Carol Skelton

[Bullying, June 10th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, in every community across Canada there is a tragedy in the making. Thousands of children are being bullied to the breaking point. Its consequences and causes are more complex than ever. Besides words and fists, bullies often utilize the latest technology to bully via computer from the safety and security of their own homes.

It is time we all worked together to protect our children from this destructive behaviour. Parents need to step forward and take responsibility for the actions of their children. Educators need to step forward and play an early intervention role in identifying bullies and victims.

More important, legislators and judges need to step forward with action, not just words. We need to provide judges with the tools to deal with the problem. We need to get tough with bullies. Judges need to use these tools to send a message of zero tolerance. We all have a role in stopping bullying. Let us get on with it.

[Petitions, June 6th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is also from my constituents.

The petitioners call on Parliament to withdraw Bill C-17 and any legislation designed to decriminalize the possession and use of marijuana, that the government provide increased funding to the RCMP and Canadian police forces to ensure the elimination of marijuana grow operations, and that the government impose a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in a federal penitentiary without parole eligibility for conviction of grow operation owners, and finance this initiative by redirecting the funding of the ineffective $2 billion long gun registry into a program to eliminate grow ops in Canada.

[Petitions, June 6th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present two petitions from my riding. The first one is from the community of Asquith.

The petitioners ask that the government immediately stop closing rural post offices as it had promised citizens years ago.

[Business of Supply, May 31st, 2005]

Mr. Chair, I would like the minister to tell me his vision of a rural child care or day care centre, for northern Saskatchewan, let us say. What is his vision for that?

[Business of Supply, May 31st, 2005]

Mr. Chair, the Conservative Party of Canada at its recent policy convention in Montreal passed a resolution calling for the creation of a national disabilities act similar to those in other developed countries.

When I asked the minister in committee if the Liberal Party shared our priority and concern for Canada's disabled, he was noncommittal. Now that he has had time to consider the benefits of such an act, would he be willing to work with the Conservative Party to bring forward such a piece of legislation?

[Business of Supply, May 31st, 2005]

Mr. Chair, parents want choice in how they care for their children. Unfortunately, parents in rural areas have less choice than those in urban areas. When I say two tier, I mean that there are parents who are not going to be able to access the program the way the minister is talking about. Therefore, the minister is favouring urban families, because many rural communities cannot sustain formal child care centres. In many cases it is flexible, seasonal child care that rural families require, not regular nine to five workday care.

Why will the minister not allow the creation of a truly national program that treats children everywhere equally within a framework based on flexible parental choice and family needs?

[Business of Supply, May 31st, 2005]

Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the minister and the deputy ministers for being here this evening.

I will be splitting my time with my hon. colleague from Simcoe--Grey in this first round.

On December 10 in this House the minister said:

Mr. Speaker, the way in which Canadians look at important programs like education, health care and child care is that those are things that should be available to all Canadians...That is why we are going ahead the way we are going ahead.

It is clear that we are getting two tier day care here. The Liberal program will not be available to all Canadians. The Liberal program will have winners and losers. Why can parents not have a fair financial choice when it comes to choosing how to raise their children?

[Question No. 130, May 13th, 2005]

With regard to phage, bacteriophage and antibiotic therapies, what, if any, research has been conducted, programs implemented or funding provided by the government?

[Petitions, May 13th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from a group of people in Vanscoy, Saskatchewan asking that the Government of Canada create new drug laws that penalize people who are involved in the drug trade.

[Petitions, May 13th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure today to introduce two petitions to the House, one from my own village of Harris, Saskatchewan. The petitioners ask that the government quit closing rural post offices and that it look at rural Canada as essential to our country's viability.