Peter Adams

[Petitions, June 18th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from members of United Senior Citizens of Ontario Inc. who reside in Peterborough. They say that the safety of consumers and senior citizens in particular is at risk because brand name drug manufacturers are attempting to force generic drug manufacturers to market their equivalent products in a size, shape and colour different from the brand name medication.

Any action that affects the look of generic drugs could endanger patient safety through improper use of medicines. Therefore, the petitioners request that Parliament regulate the longstanding Canadian practice of marketing generic drugs in a size, shape and colour which is similar to that of its brand name equivalent.

[Endangered Species, June 12th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment.

One of the commitments in the throne speech was legislation on endangered species. In light of the Sierra Club report, can the parliamentary secretary tell this House what action we can expect on endangered species in Canada?

[Gasoline Prices, May 27th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, there is widespread belief in Ontario at present that the oil companies are gouging consumers through exorbitantly high gas prices. Prices in our communities go up and down, mainly up, all at the same time. Why, people ask, if each service station has different amounts of already paid for gas in its tanks do prices change at the same time?

In Peterborough there have been demonstrations at gas stations to no avail.

It is time something was done about this. I am a great believer in keeping government interference in business to a minimum. However, it seems my constituents are being manipulated by huge corporations.

I call on all members to support Bill C-267 which will control the way companies can change gas prices. I also support the MPs' appeal to the competition bureau.

[Mining Industry, May 13th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, since this is national mines week, it is important to stress the economic, cultural and social contribution of this industry for several regions of Canada.

For example, the mining sector shaped the development of several Quebec regions, particularly in the north, where I lived for a number of years. To this day, the mining industry remains a major economic development tool. Year in year out, mining shipments total between $2.5 and $3 billion. The mining industry is also a major employer, including in rural areas.

To be sure, the challenge for this sector is to turn to high technology and thus contribute-

[Petitions, May 9th, 1996]

Madam Speaker, the second petition is from people in Peterborough who note that the Government of Canada was involved in the extradition of Mr. Leonard Peltier to the United States. New information has surfaced indicating that Leonard Peltier's extradition may have been illegal due to witnesses recanting.

Early in 1994 the justice department of Canada announced that it was reviewing the legality of the extradition. Therefore these petitioners request Parliament inform them of the findings of this review.

[Petitions, May 9th, 1996]

Madam Speaker, I have two petitions.

The first is from citizens of Peterborough who draw to the attention of the House that in spite of the fact that the United Nations has adopted resolutions affirming the rights of the East Timorese people to self-determination, the Indonesia military, which continues to occupy East Timor, has inflicted violence and has caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of East Timorese.

Therefore these petitioners request that Parliament support an arms embargo against Indonesia, call on the Indonesian government to free all political prisoners and end Canadian government funding for the promotion of trade with Indonesia.

[Petitions, May 6th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions. On the first petition those who signed want to draw the attention of the House to the following. Acts of discrimination against lesbian, gay and bisexual Canadians are an everyday reality in all regions of Canada. This kind of discrimination is unacceptable in a country known for its commitment to human rights, equality and dignity of all citizens.

Therefore the petitioners call upon Parliament to act quickly to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and to adopt all necessary measures to recognize the full equality of same sex relationships in federal law.

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is also from people in Peterborough riding who are concerned about the effect of proposed changes in human rights legislation on the family.

They request that Parliament refrain from passing into law any bill extending family status or spousal benefits to same sex partners. They further request that Parliament not amend the human rights code, the Canadian Human Rights Act or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in any way which would tend to indicate societal approval of same sex relationships.

[St. James Breakfast Program, April 24th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the St. James Church men's club is one of the volunteer organizations in the Peterborough riding which is providing an early morning breakfast program for students. They feed between 50 and 75 students every morning of the school year. They do this at minimal cost.

They believe, and I agree with them, that their program goes way beyond simply providing a good breakfast for the children who attend. The children find themselves in a happy, welcoming environment. They get a good meal to start the day but they also get to start their day in an upbeat, friendly atmosphere.

I thank all the volunteers across Canada who, like the St. James group, are giving our children a head start.

[Bel Rotary, March 29th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the Bridgenorth, Ennismore and Lakefield Rotary are hard at work raising funds for the construction of a new firehall in the township of Ennismore. The commitment of the many volunteers of the BEL Rotary are making a dream come true.

BEL Rotary has only 25 members but they have already raised $25,000 toward this project. Through events such as golf tournaments and video dances, BEL Rotary is over half way to its goal of $47,000 for the firehall.

In the past 10 years this small Rotary club has raised half a million dollars for community projects. This is truly the real nature of community service.

I would like to recognize the BEL Rotary for its hard work and perseverance and wish its members well as they work to improve the quality of life in Peterborough and around the world.

[National Unity, March 25th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I have more comments from a grassroots group in Peterborough riding which is working to strengthen Canada. The group writes:

One of the problems-is that people not knowing each other, find it easy to accept the stereotypes provided for them by manipulators whose steadfast goals are destructive for us all. Yet in Montreal, English, French and other ethnic groups work together with a good degree of harmony because they are face to face. Social intimacy flies in the face of stereotypic attitudes.

We, and others like us, must extend some kind of invitation to our fellow Canadians in Quebec that will bring us closer to that face to face ideal. Whether that can be accomplished on the small scale by inviting francophone acquaintances from various rural and urban areas to our homes-or-to initiate chain letters which will attempt to establish an accord with those in Quebec who feel alienated from the rest of the country, we do not know. We do know, however, we must act to dispel such destructive stereotyping on the part of so many English and French Canadians.