Paulina Ayala

[Committees of the House, November 17th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I am a mother of three teenagers, and they often ask me about what they will do in the future, whether they will find work and whether they will have to pay for my pension.

Young people are not very optimistic about the future. Even in my office, we have a number of students who have a master's degree but cannot find work.

Will this discourage them from having children and cause the birth rate to decline? People are wondering how they will rent an apartment or pay back their student loans.

I would like to talk about intergenerational responsibility.

[Latin-American Heritage Day Act, November 6th, 2014]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-634, An Act to establish Latin-American Heritage Day.

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour of introducing a bill to establish Latin-American Heritage Day. As my colleagues know, I was born in South America. Latin America, in its strictest sense, refers to the parts of the Americas that were colonized by the Spanish and Portuguese. However, in a broader sense, it also covers the Caribbean, including Haiti.

Why a Latin-American heritage day? Through my work and as an immigrant, I have come to realize that the Latin-American community is a close-knit one where everyone is connected. Then there is our telltale accent.

Our presence in Canada is relatively recent. It does not go as far back as the 19th century, more like the 1960s. Although the community has not been here for three centuries, it is well integrated into Canadian society on the economic, political—I am proof of that—and cultural fronts. There are great scientists, men and women, who have worked hard in academia. These people have integrated very well into the country.

People wonder where the Latin Americans are. We are everywhere because we fully invest in our choices. We love Canada, but we also hold on to our culture and our cultural attributes. It is for all those who have given their heart to this country that I want to establish a Latin-American heritage day.

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

[Protection of Canada from Terrorists Act, November 4th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her speech.

I am very concerned that as we are discussing granting more powers to a crown corporation, the government wants to cut its budget. It will have to do more with less.

To return to the tragic events that unfolded two weeks ago, the individual who acted in such a brutal manner needed psychological and psychiatric help. The government is taking action on security. However, when there are cuts to health services, the number of people with mental illness increases and such events can take place at any time.

What was behind this man's behaviour was not necessarily an organization, but drug addiction, drugs, crack. He had been asking for help for a long time and he finally acted.

Does my colleague believe that we should solve Canada's social problems instead of making more work for an organization that does not even have the means to do its job?

[Lyne Bernier, October 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to an exceptional woman who is no longer with us. Lyne Bernier was a nurse who dedicated herself to volunteer work after retiring.

For four years, she was on the board of the Centre d'action bénévole Rivière-des-Prairies. She devoted herself to many different causes and lavished her caring approach on them all. Her nurse's heart always shone through.

In addition, this woman was passionate about nature, especially trees. She even won a prize for horticultural beautification in her community garden. Because she was so deeply rooted in her neighbourhood, a tree was planted in her honour on the community centre grounds.

Today I would like to thank Ms. Bernier and reach out to her loved ones and everyone involved in the Rivière-des-Prairies community centre.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all those who put their heart into volunteer work day after day. Volunteers are always there, ready to help others and build a better country for us all.

[Foreign Affairs, October 10th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, in 2012, the Colombian ombudsman himself condemned the irregularities in Ms. Brassard's trial, but that does not seem to have motivated the office of the minster responsible for consular affairs to do anything at the time. We also need to think about Judith Brassard's two children, who want to have contact with their mother's family here, in Quebec.

What is the minister doing to ensure the well-being of these children and to uphold the right of their Canadian grandparents to see their grandchildren grow up close by?

[Foreign Affairs, October 10th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, Judith Brassard, a Canadian citizen convicted of murder, is serving her sixth year in prison in Colombia. Last week, the television show Enquête pointed out numerous irregularities in her case.

Can the minister tell us what the government has done to ensure that Ms. Brassard is being treated fairly and equitably?

[Military Contribution Against ISIL, October 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to the minister's comments.

By muzzling the debate, the government is saying that we should work with it because it has a majority and we should reach a consensus. To reach a consensus, however, it is important to listen to the minority, those who are not part of the government, namely, the opposition. In a democracy, the government does not have absolute power. That is undemocratic.

Let us be clear: we have a majority government in a parliamentary system that is supposed to be based on dialogue and agreements. How is it a dialogue when a majority government makes all the decisions regarding votes? That is not a dialogue at all. It actually puts our democracy in danger.

Since the minister was talking about working together, why is the government not more open to dialogue and more accepting of the opinions of others?

[Reducing the effects of urban heat islands Act, September 26th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, we already know that emergency health services are very expensive.

It costs less to make an appointment at the doctor's office, even though you might have to wait a few months to get in. However, sometimes people have to go to the emergency department to bring in a child suffering from an asthma attack or a senior who has to stay in hospital for a few days.

By addressing the root of the problem, we will certainly save money on these hospitalizations. This represents a savings for the provinces and therefore for our country. That is good economics. This is not theory. This is something tangible that will allow the municipalities, the provinces and the country to save money.

[Reducing the effects of urban heat islands Act, September 26th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question.

That is precisely the purpose of the bill: for the federal government, the provinces and the municipalities to work together. This would save money and improve people's quality of life.

We all need to work together because we are all part of the same country.

[Reducing the effects of urban heat islands Act, September 26th, 2014]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, but we can still catch up. I certainly hope we will be able to do more. We will reach the same level as other countries and worry about the health of Canadians. We must always remain hopeful.