Debates of April 22nd, 2005

Committees of the House

[Loyola Hearn, Conservative, St. John's South, NL]

If I said it I will leave it on the record. I will not bother to withdraw it. Anyone worth his or her salt representing the people of Canada in this House will deliver for the needs of the people of the country.

There is an interesting thing about it, and it is why people are more interested now in looking at this side of the House forming the government than in bringing back what they have seen over the last x number of years. It is that not only will we put money where it is needed, into seniors, into homelessness, into the veterans, into infrastructure and into municipalities, but we would have more money to put in. We would not be giving away money to our friends and ad agencies. We would not be letting other people rip off the people of this country. We would not be spending $2 billion on the gun registry.

Let us look at some of the other issues.

[An hon. member]

How many Conservative cabinet ministers resigned in disgrace?

[Loyola Hearn, Conservative, St. John's South, NL]

I had a meeting yesterday with representatives of the Canadian Coast Guard and--

[An hon. member]

Tell us who they are.

[Loyola Hearn, Conservative, St. John's South, NL]

The Gong Show

is playing around me, Mr. Speaker.

Yesterday I had a good session with representatives of the Coast Guard. One of the concerns they had with the budget is that a lot of money has been cut out for the Canadian Coast Guard. They raised the question of what would happen if the budget does not pass.

Before I had a chance to answer it, they answered it. They know that the money in the budget for the Coast Guard came strictly as a result of a tremendous report done by the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, a report that forced the government and embarrassed the government into dealing with one of the greatest agencies in this country, particularly now in light of the movement of oil around our coasts, in light of the security needs of this country, in light of the fishing that is going on off our coasts, where, because of mismanagement, more and more fishermen are being forced further and further to sea in small boats.

These people know that the report was done because of the people on this side of the House, with the support of other good, conscientious members on the other side of the House, and it had nothing to do with government. They know that we would remember the Coast Guard, as we would remember the cities and as we would remember the seniors. The records will show that this party over here has stood up more for seniors and more for students who are trying to achieve an education in this country. The record speaks for itself.

Members can check the number of times education has been raised in this House and see where it came from. They can check the number of times the word “seniors” has been raised in this House and see where it came from. It was certainly not from the governing party.

As for all this bit about the fearmongering, the scare tactics and how unless people vote for the Liberals everything in the budget will be gone, no, not at all, because conscientious people sit in this House of Commons, conscientious people who are here to represent their constituents and who are here to make sure that the people of this country are looked after.

Forget that foolishness about who will do what. It is who will do it better. That is the question and it is the question the people of Canada will soon get a chance to answer.

Before I run out of time, I want to mention two other important topics. One is agriculture. Again, who has been the champion for agriculture in the House? The answer to that is quite clear. The people on this side of the House.

The one advantage for the people to my left is when the election is over, if any of them are looking for jobs, there is no doubt about it, it is one of the best comedy shows I have seen in quite some time. They can do very well.

The other issue is the Atlantic accord. Last year during the election our party committed to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia that should our party be elected, they would receive 100% of their share of revenues flowing from offshore development.

The Prime Minister when he was in St. John's and under great pressure from his candidates made the same commitment to Premier Williams in a phone call at seven o'clock in the morning, after a hard night's pressure. He said to the Premier that he would accept his offer. Then he did the same thing in Nova Scotia the day before the election.

We came back to the House and it was like pulling teeth. We had to beg, borrow and steal to try to get the government to make a commitment. The premiers had to try to embarrass government to get a commitment. In our case in Newfoundland and Labrador, the flags were taken down to create attention.

[John Cannis, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

That was shameful. No respect.

[Loyola Hearn, Conservative, St. John's South, NL]

People are saying that it was shameful. It drew attention. There was no disrespect to the flag or country. It was a sign to the government that it had better pay attention to the provinces.

That is the attitude our provinces faces, the attitude that it is only Newfoundland and Labrador, it is only fish, it is only oil. Who cares? We do not. We care. We will make sure, when the election is over, that the funds will flow from the agreement that has been signed already.

When the agreement was signed, we still had to force the government to try to deliver. It brought in the bill, part of an omnibus bill, which it knew would not go through the House.

Let me give one example why the budget bill will be slow in going through. One of the clauses gives the Department of Public Works the right to manipulate all contracts. If we look at the news today, we see the same department has rented a building for $1 million a month with no one in it just because it is owned by a friend. That is terrible.

