Judy Sgro

[Breast Cancer, September 19th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the Weekend to End Breast Cancer was a two day, 60 kilometre walk through the neighbourhoods of Toronto that took place from September 8 to 10, 2006.

Proceeds benefited Princess Margaret Hospital, funding important breast cancer research, education, services and care. The hospital has announced that 5,382 walkers raised $17.2 million for breast cancer research in Toronto.

It was a weekend of hope that honoured lives lost, celebrated survivors and helped bring breast cancer care to those who so desperately need it.

One in every nine Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. The Weekend to End Breast Cancer is a chance to go the distance in the fight against this disease. It is a chance to be a hero for someone we love or someone we may never meet.

[Canada Elections Act, September 18th, 2006]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess we have all been away for a nice summer.

If the loophole were to remain does the hon. member think that it would also be at the discretion of the government to call an election regardless of a term or not?

[Canada Elections Act, September 18th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hon. member's comments and she clearly understands politics. We all know what is at the base of all this.

I certainly think that four years would be a nice idea. In seven years I have had four election campaigns as well. I would like to go to a fixed date.

The member mentioned the financing issues and the pressure. Given the implications of previous legislation that financed the party, that should eliminate that part of the problem.

What other amendments would you like to see in the bill because clearly--

[Committees of the House, June 21st, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the seventh report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women on the issue of the division of matrimonial real property rights on reserve lands.

When married couples divorce in Canada, the division of matrimonial property is determined in accordance with provincial laws. Provincial laws do not apply to the division of real property on reserve lands, however. Because there are no federal provisions in the Indian Act or elsewhere that govern the division of matrimonial real property on reserves, people residing on reserves cannot use the Canadian legal system to resolve such property disputes. The committee heard that this situation, compounded by a lack of housing on reserves, forces many women to leave their reserve communities when their relationships break down.

In this report the Standing Committee on the Status of Women recommends a process to ensure that the voices of first nations women as well as first nations leaders are heard and respected as the government moves forward to find concrete solutions to this human rights violation.

I am very pleased to see that the Conservative government is now following the previous program that the Liberal government had put forward.

[Federal Accountability Act, June 20th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his contribution to this discussion today. There are some who think this report will move Canada toward further Americanization of our system of government. We keep hearing concerns about the current government getting that much closer to Mr. Bush and the whole American style of politics.

I would like to hear your comments on what you think of that report. Do you think it is one more step down the line of Americanization of our current government system?

[Petitions, June 19th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table this petition on behalf of the University Women's Club of North York.

The petitioners, residents of my riding of York West and elsewhere in Ontario, specifically note that child care is an everyday necessity in this country and that there is an urgent and immediate need for assistance in child care spaces.

The Liberal government signed a full funding agreement with the Province of Ontario in November 2005 and the petitioners are calling upon the Prime Minister to honour the early learning and child care agreement.

[Child Care, June 19th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government successfully negotiated early learning and child care agreements with all of the 10 provinces last year.

Early childhood education is critical for the development of social and intellectual skills.

Canada's children need quality early childhood education to prepare them for the future, as in this global economy, Canadians must compete with the rest of the world for the best jobs and the best opportunities.

Giving parents a tiny taxable allowance will not contribute to a child's healthy development and future education through early learning.

The Conservative government is failing Canadians by denying our children the opportunity for early childhood education. This is just another example of the difference between the Liberals and the Conservatives.

The Liberals invest in opportunities for our children while the Conservatives are busy building jails.

I am proud to be a Liberal. I am proud of the plan that the Liberal government put forward and I look forward to us having the opportunity, when Liberals form the next government, to produce a national child care program.

[Committees of the House, June 7th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women.

Whereas women's salaries are still lower than men's, even though pay equity is guaranteed by section 11 of the Canadian Human Rights Act; whereas in 2003 women working full time year round in Canada earned only 71% as much as men occupying similar positions; whereas this reality is even more pronounced among women of colour, immigrant women and women with disabilities and aboriginal women; whereas in June 2001 the departments of justice and labour set up a working group on pay equity that submitted an exhaustive report in May 2004, entitled “Pay Equity: A New Approach to a Fundamental Right”, containing 113 recommendations; whereas thousands of women are still waiting for justice; the Standing Committee on the Status of Women recommends that the government consider preparing and bringing in before October 31, 2006 a bill on pay equity.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2006, June 6th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I would rather not use all of the negatives like some others in the opposition. I would much rather talk about the budget and the positive things we all are trying to do in this House of Commons rather than throw around more falsehoods and all the rest of it.

As a former minister of multiculturalism, when you were dealing with immigrant communities in particular, what were some of the issues that tied into the budget and child care that left an impression on you?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2006, June 6th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, we have two current justice bills, Bill C-9 and Bill C-10, that we are going to be dealing with in the next little while here in the House and at committee. How does that tie into the investment in prisons and the member's commitment on the issues of the aboriginals? Where are we going from a financial perspective? Clearly the member is talking about priorities that are very different from what the government has to say.