Debates of Nov. 20th, 2013

Crisis in the Philippines

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, I want to thank the government for its response to this horrific typhoon. In this country and in this place when we see disasters happen, be they in Haiti or in the Philippines, it is a time for us to work together to help the people who need it. I really want to convey that spirit in the debate tonight, in how we present our concerns, so that we have a respectful debate and be sure to remind ourselves that it is about the people of the Philippines. I want to say that at the start.

I want to ask the minister a question on the breakdown of the $20 million in contributions. There are, for instance, $4 million to the UN World Food Programme, UNICEF $3 million, the Red Cross $2 million and the International Organization for Migration $2 million. Could the minister give us an understanding of how these amounts were arrived at and what input he had in coming up with these donations to the various organizations?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Chair, it is very important to act as soon as we can. I can first tell the House that the organizations are working on the ground as we speak, and the way to deploy the money is to make sure we can access the people and reach as many as we can, according to what is being done on the ground. As we know, the ISST team was there from the outset and the disaster assistance relief team was there after that, all according to the request from the Filipino government.

After that, we have to evaluate within the department who does what. I guess the main priority is to make sure we are there as soon as possible to reach people in distress, to make sure that we have access and that people in need are reached as soon as possible so their needs are addressed. This is what we are doing in terms of deployment, to make sure it goes where it has to go as soon as possible.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Chair, I would like to reiterate my colleague's comments. We are here for the people of the Philippines. We keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

I am wondering if the minister could clarify what exactly the government's commitment is. Last week, we know the government pledged $5 million and the minister promised to match Canadians' contributions, and we thank him for that. We know that is at about $20 million now from Canadians.

I am wondering if he can clarify. On Monday, the Prime Minister made an announcement of an additional $15 million, but it does not look as if that was new money. Has the government given $5 million and Canadians $15 million, with the promise that the government will match that?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Chair, first we provided $30,000 to the Red Cross in terms of a mitigation process before the typhoon had its landfall. After that, we announced $5 million for addressing urgent needs. Then we announced the matching relief fund, so each dollar given by Canadians will be matched with dollars coming from the government.

That being said, the Prime Minister announced $15 million, and this is part of the matching fund. The idea of announcing it now is to ensure that the organizations on the ground have access to the money because they have to work now. We know now that Canadians gave almost $20 million, so more dollars will have to be matched. This morning, I announced in Mississauga $5 million in terms of stockpiling to ensure we provide medical tools, blankets, tents and tarps, and now the plane is about to leave.

What we have to bear in mind very clearly is that we will continue to assess the situation very closely, and we will address the needs. We are all open to continuing to help our Filipino friends. We will be there to help.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Chair, I am very pleased to participate in this very important debate that will discuss Canada's response to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

I would like to start by reiterating this government's sympathies to all those who have lost loved ones as a result of the typhoon. They should know that our thoughts and prayers remain with the millions of people who have been affected by this devastation.

On Friday, November 8, like all Canadians and indeed people around the world, I reacted with horror when we learned the news that a devastating storm had hit the Philippines. Thousands were feared dead, and homes and infrastructure were destroyed, leaving people without shelter, communications or even the basic survival needs like food and water.

Canadians are a caring and generous people. Indeed, there are no more caring or generous people in the world than the people of Canada. The news of this devastation, not unexpectedly, sparked a strong desire in Canadians to help. As a responsible citizen of the world, Canada has a duty to help, and help we do. We offer assistance when such disasters strike.

I am proud to say that our response was quick and it was decisive. Canada's approach to helping the Philippines is a comprehensive whole-of-government effort led by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development. It is working hand in hand with core departments and agencies, including National Defence, the Canadian Armed Forces, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada, to deliver support.

As my colleague has indicated, and as members will hear this evening, we deployed a forward party of Canada's disaster assistance response team, the DART, to the region and deployed other elements of the DART capability soon afterwards. DART is Canada's complement of military personnel and assets, ready at a moment's notice to deploy for exactly this sort of emergency. They have unique knowledge and skills to bring relief in the aftermath of humanitarian catastrophe.

More than 300 Canadian Armed Forces personnel are on the ground, right now, in the Philippines, focusing largely in the area of Panay Island that was in the direct path of the typhoon.

