Anita Neville

[Post-Secondary Education, May 30th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to comment on the proposed amendment to the budget concerning post-secondary education.

It is my belief that we should undertake more direct financial assistance for students across the country. It is important that the moneys flow directly to students in order to facilitate access to both undergraduate and subsequent post-graduate programs.

While I acknowledge that post-secondary education is a provincial responsibility, two federal programs now exist that provide platforms to help students through grants and bursaries.

By investing the additional funding to be made available in the amended budget in an improved and more seamless Millennium Scholarship Foundation and the Canada study grants, we would assist both students and their families directly with the financial commitment to post-secondary education.

This measure would help ensure that Canadians are not graduating with the extreme debt loads that prevent further studies, put their families in debt and it would provide moneys when it is most needed.

[Family Reunification, May 19th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the motion I introduced in the House on April 12, 2005. This motion proposes changes to the immigration and refugee protection regulations that would allow a sponsor's sibling's income to be included in family class sponsorships.

For many Canadian residents, it is difficult to bring family members to Canada because of financial constraints. Many new Canadians who wish to be reunited with their parents and family members cannot do so because they are not yet financially secure. While current regulations allow a sponsor's partner to financially contribute to a sponsorship, in many cases this is not enough.

In order to expand the opportunities open to Canadian families, my motion would amend the regulations to allow siblings to combine their resources. This simple change would greatly improve Canadians' financial options in bringing their families to this country. I urge all members of the House to support the motion and to support the reunification of families.

[The Environment, May 16th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of the Environment. Manitoba is home to some of the most beautiful lakes and rivers in the country, including the Red River. Yet this natural tributary is in danger of contamination if North Dakota implements its Devils Lake project.

This project would redirect water to the Red River, possibly bringing with it foreign species and other contaminants. Further, this redirection project could cause flooding in the communities along the Red River, which have now only recovered from the flood of 1997.

As such, could the minister please tell the House what the government is doing to ensure water quality?

[Holocaust Memorial Day, May 5th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, today is the second annual Holocaust remembrance day, when Canada pauses to remember the innocent victims of the Holocaust. Marked each year according to the Jewish lunar calendar on the day when the Warsaw ghetto uprising began, this day is a sombre reminder to us all that racism knows no limits and that its hunger cannot be sated.

Adopted last year by the House as an all party effort, this year I am proud to be the Liberal co-sponsor of yet another non-partisan motion highlighting this commemoration, a simple yet profound gesture that immortalizes the tragedy of the Holocaust in Canadian calendars and instills a sense of ownership in all Canadians to know its history and to learn from it.

Sixty years on and still we remain overwhelmed at the cost of this tragedy. Today many of us will have the privilege of laying a wreath on Parliament Hill during the special observance. The flame of remembrance is a ray of light that keeps undying vigil against the darkness of racism, a vigil that we need more than ever, tragically, in the face of rising anti-Semitism in Canada today.

[Holocaust Memorial Day, May 5th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among all the parties and I believe that you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:

That this House solemnly commemorates the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and death camps and, following Canada's official participation this year in memorial events at the United Nations and at Auschwitz, the site that epitomized the evil of the Holocaust, remembers the lives of the millions of men, women and children who perished at the hands of tyranny, and honours the many Canadians who fought for freedom and justice at a time of darkness.

[Petitions, May 4th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions that I wish to present today.

The first petition is signed by hundreds of members and friends of the First Unitarian Universal Church of Winnipeg. The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to pass the proposed legislation providing full equal marriage to same sex couples.

Mr. Speaker, the next two petitions I wish to present are of the opposite view. The petitions are signed by residents of the city of Winnipeg.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to define marriage as a lifelong union of one man and one woman.

[Early Learning and Child Care, May 2nd, 2005]

Madam Speaker, Friday was indeed a historic day in Canada. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Social Development signed bilateral agreements on early learning and child care with the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

The government has been committed to developing early learning and child care across Canada from the outset. On Friday, Canadians witnessed delivery on this promise. The government knows how important it is that our nation's children have the best possible start in life. Putting these early learning and child care agreements in principle in place with the provinces and territories will ensure our children have access to quality child care that prepares them to enter school healthy, happy and ready to learn.

I was present at the signing ceremony in Manitoba, where those assembled spontaneously began singing our national anthem as the agreement was signed. What a proud moment for all of us there and for all of Canada.

The Prime Minister and the hon. minister are to be congratulated for their vision for Canada's future and for this momentous achievement.

[Status of Women, April 20th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring to the attention of colleagues the report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women that was tabled in the House of Commons yesterday.

The report, “Gender-Based Analysis: Building Blocks for Success”, is the culmination of intense consultations with equality seeking organizations from across the country, as well as government departments and agencies.

The report's main recommendation calls on the government to do things differently, indeed to legislate the systematic application of gender based analysis of all federal policies and programs.

It includes stronger accountability measures for government agencies and departments and strengthened reporting mechanisms to determine progress in incorporating gender considerations for all Canadians.

This report is a major step forward in closing the equality gap that exists between Canadian men and women. I wish to thank committee members and to acknowledge their hard work and dedication on this issue. I also want to thank members of my own Liberal women's caucus for their doggedness and support in advancing this effort.

[Committees of the House, April 19th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present today, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women.

I am pleased to advise the House that the committee began a series of consultations with organizations to prioritize the issues that were most important to Canadians. These groups told the committee that many programs and policies over the past decade have had a negative impact on women.

The committee had a broad consultation with government officials and with members of the Treasury Board and the Privy Council Office, and we found that the federal government departments differ significantly in their ability to do gender based analysis.

The committee proposes that it is time to implement a new way of conducting the business of policy making in this House, a new way which gives increased attention to gender differences so that all Canadians benefit equally from legislation, policies and programs.

In its report, the committee outlines a comprehensive approach to ensure that gender based analysis is carried out throughout the federal government. It envisions a multi-partner effort whereby individual departments are involved. Status of Women Canada has a lead role, and the Privy Council Office, the Treasury Board Secretariat and Finance Canada coordinate and enforce accountability mechanisms.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee has requested a comprehensive report from government on this report.

[Canadian Museum for Human Rights, April 18th, 2005]

Madam Speaker, this past Friday the President of the Treasury Board announced that the federal government had committed up to $100 million to help build the new Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. The design for the project was also unveiled at this time, a spectacular testament to our vision for this country.

How fitting that on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the equality section of the charter, this great country now embarks on another commitment to human rights, for human rights is indeed a defining aspect of what we are as a country.

A commitment to remember the past, to honour those who have accomplished so much in human rights, and to educate the young, the museum will focus on human rights education both nationally and internationally.

I wish to congratulate the very many people from across the country involved in bringing this landmark project to this stage. I also wish to congratulate the Asper family of Winnipeg who worked to carry on the dream and legacy of the late Izzy Asper. Well done to all.