Todd Russell

[Status of Women, December 3rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, that may be nice but it is not sufficient, and the Conservatives just do not get it.

At least 520 aboriginal women and girls have been murdered or gone missing. At least 520 aboriginal families want answers. First nations, Inuit, and Métis communities and urban aboriginal people want and need answers, and all Canadians deserve them.

Does the Minister of Justice not know that when he talks about law and justice, it rings hollow as long as there is no justice for these women and girls?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, November 23rd, 2009]

With regard to Canada's First Defence Strategy: (a) which of the following are a part of the strategy, (i) acquisition of three strategic air transport aircraft, and stationing them at CFB Trenton, (ii) doubling the size of the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), (iii) acquisition of three armed naval heavy icebreakers, and stationing them in the area of Iqaluit, (iv) building a new civilian-military deepwater docking facility to accommodate the three armed naval heavy icebreakers, (v) establishing a new underwater sensor system, (vi) building a new army training centre in the area of Cambridge Bay, (vii) stationing new long-range unmanned aerial vehicle squadrons at each of CFB Goose Bay and CFB Comox, (viiii) stationing new fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft in Yellowknife, (ix) increasing the size of the Canadian Rangers by 500, (x) establishing of a 650-member battalion at each of CFB Comox, CFB Goose Bay, CFB Trenton, and CFB Bagotville, (xi) adding 1000 regular force and 750 reserve force personnel to the army in Quebec, (xii) establishing a territorial defence unit in Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Saint John, St. John's, Halifax and the Niagara-Windsor corridor; (b) what is the rationale for the inclusion or exclusion of each item from the Canada First Defence Strategy; and (c) for each item that is not a part of the strategy, has the government taken any steps to carry out or implement the item, and if the government has not taken any such steps, does it intend to do so and, if so, when?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, November 20th, 2009]

With regard to government advertising for the Home Renovation Tax Credit: (a) how much did it cost to produce, print, and distribute each of the green envelope and door knocker direct-mail pieces; (b) which departments procured the printing and distribution; (c) what are the contract numbers of the printing and distribution contracts; (d) when were these products distributed; and (e) how many households received the products (i) in each of Canada’s Forward Sortation Areas, (ii) in each province and territory?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, November 20th, 2009]

With regards to Aboriginal affairs: (a) what is the government’s rationale for generally opposing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; (b) what is the government’s rationale for voting against the said Declaration in a vote of the United Nations General Assembly on September 13, 2007; and (c) what specific measures has the government undertaken since January 1, 2006, to engage and consult with the Aboriginal peoples of Canada concerning the Declaration and the position of the government towards it?

[Questions on the Order Paper, November 20th, 2009]

With regard to the proposed Mealy Mountains National Park: (a) what were the dates and locations of each meeting of the Steering Committee; (b) what is the area, in square kilometers, of the proposed park according to the latest proposals for park boundaries; (c) what are the outstanding issues which remain to be settled before this National Park can be established; (d) what are the government’s plans to address these outstanding issues; (e) what are the next steps in the park establishment process and what is the anticipated timeline for those steps; and (f) what is, or what has been, the budget for the Mealy Mountains National Park establishment process for each fiscal year from 2006-2007 up to and including the current fiscal year?

[International Inuit Day, November 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in 2006, the Inuit peoples of the entire circumpolar world, assembled in Utqiagvik, Alaska. They proclaimed November 7 each year to be International Inuit Day.

This year, Inuit Day will be commemorated this coming Saturday. On this day, the Inuit peoples of Greenland, Canada, Alaska and Arctic Russia celebrate their culture and heritage, and proclaim to their fellow citizens and to the world that the Arctic is the Inuit homeland.

At a time when climate change and resource development are altering the Arctic landscape, the Inuit peoples are acting together across international boundaries to defend the Inuit cultures, languages and way of life.

All nations would do well to follow the Inuit model of cooperation, consensus and concern for the environment.

On behalf of my constituents in Nunatsiavut and throughout Labrador and the residents of the other territories which make up Inuit Nunaat, Nunavik, Nunavut and the Inuvialuit region, I extend best wishes on International Inuit Day. Nakkumek.

[Health, November 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, provincial and regional health authorities have been blind-sided by a lack of flu vaccine and the public has been left confused and frightened.

The federal government had seven full months to do two primary things: provide the vaccine and send a clear and consistent message to Canadians on H1N1, the plan and the rollout.

How is it that the federal government could get it so wrong on both counts?

[Health, November 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, for the past week Canadians from coast to coast to coast have faced long lines and confusion as they wait to receive their flu shots. In my province, problems with the federal government's vaccine supply chain have forced authorities to change their priority list three times, and that is just since Friday afternoon. Some provinces have stopped vaccinations altogether. Front line public health workers are doing the best they can under these trying circumstances, but the federal government has made a bad situation worse.

Why has the Conservative government failed Canadians so miserably?

[Health, October 23rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are spending over $100 million promoting themselves in their partisan ad campaign and just $6 million promoting and protecting Canadians against H1N1.

Communications has been a fiasco, from body bags to confusing messages, so that now only one-third of Canadians say they will get the vaccine.

The H1N1 pandemic is here. If the government finally has a communications plan for aboriginal Canadians and 90% of those communications plans have been in place for aboriginal communities, will the minister table those plans in the House today?

[Health, October 23rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, this week I visited Grassy Narrows to attend the Grand Council Treaty No. 3 annual general assembly. Those present expressed grave concerns regarding the lack of preparedness for H1N1. I have heard similar fears from aboriginal communities across Canada.

The minister asserts that 90% of aboriginal communities have pandemic plans in place. The people on the ground say otherwise. Starting with the truth, what assurances could the minister provide today that the most vulnerable will be protected and that unnecessary deaths will be avoided?