Anita Neville

[Nima Maamobi Community Learning Centre, November 20th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, today I want to salute the efforts of Kathy Knowles, a constituent in Winnipeg South Centre who has had a dream realized: the completion of a major project to promote literacy in Ghana.

On November 18, Ms. Knowles, along with the Canadian High Commissioner, Ghanaian dignitaries, many Manitobans and hundreds of local school children, unveiled the Nima Maamobi Community Learning Centre, a literacy centre to supplement the community library in Accra, Ghana.

On November 27, the Governor General of Canada will be paying a visit to see this remarkable centre that has been constructed there. The centre, designed by Ghanaian-born Canadian architect Roger Amenyogbe, is designed to resemble an open book when looking at it from one angle.

The centre is indeed a testament to what happens when the power of one, in turn supported by a group of dedicated people, puts committed heart and soul into a project to make it happen.

We thank Kathy. Her dream will provide opportunity for many.

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 6th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the reserve of Pikangikum is in major crisis. It has no clean drinking water, overcrowded housing and substandard education facilities.

At one point in time the Minister of Indian Affairs said that ensuring access to clean drinking water was a priority of his. Now the minister's spokesperson says that these are issues that cannot be resolved in nine months.

In his own words, will the minister tell us why he is missing in action as it relates to Pikangikum? When will he stand up and prevent our citizens from living in third world squalor?

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 6th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the law and the Constitution is clear. Despite this, the Minister of Indian Affairs is trying to abdicate his government's responsibility by stating that pre-Confederation land claims are not a federal responsibility. Caught in the middle of this are the people of Caledonia and Six Nations who simply want a resolution to this dispute.

Will the Prime Minister tell his minister to stop dealing in semantics and instead focus on reaching a settlement agreement?

[Canadian Wheat Board, November 3rd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Agriculture is attempting to destroy the Canadian Wheat Board, yet the Conservative sheep representing Winnipeg refused to defend the city they represent.

When the minister speaks in Winnipeg today, will he tell the chamber of commerce audience about the 460 lost jobs and the $66 million in lost wages and salaries in the city?

My question is for the Minister of Justice. How much damage must his government inflict on the city of Winnipeg before he will stand up and say “no more”?

[Business of Supply, November 1st, 2006]

Mr. Chair, there is currently an important lack of trained first nations early childhood development service providers. Given that the Conservative government's mandate for employment is related to employment and training as well as child care for first nations and Inuit communities, how are the department and the minister planning to work with first nations to overcome this training gap in early childhood development?

[Business of Supply, November 1st, 2006]

Mr. Chair, what I am hearing the minister opposite say is that Ontario is far more important than the province of Manitoba and the province of Saskatchewan. That is shameful.

Given that 250 first nations currently do not have regulated child care and that first nations were not adequately consulted during the child care spaces initiative regional consultations, what is the next step for the minister's department in terms of working with first nations to work toward the creation of child care spaces for first nations?

[Business of Supply, November 1st, 2006]

Mr. Chair, there is no choice if there is no choice, and what the minister indicates she said is not what was heard.

I want to move on to the labour market agreement that my colleague asked about. The $153 million in cuts is not the only attack on the most vulnerable.

As we heard earlier, the labour market partnership agreement signed by the federal government with the province of Manitoba in November 2005 has not been honoured. We have heard much tonight about support for aboriginals, for persons with disabilities, for immigrants and for apprenticeship programs. This is what that program was designed to do and yet it has not been honoured.

What plan does the minister have to support the labour market agreement in the province of Manitoba? She indicated that the Ontario agreement will be honoured. Will this agreement with Manitoba be honoured?

[Business of Supply, November 1st, 2006]

Mr. Chair, provincial and community sources in the province of Manitoba have told many people in the province that at a recent federal-provincial-territorial meeting, the minister advised her counterparts, when she was pressed on the creation of child care spaces, “That under this administration there would not be one red cent go to a program or service that would support women from being anywhere but in the home”.

Is this the rationale for the cancellation of the early learning child care initiative and is this reflective of the government's ideology?

[Business of Supply, November 1st, 2006]

Thanks to the Liberals.

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 1st, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, it is not game time. A provincial minister travels to Ottawa to meet with his federal counterpart. He takes time from his busy schedule and spends taxpayer money to travel. When arriving at the minister's office, he is greeted with stomping feet, slamming doors, and the cancellation of a pre-arranged meeting. Was this a Conservative caucus meeting? No, that is how the Minister of Indian Affairs treats a colleague.

When will the minister show true leadership, accept the federal government's responsibility, and personally meet with the many stakeholders?