Maria Minna

[Immigration, March 1st, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I understand the member opposite voted against Bill C-44, a bill which helps.

The government recognizes the safety of the Canadian public is of paramount importance. However, studies have shown that

foreign born individuals represent a significantly lower number in our prison system compared with Canadian born individuals.

We have in place effective mechanisms, one of which the hon. member voted against, to identify the small percentage of those who try to abuse the system. The joint RCMP-immigration task force will become a permanent partnership. Bill C-44 strengthens the Immigration Act, not weakens it.

[Immigration, March 1st, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, this person arrived in Canada under the administration of the former government, which is important because we have changed.

At issue here is the effectiveness of the security checks conducted when this person made her application for permanent residence. The Immigration Act gives us the authority to take removal action against a person if they falsified, lied or misinterpreted any material fact on their application for permanent residence.

Bill C-44 also takes away the right of appeal of permanent residents who have been convicted of serious offences. The business immigration program is undergoing an extensive review. These changes will make the program less open to abuse. Bill C-44 will also deal with that issue.

[Customs, December 5th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Revenue.

Seniors have come into my office complaining about the long line-ups at customs as they return home for the holidays. By the time they reach customs they are quite tired from their flights. Can the minister tell the House what he is doing to ensure that seniors and other travellers can move through customs without having to stand in long line-ups?

[Environment, November 24th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate the residents of Beaches-Woodbine, in particular Mr. Michael Liebson, for their perseverance in helping to prevent offshore dredging in Lake Ontario. The residents of the Toronto Beaches area are pleased that the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has turned down an application to dredge in Lake Ontario.

Bedrock Resources Inc. put in a proposal to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to dredge sand in Lake Ontario off the shores of my riding. The health and environmental issues raised by this proposal were critical. In its correspondence, Environment Canada stated that the quality of the material makes it acceptable for on-land use as aggregate, but it is not acceptable for open water disposal. The proponent will be separating and saving the larger grain size material, while discharging the fine silts and clays back into Lake Ontario. In our view, this is open water disposal. Environment Canada also found that the sediment plume modelling, as conducted by the proponent's consultants, was inadequate.

In addition, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans stated in its correspondence that dredging will result in the harmful alteration, disruption and destruction of fish habitat. As well, in the opinion of the-

[Endangered And Threatened Species Act, November 20th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to support this bill today.

Canada has a strong reputation in the world in matters of the environment. Indeed, Canada is involved in many international projects to help save the environment, the ecosystems and the species which allow people in the rest of the world to live decent lives in a rich environment.

People in other countries are convinced that our actions show leadership in protecting the planet's biodiversity and species.

The fact is that human beings with whom we share this earth are counting on Canada to show them the way. We must ensure that our actions are up to our reputation.

People in the rest of the world have faith in Canada's fundamental decency and commitment to protecting planetary biodiversity. The world believes that we care and that we are acting. Quite frankly the world does not know that Canada is one of the few countries in the world without federal legislation on endangered species.

We have also been moved by Canada's kids. They know we do not have federal legislation and our children through their program "There Otter Be a Law", have been a driving force in pushing Canada to do what it needs to do to protect endangered species.

In my riding I have a classroom of kids who have worked very hard in the last year to protect the bowhead whale. They have sent petitions. They have written letters to the Minister of the Environment and to myself. I have made statements in the House. In fact today we have a sanctuary for the bowhead whale which is absolutely wonderful. These children have been extremely gratified. When I met with them this week in my riding to tell them what had happened, they felt they had had a wonderful impact on the issue. This is great for them because they learn a little about democracy. They also felt that it is possible to fight with facts and they felt very gratified. To me it was very worthwhile.

Since we began looking at protecting endangered species in federal legislation, we have received more than 5,000 individually written and carefully thought out letters from students calling for swift action to protect endangered species.

The classes are in every riding. There is a class also in Iqaluit working on the issue of the bowhead whale. In fact the class in my riding is hooked up to the Internet to work with the class in Iqaluit to discuss the issue of endangered species.

This is a wonderful way to connect Canadians across the country. These children are working for the future of their environment and their space. They have started now connecting and talking to one another in parts of the country. That is one of the most worthwhile things that we can encourage.

Therefore we, as the adults of this country, can only but follow the example. We can no longer leave it up to the children.

