Harold Albrecht

[Veterans, November 2nd, 2010]

Mr. Chair, this is an interesting debate tonight. I know many of the veterans in my riding, who I have had the privilege of meeting over the last four and a half years, are very appreciative of the services that our Department of Veterans Affairs has given them.

I had the privilege of meeting Harry Watts, World War II vet. He was a dispatch rider in World War II. He goes into classrooms and to citizenship ceremonies and eyes light up when people hear him telling his stories.

I want to point out that many veterans across Canada are very appreciative of the efforts of our government.

The member for Sackville—Eastern Shore raises some interesting points about veterans. The question I would have is this. If the member is so supportive of veterans, can he explain why he has consistently voted with his party against any increase in benefits for our veterans or our military? Why is the member opposed to providing good equipment to our men and women in uniform so they can do the job that we send them to do and have a much better chance of returning safely to their family and friends?

[World Autism Awareness Day Act, October 29th, 2010]

Madam Speaker, every member in the House probably has a family member or a close friend who has dealt with or is dealing with the challenges of autism.

While this government is supportive of many of the activities in research and ongoing awareness issues, primarily the issue of giving the support to people with this challenge falls into the hands of the provincial governments. There are a variety of programs across the spectrum among various provincial governments.

We would urge the provincial governments to continue to do what they can to have the kind of support on the ground that these families will need.

[World Autism Awareness Day Act, October 29th, 2010]

moved that Bill S-211, An Act respecting World Autism Awareness Day, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Madam Speaker, this government recognizes that autism spectrum disorders, referred to as autism or ASD, represent a serious health and social issue affecting many Canadian families and individuals from all walks of life. That is why the Minister of Health last year declared that April 2 would be known as World Autism Awareness Day across Canada.

I remember so clearly when I joined the Waterloo County School Board in 1978 when one of our superintendents mentioned the word autism. To be honest, I had not even heard the word before that time. I remember how our officials grappled to address the needs of the children and their families who were suffering with autism. Since that time, it is obvious that we have come a long way in addressing this issue but that we have a long way to go.

Today, this government is pleased to have the opportunity to reiterate this important commitment by expressing our support for Bill S-211, An Act respecting World Autism Awareness Day.

Bill S-211 was recently amended to clarify certain information presented in the preamble. These amendments preserve the intent of the bill while simultaneously promoting the importance of disseminating clear, consistent and accurate information about autism, an objective to which this government is committed.

The impacts of autism are wide-ranging for individuals and families affected by the condition. ASD can present lifelong challenges. For researchers, ASD is particularly complex as it affects each individual differently. A great deal of valuable research has already been done to uncover the causes of ASD, as well as the most effective treatments and long-term implications of this disorder. However, further research is required in order to gain a more solid understanding of this complicated condition.

This is why the federal government is committed to supporting an enhanced autism evidence base and has devoted substantial resources in this regard. For example, over the last several years our government has invested over $35 million for autism-related research projects through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

In addition, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Department of Health have contributed to improving autism evidence and awareness. On that note, I would like to share with the House today some recent activities in the area of autism research which have been supported by the health portfolio.

Between 2007-08 and 2008-09, Health Canada invested $125,000 for CAIRN, which stands for Canadian Autism Intervention Research Network, a group of researchers, clinicians, parents and policy-makers dedicated to ASD research as a way to find better treatment and diagnostic techniques.

A key aspect of CAIRN's work is its website, which disseminates up-to-date information on autism in a format and language that is useful to those who need it most: individuals and families affected by autism. I am pleased to tell the House that federal funding supported the update and translation of this trusted website, making this valuable resource available in both official languages.

This government also supported CAIRN to host the 2009 CAIRN conference, which provided an important forum for researchers, clinicians, policy-makers and those affected by ASD to come together to share new research, different points of view, challenges and stories with a view to raising awareness about autism. It was also at this conference that the preliminary and exciting findings of the Pathways in ASD study were shared.

The Pathways in ASD study is a one of kind collaborative research study that focuses on understanding how children with ASD grow and develop over time. The Canadian Institutes for Health Research is one of the funders of this exciting initiative, led by researchers from McMaster University who are working to understand the different developmental pathways that children with ASD follow and to identify predictors of good outcomes that can be used to develop new intervention programs.

To date, approximately 440 children from five different locations across Canada have been enrolled in this study, making it the largest of its kind in the world. It is significant to note that Canada has the largest of its kind of study related to autism research.

The study will examine a number of factors, including social competence, communication skills, behaviour and the ability to function independently that influence areas of development related to the child, the family and the community as a whole.

The results of this study will be a valuable resource in ensuring the best outcomes for children with ASD, both through the development of new programs and interventions, and by furthering our understanding of their needs and their strengths.

I understand that this project has been designed to fill important evidence gaps on developmental pathways of children with ASD. The Pathways in ASD project will also provide important evidence-based information for policy-makers and researchers alike.

CIHR is also supporting a $1.4 million strategic training grant in autism research, led by Dr. Eric Fombonne from McGill University, which will contribute to training the upcoming generation of autism researchers and will aim to uncover the mysteries of autism.

