Debates of April 11th, 2003

Literacy

[Eugène Bellemare, Liberal, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Canadian Library Association I wish to inform the House that April 6 to 12 is Information Rights Week in Canada. The theme of this year's celebration is literacy, and honours lifelong education that should be available to all.

Libraries have an important role to play in promoting literacy and lifelong learning. Of adult Canadians, 26% have problems understanding simple documents. Libraries across Canada are working with their local partners to respond to these needs. Furthermore, literacy is a basic human right and creates the conditions by which citizens can participate in decision-making in all areas of society, including economic, political, social and cultural activities. Information Rights Weeks celebrates local libraries that promote literacy and lifelong learning.

I wish to congratulate the Canadian Library Association in its efforts to support literacy.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Brian Pallister, Canadian Alliance, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, a fire truck pulls up to a blazing house on the Long Plain Indian reserve. The crew works feverishly to get the inferno under control. In the middle of a group of onlookers sits a man on a couch and beside the couch is a television set. The fire chief approaches the man and inquires, “Is this all you could get out?” The man looks up and slowly replies, “In a couple more payments, I will own these”.

Most of Canada's on-reserve aboriginal people do not own their houses. For all intents and purposes the chief does. The result is that chiefs regularly receive calls to repair window screens and doorknobs. On-reserve aboriginal Canadians have been made permanent tenants by a flawed system.

This week the Auditor General detailed the massive, visionless failure of the old Liberal approach. The Canadian Alliance says that we need a new approach. We need an approach that gives aboriginal Canadians what we all take for granted, the opportunity to own their own homes.

Organ Donations

[Tony Tirabassi, Liberal, Niagara Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, April 20 to 27 is National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week, which gives us an opportunity to reflect upon the importance of organ and tissue donation, and to show our support for the nearly 4,000 Canadians waiting for organ donations.

Organ and tissue donation is important to all Canadians. As members of Parliament, we should encourage our constituents to consider this gift because each year more than 100 Canadians die waiting for a transplant.

The serious gap between the number of organs and tissues donated and the number of people who need them is growing as the population ages. We need to shorten this gap. That is why, in September 1999, the federal, provincial and territorial ministers of health set up a committee to establish a pan-Canadian strategy on organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

Our donations may save or enhance a life. Thousands of Canadians, children and adults alike, are counting on our generosity.

World Hemophilia Day

[Jeannot Castonguay, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House and all Canadians that April 17 is World Hemophilia Day.

Hemophilia is a hereditary disease spread primarily from mother to son. There are approximately 3,800 hemophiliacs in Canada.

April 17 is the birthday of Frank Schnabel, a hemophiliac and founder of the Canadian Hemophilia Society and the World Federation of Hemophilia.

The Canadian Hemophilia Society is dedicated to assuring better care for all people with inherited bleeding disorders, like von Willebrand disease. This disease is the most common of all inherited bleeding disorders and can affect up to 1% of the population, hitting both men and women, who, for the most part, are not diagnosed.

I invite everyone to join me in congratulating the Canadian Hemophilia Society on its remarkable efforts and wishing it all the best on this World Hemophilia Day and on its 50th anniversary.

The Economy

[Charles Caccia, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, employment figures released last Friday show full time employment in Canada increased by 23,000 jobs in March, a remarkable achievement considering the time of year and the war in Iraq. By contrast, the economy south of the border showed a loss of 108,000 jobs. Evidently the war is having an impact on the U.S. economy.

Canada's economy is healthy. The U.S. economy is on a slippery slope. The official opposition and its real allies, big business, do not seem to realize that acting in Canada's interest means resisting military conflict, working for peaceful solutions, reducing Canada's huge dependence on the U.S. economy, and building, expanding and strengthening economic ties with Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Maurice Vellacott, Canadian Alliance, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development conducted a charade of consulting with first nations on Bill C-7. He then made a big show of providing the bill to the standing committee after first reading with the pretense that the committee and the witnesses would thereby have “greater opportunity for open discussion”.

Within three days of completing cross-country hearings we were required to submit all amendments. That left committee members precious little time to analyze and synthesize thousands of pages of briefs and committee transcripts. Can members understand why people get their back up? The minister intended to have the clause by clause work completed and the bill reported back to the House by the following week.

Does the minister not understand that ramming this bill through at such a breakneck pace will cause first nations to further mistrust the Liberal government?

The Environment

[Charles Hubbard, Liberal, Miramichi, NB]

Mr. Speaker, since a National Wildlife Week was declared by Parliament in 1947, this event has highlighted to Canadians the importance of conserving our wildlife. April 6 to 12 marks National Wildlife Week this year, a great opportunity for Canadians to pay tribute to a national treasure.

The beaver, the loon and the polar bear on our coins, and the maple leaf on our flag, are symbols that epitomize the richness and diversity of this country's wildlife. These symbols help bind us together as a nation.

