Dawn Black

[Afghanistan, May 30th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, reports today suggest that many of our soldiers in Afghanistan are prescribed anti-depressant or sleeping drugs while they are deployed.

This raises very grave concerns about the psychological trauma our troops suffer. We know this war has placed an enormous strain on the Canadian Forces. There are too many rotations too close together.

Is the government so intent on continuing this misguided war in Afghanistan that it condones soldiers fighting, even while suffering post traumatic stress disorder?

[Corporate Taxes and Subsidies, May 30th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, we know the gap between the rich elites and the rest of us is growing. Recent census figures prove it.

While corporate profits soar, middle class families in B.C. are struggling to get by. Big business makes money hand over fist because of the misguided tax breaks and subsidies they receive from the Conservative government.

Middle class families are bearing the burden of these subsidies. When I meet with folks in my community, they tell me they are working harder and harder for less reward. They are struggling to make ends meet, and once all the bills have been paid, it is a wonder there is any money left at the end of the month.

It is time to join those who are saying this just is not fair. It is not fair for our kids, it is not fair for families and it is not fair for seniors. We are being squeezed because big corporations are getting the breaks.

It is time for the Conservative government to stop doing favours for its friends and insiders. Working families deserve better. They deserve a fair deal. They have earned it.

[Petitions, May 28th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition signed by thousands of folks in my community in support of an amazing woman named Natalie Thomas.

After undergoing a double mastectomy and follow-up treatment for breast cancer, Natalie had exhausted her EI sick benefits. As hon. members know, EI sick benefits only last 15 weeks. Natalie was still too sick to go back to work but, for economic reasons, she had no choice but to return to work early, before she had fully recovered.

Our community has rallied around Natalie, who worked hard collecting hundreds of names on this petition. The petition supports my private member's bill, Bill C-420 to extend EI sick benefits to 30 weeks.

I urge members of the House to listen to Natalie's story and the story of thousands of other Canadians who find themselves in this unfortunate circumstance when they do not have extended health benefits and support my bill when it comes to a vote in the House.

[Prevention of Torture Act, May 27th, 2008]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-551, An Act prohibiting the commission, abetting or exploitation of torture by Canadian officials and ensuring freedom from torture for all Canadians at home and abroad and making consequential amendments to other Acts.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce a comprehensive private member's bill on the issue of torture and the use of information derived from torture. I appreciate the support of my colleague from Hamilton East—Stoney Creek in seconding this bill.

This bill would make it a criminal offence to use information known to be derived from torture. It would prohibit Canadian officials from transferring prisoners who would be in danger of torture abroad. It would create a government watch list of countries known to engage in torture. It also would prevent the use of national security provisions in the Access to Information Act from withholding information to this House or to the Canadian public about torture, which is something that was front page news for many months this spring in respect to detainees in Afghanistan.

I want to express my thanks to the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, particularly Jason Gratl, for their help in drafting this bill.

I call upon all members of the House to support this proposal when it comes before the House.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Price of Petroleum Products, May 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I listened very carefully to the member for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex and also to the minister who spoke before him who is from my home province of British Columbia.

When I left my riding of New Westminster—Coquitlam this morning, gas prices were over $1.37 a litre. B.C. has one of the highest prices for gasoline in the country. It is 12¢ a litre higher than it is here in Ottawa, but gas prices all over Canada are skyrocketing. The cost of gasoline is becoming an increasing burden on working families.

At the same time as families are being squeezed, the big oil companies are reaping record profits. Actually, Exxon Mobil earned $40.6 billion in profits last year. That works out to over $77,000 every second of every day last year. It is incredible.

I want to ask the member, why does his government not work for ordinary folks, for ordinary Canadians by protecting prices at the pump, by stopping this massive gouging? It is still giving massive subsidies to the big oil companies and $1.5 billion to the tar sands. Why not appoint an oil and gas ombudsman to investigate consumers' complaints about the major oil and gas companies? Why not just do something to help ordinary Canadians?

[Petitions, April 30th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I rise again today to present a petition on the security and prosperity partnership of North America.

The petitioners say that these negotiations encompass wide-ranging initiatives, many of which reduce protection in such areas as pesticide use, food safety, air safety and the environment down to the lowest common denominator. They point out that Canada will lose control over resources and national standards, including energy and water. The petitioners also worry about merging security policies and practices with those of the U.S. They also say that Canada will possess less and less ability to adopt autonomous and sustainable economic, social, cultural and environmental policies, including programs like universal health care.

The petitioners call upon the government to stop further implementation of the SPP until there is a democratic mandate from the people of Canada and parliamentary oversight. They urge the Government of Canada to conduct a transparent and accountable public debate of the SPP process, involving meaningful public consultations, a full legislative review and a full debate and vote in Parliament.

[Afghanistan, April 17th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's involvement in the combat mission in Afghanistan has increased. Funds for domestic operations of the Canadian Forces have been allocated to the mission in Kandahar. Media reports today reveal that there is a half a billion dollar shortfall for the air force. This will affect transport aircraft, Arctic sovereignty and search and rescue in B.C. and the rest of Canada.

The cost of the war is rising by hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Where will the minister find the money to protect Canada's lands and coasts?

[National Defence, April 15th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the Chief of the Defence Staff will announce his resignation today. This will have an effect on our troops, our international relationships and the ongoing war in Afghanistan.

General Hillier has shaped the conduct of the war in Afghanistan for both Liberal and Conservative governments. Can the defence minister explain what steps he has taken to ensure a smooth transfer of leadership at the highest level of the forces? Will Canada's next chief of the defence staff be subject to approval of the Standing Committee on National Defence prior to the appointment?

[Homelessness, April 14th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, last week the Social Planning and Research Council released the homeless count for metro Vancouver.

To say that the results were devastating is an understatement. Across the Lower Mainland, homelessness increased by 19% over the last three years, in New Westminster, 53%, in the tri-cities, a whopping 157%.

There is something fundamentally wrong with this picture. The numbers have increased in B.C. since 2001 and continue to rise. Not since the Great Depression have we seen a crisis like this.

The Conservative government is failing its people. There was a lot of back-slapping in Ottawa over the announcement of $148,000 for a homelessness strategy. Yet the reality for ordinary folks in B.C. is that this money is less than one-quarter of the cost of a family home in Coquitlam.

We do not need more strategies. We need housing. The government is failing, and we see the results of that failure under every bridge and on every street corner in metro Vancouver.

[Petitions, April 11th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the agreement of members to go back to this part of the proceedings.

I am presenting a petition from hundreds of citizens in Port Moody, Coquitlam and New Westminster. I am a proud founding member of the Greater Vancouver Gogos. “Gogo” means grandmother in Zulu. This organization wants to see Canada live up to its decades-old pledge to increase aid to 0.7% of GNI.

The petitioners say that Canada, shamefully, ranks fifteenth out of the 22 countries that have made this pledge. They note that 25 million to 30 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with HIV, yet only one in five has access to lifesaving anti-retroviral medication. It is appalling that 1,400 children die every day from AIDS. The petitioners call on the government to allow generic anti-retroviral drugs to be exported to Africa, and they ask the government to honour the pledges that Canada made at Gleneagles in 2005.