Ted Menzies

[Multiple Sclerosis, May 9th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable and, at times, disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord which affects Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

May is MS Awareness Month. I am honoured to kick off the 31st annual MS carnation campaign this year. Today, volunteers from the MS Society, and MPs representing each political party and I have been pinning carnations on members of Parliament to help raise awareness of MS for this campaign. It is a tradition that has been followed on Parliament Hill for many years now.

This weekend, volunteers in over 280 communities across Canada will be selling carnations to raise money for MS research and services for people with MS. In the past 31 years, the program has raised more than $45 million for MS research and services.

I encourage all members of the House and all Canadians to join in supporting the MS Society to help make a difference for individuals and families living with this disease. Together, we can end it.

[Afghanistan, April 20th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, we were able to see the results of projects that the Minister of International Cooperation had announced during her first visit to Afghanistan in October. We met with several women's groups and women's entrepreneurs, benefiting from microfinanced programs. We saw the pride they take in being able to control their own destinies.

Most of all, we were able to go outside the wire from Kandahar and visit a community development council. There are over 16,000 of these councils, working democratically to rebuild their country. They want our help and we can provide our help.

[Softwood Lumber, April 20th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, we will take that under advisement, but let me tell the member that we are hearing support from all of the provinces that supported that agreement. They are working with their local industries. There are more people employed than there would have been under a Liberal-suggested softwood lumber agreement that never did take place, with 20 years of litigation.

We have industry that is employed. We have an agreement that is in place. We have a consultation that is taking place.

[Softwood Lumber, April 20th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I might remind this House that we have the opportunity, and we actually had the opportunity yesterday, to meet with the Americans and discuss this.

The only reason that we can actually sit down and have a conversation about this is because of the softwood lumber agreement that was put together by this government. If we did not have that in place, we would be back in litigation. I know that is where the Liberals would like to take us, to tear up that agreement and go back to litigation. What does that do for our industry?

[Afghanistan, April 20th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I would prefer to talk about the $1.2 billion that we have promised to spend until 2011. Let us not cut it back to 2009. We know that reconstruction will last beyond 2009. That is a given.

These people and the democratically elected government of Afghanistan have asked for our help. We must help them.

[Afghanistan, April 20th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question is very misplaced. In fact, the Minister of International Cooperation and I were in Afghanistan last week and we saw for ourselves. We met with the people we have helped.

The claim by the hon. member is not very factual and is very misleading. The people of Afghanistan are very happy and thankful for all of the work that Canada and the NATO countries are doing to help them.

[Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, April 20th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Harvie family for its contribution to the new Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park. The park will encompass over 3,000 acres and 14 kilometres of the Bow River shoreline.

The Harvie family sold this land to the government of Alberta at much less than market value to establish this park. This land will provide a legacy of conservation, education and recreation opportunities for Albertans. Tim Harvie, a constituent of Macleod, has been custodian of this land with his sister Katie and it has been in the family for more than 70 years.

The park presents a showcase of the natural grasslands and unique ecological attributes of the Alberta landscape and will protect Calgary's water supply and all water users downstream on the Bow River.

Ecological entrepreneurs such as Tim, Katie and the rest of the Harvie family are taking action to demonstrate the importance of conserving our land and preserving it for future generations. Please join me in acknowledging the Harvie family for its contribution.

[Senate Appointment Consultations Act, April 20th, 2007]

It was actually a wheat field.

[Softwood Lumber, April 19th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, maybe I should remind the hon. member that $5 billion came back to the industries that were hurt so badly by this litigation. If we had not put in place the softwood lumber agreement, we would be back in litigation again. That does not include prevailing jobs for people in the softwood lumber industry. It hurts the communities involved and it hurts the industries themselves.

[Softwood Lumber, April 19th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, it was despite that hon. member that we actually managed to get a softwood agreement in this House that provided jobs and security for the softwood lumber industry. Let us not forget that British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec were all in agreement, as were the majority of the softwood industries impacted.