Our military is relying on the CC-177 Globemaster and CC-150 Polaris aircraft to move personnel and equipment to where they need to be, and to support our efforts while they are under way. Two Griffon helicopters have also been deployed to assist with transportation of food, non-food items and shelter to remote communities on the ground. I should let the House know that a third helicopter is on its way.

The DART is about to provide clean water to Filipinos through reverse osmosis water purification units. One such unit has been installed, and water purification is expected to start very shortly. A second water purification unit is already on its way. The unit is a truly impressive piece of equipment. It has the ability to purify up to 12,000 gallons of safe drinking water a day.

I had the pleasure of visiting Canadian Forces Base Trenton last Friday to see off a small contingent of personnel and their specialized equipment, including one of these purification units. Each of them was ready to go and wanting to help, and it made me and indeed anyone who was there very proud to be a Canadian.

As we speak, they are doing amazing work to help Filipinos begin to overcome this tragedy. At a time when engineering, medical and logistical expertise is desperately needed on the ground, the Canadian Armed Forces are able to provide this support to those whose lives depend upon it.

This is a major operation. It is one consistent with the role that Canadians always take when there is an emergency in the world. Again, I am very proud and pleased that we are undertaking this debate. I am very pleased and proud, of course, of the efforts of members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Mr. Chair, I would like to commend the government for taking swift action on the Philippines. It is usually not its style to do so. It was not when Washi hit the Philippines last time. Certainly when it did take action in China in 2008, it had to be brought there screaming and kicking. It was forced to do so. However, this time around the government is to be commended for the work it is doing.

My question to the minister is very simple. I think we are matching dollar for dollar, $20 million or $25 million. The government has allocated that money. Out of that $20 million or $25 million that has been allocated, how much are we allocating for DART? Is the cost of the DART above and beyond the announcements that have been made so far, or is the DART cost in that envelope? Can he give us clarification on that?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Chair, the cost of DART is over and above the money that will be allocated to non-governmental organizations and money that will be used to provide assistance to the people of the Philippines.

I do not agree with the premise of the hon. member's questions. This government has an outstanding record when it comes to standing up and helping people around the world in need. Look at what happened in Haiti. We were there on the ground. We do more than our share in terms of our population and size in the world. We are there if there is a tsunami or a crisis in Turkey or Haiti. In all these places, we are there to help.

That is what we are doing in the Philippines. We are moving quickly and decisively to help those people in their time of need. It is completely consistent and characteristic of the efforts of this government and the people of Canada.

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the minister for his speech. I would also like to thank the government for its quick and full response to this crisis in the Philippines.

I want to bring us back to a more positive note and the kinds of things that have been inspired in my community. A group of volunteers, led by Dominga Passmore, Laila Pires, Leonor Santos, and Annette Beech, very quickly put together a benefit last Friday. The lineup went around the block, in the driving rain. People wanted to come to the dinner and contribute money to the Red Cross, which the government is then going to match.

This action of the government helps us validate that very strong response to the Filipino Canadian community, which always contributes by sending money home. They contribute here by looking after our kids and looking after those who need care in the home. When they step forward very quickly to raise several thousand dollars in one evening, I think it is a very good thing that we can validate that by matching those funds.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Chair, that is a very good point. The hon. member points out what we know about and have experienced with the people of this country. When other people are in need, Canadians want to help. The example he gave is typical of the response Canadians have had and will continue to have.

There is a large Filipino Canadian community within Canada that is quite concerned about this. However, this effort involves everyone in this country. The response I have heard from all my colleagues in the House of Commons, and indeed what I am hearing on the ground wherever I go, is that people want to get involved. They want to make a contribution.

When I was here about a week ago, I pointed out that Canadians should be careful where they make their donations. In their enthusiasm, we want to make sure that these are registered charities and legitimate organizations working in the best interests of the people of the Philippines. That being said, what we will see up until December 8, when the government has indicated it will continue to match dollar for dollar, is a very impressive effort by the people of this country, just as we saw with Haiti and other places around the world.

[Lois Brown, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development]

Mr. Chair, just for the benefit of the people watching this debate, I wonder if the Minister of National Defence could talk a bit about the efforts DART is making. We know that it is a response team for disasters. However, it may be that some of the people watching do not understand what its responsibilities are. Could the minister let people know what it does?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Chair, I appreciate that comment and thank the hon. member for that question.