There is so much more to talk about and we will get the chance.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman said that if we went through Hansard and looked up the word “education”, or the words “Coast Guard”, or the word “agriculture”, or the word “offshore”, we would see those words were uttered most often by members of the opposition. That would be an interesting academic exercise in word processing, but I would submit that the hon. gentleman has missed the point.

Is it more important to count the words or to count the dollars, the cold, hard dollars that are in the budget for innovation, skills learning, the Coast Guard, agriculture and offshore? Beyond the words, we put our money where our mouth is.

[Loyola Hearn, Conservative, St. John's South, NL]

Mr. Speaker, if that minister wants one word, which he has said more than anyone else, certainly on this side, the word is “no”. It is not hard to count the dollars that we do not get.

[The Deputy Speaker]

It is my duty to interrupt the proceedings on the motion at this time. There is one hour and 41 minutes remaining for debate of the three hours provided by Standing Order 66. Accordingly the debate on the motion will be rescheduled for another sitting.

Privilege

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to table a copy of Paul Wells' blog in which he says categorically that it was he and not me who said that which the hon. member for Calgary Southeast said that I said during question period. I can contribute this to the consideration that you have, Mr. Speaker, as to the violation of my privilege and the appropriateness of the hon. member's apology to me.

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. minister can table a document at any time. He knows the rules for doing that.

It being 1:30 p.m., the House will now proceed to the consideration of private members' business as listed on today's order paper.

The House resumed from February 16 consideration of the motion.

Alzheimer's Disease

[Lloyd St. Amand, Liberal, Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to private member's Motion No. 170. I am sure I speak for all of my hon. colleagues when I say that occasionally forget things. We forget the names of former college friends or where we put our glasses or our car keys. This is a normal occurrence that we can honestly say has happened to all of us. However, a person with Alzheimer's disease may forget things that have happened yesterday or an hour ago and soon forget what day, month or year it is. Eventually those affected stop recognizing family members and friends.

Alzheimer's patients have difficulty performing regular tasks, have problems with language, disorientation of time, disorientation of place and have varied mood swings and many more symptoms that are not a normal or typical part of the aging process.

It was in 1906 when Dr. Alzheimer, a German neurologist and psychiatrist, first discovered Alzheimer's disease. The disease is a progressive, degenerative brain condition with no known cause or cure. Since 1906, many organizations have been created to study, to educate and to offer support for Alzheimer's patients and their families. For example, the Alzheimer Society of Canada was founded in 1978. It has grown and expanded to serve Canadians from coast to coast.

The education of the early warning signs of any health problem is of great importance to people of all ages. There is a growing influx of Canadians who are showing signs of Alzheimer's and other related dementias, and people are being diagnosed at much earlier ages. With proper consultation and programs, Canadians will be able to recognize the signs of diseases such as Alzheimer's and many others which may affect their daily lives and the lives of their families and friends.

In my riding of Brant alone, approximately 1,800 residents have been diagnosed or who have shown signs of Alzheimer's or other forms of related dementia. By the year 2021, in Brant the estimated portion of the population over the age of 65 suffering from Alzheimer's or a related dementia will increase by 50% from the year 2000.

With our high percentage of an aging population, Alzheimer's and dementia are issues that will in time affect all of us. Whether a personal diagnosis or a diagnosed member or friend, our lives will be changed by a disease that will and has become an epidemic.

It comes as a great surprise to most individuals when they learn that Alzheimer's disease and dementia are the fourth leading cause of death in our elderly. With proper research facilities and federal, provincial and territorial support and funding Canadians will be better suited to address issues such as Alzheimer's and many other diseases which may affect us.

Many educational organizations and groups already exist. I would point to groups such as the Alzheimer Society of Brant, which provides a wide variety of support in my community through support services, counselling, education and training of caregivers and of those affected by Alzheimer's and dementia.

The Alzheimer Society of Brant has members present in many of our local long term care facilities, in our seniors residences and in our hospitals, but more needs to be done. Individuals such as Vic Prenderjast, president, Janet Lovekin, executive director, and Wanda Dzierzbicki, community development coordinator of the Alzheimer Society of Brant, to name just a few, are present in many of our health facilities training staff and speaking directly to those who are affected by Alzheimer's.

Many of these organizations survive through the kindness and generosity of others. It is evident that the need for research, education and community support is a vital part of Alzheimer treatment and care.

