House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2000, with 56% of the vote.
Millennium Scholarships November 22nd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, our position has not changed: students need to be in a better financial position. And even the students agree.
To quote the President of the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec, “Mr. Legault's responsibility is to help the students who are struggling with heavy debt loads, not to promote failure by hiding behind theoretical debates”.
Child Poverty November 22nd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, what the hon. member is suggesting is that indeed it will take all of us to focus on the issues facing Canada's children and to build a platform of structures that will help them into the 21st century. He is absolutely right.
In terms of particulars and in terms of taking action, let me tell the hon. member that as a result of the national child benefit, for example, by July 2000 families earning $20,000 with two children will get more than $3,700 per year in assistance. They can use that money for issues and needs of their children.
Child Poverty November 22nd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, on the issue of working with the provinces in support of our children, it is absolutely clear that it will take a whole country to ensure that we have a bright future for Canada's children.
We have begun that discussion in that debate. We have the national child agenda. We are building the national children's benefit. We are on track to do in the next millennium what we have been able to do for Canadian seniors.
Child Poverty November 22nd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, not at all. In fact, Canadians are telling us that they want a vision on how we can increase our support for Canada's children.
In the Speech from the Throne we said we would do it in a number of ways: through tax strategies, through balancing our relationship with the provinces, by increasing the income and the services we provide to our children, by increasing parental benefits, by looking at our laws and by making sure when we are dealing with separation and divorce that children's issues come first.
As an employer the federal government understands the relationship between the workplace and family and we are making sure we have family friendly workplaces.
Child Poverty November 22nd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, in response to the hon. member's question, I would like to remind the House that on Saturday we celebrated National Child Day. It was an important opportunity for us to meet with families, with children and with youth to talk about the issues facing our children and the strategies that we must implement to ensure they have a great future.
I would also like to remind the House that it was a member of our caucus, the member for Ottawa Centre, who introduced a private member's bill for National Child Day. I would like to thank him for this opportunity.
Child Poverty November 19th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, let me try to explain what indeed is happening with the national child benefit. In fact, the federal government gives assistance to poor families through $1.7 billion, soon to be $2 billion in income support. That allows the provinces to take moneys and build a platform of services to support of our children in low income families.
The big challenge that we have is giving opportunities to low income families, many of whom are on social assistance. Rather than facing the moral dilemma of leaving behind the services that their children receive through that program to take work to get into the economy and make a contribution and provide food for their families—
Child Poverty November 19th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, this question gives me a chance to reiterate the commitment that this government has to children and to child poverty.
I would remind the hon. member that we invest $5 billion a year through the Canada child tax benefit and another $2 billion a year through the national child benefit. We invest $9 billion in programs like Cap C and prenatal nutrition, in Inuit and aboriginal community child care programs.
Not only do we have a commitment to continue that investment but through the Speech from the Throne there will be significant additional investments in children.
Rights Of Children November 18th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, the report that was issued today recognizes Canada and the work that we have done in support of the UN declaration in support of children. In fact, we are doing very well.
The report does indicate that there are certain areas where we can improve, particularly in supporting vulnerable children, including those with disabilities. I am glad to report that at a recent meeting with social services ministers, the issues facing Canadians with disabilities were a priority on our agenda. I am expecting that together we will be able to improve our record in a continued way.
Social Insurance Number November 18th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, I am aware that officials from the department were at the standing committee this morning. They reviewed the response to the standing committee's report on social insurance numbers.
I believe many aspects of the report given to us by the standing committee were included and are being addressed. I also acknowledge that we will continue to work with the standing committee to ensure the privacy of Canadians in the use of social insurance numbers.
Transitional Jobs Fund November 18th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, there is no discrepancy.
When my riding was identified as a TJF riding, there were moneys that could be used at that point in time that may have been coming from the ministerial reserve. That is not inappropriate. There is nothing wrong with that. The moneys were not used at that point in time. It was through actual transitional jobs fund moneys that had been allocated for those projects.
I want to remind the House that back in 1997 the Toronto Star ran an article that talked about my community as having the worst downtown in Canada. Just a couple of months ago, it ran a repeat article that talked about the success in my community.