Libby Davies

[Petitions, December 10th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition pertains to an issue about endangered and missing adults. We are certainly familiar with missing children and the fact that there is a national registry, but this petition calls upon parliament to pass a bill which would establish a national clearing house for missing, at risk and/or endangered adults.

This is something that the petitioners believe is critical, particularly in light of the situation on the downtown east side where now up to 50 women are listed as missing and investigations continue.

[Petitions, December 10th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from petitioners who are drawing to our attention the very important issue that Canada is the third largest producer of genetically modified crops in the world. The petitioners call upon parliament to support mandatory labelling of genetically modified foods as outlined in private members' bills and other motions and ask that this be done through Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to ensure that Canadians are well aware of what it is that they are buying and what it is that they are eating.

[Petitions, December 10th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure to present four petitions today.

The first one concerns petitioners who are drawing to our attention the importance of post-secondary education and the need to ensure that there is adequate funding. They point out in the petition that there has been an increase in tuition fees of 126% since 1990. The petitioners call upon the federal government to institute, among other things, a national system of grants.

[Post-Secondary Education, December 10th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the latest StatsCan report shows that kids from high income families are two and a half times more likely than low income students to attend university. This is a real indictment of the lack of financial accessibility created by the government.

How does the Minister of Human Resources Development defend years of massive failure of Liberal policies that have abandoned a whole generation of young people? Does she see education as a privilege only for the wealthy? Why has the government deliberately allowed low income students to be shut out? Education should be a right, not a privilege just for those who can afford it.

[Criminal Code, December 7th, 2001]

Madam Speaker, I listened to the member's comments with interest and I am glad to hear that the Canadian Alliance is also supporting this legislation.

One thing that concerns me about this is it has taken so long to come forward. It is a very innovative, technological device that will save lives. The earlier this initiative can be brought in, the better. The hon. member talked about other things that need to be done as well.

At the general council meeting of the Canadian Medical Association a resolution was adopted that urged the federal government to work with provincial and territorial governments to develop pilot projects for the use of breathalyzer ignition interlock devices so this approach would be available as a conditional sentencing option in the courts of Canada.

Is the hon. member aware of other organizations that have supported this initiative? CMA support of this legislation is a very important demonstration of the broad support in the community for this kind of device and that it needs to be brought in quickly. Perhaps we are beyond the point of doing pilot projects and this should be undertaken on a national basis as quickly as possible. Could the member to comment on that?

[Criminal Code, December 7th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I have concluded my remarks and have nothing further to add.

[Housing, December 7th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House today to present my report “Housing and Homelessness: Still an Unnatural Disaster”.

I visited seven cities and met with housing advocates and activists who gave compelling evidence on how Canada's housing crisis is getting worse and affecting more and more Canadians.

The recent housing framework agreement provides less than one-tenth of what is really needed for affordable housing in Canada. The fact that the federal government, with the provinces and the territories, has even agreed to a framework at all is due to the outstanding work of organizations like the National Housing and Homelessness Network and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, which have brought national attention and visibility to the situation facing millions of Canadians.

We have to do more. My report calls on the federal government to recognize housing as a human right and to make affordable housing a priority in the upcoming budget.

I challenge the Minister of Finance to heed his own words, said when he was in opposition, to invest in social housing and not leave Canadians out in the cold. Every single family and individual has the right--

[Criminal Code, December 7th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise in the House today to speak on behalf of the New Democratic Party in support of Bill C-46. The bill is actually very important. It is fairly rare that everyone in the House agrees on legislation, especially legislation that is relatively brief compared to other legislation, but it is something we believe is in the interest of Canadians.

The bill is about saving lives. It is done through a very ingenious device, a piece of technology. I think sometimes we all question whether technology serves and helps people but in this case it appears that technology, in the form of an alcohol ignition interlock device, is something that can be used in a very simple, cost effective way to prevent deaths on our roads. It would prohibit intoxicated habitual offenders from driving their car. I believe that is a very significant advance. The NDP supports the bill and we urge its approval. The bill has been a long time in coming.

While doing some research on the bill and on the interlock devices, I noted that Marketplace , a very well-known CBC consumer affairs program, aired a program in 1996 on car breathalyzers, as it was called at that time. It aired an update in February of 1997. Obviously the information and the technology have been available for a number of years. It is unfortunate that it has taken so long to come to the House in the form of fairly straightforward legislation.

As others have mentioned today, there is appalling evidence which shows that 70% of people who have lost their licence because of drunk driving will actually get back in their car when intoxicated and drive again. The destruction, the injury and the death that causes on our streets is something we can only begin to understand in terms of the individual tragedies that take place and the impact that has on families and communities. The fact is that 40% of all motor vehicle deaths are as a result of impaired driving. That is about 2,000 Canadians every year. Those deaths are preventable. The thousands of injuries that result from impaired driving are preventable.

While I do support the bill, it is also very important that there be a full array of measures, particularly with regard to prevention. If a person has had too much to drink at home or in a public environment, such as a bar, a pub, a cocktail lounge or a party, and the person gets behind the wheel of a car while impaired, we should not only know whether the person is a repeat offender but we should also focus on the source. I believe that should be part of our alcohol abuse prevention programs.

Alcohol is a source of immense profits for all kinds of different businesses. While most businesses act in a very responsible way, the reality is that in some situations, as people are beginning to become intoxicated and getting over the legal limit, they may actually have alcohol that is being pushed on the table and they are being encouraged to drink more at a drinking establishment. Therefore, I do think it is very important that as part of our overall program of dealing with alcohol abuse we focus on issues of criminality, negligence and liability at the source as well.

It is important to deal with individual intoxicated drivers, particularly where it is a repeat offence. However it is equally important to have preventive education and criminal sanctions for those who push alcohol and do not meet their responsibility to make sure they serve alcohol in a socially responsible way.

[Petitions, November 28th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise in the House to present 112 pages of petitions which contain the signatures of approximately 3,500 Canadians who are concerned that the lack of affordable social housing and increase in homelessness is a direct result of failed government policies and has now reached the level of a national disaster.

The petition calls on the Government of Canada to develop and undertake a national housing strategy that would ensure the creation of a national housing program for the provision of decent, affordable, secure and accessible housing on a not for profit basis for those who cannot otherwise afford it.

[Housing Bill of Rights, November 28th, 2001]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-416, an act to provide for adequate, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to rise in the House today to introduce this bill. The purpose of the bill is to respect the dignity and worth of all women, children and men in Canada by protecting their human rights through the provision and secure enjoyment of adequate, accessible and affordable housing.

My bill is a response to the critical needs of the close to five million Canadians who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and who have a right to safe and affordable housing.

The bill spells out that every individual has the right to shelter, a safe and healthy environment, security of tenure, and protection from sudden and excessive rent increases.

The bill would require the development of a national housing strategy in partnership with federal, provincial and municipal governments, housing organizations, first nation communities and aboriginal organizations across the country.

I thank the many people who helped make the bill possible. To achieve this objective we must see that the bill is brought forward and that a national, fully funded strategy is developed to make housing a realizable human right in Canada.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)