Andrew Saxton

[October 20th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to our government's record on gender-based analysis.

The government recognizes the importance of including gender-based analysis in the development and assessment of policies and programs. That is why we have taken significant steps to implement frameworks to support this process.

The hon. member for London—Fanshawe got to hear firsthand about these efforts yesterday, October 19. She was at the public accounts committee when the government officials testified on this very subject. She even got to ask a few questions.

I am sure the hon. member is well aware that in our system of government, departments and agencies have the most important role to play in setting the stage for gender equality. This is because their deputy heads are ultimately responsible for the application of gender-based analysis and for documenting the analytical process used.

Meanwhile, the role of central agencies, including TBS, PCO and finance, is to support the work of Status of Women Canada and all departments and agencies in implementing gender-based analysis. This includes challenging departments and agencies during the development of their policies and programs.

The Auditor General has objected to the fact that this challenge function is not always a formally documented process. To that I would say that the government is likewise keen on strengthening the documentation process.

Since we came to office, our government has taken concrete steps on several fronts to improve accountability mechanisms for implementing gender-based analysis across government. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, since 2007, in order to obtain Treasury Board approval, submissions require evidence of gender-based analysis. In 2008 our government took action to ensure all memoranda to cabinet include gender-based analysis. These are initiatives that the Liberals failed to implement over 11 years.

Also included is the use of the management resources and results structure policy to reflect financial and non-financial performance information on all departmental programs, including those with gender-specific outcomes. This includes the Department of Finance actively using gender-based analysis, where data exists, to ensure the consequences of proposed initiatives on various segments of the population are taken into consideration.

I am proud to be part of this government that has demonstrated its commitment to gender-based analysis. Equality for Canadian women, including the implementation of gender-based analysis, is a priority of this government.

[October 20th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member suggested we should look at the facts, so let us look at the facts. This government fought for the right of Canadians to know how their government operates. We opened up the Wheat Board, the CBC and dozens of other institutions to the Access to Information Act. Sixty-nine new institutions are now accountable to Canadians through the ATIA. For the first time Canadians can see how these institutions spend their tax dollars. These are tremendous steps forward for openness and transparency, steps the Liberals never took.

The member is trying to create the impression that decisions about which information to release are driven at the political level. That is absolutely false. ATIA requests are never handled by ministers or political staff. The work is done by professionals in the public service. We are committed to open and transparent government, and our record is clear.

[October 20th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to set the record straight. This government is open and transparent with information. The hon. member opposite has the temerity to suggest that just because central agencies disagree with the Auditor General on the documentation of their challenge function that our government is secretive and unaccountable.

Exactly the opposite is true and the hon. member knows it. He is trying to score political points by brewing up a tempest in a teapot and there is no substance to it. It is a witch's brew designed to stir up trouble.

Yes, central agencies do play an important role in challenging departments and agencies during the development of their policies and programs. Their objective is to support cabinet decision making by helping to ensure that the most robust analysis and advice are presented to ministers. The government also wants to strengthen documentation in the right place, that is in departments and agencies which are best positioned to undertake this role.

The member opposite is ignoring the reality that much of this function is done verbally. A lot of it occurs over the phone and in meetings. We are talking about a fast-paced and fluid environment in which this process takes place. It is a process that involves a number of players, each offering new input at a variety of different moments. To try to document all interactions with departments and agencies and ensure that all advice is written down and produced in documents would be impractical and costly and would slow down the government's ability to respond to events like the recent economic crisis.

In short, it would serve neither ministers nor Canadians. What is documented are the results of the challenge function and advice to ministers in support of cabinet discussions and decisions. However, our system of cabinet government holds this advice to be confidential, but that is a far cry from saying this government does not believe in openness and transparency.

The facts speak for themselves and tell the opposite story. It is a fact that it was this government that released information from many of the boards and commissions that previously were not required to release it.

It is a fact that it was this government that brought in the Federal Accountability Act which contained the most sweeping accountability measures in Canadian history. As a result, 69 more public institutions are now covered by the access to information law, bringing the total number of organizations subject to legislation to about 255.

It is a fact that we have been providing the training, policies, directives and action plans needed to support the capacity of the ATIP community. When we see the big picture and not just a narrow sliver, we get a true representation, not a distorted one.

