Libby Davies

[Petitions, June 6th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House to present a petition signed by 300 petitioners of the Vancouver area who want to draw attention to a very desperate situation on the Island of Ambon in Indonesia where there has been continuous violence since January 1999 between Muslim and Christian groups.

The petitioners draw attention to the loss of life, the damage to property and to civil society, and the fact that the Indonesian army and police force have not acted in a responsible manner, thus aggravating and perpetuating the clashes between these groups.

The petitioners call on parliament to appeal to the Indonesian government to protect its citizens without regard to their religion and ethnicity and to bring justice to those who have perpetuated the atrocities in Ambon.

[Homelessness, June 5th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, for the second time the government has announced its homelessness strategy. For the second time there is no sign of actual housing being built. The harsh reality is that Canadians will be sleeping on the streets and shelters tonight.

How does the minister come to terms with the fact that since the first announcement in December, 20 homeless people have died in Toronto?

Homeless people do not need public relations, they need social housing. Will this government commit to a plan that includes rather than excludes social housing, yes or no? Will it build housing?

[Organized Crime, June 1st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the response from the solicitor general is just more of the same old excuses. He might as well put up a neon sign in Vancouver saying that it is open season for the international drug trade. I have been fighting tooth and nail to help stem the drug crisis in the downtown east side. Without the port police, people in that community are threatened by crime and corruption.

Where is the commitment? Will the minister commit today to reinstate the ports police so that people in this community and all communities will be safe in terms of the waterfront?

[Division No. 1323, May 29th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, on May 16 when I rose in the House of Commons to ask the Minister of Health how many more lives would have to be lost because of drug overdoses before his government took action, the minister professed to be very concerned and he responded that he would address this “complex and tragic problem”. He said if I had specific suggestions he would be happy to receive them. Well, I do.

Indeed, I sent the Minister of Health a very detailed letter on April 13 outlining precisely what needs to be done to make our community safer. I have done a lot of research and spoken with many community members to determine what needs to be done to lower the crime rate and to help injection drug users regain their sense of dignity and health. I subsequently wrote the Minister of Health on May 19 and asked for a meeting to which I hope he will agree.

We need to know unequivocally if the Minister of Health is prepared to implement the array of recommendations put to him by numerous medical and scientific experts and reports to help this community come to grips with this devastating crisis.

While the drug resource centre is a very necessary step, it is simply not enough. If the minister is serious, as I am, in reducing the incredible harm to individuals and the community as a whole, then he must be willing to take comprehensive action that must include education, better treatment, expanded methadone, programs for drug maintenance, safe injection sites and housing and social supports.

I believe the minister knows the facts. I believe he knows in his heart what needs to be done medically in his department. The question is, does he have the political will to act on the irrefutable evidence he has? What is the minister's response?

[Housing, May 19th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the point is that no housing has been built. People who live in social housing, low income residents who live in co-ops, are now threatened with economic eviction because CMHC has failed to address the situation of leaky co-op homes.

Will the minister responsible for CMHC ensure that CMHC officials meet with CHF delegates who are here in Ottawa this week to address the very real concerns of people who live in co-ops that are a federal responsibility? These people are facing a complete building failure because of the leaking problems. Will the minister ensure that the officials meet with the delegates? So far they have refused.

[Housing, May 19th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, today in Le Droit the housing coalition FRAPRU slammed the government for its complete lack of action on social housing. Six months ago the government made an announcement. Since that time not one unit of social housing has been constructed by the federal government.

How does the minister explain and reconcile that even her own party's report done 10 years ago on this issue has been abandoned just as homeless Canadians have been abandoned? Where is the housing to help homeless Canadians?

[Co-Operative Housing Federation Of Canada, May 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, today 800 delegates from the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada are meeting in Ottawa. They are discussing urgent issues, including the unthinkable but very real possibility of the economic eviction of low income co-op owners, because of CMHC's failure to provide fair and reasonable help to co-ops that are facing complete building failure due to poor construction and leaky co-op syndrome.

About 30 co-ops in B.C. alone are facing their demise because of this serious situation. While the B.C. government's home protection office has helped, so far the response from CMHC has been appalling.

Is the minister responsible for CMHC aware that officials have not even responded to urgent calls to meet with representatives from CHF to discuss this disastrous situation?

I implore the minister to urge his officials to come to the table immediately to help these co-op owners who are facing economic eviction and building failure.

[Health, May 15th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I know that the Minister of Health is aware of the desperate situation in Vancouver's downtown east side where the death toll continues to mount from people who are dying from drug overdoses. I also know that the minister is aware of the increasing number of reports from medical experts and scientific experts who call on him to show leadership and do what has been done in Europe which is to take a comprehensive harm reduction approach.

When will the minister act? How many more people will have to die before the Minister of Health takes action on this very critical issue?

[Nisga'A Treaty, May 15th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, May 12 I had the honour to attend and witness the signing of the historic Nisga'a treaty in the home of the Nisga'a people in the beautiful Nass Valley. Amidst snow capped mountains and glaciers, fields of green and black lava rock thrown for miles from its volcano 250 years ago, the people of the Nass River celebrated in their great tradition of community over 130 years of struggle for justice and equality.

President Joe Gosnell Sr. solemnly told those assembled, including the premier of B.C. and the federal Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, that the treaty sends a beacon of hope to all aboriginal peoples throughout the world.

Today the federal NDP pay tribute to the Nisga'a people for their perseverance, strength and vision that, as Dr. Gosnell said, is creating a new society.

We congratulate the Government of Canada, the province of B.C. and the Nisga'a on this truly historic day. Premier Dosanjh said “This treaty is about justice” and he is right.

[Health, May 11th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, rather than attacking the NDP for its defence of medicare, the Minister of Health needs to ask himself what he really did to stop Ralph Klein's privatization. Maybe when he is home alone tonight he should ask himself that question.

Does he really believe that his expression of grave concern and his wait and see strategy has done the job? Here we are today and bill 11 has passed. The NAFTA grab is on its way.

Canadians have no confidence in the minister who has let us down big time. It is time for him to resign. Will he go?