 2006 election, we had proof of the Conservative's desire to deregulate when the finance minister brought in 40-year mortgages with no down payment. Over the years, they realized that was a mistake because it encouraged consumers to take on too much risk. We know that the allowance of these mortgages was amended over the years. A couple of years later it was changed so that only 35 years was allowed for the period of a mortgage, requiring a down payment of 5%. Just last year they said that was maybe a little too risky. They had to back off some more and changed it to 30 years, with a 5% down payment.

The bill is worth supporting because the renewal of the sunset clauses is needed as well as some of the technical amendments, which could be tweaked. However, I want to counter what the parliamentary secretary has said in taking credit for the strength of Canada's financial system, which is recognized by the rest of the world. Having heard—

[Petitions, February 1st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of people throughout Ontario. The petitioners point out that industrial activities over a number of decades have contaminated the environment and had an impact on health.

The petitioners request that a royal commission investigate the extent of these impacts, investigate how the precautionary principle should apply and make recommendations on the regulation of industrial processes and the provision of consumer goods.

[Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act, January 31st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate the member for Leeds—Grenville for his fine remarks.

What concerns me is that participants would be captive customers. Imagine young people who contribute to this PRPP. They would put their money in for 40 years. It would then convert to annuities and they would be customers for another 20 years. I am worried that fees may be too high and may cut into the investment returns, especially now when returns are so low and are expected to remain low for quite a while. The legislation should say something about regulating fees. A study of the Australian program found that the fees paid to financial institutions were a significant chunk of the investment return.

Would the member support an amendment in committee to regulate the management fees that would be charged to these captive customers?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 30th, 2012]

With regard to the Privy Council Office, on what date did it receive a request for approval of a news release for the joint announcement between the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and the Minister of National Defence that took place on July 9, 2010, regarding the awarding of a contract to General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada of London, Ontario, for the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) III Upgrade Project and when was the approval given?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 30th, 2012]

With regard to Environment Canada, for every year since 2006: (a) how many requests have been made to have departmental employees, and not ministerial exempt staff, give scientific information to members of the media; (b) how many of these requests were declined and for what reason; and (c) who gave the order to decline each request?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 30th, 2012]

With regard to Vulnerable Sector Police Checks: (a) how many Vulnerable Sector Police Checks were processed, for each year since 2006 to the present date, broken down by month; (b) what was the cost to the government each year since 2006 for processing these Vulnerable Sector Police Checks, broken down by month; (c) what is the expected quantity of Vulnerable Sector Police Checks to be processed by the government for the year of 2012; (d) what is the expected cost to the government to process the expected quantity of Vulnerable Sector Police Checks for 2012; and (e) what was the average processing time for a security check in each year from 2006 until the present day?

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 30th, 2012]

With regard to the criteria governing the granting of single and multiple entry visas: (a) what are the criteria used to determine whether an applicant is approved or rejected for a single-entry visa; (b) what are the criteria used to determine whether an applicant is approved or rejected for a multiple-entry visa; and (c) what are the reasons that an applicant might be granted a single-entry visa but denied a multiple-entry visa?

[Lunar New Year, January 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, bonne année chinoise.

[Member spoke in a foreign language]

[English]

This past Saturday the Chinese-Canadian Association of Kingston and District held its annual lunar new year's pot luck. Canadians of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese heritage, with their families and friends, have been celebrating a year of hard work, the value of family, friends and community, and their hopes for the coming year.

As with many festivals around the world, people travel and gather together. Delicious meals are shared, family stories are recounted, grandparents spoil their grandchildren and then parents of young children like myself and my wife struggle to get their kids to say proper thank yous. Some things never change. Some things are the same everywhere.

To all Canadians, I offer this Chinese new year's wish:

[Member spoke in a foreign language]

[English]

May our country thrive and be prosperous, may our people live in peace and harmony.