In every province and territory and in communities big and small, when we meet with public and high school students, they want to know what governments, businesses, environmentalists, farmers and scientists are doing to ensure a bright future for the beluga whale, the prairie rose, the porpoise, the whooping crane, the leatherback turtle and the polar bear.

We all know, I think, that the future of endangered species has become a major concern not only for young people but also for the whole Canadian population. Canadians clearly understand federal responsibilities with respect to cod and halibut, as well as the economic consequences of the extinction of marine species.

In the last few weeks every Canadian watched as our skies filled with migratory birds leaving Canada. That rite of fall is part of Canada's psyche. Canadians love those species and regard them as part of what makes us a country.

Canadians understand that when a species disappears, it disappears forever. They do not want Canada to be responsible for making that happen. Canadians understand that when a species disappears, the world loses and when the world loses, humanity loses.

When we deal with the world's environment, we speak of common but differentiated responsibilities. We need to find a means to fulfil both our common responsibilities and our differentiated responsibilities.

For our part, that means we must push for a solid, co-ordinated and co-operative national approach to ensure the survival of species. That is our common responsibility. It also means that the federal government must fulfil its differentiated responsibilities by showing legislative leadership in areas of federal jurisdiction.

Every jurisdiction and every landowner have common but differentiated responsibilities. Each of us must show the maximum leadership possible in our own sphere. We do not need to point fingers at each other. We need to point ahead.

[Denise Meehan, November 8th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of a constituent from the riding of Beaches-Woodbine.

In mid October Ms. Denise Meehan, the founder, president and sole shareholder of Lick's Ice Cream and Burger Shops won the quality plus award in the 1995 Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year awards. In winning the quality plus award Ms. Meehan has demonstrated the ability to develop and maintain excellence in every aspect of her company's offering to her customers, employees, the community and the environment.

Ms. Meehan has six Lick's locations in the Toronto area as well as six franchises in the cities of Sudbury, Ottawa and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Ms. Meehan constantly pays attention to staff development and customer concerns. She believes that instilling good work habits, life skills and a caring attitude toward customers and the community fosters creativity and self-confidence.

I commend Ms. Meehan for her outstanding contribution to small business development in Canada.

[National Housing Act, November 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member across has made a great to-do about what it costs the government but he has not told us what that is. Perhaps we should put some facts on the table.

Concerning the CMHC's mortgage insurance fund, the premiums charged by the corporation in addition to the value of the property assist in covering the liability. That is why the fund has been more than self-sustaining. It has thus far returned $55 million to the government. The fact of the matter is that it is self-sustaining. It has not cost us.

We should have figures on the table when accusatory statements are made.

[National Housing Act, November 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt of the importance of the federal role in housing. It is not that long ago that modest income Canadians were able to buy a modest first home, but that is no longer the case. Finding a large chunk of money to put down is no longer possible.

I know there are still members on the opposite benches who have problems with this. I would like to know if the hon. member could give us the national benefits for the federal government investing in this area. It is important to look at not just regions or certain areas where there is accessibility to housing, but at the national interest as well, in terms of ensuring that modest income Canadians are able to buy modest homes for the first time in their lives, which gives them a sense of some form of stability. Would the hon. member do that for us?

[Department Of Health Act, November 6th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I am supporting Bill C-95 because of the important role Health Canada plays in the life of Canadians. Too often Canadians, and even some hon. members of the Chamber, do not realize that there is more to health than the Canada Health Act. Health Canada supports unique federal roles and responsibilities. The work undertaken by the department is far reaching and important.

Health Canada not only provides the benefits of universal health insurance. It also ensures the safety of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices and consumer products. It invests hundreds of millions of dollars in health research. It monitors disease in developing pathogens and it conducts a wide variety of health promotion programs and activities.

Finally, Health Canada administers health services to First Nations, federal public servants, Canadian civil aviation personnel and Canadians in need of emergency health and social services in case of national civil disaster.

The department touches Canadians every day in all aspects of their lives. Canadians look on their health system with pride. They have an overwhelming degree of satisfaction with what the department is doing. They expect governments to work hard to adapt to changing times and priorities. They understand the need for cost effectiveness, but they demand the security of a department concerned with maintaining and improving the health of all Canadians.

The government has recognized that economically disadvantaged, unemployed or poorly educated Canadians are more likely to suffer from ill health and to have a lower life expectancy. Like governments everywhere we will strive to deal with these problems. We are committed to an equitable health care system. The vast majority of Canadians are solidly behind the efforts being made by government, professional groups and other stakeholders to improve the efficiency of the system.