In order to accomplish significant steps in treating this debilitating disease and many other illnesses which affect the lives of so many, governments, medical professionals, communities and individuals must continue working together.

While Alzheimer's is a disease that can affect any of us with little or no warning, many other chronic ailments exist. Through a combined strategy and partnership, we as Canadians may one day be able to win the difficult battle against Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia and the many other diseases that affect our lives.

[Françoise Boivin, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I was really anxious to speak to the motion by the hon. member for Thornhill. I congratulate her for thinking of the many people with this terrible disease, particularly at a time when the Canadian population is ageing. It is really an honour for me to have this opportunity to speak about this terrible disease in relation to my colleague's motion.

In the Outaouais region, the Alzheimer society is a very dynamic organization. I have been involved with a number of their activities over the years. We all have people in our family or family friends who are struggling with this terrible disease. There is nothing worse than losing one's own memory, or realizing that a loved one no longer remembers who we are. We have all had to cope with such experiences, which is why this motion is so important. It is wholly justified, given the number of people in Canada affected by Alzheimer's.

I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to salute all those who work in the background. We are coming to the end of volunteer week, so I would like to take this opportunity to salute, among others, Alain Tremblay of the Société Alzheimer de l'Outaouais, Robert Courchesne and Yolande Gravel. I could never manage to name all those who give of themselves day after day, including those who raise funds for Maison Fleur-Ange, which is already no longer able to meet the need. That is why I am so pleased to be able to support my colleague's motion.

I encourage my colleagues in the House to work together on this, as we did for hepatitis C. Times like this are what make me proud to be a member of this 38th Parliament. There have been plenty of times when we have been less proud, for example when we see the kinds of games that go on here. In the case of the motion on hepatitis C, however, and this motion my colleague, as well as many other instances, it is interesting to see how what we do as MPs can impact on the everyday lives of those who have sent us here to represent them.

That is what I wanted to say today about this motion. I will be pleased to support it. I really encourage everyone to follow suit, because this dreadful disease and related dementias must be addressed. That is why the motion deserves our support.

[Gurmant Grewal, Conservative, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today on behalf of the constituents of Newton--North Delta to participate in the debate on Motion No. 170, which reads:

That, in the opinion of the House, the government, in consultation with the provinces and territories, include Alzheimer's disease and related dementias as a significant and integral component of the Chronic Disease Strategy.

I wish to congratulate the hon. member for Thornhill for bringing forward the motion and giving Alzheimer's disease the attention it warrants. I am pleased to say that my colleagues and I in the Conservative Party will be supporting Motion No. 170.

Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that affects thinking, memory and understanding. It creates changes in personality, mood and behaviour.

Alzheimer's is the most common form of a group of degenerative brain diseases known as dementia. Other forms include Pick's disease, Creutzfeldt Jakob disease, Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia and primary progressive aphasia, among others. Although these illnesses affect other parts of the brain, most of the symptoms resemble those of Alzheimer's disease.

Several changes occur in the brain of a person with Alzheimer's disease. The brain cells shrink or disappear and are replaced by dense, irregularly shaped spots or plaques. Another indicator of the disease is thread-like tangles within existing brain cells. These tangles eventually choke healthy brain cells. A person with Alzheimer's disease has less brain tissue than a person who does not have the disease. This shrinkage will continue over time, affecting how the brain functions.

As Alzheimer's disease affects each area of the brain, certain functions or abilities are lost. This results in specific symptoms or changes in behaviour. People who have the disease gradually lose their independence, becoming incapable by degrees of performing simple tasks, remembering recent events, controlling thoughts or moods or relating to others.

Eventually people with Alzheimer's disease can no longer remember the names of family and friends or find their way around in places that are not completely familiar. They may avoid social contacts because they cannot follow the drift of a conversation. At this stage, many people can still live well using simple routines in a familiar environment but they may experience a sense of powerlessness and frustration that can lead to emotional turmoil.

Three hundred and sixty-four thousand Canadians aged 65 and older have dementia, with Alzheimer's disease representing about two-thirds of all dementia cases. It is estimated that by 2031 this number will increase to 778,000 cases. In B.C., over 50,000 people have dementia with that number expected to nearly double by 2031.

At least 1 in 12 people aged 65 or older have Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. The rates of Alzheimer's increases with age: 1% of people aged 65 to 74; 7% of people aged 75 to 85; and 26% of people aged 85 and older.

