Carolyn Bennett

[Foreign Affairs, October 20th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to add my opposition to that of many people in Canada and around the world to the anti-Semitic comments made by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed this past Thursday. I wish to add my voice to that of the Canadian government in condemning Mr. Mahathir's remarks in the strongest possible way.

The Canadian foreign affairs minister has responded by saying that “we make it clear to our own citizens that we totally reject both the premise and the spirit of where this is coming from”.

We in Canada are proud of moving our multicultural agenda from one of diversity and tolerance to one of genuine respect. The future of this tiny planet requires an acknowledgement that the opportunity of all peoples is not a zero-sum game. The rise of anti-Semitism and the incitement of hatred put the security of the world at risk.

As we celebrate the recipients of the Persons Day Award, we want to thank them for the leadership they have given us in always speaking out against a lack of equality, particularly Marilou McPhedran, a citizen of St. Paul's.

[Israel, September 24th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, as chair of the Canada-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group, I was pleased to participate in the recent CIC leadership mission to Israel.

Our understanding of the core concerns are clear. There will be no lasting peace or security until efforts are taken by the Palestinian Authority to honour its road map commitment to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure. It also must begin the essential work of eliminating the incitement to violence.

We were impressed by Diana Buttu, the young Canadian Palestinian lawyer from the PLO negotiation unit, who, although she simplistically identified the settlements as the main obstruction to peace, was thoughtful, eloquent and seemed to be working hard toward a just peace that would include a secure state of Israel.

We were saddened to hear that she will soon return to Canada in frustration. Israel needs a partner for peace. We wish the new Palestinian prime minister, Ahmed Qureia, the courage to control the voices of hatred and stop the violence.

[Committees of the House, September 19th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the second report of the Standing Joint Committee of the Library of Parliament.

[Prostate Cancer Awareness Week, September 19th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that this week, September 14 to September 20, is Prostate Cancer Awareness Week.

Cancer takes an enormous toll and most Canadians have been touched in some way by this disease. In Canada, almost 19,000 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, making it the leading form of cancer diagnosed in Canadian men. This is the third leading cause of cancer death among men after lung and colorectal cancers and will claim an estimated 4,200 Canadian lives this year.

Investments in research and other cancer control activities are crucial to ensuring that we sustain the fight against prostate cancer and other forms of cancer. Health Canada is working in partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to foster research in prostate cancer to ensure that Canadians can understand the disease and its diagnosis, screening and treatment.

Through the government's commitment to addressing the health concerns of Canadians and the work of national, provincial and regional organizations concerned about prostate cancer, we will make a difference.

[Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, May 26th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month in Canada, and although one in 25 Canadians carries the defective gene responsible for CF, most people are unfamiliar with this disease.

Cystic fibrosis is the most common fatal inherited disease affecting young Canadians. It causes severe problems with breathing and also results in difficulty digesting and absorbing adequate nutrition from food.

In 1960, cystic fibrosis was considered a children's disease. Thanks to Canadian research, funded in part by the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, young Canadians with CF today are living into their thirties and beyond.

Yesterday CF supporters in over 74 communities across Canada participated in the annual Zellers family walk for cystic fibrosis. I congratulate them in their attempts to raise awareness and support for a cure.

[Health, May 14th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, because of the tireless efforts of our front line health care workers and the tremendous sacrifice of our citizens, Toronto was able to turn the corner on SARS over a month ago.

Could the Minister of Health update us on her department's efforts to remove us from the World Health Organization list of SARS affected areas?

[Supply, May 13th, 2003]

You are supposed to have a drum roll, but I just asked the question.

[Supply, May 13th, 2003]

Madam Chair, as we move forward and look to the area of health care for which we have the most responsibility, we actually are very embarrassed about our performance in aboriginal health, as the previous member talked about. If we talk about closing the health gap for our aboriginal people, if we think of bottling what we learned in the SARS episode, my main question for the minister would be how we could move to a public health infrastructure that would use all of the good hospices of a health council, use all of what we have learned from Marc Lalonde and forward. Does the minister see a place for CDC north? Is there a way that we could track how we are doing? How could we move forward as the Canadian Public Health Association has asked for in its meetings this week?

That is what Canadians want from us. They want a trusted voice that would be able to communicate to all Canadians but also provide the leadership that allows the kind of collaboration that is needed. We know that is the only thing that will work in this country.

It is too bad the member for St. Albert is going to miss my big question.

[Supply, May 13th, 2003]

Madam Chair, one of the things I think we need to learn is that we need a learning culture. I think there are simple things like knitting a sweater or following a recipe, there are complicated things like using physics to get a rocket on the moon and there are complex things like raising a child.

As the members opposite would understand, for every complex problem they have a simple solution that is wrong.

So it is in understanding the complexity of health care, understanding that Canada led the way on the social determinants of health, and understanding that it is only in our ability to view health as a complex adaptive system with feedback loops and continuous improvement that we are going to be able to provide Canadians with the quality of health care and the healthy quality of life we all know they deserve.

I hope that as we look to this council the ugly rumours that the council will have three or four staff members rather than the 30 or 40 staff members that the councils of the ministers of education have, I think that as we think of the kind of quality of chair that we are hoping for, Madam Minister, I am sure that the quality of chair we would want for this council would need a proper secretariat for support.

Then the secretariat must have the capacity to continue an ongoing dialogue with Canadians, as was evidenced by the Romanow commission. The idea that we have to be able to keep talking to Canadians about their priorities and their concerns will really allow us to be the learning culture, to be able to adapt the best practices for consulting and engaging civil society and to be able to also keep talking to the health professionals and the wellness and other practitioners, educators and other stakeholders.

I am wondering about a legislative framework. I am wondering whether there would be a way, by enshrining the health council, that we could begin to look at adopting Romanow's six principles of accountability. I think we actually have to move on carrots and sticks instead of sticks. We should look at the kind of clearing house that could be possible with all the great things that are happening across the country. Maybe once a year when the health council has its annual general meeting, we could have a conference, Madam Minister, where the best things that are happening across the country--

[Supply, May 13th, 2003]

Madam Chair, there were many questions in there for the hon. member, but he was so busy talking he did not hear my questions.

What I think has been a very exciting time in terms of understanding that what is to be instead of the “gotcha” kind of politics which the member, who is still talking, is very adept at, is really to change the governance into--