Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge that my hon. colleague has put a great deal of sincerity in her speech, but there seems also to be fair bit of inconsistency.
First of all, for those who believe in this country called Canada—we are not among them, at least not as it operates now, and as we know it—it seems to me there ought to be an underlying principle behind their actions and their statements. That would be a minimal respect for the founding legislation of Canada, that is its constitution.
It is not because we are going to the offices of a charitable organization that we can get away with driving at 140 kilometers an hour on the highway, nor is it because it wants to help people that the federal government is entitled to interfere in any and all areas of jurisdiction.
It is paradoxical that the hon. member tells us in her speech that she wants to be proud of her health system when she goes abroad. This caucus reminds me of the movie The Silence of the Lambs , because it is quite docile and it does not offer much resistance to policies that deserve greater criticism and challenges.
If the member cares about other people, and I am sure she does because she is a good person, there are three things that she could promote in her caucus.
First, she could talk about the Canadian Human Rights Act abroad, because it is her duty to do so. Our country is one of the few that does not prohibit discrimination based on social status. So, if the member wants to talk about social justice and if she cares about other people, she can campaign, inside her own ranks, to get a real debate that would allow the inclusion of social status among the prohibited grounds of discrimination.
Second, should the member not pressure the Minister of Human Resources Development who just found out that there are people who are exploited in our society? Should she not press for improvements to the EI system?
Third, should she not press the government to give back to the Canadian provinces the money that it brutally stole from them?
These are three areas where the member could use her talents, her intelligence and her convictions to work in the best interests of other people.