Alzheimer's disease and related dementia cannot be cured, reversed or stopped in their progression. Today's treatments, which may include medications, are designed to reduce the symptoms and help both the patient and the family live through the course of the illness with greater dignity and less discomfort.

Canadians spend about $3.9 billion each year for the treatment of persons with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

The advantages of a coordinated, national approach to addressing Alzheimer's disease, in fact any disease for that matter that afflicts a large number of Canadians across the country, are huge.

A broad based national approach to disease achieves economies of scale not possible with several different plans running in parallel or at cross-purposes. With national coordination, redundancies and duplication can be eliminated, freeing resources to be shifted elsewhere.

As well, with national coordination, best practice guidelines for consistency and equity of care across Canada can be developed. This is a system that has worked well in Europe for cancer care. Various autonomous jurisdictions, through a system that transparently reveals what practices they follow and to compare with others, are inclined to adopt best practices. Working together and sharing information has led to improved care.

A national strategy would also allow stakeholder engagement and coordination among stakeholders to be maximized. Major diseases require a sustained platform that will provide focused and ongoing attention. It is not enough to commit to an ambitious program and then lose enthusiasm in a couple of years.

Creating a national strategy will help establish a platform. Why now? There are several reasons why the time is right for national disease strategies now.

First, our population is aging. As I stated earlier, unless something is done, we are looking at the number of cases of Alzheimer's going up threefold in the next 25 years.

Second, due to recent scientific breakthroughs, many new efficiencies and effective treatments have become closer to reality. A national strategy would increase the likelihood of a breakthrough.

Third, there is a growing momentum to develop national strategies for a variety of diseases. We need to take advantage now of this growing momentum.

Of course, any strategy must respect provincial jurisdiction.

The Canadian strategy for cancer control provides a perfect example of how a national coordinating effort can focus resources and efforts while allowing the provinces, the regions and the communities the freedom to apply shared knowledge in a way best suited to their individual needs.

Canada urgently needs a national strategy on Alzheimer's and related dementias. This is our best hope for developing new medicines to help those with the disease and to ultimately find a cure. Unless we invest in Alzheimer's research now, the disease will become a bigger and bigger drain on a health care system that is already at the breaking point.

We know that the population of seniors is increasing in Canada and so are their health care needs because of the diseases that are directly related to old age. Now is the time for us to do something about it.

Next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the naming of the disease by Dr. Alois Alzheimer. This is the right time to focus our resources on the diseases that are particularly related to old age and our growing population of seniors. I hope we will be able to mark the occasion of the 100th anniversary with a national strategy on Alzheimer's and related dementias, as proposed by Motion No. 170.

I support the motion strongly and I urge all members to support the motion.

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted this afternoon to have an opportunity to speak on the motion that is before us, and to indicate my personal support and that of my caucus for Motion No. 170 that addresses the desperate need for a national strategy on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

I am delighted to have an opportunity to do so because there are a number of things that need to be said if we are serious about making this Parliament work. This is very practical and concrete. It is something that would make an enormous difference in the short, medium and long term for those who are now struggling with Alzheimer's disease. It will also assist support workers who are helping families deal with the disease and over the longer term for those who are working very hard on research to find a cure.

This is something about which I have a great deal of personal experience. My dad died of Alzheimer's disease. It was a great sadness to me. I was born in Ottawa and my father worked on the Hill as the first researcher of the CCF, the forerunner to the New Democratic Party. We moved back to Nova Scotia and lived there. He passed away just before I became the federal leader of the New Democratic Party. Had he still been alive, sadly, he would not have understood what that meant.

It is a devastating disease that literally wipes out memory and cognitive abilities. He was aphasic, could not speak and was immobilized in a wheelchair in his latter days. He was fiercely devoted to health promotion and prevention. Just as tens of thousands, in fact hundreds of thousands of people who have been struggling with this disease and lost the fight against Alzheimer's, the latter days of his life were very difficult.

That experience makes me very supportive of the cry for a national strategy for Alzheimer's disease. I want to pay credit to the member for Thornhill who introduced this motion, as well as to the health critic of the New Democratic Party who is very supportive. We know this is the kind of issue that simply cannot fall prey to divisions of any kind among members of the House.

I am very proud of the research that is being done by an outstanding medical research team in Nova Scotia associated with Dalhousie University. They are doing superb research while also offering amazing teaching to health professionals and support workers who are constantly learning about how best to support patients and families who are dealing with Alzheimer's.