Canada has a long history of commitment to these principles in serving a dispersed population in a federal system of government. We will maintain our commitment to these principles notwithstanding some difficult economic reality that we, as many nations of the world, are experiencing at the moment.

Canadians look to Health Canada for reassurance whenever there are natural or civilian disasters or threats to national health from chronic diseases such as cancer and tuberculosis or communicable diseases such as AIDS, HIV or the Ebola virus.

Within Health Canada 6,400 employees work to provide Canadians with the research data, programs, information and support they need to make positive lifestyle decisions. The business of the department is conducted in offices and laboratories, in cities and on reserves located on sites all across Canada. Just over half the department's employees work in the national capital region while the rest work in regional offices, collaborating with their provincial, territorial and non-government counterparts.

The Canada Health Act is administered by about 25 employees in Ottawa. The face of Health Canada comprises many names and many talents. Forty per cent of Health Canada staff are involved in the area of health protection, keeping Canadians safe from risks to their health arising from emerging diseases, dangerous products, the environment or unsafe food or drugs.

Defining, assessing and managing current and emerging health risks are also among branch responsibilities, along with maintaining the country's health protection infrastructure. More than 2,000 employees of Health Canada work in the area of First Nations health within the medical services branch. It is often forgotten that two-thirds of the budget of the department, excluding transfers to provinces, is devoted to native health.

Health Canada provides community health services to status Indians on reserves and to residents of Yukon through 600 health facilities across Canada. In order to help First Nations to achieve the highest possible standards of health care, the department has undertaken a variety of initiatives. These include the five-year building health communities strategy and the aboriginal head start

program aimed at children. The latter is a government red book initiative.

However the department's major focus remains the transfer of control of programs to First Nations. The first main program of Health Canada is the health promotion and programs branch involving some 525 people. They provide support to groups at risk, including children, families and seniors, and develop programs to prevent and reduce heart disease, breast cancer and other illnesses. They also work with and assist Canada's many national voluntary organizations.

It is not well known that the federal government spends about $340 million on health research annually. Altogether we estimate that in Canada we spend about $1.5 billion a year on health research. This is a very impressive number.

Each of the three program areas has staff in every province and territory. Not only are offices located in provincial capitals but members will find Health Canada staff in smaller centres like Trois-Rivières, Hamilton, Thompson, Port Qu'Appelle, the Sarcee reserve at Tsuu Pina in northern Alberta, and Prince George.

Most of the remaining thousand or so employees work in the national capital region managing the department, developing health policy and legislation, undertaking consultation and managing essential departmental services. About 250 people work in the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board and the Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission.

Canadians have a strong attachment to their health system and the federal role in it. They look to the federal government to provide a viable, well managed national health care system. According to an Angus Reid poll of March 1995 almost all Canadians want national standards in health care, with 94 per cent saying such standards are somewhat or very essential.

At a time when so much is changing in Canada and in the world people need security to cope with change. They expect their governments to play an important role in that regard by providing Canadians with the best health care system in the world and by reassuring them that they will be taken care of if they are sick, that the products they use are safe and that the most advanced research goes into the measures Health Canada takes to prevent disease. The Department of Health does this to earn the trust and confidence of Canadians.

We have proven over and over again that a publicly administered health care system is the most effective, most inclusive and most successful system one in the world. Privatization of the health care system is a weakening of the system of health care. It only makes the private corporations wealthier at the expense of those who need health care and at the expense of accessibility.

This is why I support the bill and I encourage all members of the House to do so.

[Quebec Referendum, October 25th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and commend the hard work of two young men from my riding of Beaches-Woodbine.

Sean Lee Popham and Jesse Moore, two students from Malvern Collegiate, have circulated a petition to over 100 schools across Canada. This petition supports a united Canada and rejects any attempt to separate Quebec from the rest of Canada. Sean and Jesse's petition now has over 3,000 signatures from student leaders in both territories and all of Canada's 10 provinces, including Quebec.

Student Councils for a United Canada was created at the Canadian Student Leadership Conference in Bathurst, New Brunswick in 1995. Now more than ever it is important that their message be heard.

The young people of Canada do not want to see this country broken up. They want a secure and prosperous future for themselves and for the young people of tomorrow. Their message to Quebec is this: Say no to the break up of our nation and say yes to a strong, united Canada.