Anita Neville

[Health, June 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, mothers have lost their babies, and children have received inadequate care. The federal government was not prepared for this outbreak in aboriginal communities.

Conditions in these communities continue to deteriorate. Homes are overcrowded. Communities do not have running water. The virus continues to spread. Experts warn that the worst may be yet to come.

What concrete plan does the government have to prepare all aboriginal communities for a possible pandemic?

[Health, June 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the spread of H1N1 influenza in Manitoba's aboriginal communities has caused great concern to the World Health Organization. It is considering calling the outbreak a full-blown pandemic.

The province of Manitoba offered the federal government help 13 times since May 4 to plan for a possible pandemic in aboriginal communities. Manitoba understands the issue; the World Health Organization understands the issue; only the Conservatives do not understand the issue.

Why has there been such a delay in response?

[The Environment, June 8th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, last week, North Dakota's water commission endorsed a proposal to more than double the water output from Devils Lake into the Manitoba watershed. This would further threaten the province's freshwater supply and ecosystems.

In 2005 the Liberal government concluded an agreement with the Americans to construct a high level filter out of Devils Lake. This agreement has not been honoured.

Will the federal government raise this matter with the new U.S. administration? Will it pressure the Americans to live up to this agreement?

[Aboriginal Affairs, June 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, it has been nearly three weeks since we made the call for a proper, competent investigation into the known 520 missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls. So far we have heard no response. Families deserve to know what happened to their daughters, mothers or sisters.

Will the justice minister stand up and tell the House when his government is prepared to launch an investigation into this matter in order to bring justice to the victims, their families and, indeed, all aboriginal Canadians?

[Aboriginal Women, May 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, on May 13 I stood in this House along with my colleague from Labrador and called on the government to launch an independent public investigation into the known 520 missing aboriginal women and girls in Canada. Last week we made a formal request to the justice minister. To date there has not yet been a response.

We know the government is still funding Sisters in Spirit, committed to by the previous Liberal government, and we commend that, but three years later it is simply not enough.

Forty-three per cent of those 520 cases have occurred just since the year 2000, a phenomenon that appears to be rising as more women go missing, three in Manitoba in the past year alone.

Aboriginal women deserve no less concern, no fewer investigations and no less protection than all women in Canada. We believe the government must act to answer the questions of why this is happening, why the investigations are falling short, and why the women and their families are not being acknowledged. They deserve no less. It is time. Canadians deserve no less.

[Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act, May 14th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, I have a press release that was released today. It comes from the Native Women's Association of Canada and the Assembly of First Nations, including the Assembly of First Nations Women's Council. They all agree that Bill C-8 will do nothing to solve the problems associated with matrimonial real property on reserve. They agree that the federal government failed in its duty to consult with and accommodate the views of first nations and that as a result the bill is fatally flawed and cannot be fixed. They recommend that it should not proceed to committee.

I ask my hon. colleague, with whom I had the pleasure of serving on the committee for a long time, why he thinks it will be useful to send it to committee when we know the major stakeholders strongly oppose the bill, they do not see it as having value for aboriginal women and they do not see it as respectful of aboriginal tradition and culture.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 13th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Native Women's Association recently released the latest edition of its Sisters in Spirit initiative. Sisters in Spirit has uncovered 520 cases of missing or murdered aboriginal women and girls in Canada. The United Nations has chastised Canada for its shameful lack of response. Their plight has been ignored long enough. It is time.

When will the government launch an independent, public, competent investigation into these missing or murdered aboriginal women and girls?

[Status of Women, May 12th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as we heard, the Auditor General issued today a scathing rebuke of the government's lack of gender-based analysis policies.

She was also critical of central agencies and their role. We know that many public policies affect women differently than men. Yet, the government has a tepid response to them at best. Some governments consider gender policies while others completely ignore them.

When will the Conservative government listen to the Auditor General and conduct honest, consistent gender-based analyses?

[Criminal Code, May 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I did address this yesterday. It was noted yesterday that a few weeks ago we had, for the first time, a day when there were no auto thefts at all in the city of Winnipeg, and that was quite remarkable.

However, the most recent figures I have indicate that from January 1 to May 3, there were 723 actual auto thefts and 799 attempted auto thefts, for a total of 1,522. Last year at this time, the total of both attempted and actual auto thefts was in the area of 2,700. The numbers are going down about 40% because of a variety of measures introduced by the police department, which include very concentrated and direct efforts to apprehend the well-known perpetrators of auto theft, the imposition of mandatory vehicle immobilizers and a variety of prevention and alternative programs that are currently funded largely by the provincial government.

This is why I indicated that the federal government also had to be there addressing these issues.

[Criminal Code, May 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I want to use a bit of the time remaining to conclude my remarks. I want to make it clear that I support Bill C-26.

We heard much yesterday about the high incidence of auto theft in the city of Winnipeg. We also heard yesterday that both the attempts and the actual theft of cars was being reduced, through a host of measures that had been undertaken by the provincial government and the police department of the City of Winnipeg.

However, I am pleased this legislation has come forward. It is long overdue. The leadership delegation from Manitoba came here 16 months ago to ask for auto theft to be made an indictable offence. The response was another piece of legislation, which really did not address the issue. The Prime Minister, as most are aware, came to Winnipeg and announced a bill, but it did not create a distinct offence for vehicle theft. It dealt with the VIN and the trafficking of stolen property.

The legislation is long overdue. As I indicated yesterday, in March 2008 I introduced a private member's bill, which went substantially further than this bill. I called upon auto theft to be an indictable offence, with a mandatory minimum sentence of one year after a second offence.

I am pleased to see the legislation here. I am pleased offer my support for it. I hope it will move through the House in a timely manner and that there will be an opportunity for colleagues to discuss it further in committee.

I want to emphasize the importance of prevention programs as well. There have to be consequences for the offence, but there also have to be prevention programs. We know the provincial government is doing this. It is incumbent upon the federal government to provide the support and resources for the provinces to do what they must do. It is important for the federal government not to disengage from anti-gang activity or programs that do not deal with violence in communities.

Prevention is equally important, but there have to be consequences to the action.