House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 46% of the vote.
Criminal Code November 1st, 2006
How do we get supervision? We have just heard it, incarceration.
Canadians want to give offenders a chance, if they are first-time offenders and it is a minor offence. However, we are talking about people breaking into people's homes and auto crime, serious, high risk offenders. We are talking about very dangerous people. They will reoffend. Permitting them to serve their sentences at home, puts communities at risk.
Could the member define what he means by under supervision?
Criminal Code November 1st, 2006
He is soft on crime and has a hug a thug philosophy.
He said something that is not correct. He said that under conditional sentencing, the offender is under supervision. That sounds good, but in reality we need to ask the member what his definition is of supervision.
Supervision could be that the offender, who is supposed to be at home, could be seen once a week or once a month. However, that is not what Canadians understand as supervision. Full time supervision, having somebody watch the person all the time, is what they are assuming.
Criminal Code November 1st, 2006
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to ask a question of a member, with whom I was on the justice committee in the last Parliament. I greatly respect him. He is a very bright and articulate person, but I have great difficulties with his very lenient approaches to the justice system.
Petitions November 1st, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present two petitions.
The first is another petition asking that the Government of Canada take all necessary measures to immediately raise the age of consent from 14 to 16 years of age. This petition is from a number of constituents in my riding of Langley, including residents of Abbotsford and Surrey.
The second petition that I present today is from my constituents in Langley and it is also on the age of consent.
Autism Spectrum Disorder October 27th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my honoured colleague, the member for Fredericton, for his work on the issue of autism. He noted that for members from every party represented here in Parliament this is a very important issue that we are discussing today.
I am also here today to speak on behalf of the children with autism and their families that I have met in my riding of Langley, British Columbia. It is my privilege to represent them in the House of Commons. I want to thank them for sharing their stories with me and opening their homes.
Autism is a complex, lifelong condition and there are many unknowns. We recognize that more and more children are being diagnosed with autistic disorders. All members of the House are sympathetic to the motion, as are all the parties.
In the last six years the number of children reported with autism spectrum disorders, ASD, has grown by more than 150%. It is estimated that one out of every 165 children are now affected, but the numbers are growing.
I want to tell the House about Maisie Kilgour, Xander Jones, Reid Black, Zoe Schmidt, Casey Walton and Miki. Their parents invited me into their homes, so I could witness their lives and listen to their stories. These parents and parents like them work tirelessly to make their daily choices and challenges understood, to make the fear of their children's future understood, and to ask for some help with their heavy burden.
Walking down that difficult road are the endless burning lights of hope, courage and strength. They have hope that their children's stories can be heard by those of us that can make the change happen and courage to face each day with the same struggle.
Children such as Maisie, Xander, Miki, Reid, Casey and Zoe are funny, warm and intelligent. They are worth our recognition, time and commitment. I wish to share with members the individual stories of two of these children.
Maisie is a sunny, energetic, five-year old girl with pigtails who works with her therapist in a room full of toys. She performs the task asked of her in between giggles and rewards, and praise from her therapist. At three years of age, Maisie had echolalia. It is a problem of repeating words with no meaning, unable to ask for help. She spent much of her time in tantrums or trying to escape out of her house unaware of danger.
Today, with a marked decrease in tantrums and escapes, Maisie's family faces these challenges with a child who can now speak to them and her words have meaning. She is a child who has now become aware of the world around her. She is building on her successes every day on her way toward a tomorrow filled with a great potential.
Reid was diagnosed with autism just before he turned two. He did not make eye contact. He would not respond to his name. He would sit flipping books all day. Two years have gone by and Reid, now four, makes eye contact, responds to his name, and is able to communicate his needs, his likes and dislikes, his love for preschool, playing at the park, and enjoying the people in his life. Through intensive therapy, Reid has made tremendous gains and is a happy, loving little boy.
From these two stories of children in my riding, we know that ASD affects people in different ways. It can cause serious developmental disabilities in affected individuals and can affect all aspects of development. Severe symptoms, such as compulsive behaviours and speech disorders, can lead to isolation from friends, family and the community.
Canadian families of individuals diagnosed with ASD may face serious challenges, such as their child's development, behavioural issues, getting a clear diagnosis, access to professional assistance, and the high costs of therapy and other services.
The new Conservative government is committed to helping individuals with ASD and their families. In budget 2006 this new government included an increase in the maximum annual child disability benefit to $2,300 from $2,044, effective July 2006. It is available to families of children with autism.