Building on the strategic training program in autism research that trained over 40 Ph.D. and post-doctoral students conducting autism research in various disciplines, from molecular genetics to outcome intervention studies, this latest project will expand the program.

The strategic training grant will address the pressing needs of Canadians affected by autism, as well as their families and service providers, by building research capacity in this area.

In addition, CIHR is investing in autism research at the University of Alberta, where researchers are examining the early development of autism by following infants at increased risk of the disorder because they are siblings of children who already have autism. The ultimate goal is earlier identification and treatment. Research such as this is building our understanding of ASD and our capacity to treat ASD.

Furthermore, along with Genome Canada, CIHR provides support to the autism genome project. This initiative will help to increase our understanding of the genetics of ASD which could, in the long term, lead to earlier diagnoses.

While research is an important aspect of the work being done to better understand ASD, another pillar of knowledge is in the area of surveillance.

In order to better understand the progression rates of autism in Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada is establishing a national surveillance program for autism. This program will join the agency's other health surveillance activities for chronic diseases, injury, infectious diseases, and perinatal health.

In the autism surveillance program, the agency will work with health professionals, researchers, and voluntary organizations to analyze and report the trends and patterns of occurrence of autism in Canada. The resulting information will be provided to governments, health professionals, and affected families.

It is important to remember that all stakeholders in ASD want the same thing, better treatments and earlier diagnosis for those affected by ASD, so that ultimately they can all enjoy a better outcome.

To this end, our government is working with partners and stakeholders to promote autism awareness and is investing in activities which support a stronger evidence base. The more we share, the more we gain. By translating discoveries and knowledge into new, effective, evidence-based therapies, we can provide true hope for Canadians living with autism and their families.

I want to point out some of the partners that are working together to give evidence of how this sharing is working. They include the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Autism Intervention Research Network, Pathways in ASD, Canadian Institutes for Health Research, McMaster University, McGill University, University of Alberta, and Genome Canada, among others.

As we continue to invest in better knowledge of this condition, the Government of Canada remains committed to ensuring that this knowledge is passed on to Canadians because enhanced awareness promotes understanding, acceptance, collaboration, and progress. Research and awareness go hand in hand. In declaring April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day and supporting Bill S-211, this government has further contributed to this important objective.

I urge all members of the House to give their enthusiastic support to this bill, which gives one more glimmer of hope to those families dealing with the challenges of autism.

[Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, October 29th, 2010]

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would request that we see the clock at 1:30.

[Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, October 29th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I will resume the question that I began just before question period.

I agree 100% with a statement that was made by the previous speaker. She said that partisan politics deserve no place when we are discussing the safety of Canadians. I want to applaud her for acknowledging that fact.

If she really believes that, why would she have used 99% of her speaking time to engage in partisan politics? In fact, roughly 98% of her time was spent reading a letter that was written by someone else who was pointing out some previous actions. Why would she not instead have used her time to point out some of the positive elements of the bill: a general prohibition against the manufacture, importation or advertisement for sale of consumer products that pose an unreasonable danger to human safety; orders for corrective measures or recall; mandatory reporting of incidents, all of these positive attributes of the bill? She failed to inform Canadians about those actions.

Why would she not have used her time to let Canadians know about what this government is doing to improve the safety of Canadians?

[Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, October 29th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her very calm approach to this subject. I totally agree with her—

[Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, October 29th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, members in this House, over the summer and even before, received a lot of communication about this bill. I think there is a lot of misinformation out there.

I would like to ask the minister if she could answer the question about whether or not natural health products are regulated under this new Canada Consumer Product Safety Act.

There is also misinformation about the ability to issue warrants. I would like to ask the minister if it is true that for the first time in Canadian history the proposed Canada Consumer Product Safety Act would allow warrants to be issued to search private homes without evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

[Infrastructure, October 26th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to share the words of Dr. John Tibbits, president of Conestoga College: On time and on budget.

Business owners tell me one of their biggest barriers is the lack of sufficient talent to support their growth. Canada's economic action plan met this challenge and addressed the role of community colleges for the first time in Canada's history.

Through this government's knowledge infrastructure program, Conestoga College received almost $50 million to expand its capacity to offer diplomas, degrees and to train skilled tradespeople. Conestoga's capacity will grow by half, meeting the need for health professionals, roofers, new media designers and engineers.

It is worth noting that Conestoga College was the first college in Ontario to have its engineering degree program professionally certified.

All these projects are progressing on time and on budget. We are blessed to have partners like Conestoga College, and I am grateful to be part of the first government to recognize the vital role colleges play in building Canada's economy.

[Petitions, October 25th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is signed by a number of people from the Kitchener-Waterloo area, calling on Parliament to enshrine in legislation Bill C-474, an act respecting the seed regulations.

[Petitions, October 25th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour today to present a petition signed by people from New Brunswick, Ontario and British Columbia.

The petitioners are calling on Parliament to enable prosecution of those who encourage or counsel someone to commit suicide, by updating the Canadian Criminal Code to reflect the new realities of 21st century broadband access, and also to fund education programs that will empower people who experience depression and mental illness and Canada's vulnerable youth to protect themselves from online predators and find appropriate community support resources.