Recently, the Nova Scotia Alzheimer's Society, like similar societies right across the country that have been doing yeoman service with totally inadequate resources, held a breakfast fundraiser, but probably more important than the fundraising potential of that particular event was the community education that was offered.

When I looked at the program, I groaned and thought, “Good heavens, over breakfast we are going to hear six speeches from six medical researchers and we are going to be here all day”. This was an event chaired by Bill Carr, a close friend and colleague, who is the official spokesperson for the Alzheimer Society of Canada, and speaks with enormous passion to the challenges of dealing with Alzheimer's and does it with the most endearing humour that I have never known.

It may be hard for people to imagine. Maybe one has to struggle with Alzheimer's in one's family or someone near and dear to understand why humour is such an important part of the tool kit needed to deal with Alzheimer's.

After a very humourous introduction, Mr. Carr was a very tight MC who allowed each of six speakers three minutes each. Mr. Speaker, you would have been impressed with six speakers who could speak for no more than three minutes each and in that time allotment give us an amazingly clear glimpse of the important research that is being done.

If it were not for the Alzheimer's Society working to drive this agenda all the time, if it were not for the National Advisory Council on Aging and the many others in the broad human services field who have worked together, families struggling with Alzheimer's and Alzheimer's patients today would not be living with improved quality. There have been important breakthroughs in terms of drugs.

One of the things about a national strategy is the importance of our having a national pharmaceutical program, a national drug program. As it exists today, shamefully, there are five provinces in this country that do not make those drugs available under existing drug programs. That is one of the many reasons we need a national strategy. We need a national strategy that deals with the education in the sensitization not just of decisions but all health care workers.

I have personal knowledge of how devastating it is for a family to have the spouse of someone struggling with Alzheimer's go to the family doctor and say, “I really feel there is increasing evidence that my spouse has Alzheimer's”, and have the doctor say, “Well, why do you want me to try to diagnose it? Because you can't really do anything about it anyway. Just live with it”.

That was probably the single most devastating thing that my mother had to live with in the early stages of my father's Alzheimer's. Yet, it is the person, the loved one, the family member closest to the Alzheimer's patient who always can see, usually before the evident memory loss, mood changes, behavioural changes, uncharacteristic outbursts of difficult behaviour, irritability and unreasonableness.

We need to ensure that the educational support is there and is assured across the country. It is not episodic or accidental as to whether every single person working in the health care system, in human services, has that kind of education that allows them to be part of early detection as well as providing the kind of care needed. We need to address the compassionate care leave inadequacy in the current legislation that the government has brought in.

My colleague from Sackville—Eastern Shore must take a huge amount of credit for pressing this issue to ensure that there is a way in which a family member dealing with a victim of a debilitating disease and nearing death can be supported in terms of being able to take leave from a job, for example, if that is what is required and have some income replacement. However, what the government has done is totally inadequate in that regard.

I know the member for Sackville--Eastern shore has already tried to press the government further to deal with the virtual abandonment of the promise and the commitment made. The government has made the eligibility so restrictive that there are family members who want and are able to devote themselves to the care of a victim and a dying family member, but who are outside the narrow definition of what family members can qualify.

Further, the narrow time of six weeks compassionate care does not come anywhere close to addressing the realistic needs of families. We are talking about the dying days of Alzheimer's patients and about the whole range of debilitating diseases that are resulting in death, and where that compassionate care is desperately needed. If we want to make this Parliament work and impress upon Canadians that we are serious, we will deal with the inadequacy of that compassionate care.

Finally, home care was promised in 1993 by this government and in every election since. We still do not have what is remotely adequate in the way of a national home care system. It needs to be part of the national strategy.

We are pleased to support this motion. We hope we can cooperate with early passage to send a clear signal to the government that it needs to get on with dealing with this matter.

[Merv Tweed, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak to Motion No. 170. I too want to congratulate the member for Thornhill for bringing the motion to the House today and accepting the amendments.

It is important to understand that when a motion gets to this position where we seem to have agreement from all members of the House, a lot of the national strategy that will be discussed and developed over a period of time will deal with some of the issues raised by some of the members.

The member should be commended for the fact that it reached the House with agreement from all parties and we are able to speak to it today.