Thanks to the efforts of this government, Canada has a public service that is more open, transparent and accountable than at any time in its history, and that is a government I am proud to be part of.

[National Philanthropy Day Act, October 20th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, Bill S-217 reminds us of the important role philanthropy plays in the lives of Canadians. There is barely a part of our society that has not been touch by it at some point and in some way.

Canada has a rich history of giving that goes back to the pioneers of Quebec City when the first homes were being built for women and children in the mid-1600s.

The philanthropic spirit that fuels our communities is one of the essential values that are dear to us.

Today, I would like to look to the past to admire the generosity of those Canadians who, in pursuing their ideal, helped shape our country and define the humanitarian spirit that is now at the very heart of our Canadian identity.

Many of these early philanthropists were spurred into action by what was happening in the world around them. With the desire to make a difference and to improve conditions, they often partook in surprisingly ambitious work.

One of the most famous Canadian contributions to medicine, the discovery of insulin, had philanthropic roots. In 1922 there were no research grants for medicine and a young doctor by the name of Frederick Banting acted as his own benefactor, selling his car to finance his research in diabetes.

Banting's discovery expanded the frontiers of medicine and improved the lives of millions of people around the world. In 1923 Banting received the Nobel Prize in medicine, but he never received income for his discovery. He had sold the rights to insulin for $1 in order to ensure that the drug would be accessible to all those who needed it. He put the needs of others before his own.

Banting had unlocked the mystery in the treatment of diabetes. He discovered a Canadian medical miracle of the 20th century.

Philanthropy also helped shape the health care services available to Canadians. In the fight against tuberculosis, Canadians like Sir William Gage financed free sanatoria across the country, as well as the salaries of the first tuberculosis nurses. Eventually, the service was taken over by the public health departments and the Victorian Order of Nurses.

I would be remiss if I did not mention Jean Vanier, son of a Governor General of Canada, Georges Vanier, and founder of the international federation of L'Arche communities for people with intellectual disabilities.

Jean Vanier had a compelling vision of what it meant to live a life guided completely by the humanitarian spirit and he was celebrated as a Canadian who inspired the entire world. He won acclaim for his social and spiritual leadership and for increasing public awareness of the suffering of marginalized people.

While some have dedicated their lives to improving society and advancing health research and care, others have used their work to change society little by little.

There were others like Vancouver secretary Alice MacKay, who in 1944 set aside $1,000 of her salary to help homeless women. Her gift inspired a local industrialist to donate $10,000 and encourage nine of his friends to do the same. Together their donations helped to start the Vancouver Foundation. Today it is now the largest community foundation in Canada and the fifth largest in North America.

Her kindness represents a milestone in the history of philanthropy in Canada. Because of her, community foundations are now an integral part of our daily lives. They help to lay the groundwork for strong and vibrant communities. They are attuned to the needs of the community. They are capable of addressing local issues in creative ways. They survive on the donations and hard work of our citizens and they give back to those who give, like Alice MacKay.

Decades after her wish was made a reality, the Vancouver Foundation founded Canada's first youth in philanthropy program to better involve young people in their communities and in philanthropy. It quickly became a model for other community foundations across Canada and the world.

By recognizing this day, by recognizing the important work of Canadians who have demonstrated their generosity, this is a day that belongs to all Canadians, not just the Government of Canada. This is a day that we have declared our support for and, within its very core, our desire to unite our citizens in the common humanity and the values that are vital for the continuing development of the societies in which we live: freedom, peace, respect, justice and tolerance.

[World Autism Awareness Day Act, October 9th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity today to speak to the issue of autism in light of Bill S-210, respecting world autism awareness day, being sponsored in the House by the hon. member for Charlottetown.

Autism is a health issue that presents lifelong challenges to those affected, as well as to their family members and society as a whole. Having easy access to information and knowing we can trust that information can make a huge difference in the lives of these families. This government wants to ensure that all Canadians have access to the same high quality, evidence-based information on autism.

Because we still do not know what causes autism and need greater understanding of the most effective treatments and interventions, the federal government is pleased to work with partners and stakeholders to promote autism awareness by investing in activities which support a stronger evidence base. This is why the government, in November 2006, announced several new initiatives to strengthen research to enhance our understanding of autism.

