House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2015, with 38% of the vote.
National Defence October 21st, 2014
My colleagues across the way might show a little respect for such an important issue.
As the CF-18s are leaving the country, the government is already suggesting that the mission will be extended beyond six months.
Why are the Conservatives again refusing to be open and transparent with Canadians?
National Defence October 21st, 2014
Mr. Speaker, we have known from the start that the Conservatives' combat mission would turn into a quagmire. In only a few short weeks, we have gone from a support mission to a combat mission.
Business of Supply October 21st, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I hear my colleague saying that Canada has taken steps to help the people in West Africa. Unfortunately, it is baby steps. What we need now are leaps and bounds.
Given the latest comments about waiting to make sure before providing the necessary resources to well-known and recognized organizations, such as Médecins Sans Frontières, the International Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross, and the World Health Organization, does the member realize that with every day we wait, the cost, in terms of human life and in terms of money, is increasing exponentially? By waiting to spend $10, we will be faced with a bill for $100. Does the member realize that?
Business of Supply October 21st, 2014
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, we often take too long to develop vaccines or drugs to treat diseases that seem far removed from us.
What is more, in this case, the government was slow in sending the vaccines to the World Health Organization. As I was saying earlier, every day and every week counts because, in the meantime, the problem keeps growing.
It is the same thing when it comes to funding. We need to take action now, not a month or two from now, when we have an even bigger crisis on our hands.
Business of Supply October 21st, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her very relevant question. We cannot forget that we are talking about the Ebola crisis, but this goes beyond the people who are suffering or dying from Ebola.
About 75% of the people who die from Ebola are women, since they are most often the ones who take care of the ill. These are mothers who are being lost, which creates orphans. Furthermore, this has consequences for these countries' health care systems. They are completely falling apart. Even more common illnesses cannot be treated at this time, which only makes the ostracism worse.
This brings me to two points. First, in these countries, we are trying to do more work on awareness to try to prevent that ostracism. It makes me very concerned to hear the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health say that people get enough information by watching reports on television. The Government of Canada could do more. We obviously need to support UNICEF, which has received just 20% of what it is asking for.
Business of Supply October 21st, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I will share my time with the hon. member for Vancouver East.
Right now, we are facing an enormous crisis, one that the United Nations considers a threat to global peace and security. This crisis does not affect only the countries of West Africa; it affects us all. The worst thing is that the crisis we are talking about so much could well become an even bigger catastrophe if we do not do everything in our power to contain it now.
To date, there have been approximately 10,000 cases since the epidemic began a few months ago. The World Health Organization is now telling us that the number of cases could rise to 10,000 per week by December.
How are we going to cope with potentially hundreds of thousands of cases just a few weeks from now if we cannot cope with 10,000 cases now?
Let us not forget that the worse the crisis gets in Africa, the more likely it is to spread here. We absolutely have to contain the disease in West Africa now. To make that happen, we have to do everything in our power, but unfortunately, that is not happening.
Canada's response so far has been too little, too late. Weeks passed before Canada made its first substantial contribution. When the crisis was raging and people on the ground were desperately appealing for equipment, the Public Health Agency of Canada continued selling that equipment at rock-bottom prices to people who turned around a few days or weeks later and sold it to the World Health Organization at a huge profit. This continued even though the office of the Minister of International Development had been notified of the situation.
The Canadian response to the Ebola crisis is a bit like me having a fire in my livingroom. I decide to put three drops of water on it, but it grows. I then decide to pour a teaspoon of water on it, but the fire keeps on growing. I finally decide to put two or three cups of water on it. Some people would even say that I should just close the door.
Even when we are starting to get a bit more serious, much too late, it seems we cannot do it right or properly.
Canada has promised $65 million in total, but only $5 million has made it to the front lines so far. Does the government realize that in a crisis where cases are multiplying so quickly, time is absolutely crucial and a few days can make all the difference?
Canada promised vaccines. However, it took a ridiculous amount of time for the vaccines to be delivered, and still, they cannot be used for another few months. Canada also promised equipment, but only a little of that equipment has arrived on site.
