Carol Skelton

[Reinstatement of Government Bills, February 9th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his eloquent delivery, but I would like to ask him a question. He pointed at Conservative members who are sitting here and said all the party wants to do is save money for Canadians. I am assuming that was who he was talking about. He said we wanted to save money for Canadians and then turned around and accused us of wasting people's money.

I will say to him that I think there is some good legislation here, but there is also some very bad legislation. I do not think it is necessary for the government to bring forward closure for us to debate the bills and work on the bills and take due course and do it. I would like to have his comments on this. I would like him to go forward with his comment about wanting to save money for Canadians. I would like him to tell us how we are saving money for Canadians.

[Agriculture, February 9th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, last week the international panel came out with their findings and recommendations for the U.S. cattle industry. One of those recommendations is to ban the feeding of animal protein to ruminants.

I would like to ask the agriculture minister this. How have the USDA and Secretary Veneman responded to this proposal about blood products?

[Agriculture, February 9th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, recently the USDA banned the feeding of blood and blood meal to ruminants, yet this government is dragging its feet on doing the same thing. Canada needs to implement regulations in lockstep with our American counterparts. Why has the government not yet implemented regulations that would ban the feeding of blood and blood meal to ruminants?

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, February 5th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, what is my colleague's position on why justice was left out of the throne speech?

I know the city of Winnipeg has an aboriginal gang problem. The same is developing in my city of Saskatoon. This causes me great concern, and money is not being put into our police forces and helping our cities cope with this. I would like to know her opinion as to why justice was left out of the throne speech.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, February 5th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member mentioned agriculture in one of his statements. He recognized that people making under $15 an hour are the people who basically keep this country growing.

Yesterday a farmer in my riding told me that to get into the new agricultural programs and try to get some money out of that, he would have to put 16% of his income down before he even started into these programs.

I would like the member's comments on that.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, February 5th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his speech. I have in front of me the bulletin of the National Advisory Council on Aging. I will quote from it. It talks about what is abuse for seniors. It lists neglect as:

failing to meet the needs of an older adult unable to meet those needs alone. Denial of food, water, medication, treatment, health aids, nursing services, clothing, visitors.

Yesterday the minister who is responsible for senior citizens in this country said in the House that our seniors are doing very well. A former minister of the government this morning said that he is hearing from seniors in the city of Toronto how hard it is and what a struggle they are having.

Seniors right across Canada are struggling. I would like to ask my hon. colleague if he is hearing that in his riding. What is his position is on the health services for the seniors in his riding?

[Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, February 4th, 2004]

Mr. Chair, I would like to ask my hon. colleague if he has heard about any of his farm families writing and saying that the federal government is telling them it does not know if there is enough money to pay out their CFIP payments.

[Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, February 4th, 2004]

Mr. Chair, the minister keeps saying over and over that this is science based. We have a lot of livestock besides the beef and dairy animals.

I would like to know if he spoke to the government of the United States and the other governments in the countries to which he travelled about the importing of these other animals into the United States and about when the border will be opening to the other animals.

[Petitions, February 3rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition to the House of Commons and Parliament assembled supports marriage as the foundation for families and the raising of children.

[Petitions, February 3rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure today to present two petitions to the House of Commons. The first one is from women right across Canada. Over 2,600 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year, one in 70 women in Canada, and over 1,500 Canadian women die each year of this disease because the symptoms are often vague and diagnosis is usually made in the later stages when a cure is less likely. If ovarian cancer is found early and treated, the survival rate is as high as 90%.

Therefore your petitioners call upon the Parliament of Canada to focus its legislative support in ensuring that the Government of Canada join the government of United States of America by proclaiming the month of September as ovarian cancer month and support research into finding early detection tests for ovarian cancer and in raising awareness about the seriousness of this women's disease across North America.