First, the federal government has been working toward developing options for autism surveillance. Recognizing that autism surveillance is new globally and may be technically challenging, the Public Health Agency of Canada has been working with researchers to see what could be done in Canada.

Between November 2007 and May 2008, the Public Health Agency of Canada undertook a consultation process to examine options for development of an ASD surveillance program for Canada. As well, in December 2008, the Government of Canada approved funding for Queen's University to expand its existing ASD surveillance system. This activity now includes children in Manitoba, southwestern Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. This is another step toward creating a national surveillance system for ASD.

Second, Health Canada continues to enhance its website on autism. It holds useful information, including links to respected external sources.

Third, this government committed to establishing a chair in autism research and intervention, and our government is hopeful for a successful outcome.

The minister is looking at alternatives that are in keeping with the original intent of this funding. Further, last year the federal government provided funding to the Canadian Autism Intervention Research Network, CAIRN for short, to translate its acclaimed autism information website into French. Canadians can now log on to the popular and respected site and access French or English summaries of autism research, presented in terminology that is useful to families that need it.

In 2008 this government committed $75,000 over two years to the Offord Centre for Child Studies to support autism research priorities and to host a conference to be held this fall. In addition, the CAIRN website will be further updated in order to offer Canadians access to the most recent autism research available.

Between 2000 and 2008, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, CIHR, the Government of Canada spent or committed approximately $35.3 million in autism-related research projects. These projects are led by researchers at universities and affiliated teaching hospitals across Canada.

As one of CIHR's 13 institutes, the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction is supporting autism-related research and is working with partners in the autism community to set research priorities, reduce duplication and accelerate the translation of knowledge into improved health. For example, CIHR is funding a team, led by Dr. Eric Fombonne from McGill University. The aim of this program is to train the next generation of researchers and uncover the mysteries of autism.

CIHR is also funding the autism research of Dr. Jeanette Holden at Queen's University and her multidisciplinary team of over 60 researchers, clinicians and parents from across Canada and the United States. Dr. Holden's team is examining the causes, origins and effects of autism spectrum disorders and the effects of treatment on persons with autism.

As well, along with Genome Canada, CIHR provides support to the autism genome project. This initiative will help to increase our understanding of the genetics of autism, which could, in the long term, lead to early diagnoses.

Finally, in November 2007, this government hosted a national autism research symposium, which brought together researchers, service providers, policy-makers and those affected by autism to share knowledge and informed research priorities.

This government is confident that enhanced knowledge will lead to real results. Although we have made great strides in increasing the knowledge and awareness, there is still much to be done.

Through our activities, the federal government is contributing to increased awareness of the challenges faced by individuals with autism and their families.

[Federal Appointments, October 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I categorically reject, not only the premise but also the substance of the hon. member's question.

All appointments by this government are subject to rigorous scrutiny. The appointments in question went to extremely qualified candidates. Our appointment process is open, transparent and competency based.

The government will continue to appoint individuals based on merit.

[Government Advertising, October 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, again, I repeat, advertising is a key way for the government to reach large numbers of Canadians on important issues of public concern like H1N1, elder abuse, Canadian Forces recruitment and the home renovation tax credit. While we are determined to make sure Canadians know about these important issues, the opposition is determined to bring on an unnecessary and expensive election.

[Government Advertising, October 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, advertising is a very useful way for the government to communicate with a large number of Canadians on issues like the H1N1 virus, elder abuse, the home renovation tax credit and recruitment for the Canadian Forces.

The government has long been committed to informing Canadians about the services and benefits they are entitled to, and we will continue to honour our commitments, especially during this global economic crisis.

[Government Advertising, October 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, advertising is a key way for the government to reach large numbers of Canadians on important issues of public concern, such as H1N1, elder abuse, Canadian Forces recruitment and the home renovation tax credit.

We are not surprised the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberals do not want Canadians to know about measures like the home renovation tax credit. After all, they voted against them in their relentless pursuit of an unnecessary and opportunistic election.

[Government Advertising, October 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I do not see how information on the H1N1 virus is an abuse of any government spending.

The government has a long-standing commitment to communicate important services and benefits to Canadians. We will continue to live up to our responsibility, especially during this economic crisis.

Is the member opposite suggesting that Canadians do not have the right to know about the home renovation tax credit?