This year's theme for National Wildlife Week is “Native Species, Nature's Choice”. It highlights growing concerns about the devastating impacts of invasive alien species on Canada's wildlife and the environment. Although some of these species may be benign, others are harmful and are taking a huge toll on our wildlife habitat.

The federal government has a long history of action in addressing invasive alien species and is developing a national plan to better prevent the introduction and spread of such species in Canada.

Guy Desmeules

[Jocelyne Girard-Bujold, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, during the 21st Gala de l'excellence, the Jonquière chamber of commerce named as its business personality of the year Guy Desmeules, owner of GD Musique and the hôtel Richelieu.

Mr. Desmeules has been in business for 40 years, and it was his love for music that led him to start his multi-faceted business offering such services as band management, festival programming, conference organizing and instrument sales.

A true businessman who started from nothing, Mr. Desmeules has been very successful, and his company's reputation goes far beyond Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean.

Mr. Desmeules is the epitome of a successful businessman who has succeeded in creating his own company. I congratulate Mr. Desmeules and wish him many more years of success.

Education

[Claude Duplain, Liberal, Portneuf, QC]

Mr. Speaker, plans for an international francophone college in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu are on track.

I would like to congratulate the promoter of the project, the Cégep de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, especially its director, Serge Brasset, for his energy and determination.

The college would be affiliated with the United World Colleges network, which currently numbers some 10 different colleges. The Collège international de Saint-Jean would be the network's only French language institution and would be located on the Fort Saint-Jean campus.

This is an excellent plan that would allow students to follow the international baccalaureate program in French.

It is important that we give them our support, like my colleague, the member for Brome—Missisquoi, who has been supporting this project for several months now.

Organ Donations

[Keith Martin, Canadian Alliance, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, over 3,500 Canadians are waiting for an organ transplant and 150 of them will die every single year. Tragically, we have among the lowest organ donor rates of any country in the developed world. Six years ago the government passed an action plan to fix this problem, yet it has not been implemented.

The following are the most important recommendations: first, make an organ donor form available in every patient's chart in every family doctor's office in Canada; second, set up a real time database for potential organ donors and recipients; third, appoint a national organ transplant coordinator and ensure that brain death reporting to that coordinator is mandatory; fourth, ensure a pool of funds is available to ensure that all transplants are carried out; and fifth, make EI available for all living donors during their convalescence.

April 20 to 27 is organ donor week. It is a good time for the government to implement this plan.

Steel Industry

[Carmen Provenzano, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our government has long been a strong supporter of the Canadian steel industry. That is why the government, with the support of the industry, initiated action before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal for safeguards to protect Canadian steel producers and steelworkers from the market distorting effects of unfairly traded offshore steel.

The government is well aware of the serious damage caused to the Canadian steel industry by these distortions. The government is also aware of even greater surges in recent months of offshore steel imports which are now at critical levels.

Representatives of the United Steelworkers of America are in Ottawa this week to add their voice to the call of the Canadian steel producers for immediate government action in the form of imposition of adequate tariffs on a wide range of steel products against a number of offending countries, specifically excluding United States steel producers.

We stress the need for the government to continue its strong support of the industry and for this action to be taken now.

Persons with Disabilities

[Wendy Lill, NDP, Dartmouth, NS]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I met with members of the Canadian Association for Community Living, who work to make our communities inclusive for persons with disabilities. They are concerned that when the Canada health transfer replaces the Canada health and social transfer in 2004, the social side of this crucial funding will be quietly cut back, leaving important social and disability programs even more vulnerable than they already are.

This cannot be allowed to happen.

It is critical that the federal government make clear that the social transfer must remain intact and earmarked for its intended purpose. In fact, the restructuring of the transfer program is an ideal opportunity to build in a disability supports transfer that will guarantee funding and pave the way for social inclusion and equality for all Canadians.

Marie-Mai Bouchard

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud and pleased to congratulate a young and talented resident of Boucherville, Marie-Mai Bouchard, on her participation in the popular show, Star Académie .

Immersed since her early childhood in the world of music, Marie-Mai developed a wonderful voice and exceptional skills as a composer, which makes her a very well-rounded artist. Through iron-willed determination, an infectious sense of humour and her mastery of her art form, Marie-Mai has charmed tens of thousands of Quebeckers in only a few short weeks. She was, in fact, the only woman on Star Académie who was not once on the chopping block.

There will be a large gathering tomorrow, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Carrefour La Seigneurie in Boucherville, to support Marie-Mai for the girls' finals, which will take place on Sunday. I invite all of her supporters and everyone to take part to show their support.

For Marie-Mai, Star Académie will have been a great adventure. But this is not the end, it is only the beginning. From now on, she can reach for the stars and even become one herself.

I say bravo Marie-Mai and break a leg. No matter what happens, she will always be our star.

Eritrea

[André Harvey, Liberal, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after three consecutive years of drought in the Horn of Africa, more than half of the four million Eritreans are threatened by famine. Many farmers have had to sell their cattle and eat the seed intended for planting.