There were individuals from Canada and Canada's Armed Forces right on the ground immediately to assess the situation. Then, working with the government of the Philippines, a number of our allies, and non-governmental organizations, we were able to put in members of the DART team. They do a number of tasks. I indicated in my opening remarks that setting up water purification and getting that going was part of it. They are clearing some of the disaster area, re-establishing the essential services or making forays vis-a-vis their helicopters to areas to see and assess the situation. That is all part of what this team does.

Again, they will be working with those non-governmental organizations and other countries that are interested in helping, and indeed, with the Philippines government, to make sure that people get the kind of assistance they need. Moving in medical supplies is one of the efforts they have already made on the ground. There is clean drinking water and tablets. All of these initiatives have been important for this effort. All Canadians, and indeed all the people around the world who look at what Canada does, will continue to hold this country in high esteem and be very proud of the efforts this country is making and will continue to make.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, I rise today to speak about the horrific typhoon we just witnessed in the Philippines. Sadly, this is not the first time. It happened just a year ago, prior to 2012, with the 2011 typhoon. We have to acknowledge that. The people of the Philippines are a generous people, a resilient people, but this typhoon was the strongest typhoon we have seen.

The effects of the typhoon have been noted. I will go over some of the numbers. They are important to put on the record. Some 8,000 Filipinos had fled to evacuation centres before the typhoon hit. They mobilized, because they knew that this was going to happen. Many of the centres themselves were unable to withstand the tsunami-like storm surges. The winds and the storm were so strong that even the places people went for safe harbour were destroyed.

At least 13 million people have been affected throughout the Philippines. That is half the population of our country. It is hard to even conceptualize. The death toll is about 4,000, but we know that will probably rise as they enter some of the areas government officials and international contingents on the ground have not been able to access. More than 18,000 people were injured and 1,600 people are still missing. That is the latest number.

Clearly, it is a massive disaster. I do not know about you, Mr. Chair, and others in the House, but when we saw the images on television and read the reports, it broke our hearts to see so many vulnerable children without parents, to see whole communities wiped out. It has also taken a toll on the economy.

The government has responded quickly. We have to keep our eyes on what the next steps are. When we go through a tragedy like this, although each one is different, we need to have an immediate response and get resources on the ground and to the people who are able to deliver the aid and support immediately. We know that people were already on the ground ready to serve and respond. Then it is a matter of coordination and making sure that the aid will not to be stuck. We had that problem in Haiti. We had a lot of problems pushing the aid out to the people who needed it. We need to be vigilant in the Philippines.

Right now there is a vital need to help people go to the next step. We have seen the relief start to have an effect. The next steps are the following: we need to look at rebuilding in the short term to build for the long term, and we need to see cash-for-work programs.

One thing we know from the Haiti experience and the NGOs on the ground is that we need to get people to do that work themselves and we need to pay them to do the work. It is particularly effective when women are paid for work to get things moving, because they are able to distribute the money they get from work to help with their children. That is a really important, smart policy we should be focused on, the cash for work programs that some aid agencies are involved in.

We need to look at farmers. This is an important period of time for farmers and the fisheries. We need to get them the tools. A lot of their tools were wiped out, so we need to look at that in the short term. Aid agencies are looking at that.

We also need to support and protect the most vulnerable people. I mentioned women and children. The vulnerability of women and children is heightened during any catastrophe. We need to be vigilant and make sure that the programs we are funding will protect women and children in particular, but not exclusively.

On balance, things are a bit better than we have heard they were in other disasters, but the response is still a matter of coordinating everything.

There are some problems working with the Filipino government, but generally speaking, we need to help them where they have problems and make sure that things are coordinated.

Canadians have responded extraordinarily well, and we have heard that from the minister and others. We all have our own stories. I hope all of us have donated.

I would just make a plea to those who are watching. It is really important that people donate. They have until December 8 to donate. There is a terrific website, together.ca, where aid organizations have come together to share resources. Together.ca is a fantastic one-stop shop for that.

We have seen people do grassroots organizing. This December 3, in my own constituency, there will be a fundraiser called “Block Love”. It will be at the Orange Art Gallery in Hintonburg, not far from here. Two women, Anna-Karina Tabunar and Daphne Guerrero, decided that they would do something, and they are organizing a fundraiser on December 3 from 4:30 to 7:30.

That is why it is so important for Canadians to give and for the government to acknowledge that and ensure that the matching funds are there. We are glad to see that.

We have a disaster, and we have the response. We have to see the long-term commitment to rebuild. We have to be focused on who we are helping out, looking at farmers, women, and children, and be aware of the need to rebuild in the short term and be there for the long term.

