Svend Robinson

[Health, March 18th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and it concerns very serious allegations of negligence in Health Canada's controls on clinical trials of new drugs. It took months before cancer patient Oscar Mulder was finally given a revised consent form for the drug Iressa, despite many deaths from the drug in Japan.

Why this long, possibly life-threatening delay and what action is the minister taking to ensure that the patients in clinical trials give fully informed consent before they participate so that they are aware of the risks they take before they take these new drugs?

[The Budget, February 26th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for York South—Weston talked about who the government listened to in this budget. I want to tell the member that it is pretty obvious who it did not listen to.

It certainly did not listen to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has condemned the budget. It has said that the budget is totally unacceptable when it comes to responding to the needs of Canada's cities. The government certainly did not listen to the chair of the big city caucus, Glen Murray, the mayor of Winnipeg. How did he describe the budget? He said it was a joke in its response to the needs of big cities.

Who else did the government not listen to? It did not listen to its own colleague from York West, the chair of the Liberal urban task force. The member for York West has said the budget falls far short of what is acceptable.

The government did not listen to the eloquent pleas of Stephen Lewis, who pointed out that Canada's contribution to the global fund for Africa has fallen far short of what is acceptable. Our commitment should be $150 million. We put in $50 million.

I want to ask the hon. member why, instead of putting money into gains for the wealthy, into eliminating the capital tax and increasing RRSP limits for the wealthy, the government did not listen to Canadians. Why did it not listen to cities like Burnaby and elsewhere and put far more resources into child care and into infrastructure for cities?

[Petitions, February 26th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by hundreds of residents of Toronto and Kingston, Ontario, particularly co-ordinated through the Worker to Worker/Canada-Cuba Labour Solidarity Committee.

The petitioners voice their grave concern about the impact of the Helms-Burton law that was legislated in the United States. They say that the law is a massive attack on Cuba, on the people of Cuba and on Canada.

They urge the Canadian government and Parliament to continue its opposition to the Helms-Burton law and to prosecute any Canadian company that cancels a contract with Cuba because of U.S. pressure.

Finally, they call upon Parliament to defend both Cuba and Canada by ensuring that any Canadian company that complies with the U.S. blockade of Cuba and the Helms-Burton law by cancelling contracts with Cuban companies is prosecuted under Canadian law.

[Committees of the House, February 26th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

Pursuant to Standing Order 97.1, your committee is requesting an extension of 30 sitting days to consider Bill C-250, an act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda), referred to the committee on October 24, 2002.

[Health, February 26th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.

There was a recent study by UQAM professors Lauzon and Hasbani of the big nine multinational drug companies. It showed that they had an obscene level of after tax return on investment, 41%, and that they spent three times as much flogging their drugs as they did on research.

I want to ask the minister, will she now, in light of this, withdraw her defence of big pharma and her contemptible attack on patients whom she blamed for taking too many pills? Will she instead accept the Romanow commission recommendation to fully review Canada's patent laws? Will she stand up for the sick and--

[Petitions, February 24th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is signed by 70 residents of Victoria, British Columbia, and in particular supporters of the group Conscience Canada. The petitioners point to the Constitution Act which guarantees freedom of conscience and religion. They point out that, in their view, contributing to the Canadian military through the payment of income taxes is an infringement of their freedom of conscience and religion.

They call for the establishment of peace tax legislation by passing into law my private member's bill, the conscientious objection act, which recognizes the right of conscientious objectors to not pay for the military, but to apply that portion of their taxes that was to be used for military purposes toward peaceful, non-military purposes.

[Petitions, February 24th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present two petitions today.

The first petition is signed by hundreds of residents of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, including in particular a group of veterans against nuclear arms and Mr. Emil Grieshaber. The petitioners are very concerned about the possibility of war in Iraq. They point out that the defence minister has stated, “Canada is ready to go to war again for humanitarian reasons even if the action defies international law and the UN charter”.

The petitioners call on Parliament to call for the perpetrators of all crimes against humanity to be brought to justice by international police action and tried before the International Criminal Court or its interim equivalent. As well, they call for a return of Canada's foreign and defence policies to a full respect for and full compliance with international law and the UN charter.

[Firefighters, February 24th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Defence.

Canadian firefighters are on the front lines in many emergencies, including possible terrorist chemical or biological attacks, yet the Liberal government has so far refused to fund their participation in the International Association of Fire Fighters hazardous materials training for first responders program.

When will the minister finally come up with the $500,000 needed to fund this vitally important program to enable our firefighters to respond effectively to any acts of terrorism on Canadian soil?

The Americans have funded this for some time. When will the Canadian government finally come up with the funding needed?

[Petitions, February 17th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the final petition is again signed by residents from my own constituency of Burnaby—Douglas and others in British Columbia on the subject of rural route mail couriers who have been subjected to longstanding unfairness. The petition recognizes this denial of basic rights and calls upon Parliament to repeal subsection 13(5) of the Canada Post Corporation Act.

[Petitions, February 17th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is signed by residents from British Columbia and indeed from across Canada, in particular the Citizens Concerned About Free Trade of Saskatoon.

They raise concerns about the history of job loss and other adverse impacts of the free trade agreement and the NAFTA. They point to the Liberal Party's 1993 election promise which was broken on this subject.

In the name of democracy and the future of Canada, they call upon the House to instruct the government to fulfill its election promise, give the required six months notice to the U.S. and Mexico and cancel the FTA and NAFTA without delay.