Peter Adams

[Committees of the House, October 9th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 47th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the associate membership of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates.

If the House gives its consent I intend to move concurrence in the 47th report later this day.

[Petitions, October 8th, 2003]

Madam Speaker, I have a second petition from a large number of members of the Catholic Women's League. The petitioners point out that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims that childhood is entitled to special care and assistance. The members of the National Council of the Catholic Women's League of Canada passed a resolution in support of a national strategy on child care, their resolution 89.4.

They know that the Government of Canada has offered to increase finances toward a national day care strategy but they suggest that the implementation of improved child care over the next five years has met with various obstacles, and so they request Parliament to give priority to accessible, quality child care for all children.

[Petitions, October 8th, 2003]

Madam Speaker, I rise to present a petition from citizens of Peterborough County and surrounding areas who have been hard hit by the BSE crisis. The petitioners point out that the Canadian beef cattle, dairy, goat and sheep industries are in a state of crisis and that in fact this is affecting the entire rural area. The aid package to the industry is inadequate in that it does not deal with the disastrously low prices experienced and the imminent collapse of various sectors of the rural economy.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to open the American border to Canadian cattle now and as soon as possible develop a long term solution and economic relief that is fair and reflects the importance of these industries in Canada.

[Committees of the House, October 8th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 46th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding its order of reference of Tuesday, October 7, 2003, in relation to Bill C-49, an act respecting the effective date of the representation order of 2003.

The committee has considered Bill C-49 and reports the bill with an amendment. I would like to thank the committee and, before it, the subcommittee, which worked on the important matter of reorganizing our electoral boundaries following the last census.

[Income Tax Act, October 7th, 2003]

Madam Speaker, I thank the parliamentary secretary for his reply, and I know of his great personal interest in this matter. I am pleased that in these various negotiations with different countries, and I mentioned Russia and I could mention the Philippines, we have been encouraging veterinarians to come to Canada and look at our systems so they can make decisions based on their own observations.

As the parliamentary secretary knows, there is a particular concern in eastern Canada about the opening of the border to live animals. Could he give us some indication of when that might happen?

[Income Tax Act, October 7th, 2003]

Madam Speaker, as the minister knows, I have been presenting petitions and have asked questions in question period on behalf of beef, sheep, goat, buffalo and other farmers in the Peterborough area. They have been very hard hit by the BSE crisis, but their voices have tended to be drowned out by cries from the west where the crisis hit hard and early.

Farmers in my area know that this is not a simple issue. International trade in food has serious health and political implications which result in complex negotiations and rules. However our farmers also know that our systems are safe. They know that we took all possible care in tracing back a single cow that did not get into the food chain. Therefore, they are frustrated that we have only managed to partially open the U.S. and some other borders to our products.

Their primary concern is that the border be fully opened. Only secondary are they interested in compensation issues, important though these are. In their frustration, these farmers want to be kept fully informed about what is being done on their behalf to open the border. This is not idle curiosity. They want to know so they can have real input into the process. After all, as those most affected, they might have useful suggestions to make.

As their MP, I have spoken to the minister and attended rural caucus briefings, including the one at our national caucus in North Bay. Also, as an associate member, I was able to take part in public hearings of the Standing Committee on Agriculture during the summer on BSE. I have attended farm meetings in Peterborough and on Parliament Hill. More recently, in Russia I was able to help prepare the way for our delegation to that country, which is part of our efforts to open up yet another market for our products. The Russians have a special interest in livestock.

As a result, I got a pretty good idea of what the minister, his department and others have been doing, but it is not easy to convey all this to farmers struggling to cope with an industry-threatening crisis. That is why I asked the questions and followed up with a request for this late show debate. I wanted the minister and his parliamentary secretary to speak publicly and in detail about what has been done, what is being done and what will be done to deal with the BSE crisis, especially as it affects Ontario.

I look forward to the parliamentary secretary's reply on behalf of the minister.

[Petitions, October 6th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I have a second petitions from citizens who are concerned about a acrylomides in our diet. The petitioners point out that acrylomides are very dangerous toxic substances known to cause cancer in mice. They are formed from sugars, most often glucose and amino acid, at high temperature, above 180° Celsius. They point out that potatoes and grains contain these precursors in huge amounts and that the concentration in fries exceeds by 600-fold or 700-fold those allowed in drinking water in the United States.

They call upon Parliament to legislate that all labels on such processed foods be required to show the concentration of acrylomides.

[Petitions, October 6th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present another petition on behalf of farmers and others who were hard hit by the BSE crisis, particularly in Ontario. The petitioners point out that the Canadian beef cattle, dairy goat and sheep industries are in a state of crisis due to BSE. The whole industry is in a state of crisis. They point out that the aid package to the industry is inadequate because it does not deal with the disastrously low prices and the imminent collapse of key sectors of the rural economy.

They call upon Parliament to open the American border to Canadian cattle now and as soon as possible develop a long term solution, an economic relief, that is fair and reflects the importance of these industries in Canada.

[Fisheries and Oceans, October 6th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Smith Ennismore Lakefield Township in my riding has been negotiating with Fisheries and Oceans for years about a dock.

This summer the dock had to be closed, seriously interrupting a tourist season already hard hit by SARS and West Nile. Could the minister assure the House that this dock will be open next summer?

[Agriculture, October 3rd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

I have heard that Mexico has reopened its border to Canadian beef products.

Will the minister bring us up to date on this? When will shipments start and are there similar opportunities in other countries?