This is a national issue and it is an issue that affects all people of Canada. It does matter where one lives, be it in Canada, in North America or around the world, it has an impact on every family. There used to be a saying, “you never really understand something until it impacts you or your family personally”, and we are at that point.

I have had the opportunity to experience this, not only first-hand in family issues, but with friends and family of friends. I have seen the struggles that families go through to not only understand the issue but to accept it and deal with it. I have seen parents and brothers and sisters who really anguish over the fact that a member of their family, who they have known all their life, has suddenly become someone else and, through no fault of their own, can do nothing to bring back these family members to what they once were.

It is devastating to the family and it does create hardships. The fact that we are identifying it as a national issue and prepared to discuss it will help everyone understand it better and to get a better comprehension of what we can do currently and what is available to us, but also what will be out there in the future in order to make the lives of the people afflicted by this disease, not just the individuals, but the families of these individuals and how we might develop a long term plan to help meet their needs.

The local organizations in my communities have brought me up to speed on this issue and made me very aware of it. I told them that if I had the opportunity to present on this motion, which they were certainly aware was in the system and being discussed, that I would raise the voice of the people that I represent and hopefully create an interest in all Canadians as to what we can do.

I do not want to go on forever but I do want to suggest that one of the benefits in talking to this motion today is that we are looking at coordinating a national approach. So many times in health care, provincial governments and provincial bodies move forward on specific issues of health care and, unfortunately, we forget to share the benefits or the good things that we are developing within our system. Therefore we get people moving or provinces moving ahead in some areas and others fighting to catch up. By sharing the information and by working together with a national strategy, I believe we will see the understanding and the development of solutions, or at least the care and the opportunities that will be offered to people will be enhanced greatly.

I would be remiss if I did not suggest that by doing this we will create an economy of scale that will allow more money to be applied within the system as opposed to within the bureaucracy and the management of the system. Whenever we can eliminate the duplications and share the information, we can save a lot of steps and it frees resources to deal with the issue in many other ways. Also, from my own experience dealing with health in other provinces and sharing those good ideas is of benefit to everyone.

Canadians will benefit from the system once it is finalized. This is not just limited to Canada. It allows us to discuss the issue, the solutions and what is being done not only in Canada but in other countries. It certainly helps us in creating a national strategy to develop a platform to provide this service.

I look forward to the motion going forward. Members on this side have said that they will be supporting it. I will certainly be supporting it. I encourage other members of the House to support it. It is a good motion and Canadians will be very proud when it is finally realized. The families and the people impacted by this disease will be very thankful that the national government and their members of Parliament see that and have worked together to make this happen.

[Susan Kadis, Liberal, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to encourage all hon. members of the House to support my motion to include Alzheimer's disease and related dementias as a significant integral component in the existing chronic disease strategy. Other chronic diseases currently within this initiative may likely share some common preventive measures which may prove mutually beneficial.

I would like to recognize and pay high tribute to all the families, caregivers, volunteers, often unpaid, and health care professionals who work tirelessly to provide those with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias the dignity and the caring environment they deserve.

As our population rapidly ages, a significant number of the Canadian population is and will be affected by this catastrophic disease directly and indirectly.

I would also like to thank all hon. members who have spoken passionately in support of this important issue They have shared their own experiences in their ridings and in their families with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

I am confident that by taking this important step forward today we will build steadfastly on the progress that is being made. With the convergence of two realities, the increase of incidence of Alzheimer's disease and the possibility of an extended delay and hopefully a cure within our grasp, action now is undeniably the right thing to do.

Canadians will gain more needed knowledge, share best practices and enhance the potential for greater availability and options of care. Supporting this motion today will be a recognition that we do embrace this challenge, that we will fight vigorously in the name of all our courageous loved ones who have been taken from us as a result of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and for all those who will hopefully never ever have to experience this devastating disease.

[The Deputy Speaker]

The question is on the amended motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[An hon. member]

On division.

(Motion agreed to)

Business of the House

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, at their meeting last week, the parliamentary House leaders proposed holding a take-note debate on democratic reform and, in particular, citizens engagement on Tuesday, May 3.

With the unanimous consent of the House, I would like to give notice of the following motion:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 53.1, on May 3, 2005, a take-note debate shall take place on the subject of citizens engagement.

This debate will be held as agreed by the parliamentary House leaders at their meeting last week.

[The Deputy Speaker]

The minister does not need unanimous consent to move the motion. The motion has been proposed. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.