Jean Augustine

[Speech From The Throne, October 18th, 1999]

The issue of taxes is one that all Canadians are concerned about. At the same time we also recognize that the taxes we pay go into programs that benefit all of us and that is important to our young people.

In terms of moving out of the country, I think the Prime Minister put it very well when he talked about the environment and culture and everything else that makes us Canadian and the importance of holding on to this and not going after small gains in terms of dollars.

[Speech From The Throne, October 18th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to respond to the member because in my discussion with our young people we talked about how debate occurs in the House. Someone speaks and someone questions or responds. I am sure this is a really good example for the young people who are watching.

To address the issue of jobs I will speak about my riding in particular. We have a number of agencies that are working with our young people and a number of initiatives that are on the ground to assist them in finding employment through small business, entrepreneurial adventures and through support.

[Speech From The Throne, October 18th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to participate in the debate on the Speech from the Throne. I want to begin by complimenting the governor general on her appointment and note the signal of hope that appointment has given to many in my riding.

I also want to begin by wishing the legendary former prime minister, the Right Hon. Pierre Elliott Trudeau, a happy 80th birthday, with wishes from my constituents for many, many happy years to come.

The Speech from the Throne gives reasons to my constituents and to all Canadians to be optimistic about the future of Canada. I said that on Friday when I spoke to four classes of grade 10 students. I encouraged them to watch the debate in the House today, and I am convinced that many of them will be watching. Therefore I am pleased to make my remarks with the hope that it will enlighten them and with the hope that the remarks from other members will show them the extent to which the Speech from the Throne has set out a vision.

The government has set a course for Canada in the next millennium. It has paved the way in building a nation in which the quality of life of Canadians will continue to be unmatched in the world.

For several years in a row the United Nations has declared Canada to be the best country in which to live. The commitments we made in the Speech from the Throne will ensure that our country will remain so for many years. To the students who are watching, we hope that it will also be the case for many years in their lifetime.

Last Wednesday the Prime Minister stated that Canada is the place to be in the 21st century. I agree. Six years ago when the government took office our country was described as a third world country. Our economic growth was slow. The deficit and unemployment were high.

This economic malaise impacted our communities across Canada, including those in Etobicoke—Lakeshore. I recall a time when there were many closures in my riding: stores, businesses and manufacturing areas. Today I know that our country will be well situated economically and socially to be a world leader in the next century and beyond.

We are enjoying the longest economic expansion since the 1960s with over 1.7 million new jobs created. Our nation's fiscal house is in order. Taxes have been cut in the last two budgets by $16.5 billion over three years and, important to me, 600,000 low income Canadians will no longer pay federal tax.

The government has done this by adopting a comprehensive, balanced economic strategy that has transformed Canada to becoming one of the strongest economies of the G-7.

With this strategy our government will continue to strengthen Canada by recommitting itself to economic policies that will allow us to keep the national debt on a permanent downward track, reduce taxes for Canadians and invest in knowledge, innovation, children, youth and health. These are the themes of the throne speech.

The Speech from the Throne enables the government to further its efforts. Canadians may recall that this is what the government said it would do: 50% for tax and debt reduction, 50% for economic and social needs.

I held several budget consultation meetings and over and over I heard from my constituents that those are things they would like to see the government pursue in dealing with the surplus, and they urged us to manage whatever surplus there is in a progressive way.

The constituents of Etobicoke—Lakeshore believe that in the global economy knowledge and technological innovations are the cornerstones of the highest standard of living and a better quality of life. Our quality of life and standard of living can be secured in the future if we are willing to explore new frontiers in innovation. Investment in research and development is central to this.

We need to build an infrastructure of skills development and innovation to foster opportunities for Canadians to pursue lifelong learning. I see this in my constituency. The federal government has created initiatives such as the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and Technology Partnerships Canada to put Canadians on this path. Many of my constituents have received benefits from the $1 billion endowment to the Canada Foundation for Innovation which is helping to build a leading edge national system of innovation.

The technology partnerships program is being taken advantage of by businesses in my riding to help them keep up in the development of marketing, production and new technology in Canada, thereby creating jobs for Canadians.

With the commitments in the throne speech the government is expanding its efforts. Let me cite some of them, especially for those grade 10s who are watching. There is good news. Through the research granting councils the government will fund the creation of 1,200 new 21st century chairs for research excellence in Canadian universities over the next three years. The cost of the program will be $60 million in the first year, $120 million in the second, $180 million in the third year and it will be ongoing.

I shared this information with those grade 10 students. Many of them come from diverse communities. Perhaps they can see that there is an advantage for their parents and older siblings who are presently at university in research areas.

Canada's place in the 21st century cannot be secure unless we commit to investing in children. They are the future of our country and the strength of our society. We know that when the development of children is neglected in the formative years of life society as a whole is disadvantaged. I spent six years as chair of the Metro Toronto Housing Authority. We dealt with individuals in rent geared to income facilities and I saw the socioeconomic situation of many of our children.

