Svend Robinson

[Foreign Aid, November 18th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa. When the Prime Minister announced a special $500 million fund for Africa at the G-8, he told Canadians it would lift Africa out of poverty. He did not say the money would line the pockets of Canadian businesses.

Earlier this month though the Treasury Board approved the PM's plan to allocate 20% of the fund to support Canadian businesses instead of Africans.

Given the performance of some Canadian businesses in Africa, including Talisman Energy, Acres International and the five mining companies in Congo recently found in violation of international UN regulations, will the minister agree to independent monitoring of their performance and an assessment of the development impact of this money?

[Foreign Affairs, October 30th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The minister will know that many Arab Canadians are being treated in a degrading and offensive manner by U.S. border officials, being fingerprinted, photographed and detained under oppressive new U.S. immigration laws. It is so bad that the minister's own department has issued a travel advisory to Arab Canadians telling them not to travel to the United States.

I want to ask the minister, will he now call in U.S. Ambassador Paul Cellucci and tell him to stop harassing Arab Canadians and that we expect all Canadian citizens to be treated equally at the U.S. border?

[Brazil, October 29th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, last Sunday the people of Brazil elected Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as their president.

The election of Lula, a democratic socialist and leader of the PT or Workers' Party in the fifth largest democracy in the world of 175 million people, gives great hope to the poor, landless and marginalized people of Brazil. Lula has pledged to build a country that has more justice, brotherhood and solidarity. He has put fighting poverty at the top of his agenda. His party, along with social movements, held a people's plebiscite last month in which 10 million people voted 85% against the FTAA. Lula faces huge challenges as the first left wing president in Brazil's history.

My colleagues and I in the New Democratic Party wish to congratulate him and his party on this historic victory. As Lula said “hope won over fear”. Agora é Lula. Lula lá.

[Petitions, October 25th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table a petition this afternoon which is signed by many residents of my constituency of Burnaby--Douglas and others in the lower mainland. I particularly pay tribute to my constituent, Iris Schwenneker, who was involved in this petition on the subject of ethical stem cell research.

The petitioners raise concerns about the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who suffer from debilitating illnesses and diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes, cancer, muscular dystrophy and spinal cord injury. They note that they support ethical stem cell research, which has already shown encouraging potential to provide cures and therapies. They raise concerns about the use of embryonic stem cells: ethical problems and immune rejection. They call upon Parliament to focus its legislative support on adult stem cell research to find the cures and therapies necessary to treat the illnesses and diseases of suffering Canadians.

[Justice, October 25th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Solicitor General. I want to congratulate him on his appointment.

Amanda Zhao, a young Chinese student living in Burnaby, was murdered last week. This followed brutal attacks on a number of Korean women in the months immediately preceding. It took over a week for the RCMP to publicize Amanda's disappearance and the Chinese consulate was not informed as international protocol requires.

What steps is the minister taking to ensure that there will be a full, vigorous, public review of the circumstances that led to the unacceptable delay in reporting this? What steps will the minister take to ensure it--

[Health, October 24th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister. Recently studies for the Romanow Commission have noted that trade deals like NAFTA and the GATS may block the expansion of medicare to include a national plan for home care, pharmacare and dental care.

Will the government take immediate steps to prevent any further privatization in the health care field to prevent private health care companies from claiming massive compensation under NAFTA and GATS? Will it stand up for public health care in Canada?

[Criminal Code, October 24th, 2002]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-250, an act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased this morning to reintroduce my bill pursuant to Standing Order 86.1 and to point out to the House that the bill is identical to the one that I had introduced during the first session of the 37th Parliament. I ask that it be reinstated at the same point it had reached at prorogation, which was that it had been passed by the House at second reading and referred to the justice committee.

The Criminal Code of Canada currently protects Canadians from those who advocate genocide or spread hatred of others based on their colour, race, religion or ethnic origin. My bill seeks only to extend that same level of protection to those who are targeted on the basis of their sexual orientation.

It is important to note that this bill in no way limits or threatens the freedom of religious expression or religious texts.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Privilege, October 24th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I had given notice yesterday of a point of order with respect to the comments made by the hon. leader of the official opposition. I believe I heard an apology this morning from him, and on the basis of that apology I will not be pursuing my point of order.

[Ethics, October 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I did want to wait until the leader of the official opposition had concluded his remarks with respect to ethical and moral integrity. I want to make it very clear that I will be reviewing the record, as I hope the Speaker will as well, to determine whether the comments that he made with respect to this member crossed the line in the House. If so, I will be coming back and asking for an apology.

[Ethics, October 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I have only been here 23 years, but I know there are some rules in this place. One cannot refer to another hon. member as a criminal in the House of Commons. I demand that he withdraw that statement.