We also have to be aware and put on the table another thing, and that is climate change. Right now, in Poland, where the negotiations have been going on, we have the delegate from the Philippines on a hunger strike, because he understands that this is about climate change. This is a genuine plea to the members of the current government. If they have the sense to follow up on the aid to the Philippines, they can do that by genuinely acknowledging that the effects of climate change are affecting the people of the Philippines more than we could ever know. If we are serious about helping the people of the Philippines, the next step for the government is to be serious about climate change, negotiate in good faith, acknowledge the science of climate change, and start helping to reduce CO₂ emissions. It is the people of the Philippines, the people of sub-Saharan Africa, and the people of the north who are most affected by climate change and who contribute the least to climate change.

I have given the Conservatives credit for responding, but I passionately urge them to acknowledge that climate change is the big player here. We have to be serious about this. It is with great sadness that we see these deaths occur. However, we have to acknowledge that we need to prevent this from happening. Some say that it is too late. I say that we have to do what we can. Let us acknowledge the delegate from the Philippines at the climate change talks in Poland right now, who is on a hunger strike trying to get attention from the world and from Canada, and actually be serious about climate change.

I want to finish by acknowledging every Canadian who has contributed, but I particularly underline the Filipino Canadian community, whom I know personally in places like Winnipeg, here in Ottawa, and Vancouver. We all know and have friends throughout the country who are Filipino Canadians. They are resilient and passionate. They are the ones who have been the first responders. Let us stay with them. Let us not abandon them. Let us ensure that Canada is in it for the long haul and that we work in solidarity with the people of the Philippines and do not turn our backs.

Let us continue this debate in a constructive way to look for solutions to help the people in the Philippines in the short term and the long term and make sure that we do not forget them.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Chair, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his speech and for raising important issues like climate change and extreme weather events and the need for a long-term commitment We have to help the Philippines recover, and, I would add, build resilience to prevent this in the future, and build stronger communities.

I agree that keeping mothers and babies healthy is an urgent priority in the wake of an emergency. Keeping the youngest survivors of Typhoon Haiyan safe and protected must also be a key priority while their homes and communities are being rebuilt in the aftermath of a devastating storm. Survival means addressing children's education, health, psychological well-being, and safety. Children are going to need the appropriate activities for their ages, including play, sports, informal learning, and discussion groups that will help their recovery.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for that intervention because it is really about looking at this with a wide angle lens. I want to build on what my colleague was saying about building the resilience. It is very important to understand that where the typhoon hit hardest is in a place where people rely on coconut for their income: fruit, oil, milk and husks that comes from the coconut. Every one of us saw those pictures where it wiped out all the coconut trees.

Think of depending on that for income, for those of us who might be farmers. Imagine it wiped out all the herd. They have nothing. Farmers understand if they are left without a crop or without a herd, they are left with nothing.

That is really what we are talking about. In the short term it is ensuring that there is support in transition and then in the long term, helping these people rebuild their economy, which basically was wiped out, which is another devastation, losing a house or home, but also access to any income at all.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Chair, I would like to thank my colleague for his speech and for the steps he has taken to address the situation. My colleague asked the minister how the funds have been allocated and to whom.

Could the hon. member tell me how he feels about the way the funds have been allocated?

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, I am glad the minister clarified what we heard because Canadians were wondering whose money it was that was being pledged. We heard the number $40 million. We know there were $15 million, but a lot of that was pledged money.

I will give a rundown of the $20 million to date: UN World Food Programme, $4 million; UNICEF, $3 million; Red Cross $2 million; International Organization for Migration, $2 million; World Vision Canada, $2 million; Oxfam, $1.5 million; Plan Canada, $1.5 million; Doctors Without Borders, $1 million; CARE Canada, $1 million; Save the Children, $1 million; World Health Organization, $800,000; and the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs, $200,000.

This is the lay out of the money, but what is important to note is the lion share of the money has been coming from Canadians. I would like the government to break that open when it announces that, just to be transparent.