This government wants to help families dealing with ASD and support to the tax system is one avenue of federal action.
There are government agencies working on its behalf on this issue. For example, the Public Health Agency of Canada is funding two autism-related projects through its Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-Being. Both projects are working to generate better information for frontline providers and their families.
The Canadian Health Network, a key information service of the agency, works in collaboration with expert organizations to provide consumer focused, on-line resources on such issues as autism.
Some communities have used the funding through the community action program for children to focus on the needs of children with autism and again, their families. The government also funds community-based initiatives for children including children who have ASD and funds organizations working in the area of autism.
Another way this government is showing support for families is by committing resources to research support. We recognize that part of the challenge for families, caregivers, health and social service professionals and government is how much is unknown regarding ASD. We recognize that research is critical to unraveling the mysteries around autism.
This government recognizes that there is no consensus on adequate and appropriate treatment, the cause of ASD or why the reported incidence is on the rise. We support research on autism in Canada through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. In 2005-06 the Canadian Institutes of Health Research is funding approximately $3.5 million in autism-related projects with total funding since 2000 of close to $15 million.
I would like to share a few of the projects being funded by CIHR. Dr. Jeanette Holden of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario is examining the causes, origins and effects of ASD, and the effects of the treatment.
Dr. Hélène Ouellette-Kuntz, also at Queen's University, is leading a team which has created a national database for the study of autism in Canada. This database is being used to monitor the occurrence of autism in children under the age of 15 in regions across Canada.
Finally, Dr. Edward Ruthazer of the Montreal Neurological Institute is conducting research studying brain circuitry during the development years to help increase our understanding on how the brain works with the emphasis on autism.
The government is pleased that the issue of autism spectrum disorder has been referred to the standing Senate committee and looks forward to its advice on the federal role in this area, and how individuals with autism and their families can best be supported.
In conclusion, provinces and territories have the jurisdiction over the kinds of health and social services required to address autism.
I think and consider Maisie, Xander, Miki, Reid, Zoe, and Casey, and their families and their friends, this generation's pioneers to help us and the reason that the future for people with autism must be brighter. We need to work together and find solutions.
The Environment October 27th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, that comes from a member of a party that announced $6 billion in environmental announcements and spent $1.6 billion and got nothing done. Now those members have the audacity to applaud the fact that they did absolutely nothing for 13 years. I say shame on them. They owe an apology.
The Environment October 27th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and this Parliament are making it very clear that we will not permit the opposition to ignore parliamentary rules, which is exactly what has happened and why there was a point of order.
A point of order was raised because of a breach of parliamentary procedure. The members need to apologize for what they are doing in trying to obstruct what the government is trying to do. We need to clean up the air that Canadians breathe for the health of all Canadians. I say shame on them.
The Environment October 27th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is talking about fiscal imbalance but what we are talking about is the environment for the health of all Canadians.
We have heard from the environment commissioner that the previous Liberal government announced $6 billion and spent $1.6 billion. Obviously there are a lot of broken promises and a lot of hot air. The Liberals did absolutely nothing for 13 years and I say shame on them.
The Environment October 27th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is working with all provinces to deal with climate change, greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. We look forward to continuing to work with Quebec.
Actually, Minister Béchard has been invited to go to the next Kyoto protocol meeting in Kenya and the minister has been invited to be part of that.
Budget Implementation Act, 2006, No. 2 October 26th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that the member now admits that there is the clean air act. He does admit that his party will not be supporting it and one of his reasons was that he accuses the government of not respecting Kyoto.
We do respect Kyoto and we are very much a part of Kyoto. What we have done is we have been honest with Canadians. After 13 years of Liberal mismanagement and lack of leadership, which is what the environment commissioner said, we did not meet those targets. There were $6 billion worth of announcements and $1.6 billion spent and yet emissions went up dramatically. The member across the way is defending that. He is locked in step with the Liberals who are saying that we do not respect Kyoto, which is not true.
The fact is that next month, our Minister of the Environment will be going to Kenya and she has invited Minister Béchard from Quebec to accompany her. We are involved with AP6 and G-8 plus 5. We are looking at ways of dealing with greenhouse gas emissions.
A person can say that he supports the environment but, as I said before, a tree is known by its fruit. People cannot say that they support the environment and yet oppose the government's plan to clean it up, which is a good plan.
Why will the member not permit the clean air act to go to committee, as Canadians want it to? Why is he opposing and obstructing the government's plan to clean up?