Anita Neville

[Petitions, November 16th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to present three very different petitions.

The first is a petition from many hundreds of residents in Manitoba, calling upon the Prime Minister of Canada to initiate and implement an independent investigation into the missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls. Like me, these citizens are gravely concerned with the disappearance of over 500 aboriginal women and girls across the country. It is a national tragedy that must be addressed by the federal government.

I join these citizens and call upon the Prime Minister to launch an investigation into this matter.

[November 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her comments on the means by which the government is disseminating its message. The member opposite does not talk about the message and the consistency or the lack of clarity in the message.

I am wondering if she could provide any information as to what consistent, clear information the government is providing to the provinces, to parents, to Canadians, as it relates to booster shots for children. I know the Winnipeg regional health authority has told parents to bring their children back for a booster shot 21 days after they get their first inoculation. So in mid-November, there will be many children who will be in line for a booster, but we do not know what the rules are. Will there be a vaccine available and should children be getting a booster? Perhaps the member could talk about the content rather than the method of the message.

[Louis Berkel, October 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I stand today to pay tribute to and honour the memory of Rabbi Louis Berkel who died last week in Winnipeg at the age of 95.

In 1954, he joined the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue in Winnipeg where he served as a cantor and assistant rabbi for over 50 years. A soft-spoken man, he has been described by many as a gentle soul. His work, his teaching and his kindness, coupled with his humility and his dedication to the immediate needs of both the Jewish and non-Jewish communities of Winnipeg, made him greatly loved and respected. His cantorial voice soared when he chanted the traditional prayers, allowing him to draw those around him into the spiritual space he inhabited.

His legacy will be in the lives well lived by the thousands of students who were privileged to have him as their teacher. I would like to quote the words of the Dalai Lama, for they exemplify the life of this very special man:

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.

[Afghanistan, October 22nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, that was not the question.

The government misled Canadians about what it knew about the torture of Afghan detainees. When it got caught, it cost the previous minister his job. Now it is playing the game again.

Let me try once more. Who in the government received Richard Colvin's reports, what was in those reports, and when did the minister first hear about them? Who, what and when?

[Afghanistan, October 22nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence has avoided answering questions about detainees all week. If he acted responsibly, as he claims to, he would have no problem answering the questions: who received Richard Colvin's reports, what was in those reports, and when did he become aware of them?

Does the minister really expect Canadians to believe that he receives thousands of reports, some of them about torture, and he does not read a single one of them?

[Afghanistan, October 21st, 2009]

Another avoidance, Mr. Speaker.

After the previous defence minister lost his job over this issue, surely someone would have ensured that the current minister was well briefed so he did not follow the same path. Therefore, why does the minister keep avoiding the question?

Who got Mr. Colvin's reports, what was in those reports and when did the minister first hear about them? Those are clear questions.

[Afghanistan, October 21st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the incompetence of the government is stunning. The issue of detainees brought down the last minister of defence. Now we are supposed to believe that, after watching his colleague be demoted, the new minister did not bother to be briefed on something as serious as allegations of torture.

When will the minister come up with an answer that has even a shred of credibility?

[Aboriginal Affairs, October 8th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, every day this week we have asked for a national investigation into the missing and murdered aboriginal women and every day this week the government has avoided this question.

We need more than Sisters in Spirit. We need more than research. We need to move to the next step. The time for action is now. Families need justice and they need closure.

Does the government not care? Does it not believe the numbers? When will it launch a comprehensive public investigation?

[Aboriginal Affairs, October 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in Manitoba the government has shown leadership on missing and murdered aboriginal women. Like us, it recognizes that Sisters in Spirit is an important initiative, but also knows it is not enough. Manitoba recognizes the need for a real comprehensive national strategy to address this matter.

Will the Minister of Justice tell the House why his government does not recognize that a full public national investigation is needed immediately?

[Aboriginal Affairs, October 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, members opposite either do not understand the issue or they choose to ignore it. Sisters, mothers, daughters, aunties and nieces are all going missing.

Yesterday, at the Amnesty International symposium, participants heard that one aboriginal woman goes missing each week in our country. This is a national crisis.

Why is the government not hearing their calls for action? Why will it not respond by immediately launching a proper public investigation?