Finally, while we are on the issue of money, the government should also acknowledge that this fiscal year there is a lot of money that has lapsed. If the need is there, not just for the Philippines, I hope the Conservatives are ready to acknowledge that there is money they can pledge, if needed, out of the pot of money that has lapsed for this fiscal year, as we saw in the public accounts, for Syria as well.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Chair, I want to thank my colleague from Ottawa Centre for his intervention tonight and how important this debate is. It is to show and demonstrate that members in Parliament are standing in unison with Canadians across the country, especially with the Filipino Canadian community in so many urban centres and across Canada in rural communities like mine in Selkirk—Interlake. These are fantastic people and they are very concerned about their loved ones back home.

Again, I appreciate the words of support coming from the opposition, knowing full well that the government is going to match all private donations, dollar for dollar, until December 8. Money that has been flowing into all sorts of charities at this point in time and any donation that has been made by Canadians to those charitable organizations, those NGOs are the best route to deliver aid on the ground and work through other agencies, which are specialists in humanitarian crises.

I would ask my colleague to talk about that and encourage Canadians to continue to give and donate. Those matching funds can be used to double those donations and essentially make a difference because the Philippines has been so badly devastated by Typhoon Haiyan.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, I want to start my response by underlining something that is very important. Some people think the best thing to do is to take material goods, pack them together and send them to some of the organizations that are sending relief abroad. We want to underline the fact that is not helpful because of the expense of sending those goods. If anything, people could have a garage sale to raise some cash and donate that to the appropriate organizations. People of goodwill will want to do things in the way they see best fit, but we have to remind them that money is the way to do it. As my friend from Manitoba said, there are organizations that already have people on the ground, they have the infrastructure and they are ready to respond.

On that note, I mentioned that together.ca is one of the ways people can go online to donate. It is website of the Humanitarian Coalition, which is a couple of registered NGOs that have come together to put their resources together, a one-stop shop. UNICEF is doing great work. There are a number of organizations. I think the department has ways to access those organizations.

The other thing I want to mention is that this is an opportunity reach out to our fellow Canadians. I mentioned one of the events coming up in my riding. As parliamentarians, we should connect with our communities to find out what is going on, promote those activities and get people to connect with each other. It is very isolating if people have family members who are going through this crisis right now. They are alone and are trying to deal with it. This is a time when we, as Canadians and as members of Parliament showing leadership, donate personally, but also promote those opportunities for people to come together.

I remember well the earthquake in Haiti, its aftermath and some of the events that happened in my riding. People came together to raise funds and Haitian Canadian were there. It was enormous support, not just the money that was being raised, but also the solidarity and seeing people looking out for their community and their family members.

We know that the Filipino Canadian community has been helping to build the Philippines for many years through remittance. This is not new for them. It is just a matter of Canadians understanding it is our time to step up to do what many Filipino Canadians have been doing with remittances back home. Now is our chance to do it through to December 8 to show that we care as well. I encourage all Canadians to do this to show that we are with the people of the Philippines.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Chair, with respect to a long-term solution, he mentioned the Philippine official who was on a hunger strike and climate change. Could my colleague expand on that, please?

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, I mentioned him because I wanted to ensure that in the debate tonight we did not just leave it at the short-term response, that this has to be understood to be part of what is happening with our changing climate and that someone has taken a stand that should be noted by the rest of the world. As I said earlier, I passionately plead with the government to acknowledge that climate change is real, that it is connected to what is happening in the Philippines. This is an opportunity for us all to not just look at the short term but to look at the cause and the prevention of further typhoons. These are going to happen. This is the new reality.

A public policy review of how we actually tool up and respond is one thing, but also what we can do to bring down the GHG emissions to ensure we do our bit to deal with catastrophic climate change and the whole issue of climate justice.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Chair, I will be splitting my time with my friend and colleague, the hon. member for Markham—Unionville.

All of us in the House, the people's House, and across Canada have been shaken by the frightening images of devastating Typhoon Haiyan and by the terrible human suffering. Although the ultimate toll of destruction is not yet clear, it is estimated that nearly 13 million people are affected, including over four million displaced and two and a half million in need of food aid.

We keep the people of the Philippines in our thoughts and prayers, as we do Filipino Canadians across our country who are anxious about their family and friends back home. We also keep the aid, emergency workers and military personnel who are working around the clock in harrowing conditions in our thoughts and prayers.

All of us are relieved that a major international relief mission is under way to help the survivors and that Canada is part of the effort. The United Nations pledged $25 million; the United States $20 million, aircraft carrier USS George Washington and officials from U.S. AID; and the United Kingdom $16 million, a Royal Navy warship and Royal Air Force military.