Canada is responding to the urgent need for food and water in all parts of Eritrea. Through the Canadian International Development Agency, CIDA, Canada has committed to providing $3 million worth of emergency aid to the population of Eritrea.

This aid is divided as follows; $1 million to the Canadian Food Grains Bank, $1 million to the World Food Program, and $1 million to UNICEF. These bodies will work in conjunction with the Eritrean government departments responsible for emergency feeding.

Parkinson's Awareness Month

[Yolande Thibeault, Liberal, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform hon. members and all the people of Canada that April is Parkinson's Awareness Month.

Parkinson's is a devastating disease characterized by tremors, rigidity and loss of balance. At the present time, approximately 100,000 people in Canada are affected by Parkinson's. More than half are diagnosed before retirement age.

The Parkinson's Foundation raises funds for research and treatment, and ultimately the discovery of a cure. Volunteers across the country provide training, counselling and workshops for patients, natural caregivers and health care providers.

Let us all wish the Canadian Parkinson's Foundation and its many volunteers a highly successful Parkinson's Awareness Month.

Veterans Affairs

[Gerald Keddy, Progressive Conservative, South Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on behalf of Canadian veterans of the Korean war. These veterans are not authorized to wear the Republic of Korea War Service Medal, which was awarded to them by the South Korean government in 1951.

So far they have received little help from the Government of Canada. I understand that when this medal was first issued, Commonwealth countries jointly decided to issue their own medal recognizing the sacrifice and courage of Commonwealth soldiers.

I have been working on this issue for several months and have found that other Commonwealth countries have allowed their veterans to wear this medal. Australia and Britain, and more recently New Zealand and the United States, have all allowed their veterans to wear this medal.

I have contacted the Chancellery of Honours, which informed me that it is looking into the matter.

Alzheimer Society

[Darrel Stinson, Canadian Alliance, Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I met with Miss Sandy Riley, president of the board of the Alzheimer Society of British Columbia.

Alzheimer's is a progressive, degenerative brain disorder that destroys vital brain cells. It is not a normal part of aging; it can strike adults at any age. There is no known cause or cure, although some of the symptoms can be cured by medication. The symptoms of the disease include the gradual onset and continuing decline of memory, changes in judgment or reasoning and an inability to perform familiar tasks. As the baby boom generation ages, it is estimated that by 2031 over 750,000 Canadians will have Alzheimer's and related dementia.

This society provides support and educational programs to families and caregivers as well as promoting public education. The Alzheimer Society symbol is the forget-me-not. Let us not forget those with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers.

Iraq

[Grant Hill, Canadian Alliance, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canada missed out on liberating the people of Iraq. We did not have any role in the joy on those faces, but we do now have an opportunity to participate in the reconstruction there. Has the government been in direct contact with President Bush or Prime Minister Blair to offer Canada's help for reconstruction?

[Aileen Carroll, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we are in close contact, as the minister said yesterday, with American and British authorities and many others, including the United Nations, to discuss and help in the reconstruction of Iraq. This has been repeated a number of times. Frankly, it is somewhat difficult to understand this whole new focus on the part of the Alliance Party on humanitarian aid and reconstruction, this big switch from guns to ploughshares, but we are working--

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Macleod.

[Grant Hill, Canadian Alliance, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, what a cheap partisan shot that is.

We now have an announcement from Poland that there will be a conference on reconstruction in Iraq. Guess who is invited: only those countries that were on the ground.

Here is my question for the government. Will it pick up the phone and offer our help for reconstruction instead of simply idly waiting for a call?

[Aileen Carroll, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

I beg to differ, Mr. Speaker. President Bush has made it eminently clear that he sees a role for the United Nations in the reconstruction of Iraq. He has made it clear that there is an international community responding to a post-war conflict. Our reputation is clear. Our position and experience in this area are very well known. As I have said, our government and our major ministers of course have been involved with their counterparts on a daily basis.

[Grant Hill, Canadian Alliance, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we did miss out in helping to free Iraq from a tyrant. We can still fulfill a positive role. That is what Canadians want.

I am not quite sure I understand the reticence to get on the phone and offer our help; for instance, like a police force similar to the police force that we offered in Haiti. Why in heaven's name would the government not do that?

[Aileen Carroll, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I feel that this is becoming repetitive. We have been in touch. I have informed the opposition, as has my minister, as has the Deputy Prime Minister, that our relations are such that there is a very good dialogue and communication. We are offering, through our humanitarian commitment, $100 million. We are ready and willing to participate. All of the players involved realize that and will be looking to Canada for our expertise.

[Stockwell Day, Canadian Alliance, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, for somebody who criticizes the front-runner in the Liberal leadership race for walking in ambiguity, it appears that the Deputy Prime Minister is slouching in the same direction.

This lack of government clarity is on almost every position related to Iraq and it continues to diminish Canada's influence around international tables. Will the Deputy Prime Minister defy Liberal tradition and live up to his own billing by telling us, yes or no, if the Liberals still accord some legitimacy to what is left of Saddam's regime? Yes or no.