We see in this case the same mismanagement and failure to act swiftly that we have seen, unfortunately, in too many humanitarian crises—for example, Syria, where we are still not receiving the refugees we promised to welcome to Canada; or when urgent calls for equipment for the winter are answered in the spring; or in South Sudan and the Central African Republic, where the Canadian response has been lacklustre to say the least; and to Ebola, where it is too little, too late, as always.
What should Canada do? It should follow the example of other countries, such as the United States, that have decided to take the bull by the horns. The U.S. has sent 3,000 soldiers, medical personnel and 11 field hospitals.
We must do more in response to the calls by the World Health Organization. Again, this is urgent. We cannot afford to say that we will give a little more and then follow through weeks later. Now is the time to act.
We must also support our other partners on the ground in a more significant way. I am thinking about Doctors Without Borders. I just want to acknowledge the work that is done by those doctors and their president, Dr. Joanne Liu. Dr. Liu is from Montreal and studied at McGill University. There is also the Canadian Red Cross and all the partners in the Humanitarian Coalition, which recently launched an appeal to which I hope we will all respond.
We must support the people who work on the ground, and that includes listening to them in order to find out what they need.
One thing those on the ground are looking for is the deployment of our Disaster Assistance Response Team. DART is available to deal with biological risks and to provide medical care. It can count on the armed forces for logistical support. According to the Prime Minister, deploying DART is not appropriate in this situation. Nonetheless, those on the ground fighting Ebola beg to differ. I tend to have faith in what they have to say.
We also need to think long term. We need to think about building the health systems in those countries. We need to think about building resilience to threats in those countries, whether disease, climate change, or other things. This includes good governance and the promotion of democracy. I know it may sound far away, but here is a good example. I lived in Senegal for years. It is a relatively stable country with good governance and strong institutions. It had a case of Ebola, and it was able to control it. When we compare it to other countries, such as Liberia, which have just emerged from years of civil war and do not have the infrastructure, we see the results. I am not blaming the Liberian authorities. We need to help those countries rebuild. We need to be active in peace building. We have a responsibility to reconstruct. Even if it seems as if we are acting a bit like boy scouts, in the long run we will win and help avoid this type of crisis. We can see that clearly now with what is happening in West Africa.
We can beat Ebola. We must beat Ebola. It is a matter of our safety, of our humanity, and of world stability.
Business of Supply October 21st, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that Sierra Leone's honorary consul requested these supplies, but the request was ignored by the office of the Minister of International Development.
My colleague went on at length about vaccines. Of course, we are all very proud of the vaccine that was developed in Canada, that our own scientists developed. However, we would sure like this government to let them do their work without constantly being muzzled.
That said, does my colleague realize that it will take months for this vaccine to be usable in the field? In the meantime, we are being told that in a few weeks, there could be as many as 10,000 new cases of Ebola per week in West Africa.
Should this government not be doing a little more on this front than it has so far?
Business of Supply October 21st, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I would first like to make a brief comment about the fact that of course we are all proud of our scientists, and it is time to stop muzzling them.
That said, I would like to ask my colleague two questions. As I have already heard her say, does she believe that Canadians have enough information about the spread of Ebola and what should be done, or does she agree with us that it is absolutely critical that the minister and officials from the Public Health Agency of Canada provide regular, candid updates to Canadians about the problems connected with this disease?
I would also like to ask if she agrees with us that the best way to prevent Ebola from spreading to Canada is to prevent its spread in West Africa and that Canada could be doing much more. The assistance we are providing is really just a drop in the bucket.
International Development October 10th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, the replenishment conference in fact took place last June.
I am sure I speak for all members in this House when I congratulate Malala Yousafzai, who has been recognized for her courageous work on behalf of girls' education with a Nobel Prize. It is truly deserved.
Malala asked Canada to make a pledge to the Global Partnership for Education, which held its replenishment conference last June, but the government made no pledge at that conference and none since.
When will the government renew Canada's commitment to education for all?
International Development October 10th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, Malala Yousafzai received the Nobel Peace Prize for the work she has done for girls' education, and I offer her my warmest congratulations. Meanwhile, the Conservative government is still refusing to reinvest in the Global Partnership for Education, which is doing so much for girls' education.
Will the government finally renew its commitment to education for all by contributing to the Global Partnership for Education?