Last week the United Nations and its partners launched an appeal for $301 million to provide humanitarian assistance. As of Saturday, the appeal is 26% funded.

We recognize that the Canadian government contributed $5 million to the aid effort as well as paying for the Disaster Assistance Response Team. We are thankful for the generosity of Canadians who have now donated almost $20 million, and we must remember that the government is matching Canadians' contributions.

The Liberals wish to offer our full support for the aid that the government has provided and promised to match in donations. However, given the lessons we have all learned from the tragedy in the Haiti, would the government consider two other measures? Would the government extend the deadline for matching funds until the end of the calendar year? Would the government grant visa extensions for students, temporary workers and workers from the typhoon area?

We expect financial support to increase as more information becomes available. Official estimates of what it may cost to rebuild and restore the affected areas of the Philippines now runs to almost $6 billion and many survivors will be dependent on aid for months to come. We do not want the government to think that this money is the end of Canada's role in this tragic event.

Canada is home to a significant Filipino diaspora and we must be ready to do more in the future when called upon by the international community.

Ensuring that everyone has safe drinking water remains a major challenge, as does the need for emergency shelter and basic protection for women and children as 500,000 homes have been destroyed. An estimated 3.2 million women and 4.6 million children need psychosocial support and protection.

Let me recognize the tremendous courage, resiliency and strength of the people of the Philippines. The airport in Tacloban, which was almost entirely destroyed in the storm, has emerged as a relief hub with numerous aid flights landing each day carrying food, generators, heavy-lifting equipment, medicine and water and people are getting the vital relief supplies they need.

Let me finish by continuing to encourage Canadians to help by contacting the Canadian Red Cross, UNICEF Canada or other organizations involved in the relief effort. Canadians have a generous and proud history of providing help in times of crisis.

Let us commit to the Filipino community in Canada that in the weeks ahead we are here for it to listen, to be a source of strength, to help solve problems, to be a source of refuge. Let us also commit to work tirelessly with our partners across the Philippines and around the world to reach those in need and support their recovery.

Our assistance must not only save lives today, but must also reduce the risk of disaster tomorrow. We must help strengthen the resilience of local communities.

Our friends in the Philippines face a long, hard road ahead, but they must be assured that they have a friend and partner in Canada.

[Lois Brown, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development]

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for her comments and I thank the opposition for its support for what Canada is doing. I welcome them to work with us.

I wonder if the member could speak to some of the things that she has observed in her own community. The Filipino community, particularly, has gotten involved and we have seen other Canadians decide to step up to the plate and put together fundraisers of their own. I wonder if she could tell the House some of the things that she has seen in her own constituency and that she is perhaps involved in.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Chair, I think everyone is involved. We all want to reach out to a community that is hurting. We are watching our family around the world hurt. It is really important.

What I am hearing from the community is that they have two questions they would really like answered by the government. First, will the government extend the matching funds until the end of the calendar year? We have not heard an answer on that. Second, will the government grant visa extensions for students, temporary workers and other workers from the typhoon area? That is what we are hearing from the community.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Mr. Chair, I want to thank my colleague for her presentation. I can sense in her voice the anguish of what she has been hearing about the difficulties the Filipino community in Canada are facing.

I noticed that the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development just got up and thanked us for assisting them, but again, I think we can do more as Canadians. I think we need to extend it. I remember when the tsunami hit, it was close to a quarter of a billion dollars. I remember that for the Muzaffarabad earthquake, it was about $75 million. The previous Liberal government did this. Then there is the government of the day, and I acknowledge that, which also did it for Haiti.

We have to remember that there were two instances when the Conservatives did this. In one instance, they had the House prorogued because they were facing difficulty. Right now, we are facing more difficulty within the Senate. Although they mean well, maybe they are just doing it to offset what is happening. I would hate very much for that to be their point.

I was just wondering if my colleague could share her view with us of whether the government is doing enough.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Chair, the government should not think that this is the end of the government's commitment to the Philippines. We expect it to continue to provide assistance as long as the situation requires.

We have to remember that over 12 million people are affected in nine regions, and more than 920,000 people have been displaced. They are seeking shelter in 995 evacuation centres. These are host communities and makeshift centres. The number of people who are affected and in need of support will continue to increase as access to additional affected areas opens and needs assessment takes place.

What we would like to hear from the government is what plans it has going forward for relief and recovery, and the specific activities it has planned after one month, three months, and going forward.