Bev Oda

[International Aid, November 25th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, today I announced the Canadian Red Cross first responder initiative. It includes a Canadian Red Cross rapid deployment field hospital, one of only four in the world, the first to be based in Canada ready to respond within 24 hours anywhere in the Americas. It means more Canadian experts ready to provide needed medical help and the training of local Red Cross Societies in the country before the disaster hits.

In fact, a medical unit from this initiative will be deployed to Haiti to help with the cholera outbreak.

[Haiti, November 22nd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, as the House knows, we are part of an international effort on the recovery and reconstruction of Haiti. Canada is already moving ahead on rebuilding the police academy, a hospital in Ganthier, as well as providing support so the Haitian government can undertake its responsibilities.

Canada will always support the Haitian people.

[Haiti, November 22nd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, Canada has been responding to the cholera outbreak. On Friday, I announced an additional $4 million, which means $5 million in total, to fight and help with the cholera outbreak.

This represents 30% of the total international response worldwide to help those people in Haiti with clean water, treatment, rehydration medicine, as well as prevention programs. Canada is doing its part.

[Haiti, November 19th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, again I announce that Canada has committed $5 million to fight the outbreak of cholera. This money is being disbursed. In fact, millions of litres of water are being provided. We have organizations on the ground.

As members know, this is a growing outbreak and we will continue to monitor the situation.

[Haiti, November 19th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, we are very concerned. The latest report indicates that 1,100 lives have been lost and 18,000 people have been hospitalized.

In fact, it is my pleasure to inform my colleague that today we are adding $4 million to combat this cholera outbreak. We are working with organizations such as the Pan American Health Organization and UNICEF. We will be providing more prevention campaigns, more medical supplies and clean water.

[Afghanistan, November 17th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, we are keeping our promise to the Afghan people, particularly to the children and youth of Afghanistan. In fact, we have now completed 26 schools and the remaining schools are currently under construction. Seven million children will receive polio vaccinations. Where there were no schools for girls before, there are now and two million girls are attending. There have been 158 teachers trained, with better curriculums that Canada is supporting to improve.

[Afghanistan, November 17th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, our plan going forward is to ensure that the Afghan people and the world are more secure by not enabling Afghanistan to be a home for terrorists.

Also, at the same time as we are supporting their increased security efforts, we will be building on the successes we have achieved. In fact, these are accomplishments that do make a difference.

Sixty-six per cent of the population now have access to primary health care. Canada's efforts with mothers and children will—

[Afghanistan, November 17th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, this government has made a significant difference to the lives of the people in Afghanistan.

We will be building on our successes by focusing on children and youth in the future, primarily by focusing on education. In fact, our signature projects have improved the lives of children. We now have more than two million girls in school. We have educated and trained over 3,000 female teachers. We have seven million children with polio vaccinations.

We will be building on that kind of difference.

[International Co-operation, November 15th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, once again Canadians have demonstrated their amazing generosity and compassion. Their contributions to the victims of the floods will provide much-needed food aid, emergency medical care, as well as support for the devastated agricultural sector.

Today I am pleased to tell the House that individual Canadians contributed $46.8 million to help the Pakistani people.

[International Co-operation, November 1st, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to tell the hon. member opposite that what this government will do is make sure that there are more schools, that there is more education, more health, more medicine, more produce for farmers, more ability for them to feed themselves, stay healthy and ensure that healthy babies are going to be alive.

We are supporting members of KAIROS when they have individual proposals that are actually going to have an impact on people living in these communities. We have done that in the past and we will continue to do that in the future.