Carolyn Bennett

[International Co-operation, February 25th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House of an unprecedented meeting of 24 inspirational Afghan women currently living in Canada that is proceeding in the West Block today with the help of the Minister for International Cooperation and CIDA officials.

These Afghan Canadian women, including high school students, have arrived from Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Guelph, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal to meet officials and parliamentarians to press us to ensure that our troops and other Canadian representatives are all committed to increasing safety for women and children in Afghanistan so Afghan women in Canada have the genuine option of returning to their country of origin to give their expertise to rehabilitation and reconstruction as soon as possible.

I give special thanks to Senator Jaffer, Adeena Niazi and Marilou McPhedran for their leadership in this program.

[Skating Party, February 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, what started out as a celebration to thank my constituents for electing me back to Ottawa, the annual St. Paul's skating party, has now permanently moved to Ottawa. Today and tomorrow residents of St. Paul's will descend upon the national capital region to partake in a variety of events including skating at the Governor General's rink at Rideau Hall and along the Rideau Canal, and a tour of the House of Commons.

I am thrilled to welcome the citizens of St. Paul's to Ottawa, including a full busload tomorrow, and look forward to spending the next couple of days with them participating in the festivities of Winterlude, North America's greatest winter festival, and enjoying the splendid beauty of our capital.

The St. Paul's skating party is full of fun, laughs, hot chocolate and beaver tails but builds real relationships between citizens and their parliament.

[Cardiovascular Disease, February 1st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to remind hon. members and all Canadians that February is Cardiovascular Disease Awareness Month.

Despite advances in health care, cardiovascular disease remains the most common cause of death, accounting for 37% of all deaths in Canada each year. The true burden of cardiovascular diseases is experienced by those Canadians living with these diseases and experiencing a significant decline in their quality of life.

Health Canada is committed to working with the Canadian Heart Health Initiative, Canadian Coalition for High Blood Pressure Prevention and Control, and others in order to encourage Canadians to live a healthy lifestyle. Much work remains, however. The major causes of heart disease and stroke rest with our lifestyles.

By joining forces with others in attenuating this modern epidemic of chronic diseases, we can mobilize society as a whole to invest in heart health and enhance the quality of life of all Canadians.

[Sima Samar, December 11th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand today to congratulate Dr. Sima Samar on receiving the John Humphrey Freedom Award granted by Rights and Democracy of Montreal. Dr. Samar has contributed tremendously through her efforts to strengthen the human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan and in refugee camps along the northern border of Pakistan.

From the time the Taliban took over in 1996 Dr. Samar operated schools for girls and offered health services throughout Afghanistan that were otherwise unavailable, often risking her life by defying the ruling Taliban. Likewise Dr. Samar has been appointed deputy prime minister and minister responsible for women's affairs in the power sharing council that will run the transitional government in Afghanistan.

As part of her Canadian tour Unifem welcomes Dr. Samar to Ottawa tomorrow where she is speaking at the Chateau Laurier at noon. I encourage all members to attend this wonderful event to hear firsthand the plight of the women in Afghanistan and to establish what we as Canadians can do to help.

[Violence Against Women, December 6th, 2001]

Madam Speaker, today is the day that Canadians recognize as a day of remembrance in honour of the 14 young women who were tragically killed at Ecole Polytechnique because of their gender. However this day should also be a day of action on violence against women so that as we mourn we can work toward change.

On Tuesday evening the women's caucus held an open roundtable on international women's issues and heard firsthand the accounts of the realities of violence against women worldwide. We must start by acknowledging this sad anniversary as well as the deaths of those women that have died as victims worldwide and work toward breaking the cycle of violence.

Today in Toronto, Women's College Hospital is holding a commemorative service whereby a rose for each of the 14 women is being presented in their memory. The guest of this event is Pamela Cross, executive and legal director of Metrac, whose timely remarks will focus on violence against women in a violent world culture.

This tragedy is further evidence that more research such as that led by Dr. Heather Maclean and Dr. Robin Badgley at the centre of research in women's health at Women's College Hospital is necessary.

Let us hope that as Canadians reflect on this tragedy we can find concrete ways to work toward the--

[Supplementary Estimates (A), 2001-02, December 4th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I want my vote recorded with the government.

(The House divided on Motion No. 3, which was agreed to on the following division:)

[Osteoporosis, November 30th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, November is Osteoporosis Awareness Month. Osteoporosis is a medical condition where the bones become thin and weakened, making fracture more likely, especially in the hip, spine and wrist. It has long been thought to affect post-menopausal women but in fact men can also be at risk of osteoporosis.

Approximately 1.4 million Canadians suffer from osteoporosis. One in four women over 50 suffer from the disease. Seventy per cent of hip fractures are related to osteoporosis. In fact, osteoporosis related fractures result in more deaths of women each year than breast and ovarian cancer combined.

The risk factors for osteoporosis include diet, inactivity, being underweight, smoking and too much caffeine or alcohol. I encourage Canadians to inform themselves about the ways in which they can prevent osteoporosis and to participate in events sponsored by the Osteoporosis Society of Canada.

[Tobacco Industry, November 28th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the United States National Cancer Institute confirmed that light and mild cigarettes are every bit as harmful as regular cigarettes. What is the minister doing to ensure that the tobacco industry does not mislead Canadians any longer into thinking that light and mild cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes?

[Women's Rights, November 21st, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the name MATCH International Centre may not immediately ring a bell with all members of parliament, but I stand here today to salute the small organization on its 25th anniversary.

MATCH is known as one of the key organizations that has strengthened the global women's movement. To achieve this recognition MATCH has supported women's groups offering frontline services to women and their children and has spearheaded many achievements that Canadian women now cherish, such as enhanced legal rights for women victims of violence and the growth of women's shelters Canadawide.

I urge members of parliament not to stand by and watch the deterioration of Canada's social network that helps women victims of violence. The undoing of such gains by the women of Canada, and indeed by MATCH and its partners in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and South America, will not go unchallenged by the thousands of Canadians who uphold the rights of women to live free from violence.

MATCH stands with every woman and child that has experienced violence in Canada, and today we congratulate MATCH International Centre and its dynamic team for the work they are doing in raising awareness on women's rights around the world.

[Doris Anderson, November 9th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, today I honour the remarkable occasion of the 80th birthday of Doris Anderson, a true feminist, role model and friend.

Doris has always been a shining example of how age has very little to do with the date of one's birth. She has forever been ahead of us in her ideas. As editor of Chatelaine Doris brought previously private issues like domestic violence to the public sphere. In many ways she changed both Canadian journalism and the politics of gender. In so doing she has affected the lives of all Canadians.

As president of the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women she helped enshrine equal rights for men and women in the Canadian constitution. She is still hard at work as chair of the Ontario Press Council and as a powerful advocate for proportional representation in federal elections.

Tonight there will be a sold out birthday celebration for Doris in Toronto where Governor General Adrienne Clarkson will speak and CBC's Shelagh Rogers will be the emcee. Her birthday present will be the Doris Anderson Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Women's Studies at York University.

Recipients will be given $5,000 from the scholarship fund and $10,000 as a double matching grant from the province of Ontario. Donations are still being accepted and additional money raised will go to the Doris Anderson Bursary Fund for $15,000 scholarships for out of province students and for research.

I am pleased to congratulate Doris on her continuing contributions and wish her the very best as she turns 80. She continues to teach us all so much.