Over the past six years the federal government has endeavoured to provide families with support in caring for their children. We put several programs onstream. I want the young people of Etobicoke—Lakeshore and across Canada to know that as we look forward to the progress in broadening experiences and the understanding of our fellow Canadians it is important for us to do what needs to be done to ensure that the mantra of no experience, no skills, no job becomes something of the past, especially among young people.

My constituents expect nothing less from the government but to ensure that our health care system is modern and sustainable. I know of several who are watching the direction in which the government is going. It is trying to ensure that we meet all of those commitments.

Canadians are committed to preserving and protecting the environment. Several individuals in my area work on a daily basis in the protection of the environment. The Humber River was recently declared a Canadian heritage river. There are many other very important environmental niches in Etobicoke—Lakeshore where we must ensure that we clean up areas that are contaminated and that we protect the health of all Canadians.

The Social Development Community Council in Etobicoke—Lakeshore has a regeneration project and is looking to the direction in which we are going for support for their project. The volunteers and people who give of their time and effort in my riding are enthused by the direction in which we are going.

I call on all members on all sides of the House to view the Speech from the Throne, as it outlines the Liberal vision for Canada's future in the new millennium, as building and creating strong communities that will enable us to have a more equitable society for all Canadians.

[World Population, October 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, on October 12 the Canadian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development celebrated its second anniversary with a forum in commemoration of the six billion mark of world population.

The day of six billion is a significant milestone in the history of population growth. In only 12 short years the world has realized an addition of one billion people, nearly half of whom are under 25 years of age.

Every year 78 million people are added to the planet and over 95% of this growth is in developing countries. This growing population of young people has yet to have the right and access to reproductive health services and information. They are without primary education and immunization. They are suffering from malnutrition and are afflicted with HIV-AIDS.

The international community can address these problems which seriously impair their quality of life.

I call upon Canada and all nations who are signatories to the Cairo Programme of Action to honour their commitment to put basic human needs of girls, men and women—

[Division No. 475, May 31st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to add my name to the no list.

[World Population Day, May 25th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform the House about the upcoming World Population Day which was designated by the United Nations as July 11 of every year. It is a day to remind both nations and individuals about the implications of population growth.

On October 12 the world's population will reach six billion. This increase in population will present many challenges for Canada and the rest of the world in the next century. Some of the challenges include food insecurity, ensuring basic primary education for many children in the developing world, poverty alleviation, and the movement of people across borders.

In commemoration of this day the Canadian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development will organize a media campaign to raise awareness of the cross-cutting issues of population and development.

I encourage all my colleagues to participate in this campaign and to get involved in activities in their ridings to commemorate World Population Day.

[Petitions, May 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the honour to present a petition signed by several hundred constituents in the Toronto area.

The petitioners state that the current immigration sponsorship requirements are very high for an average person to sponsor a relative. Therefore they call upon parliament to ask the Department of Citizenship and Immigration to review the existing fee structure and combine the landing and processing fee into one fee, which would lower the expense to $500 per application.

[National Fitness Month, May 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, May is National Fitness Month.

May is a special month, the month of flowers, the month of good weather and the month in which we celebrate Mother's Day. Yet, there are some among us who are seen as unreachable or as someone else's child. They are the sexually exploited youth who exist in a world of shadows invisible. The voice of these sexually exploited children and youth must be heard and strategies must be devised to meet their specific needs.

A special program “Out from the shadows and into the light” was brought to my attention today. That special program is using a community development approach beginning with the youth themselves, the youth who tell their stories and the youth who make recommendations.

I encourage all of my colleagues, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs has said, to express support for this program and to combat the sexual exploitation of children.

[Kosovo, April 12th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I listened very carefully to the member's debate. I want to make a couple of comments and ask the member a question, which does not really deal with the history but deals with the emotional aspect of the situation.

In the fall of 1997 I had the privilege to visit Bosnia with the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade. I saw firsthand the consequences of that war on the lives of the people and on the environment. It was a travesty to the human condition, one that we must act against.

NATO's air campaign against Yugoslavia is aimed at bringing an end to atrocities against civilians in Kosovo by diminishing the capacities of the Yugoslav army. The military objective of NATO has humanitarian or political consequences. Although the air strikes are planned with the utmost care to avoid civilian casualties, they nonetheless occur. We see this.

I ask the member how do I respond to so many of my constituents who in the main are eastern European, many of them from Serbia? How do I speak to them about this issue at present?

[Oxfam, March 22nd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and to support OXFAM Canada and OXFAM Quebec as they launch OXFAM's international report “Education Now: Break the Cycle of Poverty”.

The report focuses on the 125 million primary school age children in developing countries who are deprived of an education. Mass illiteracy has left them disadvantaged, vulnerable and impoverished. In over 20 developing countries more than 50% of the population, mainly women and girls, are unable to read or write. Universal primary education goals cannot be achieved.

OXFAM's campaign calls on governments to deploy debt relief measures to guarantee basic education targets in developing countries.

I call on all members to support OXFAM's activities in their ridings and to support OXFAM's campaign to eliminate global illiteracy.