Terence Young

[Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act, May 7th, 2012]

Madam Speaker, the members opposite are very concerned about the amount of time for debate on this bill, although it will have been the longest debate of any budget bill in 20 years. However, has the member complained to her own leader? Did she take a walk up to his office and ask her leader what happened? Why did one member of the NDP caucus get 13 hours to speak in this House to this bill when 78 members of that party could have taken 10 minutes each to speak to the bill? Did she raise that issue?

[Petitions, May 2nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition signed by concerned constituents from my riding of Oakville. It asks the House to amend section 223 of our Criminal Code to recognize human beings in a manner commensurate with 21st century medical evidence.

I am happy to present this petition for response from our government.

[Petitions, April 25th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present to the House a petition signed by over 300 of my constituents.

The petition raises concerns about potential health effects related to the electromagnetic radiation emitted from cellphone towers. I share these concerns. I believe the precautionary principle must be used when determining where cellphone towers are installed.

I am happy to present this petition for a response from our government.

[Health, April 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, in February, the FDA issued a warning that Lipitor and other statins cause memory loss and that 1 out of 200 patients taking statins will develop diabetes, meaning that 20,000 Canadians are at risk. One statin, Baycol, has already been pulled off the market for causing rhabdomyolysis, leading to kidney failure and death.

Other serious adverse effects from statins include cataracts and irreversible neurological damage. Are these risks worth it?

Eighty percent of statins, worth $16 billion a year, are taken by patients who have never had a heart attack and where there is no evidence that the benefits outweighed the risks. That is good for the drug companies and bad for patients.

Most patients can lower their cholesterol with diet change and exercise without the risk of serious adverse effects from statin drugs. Since doctors generally ignore safety warnings from regulators, patients should get the best available evidence on statins from their pharmacists and by doing their own research.

[Sheridan College Graduates, March 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate three graduates of Oakville's Sheridan College currently starring in the Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar in New York City.

Sheridan College is Canada's largest school for the arts and the second-largest in North America. All Canadians should be proud of the calibre and success of the young performers from Sheridan who hail from all parts of Canada. Sheridan's musical theatre program allows students to study all aspects of performance, from singing, acting and directing to business training and in-field experience.

Jesus Christ Superstar opened March 22 to rave reviews, without a doubting Thomas in the group. It features Sheridan alumni Chilina Kennedy as Mary Magdalene, Mark Cassius as Matthew, and Aaron Walpole as Annas.

Our government has invested more in the arts and culture than any other government in Canadian history. We are proud to see Canadian stars shining across Canada, on Broadway and around the world. Sheridan graduates all continue to give the world some of its best and brightest performances.

[William Peyton Hubbard, February 13th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, in recognition of Black History Month, I rise to pay tribute to one of our country's trailblazers, William Peyton Hubbard, the first African-Canadian to be elected to public office in a Canadian city.

William Hubbard's father was an American slave who escaped via the underground railroad to Canada. Born and raised in Toronto, William Peyton Hubbard originally worked as a baker, but after rescuing George Brown from the Don River one night, Hubbard found himself entering the world of politics.

With the support of his friend, George Brown, he was elected in 1894 as a Toronto alderman. This was the first of 15 terms in office. During that time he also served on the Board of Control and as acting mayor on occasion. He fought corruption, pushed for democratic reform and never failed to speak his mind.

Toronto still celebrates “Old Cicero's” accomplishments with the William P. Hubbard Award for Race Relations. I ask the House to join me in celebrating this extraordinary man's contribution to our country.

[Petitions, February 8th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, sharks are an integral part of the world's most delicate marine ecosystems. However, the practice of shark finning, which refers to the removal and retention of shark fins, is threatening the balance of life in the sea.

I would like to present to the House a petition signed by 64 of my constituents from Oakville's Dearcroft Montessori School. I am happy to present this petition for a response from our government.

[Canadian Exports, December 14th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate Canada's brilliant musicians. For the first time in history, our northern stars represent four of the five bestselling albums in the world's largest record market, the United States. Michael Bublé, Justin Bieber, Drake and Nickelback are currently showing the world that Canadian talent is a superb export.

Canadian music has always been among the best, if not the best in the world. From Joni Mitchell to Céline Dion, we have always had an unforgettable presence on the international music scene.

Canadian stars are not limited to the music business. Our manufacturers and producers have consistently strong sales in the U.S. market. Companies such as Research In Motion, the maker of the ubiquitous BlackBerry, are also stars in the open market. Our government's recent perimeter deal with the U.S. means there will be easier access for our Canadian producers to succeed as our gifted musicians have, allowing Canada to grow and prosper. That is music to our ears.

[Fair Representation Act, December 13th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I assume the member is referring to the NDP's suggestion that we abolish the Senate. That is a totally unviable solution for a number of reasons. The reasons are that the Senate is representative of the provinces in Ottawa. It is seen as a counter to the number of seats that the larger provinces have in this House. The premiers would never agree to it. I believe that plan would lead to constitutional wrangling and negotiation. It would be like the Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords times 10. It would be divisive. It would get this House and the provincial houses away from the most important work we are doing now, which is to provide more jobs for Canadians.

[Fair Representation Act, December 13th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that question because it was discussed earlier in the debate with the member for Saint-Laurent—Cartierville. I was in the middle of asking which members want to give up their seats in Quebec. Which members opposite in the Montreal area would like to go back—the member for Papineau is holding up his hand—to their constituencies and say, “We are going to give up some seats in Montreal and other parts of Quebec because we think it is more fair that these seats should go to Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia or Ontario”. I would like to know what response they would get from their constituents.

I was about to suggest that they could do a telephone town hall, where people could call in. Members could put an ad in the newspaper, and get 10,000 or 20,000 of their constituents on the telephone, tell them what the proposal is, say they want to transfer seats to other provinces because they think that is a good way to save money. What response do those members think they would get? I have been in this business a long time. I first ran in 1974 when I was 21 years old. I can tell them what response they would get and it would not be pleasant.