Beryl Gaffney

[Constitution Amendment, June 3rd, 1996]

Madam Speaker, this is probably more of a statement than a question.

I listened with interest to my colleague from St. John's East. A lot of questions have been troubling me and through her speech and the comments she has made, as a resident of Newfoundland, as a member of Parliament and as a person who has two sons within the

Newfoundland school system, she speaks quite clearly when she says she supports the will of the majority of the people of Newfoundland.

Two things that have been troubling me have really been answered in this little book. One of the questions in the book is: Why is the federal government involved in this matter? It is answered here quite clearly. The other question is: Can these reforms be made without a constitutional amendment? I would encourage anyone who is watching to phone our offices and ask for a copy of this little book. It contains questions and answers which may clear up all the questions in our mind.

[Cuba, May 30th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of International Trade.

The United States government has sent a letter to a Canadian company threatening to ban its officers and shareholders from entering the United States simply because this Canadian firm has an operating business in Cuba.

Would the minister report to the House on the NAFTA consultations re the Helms-Burton Bill and how Canadian businesses operating in Cuba are affected by it?

[Petitions, May 27th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition with 50 signatures which deals with zero tolerance.

These petitioners call on Parliament to proceed immediately with amendments to the Criminal Code that would ensure that the sentence given to anyone convicted of causing death by driving while impaired is a minimum of seven years and a maximum of

fourteen years, as outlined in private member's Bill C-201, sponsored by the member for Prince George-Bulkley Valley.

[Petitions, May 27th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I have two sets of petitions with 211 signatures dealing with amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act.

The petitioners oppose any amendment to federal legislation that would provide for the inclusion of the phrase sexual orientation. As we know, that amendment passed last week.

[Petitions, May 17th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, last week my colleagues and I presented 15,000 petitions from every Canadian province on the illness ME/FM. Unfortunately, Saskatchewan was missed. Today I present petitions with 279 signatures from the province of Saskatchewan.

The petitioners call on Parliament to establish national policies to control and contain instances of myalgic encephalomyelitis, fibromyalgia and multiple chemical sensitivities in Canada and to ensure care, treatment, comfort and dignity for persons afflicted with these diseases.

[Trade, May 16th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The minister is meeting today with the just introduced leaders of the Central American countries. Discussions will focus on economic co-operation, sustainable development and the promotion of civil rights.

Our countries have achieved great gains in the last few years. Could the minister tell the House how CIDA is collaborating with the Central American region in order to consolidate those gains?

[Petitions, May 10th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition with 10,818 signatures from people in the province of Ontario. These people are also calling on Parliament to establish national policies to control and contain the incidents of myalgic encephalomyelitis, fibromyalgia, and multiple chemical sensitivities in Canada, and to ensure care, treatment, comfort and dignity for persons affected with these illnesses.

[Me/Fm Awareness Day, May 10th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, Sunday, May 12 is national ME/FM awareness day.

Imagine overnight changing from a vital, healthy, active person to someone who lacks enough strength to get out of bed.

I refer to Canadians suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome and its related illness, fibromyalgia, real and severe diseases which impair their victims and their ability to work.

CFS can take a perfectly healthy person and create a totally dysfunctional individual. Young people are frequent victims; lost jobs, depression and sometimes suicide are often the effects.

Yet Canada has no federal policy framework in place to ensure care and treatment for thousands of these individuals, nor does the federal government undertake to fund laboratory research and control.

The medical professionals must take a more proactive role in diagnosis. The public must be better informed. Health Canada must beef up its research. There are 100,000 affected Canadians who need recognition of these diseases. Petitions bearing 15,000 signatures from all across Canada showing this illness has touched many will be presented in the House today.

In Ottawa this weekend MESH Ottawa will hold a health fair, and in Regina members of the medical profession supportive of CFS sufferers were honoured on May 8.

[Petitions, May 8th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, this petition contains 175 signatures.

The petitioners say that there are profound inadequacies in the sentencing practices concerning individuals convicted of impaired driving charges. They state that Canada must embrace a philosophy of zero tolerance for individuals who drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs. They state that as promised the government must proceed immediately with amendments to the Criminal Code which will ensure that the severity of the sentence given to anyone convicted of driving while impaired and causing death or injury will be based on zero tolerance.

[Petitions, May 8th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I too am pleased to present a petition with 50 signatures to the House of Commons. These people are saying that Canadians are paying approximately 52 per cent of the cost per litre of gasoline at the pumps in the form of government taxes and that over the past 10 years the excise tax on gasoline has risen by 566 per cent. They ask that Parliament not increase the federal excise tax on gasoline in the next federal budget.