Sophia Leung

[Health And Safety, October 22nd, 1999]

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

For 50 years health and safety provisions in the workplace have not been reviewed. What action will the Ministry of Labour take to modernize health and safety issues?

[Health, October 18th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. Last Friday the government tabled its response to the report of the Standing Committee on Health on organ and tissue donations in Canada. After media reports and comments made by the Reform Party health critic over the weekend, can the minister clarify whether the government has closed the door to the national registry of organ donations?

[Speech From The Throne, October 15th, 1999]

Madam Speaker, we do not just take from Canadians. We are also trying to create more opportunities for trade and we are trying to help medium and small business people gain more business so they will have more cash in their pockets.

We are doing both. We are meeting the social needs of Canadians and, at the same time, we are trying to help business and other sectors.

[Speech From The Throne, October 15th, 1999]

Madam Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that we very successfully eliminated the $42 billion deficit. Last year we not only reduced taxes, we also eliminated the 3% surtax. We all know that. It is on the record.

Now we are entering an era where we will have a balanced approach. There will be tax cuts, but at the same time we will not overlook the most important things, such as health care, social programs and the children's agenda. We are now spending under a very cautious, socially balanced program.

[Speech From The Throne, October 15th, 1999]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for her very thoughtful question. It would be very interesting for our government to consider and I think a lot of study will follow.

In the meantime, very strict regulations will be set up. I thank her for calling this matter to our attention.

[Speech From The Throne, October 15th, 1999]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to represent Vancouver Kingsway and take part in today's debate. I am splitting my time with the hon. member for St. Paul's.

We are entering the century of the Pacific. It is very fitting, as the Prime Minister has noted, that a Canadian who came to the country as a young refugee from China should be the new Governor General.

That an individual who arrived in Canada as a refugee can attain the position of Governor General, a post deeply rooted in our tradition, is a symbol to the world. It is a very special appointment and symbol that Canada affords to all citizens the opportunity to participate fully in our society. It is a symbol that all citizens, whether born on Canadian soil or having arrived as migrants from other nations, can and do make meaningful contributions. It is a symbol that Canada is a nation that recognizes talent and diversity. Indeed over the last century our society has blossomed with migrants from the four corners of the globe arriving and contributing.

The appointment of the Governor General is a true reflection and celebration of cultural diversity in Canada today. I would like to congratulate the Prime Minister on this important appointment. That such an appointment has been made under this government demonstrates its recognition and appreciation of the rich and beautiful cultural fibre that our nation has.

That so many aspects of this country are flourishing is a credit to our Liberal government, but we must continue to build on our strengths. We must strive to increase the quality of life of all Canadians. This government has proven it has the courage and the vision to do so. Concrete plans have been formed to help Canadians face the challenges of the new century.

Children are at the forefront of our investment in the future. This government is committed to ensuring that children receive the support and attention they need. Many studies demonstrate that the early years of a child's life are very important. Loving and involved parents are the cornerstone of the well-being, happiness and success of every child.

The government is to be commended on its solid commitment to extend employment insurance maternity benefits and parental leave. Maternal leave time will be extended from a current maximum to a full year, a year that will provide invaluable time for all our children.

The government has shown its insight in providing new benefits to accommodate the diverse needs of Canadian families. Those benefits will be more flexible, more adaptable to the wide range of realities that face Canadian families. This government wants to ensure that children are equipped with all the capacities they need to be ready to learn when they begin school and to grow into healthy productive adults.

As a government, as responsible citizens, we have no higher priority than our children. As our children grow they must be well educated in good schools and institutions that will provide them with skills that will prepare them for work and future challenges, that will prepare them to be successful in a global economy. That is why the investment this government has announced for our post-secondary institutions is so crucial.

In the Prime Minister's address, he endorsed a plan to create 1,200 new chairs for research excellence in universities across Canada and more important, a plan for the financial support needed to make them internationally competitive. That was not an empty commitment: $60 million in the first year of the plan; $122 million in the second year; $180 million in the third year; and following that, a further $120 million will fund 800 additional chairs.

Canada needs those university chair endowments to compete for, to attract and to retain researchers of international calibre. Furthermore, those researchers will train our students to become the best and the brightest in the world. Such investment in post-secondary institutions ensures Canadians will have the resources and expertise to be successful in a highly competitive world. Those endowments will ensure Canada is at the forefront of the knowledge based economy.

The Canada Foundation for Innovation has already been created. That $1 billion endowment is helping to build a leading edge national system of innovation. Knowledge and technological innovation are the cornerstones of a higher standard of living and a better quality of life. The investment of the government will ensure Canadian institutions have the resources, the laboratories and the university infrastructure to carry out their creative work, but this is not all.

In January the Canadian millennium scholarship fund will begin to generate over 10,000 scholarships. The government's SchoolNet project has connected every public school and library in Canada. The community access program will have public Internet sites in 10,000 rural and urban communities before the end of this year. The government has and will continue to increase support for lifelong learning to ensure Canada has the most highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce in the world.

The previous commitments of the government and those outlined in the Speech from the Throne indicate the level of commitment this government has to ensure Canadians will embrace the challenges of the 21st century. This investment in education and research will fuel the Canadian economy of the next century. Our economy will continue to strive and to grow. Canadian families will benefit.

Continued tax reduction will foster an even more dynamic economy. Canadian families have already seen the benefits of tax cuts totalling $16.5 billion in the last two budgets alone. That trend will continue. The next budget will lay out a multi-year plan for further tax reduction. I am a member of the finance committee and we will be conducting prebudget public hearings to listen to Canadians for their ideas and suggestions for our next budget.

We are one of the leading industrialized nations in the world. The future will see great advances in business, government and society. The way to the 21st century is to invest in the cornerstones of our society. We will invest in our children, in our families, in our researchers and in our educational system.

Let us be clear. What this government will not do is sacrifice our financial health. Canadians from British Columbia and indeed from coast to coast to coast recognize this is the direction for Canada in the next century. The government is doing what Canadians want.

[Speech From The Throne, October 15th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I want to tell my colleague that our government not only cares but it also takes action.

Last month the Chinese government invited a small delegation of three Liberal MPs to go there. We had a very long and detailed discussion to establish co-operation between China and Canada to tackle the problem of human smuggling. It is the beginning of our work on immigration. There are many things we can tell the House. We not only take on our concerns but members' concerns are also in our hands. We are trying to solve the problems. We do not just sit in this House and talk. Talk is too easy. The government takes action.

[Canada, October 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is one of the great success stories of the 20th century and British Columbia is a very important part of that success.

Our government has restored the nation's finances and modernized programs paving the way for sustained economic growth and job creation to build the future for Canadians.

It is through this government's vision of working together that has made Canada the best place to live in the world and will continue to be in the 21st century.

[Foreign Investment, June 9th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity recently to witness the signing of the memorandum of intent between Interport Development Inc. and the China Development Industrial Bank of Taiwan. I was honoured to join the chairman and CEO of Interport, Stephen Wu, as well as the president of CDIB, Benny T. Hu.

This joint venture will develop a 450 acre light industry park which will generate $500 million in capital investment over 15 years and provide 5,000 new jobs. These relations between Canada and Taiwan are good for the B.C. economy, encouraging financial investment and job creation in western Canada.

[Petitions, June 7th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to present a petition voicing the concerns of a group of British Columbians.

The petitioners are asking parliament to follow through with action concerning nuclear disarmament.

Canada is a member of the non-proliferation treaty and has made pro-disarmament statements in the past.

The petition calls for Canada to support those steps toward disarmament with action.