International Co-operation  Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives still will not explain why they cut funding for KAIROS, an organization that undertakes overseas development on behalf of 11 churches and religious organizations representing over 20 million Canadians. The Minister of International Cooperation's department says, “KAIROS continues to meet all the requirements for CIDA funding and continues to do great work helping millions of impoverished people around the world”.

Medal of Bravery  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the heroic actions of Shane Doucette, a resident of Port au Port West, a small community in my riding of Random—Burin—St. George's. It is because of the quick thinking and actions of Shane Doucette that his co-worker Jason Riggs is alive today.

Ending Early Release for Criminals and Increasing Offender Accountability Act  I will do that, Madam Speaker. Let us talk about the Conservatives' 2007 report, “A Roadmap to Strengthening Public Safety”. The report calls for a new direction to Canada's corrections system. However, expert opinion suggested that the so-called road map was significantly flawed in terms of human rights and human dignity and in fact it threatened public safety.

Ending Early Release for Criminals and Increasing Offender Accountability Act  You know from your own budget that you have cut the funding for programs by 70%. I do not have to tell you where to go to look for that. You know that you have done that. You have also cut funding for victims programs by 43%.

Ending Early Release for Criminals and Increasing Offender Accountability Act  Madam Speaker, as I said in my remarks earlier, Statistics Canada is telling us that the crime rate fell 3% in Canada last year and is down 70% in the past decade.

Ending Early Release for Criminals and Increasing Offender Accountability Act  Madam Speaker, the member is absolutely right. It is absurd that the government is speaking out of both sides of its mouth. On the one hand it is saying that we really need to take care of the victims and put the victims' rights first, but at the same time the government is cutting programs that are designed to help the victims.

Ending Early Release for Criminals and Increasing Offender Accountability Act  Madam Speaker, I take exception to some of the commentary by the member. Clearly we are concerned about victims. If the Conservatives are concerned about victims as they claim to be, why in the name of heaven would they have made such dramatic cuts, a 70% funding reduction to crime prevention programs, and another 43% for victims programs.

Ending Early Release for Criminals and Increasing Offender Accountability Act  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak to Bill C-39, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts. The bill is a combination of Bill C-43 and Bill C-53, which were presented in the last session and are back before us today as a result of the Prime Minister's decision to prorogue Parliament last year.

Foreign Affairs  Mr. Speaker, this is another embarrassing example of the government's incompetence and inability to negotiate with our international partners. The Canadian Forces have been guests of the United Arab Emirates since 2001. The Prime Minister cut the Minister of National Defence out of negotiations, giving preference to the opinion of the government House leader.

Foreign Affairs  Mr. Speaker, the United Arab Emirates have given the Canadian Conservative government the boot out of Camp Mirage, leaving the defence minister scrambling to find an alternative location to serve Canada's operations in Afghanistan. Moving a base on 30-days' notice, less than a year before the Canadian Forces withdraw from Afghanistan, is an expensive logistical nightmare.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of the thousands of MS patients throughout the country. In Newfoundland and Labrador alone we have 1,100 of these patients. They are asking the Government of Canada to take a leadership role in trying to ensure that the liberation treatment that is showing to be so helpful to MS patients be made available throughout the country.

Government Priorities  Mr. Speaker, with January 1 fast approaching, the Conservatives are choosing more corporate tax cuts for the largest companies over the needs of Canadian families. Instead of telling Canadians to take a vacation day when they need to care for a severely sick relative, why do the Conservatives not join us on the right side of this debate?

Government Priorities  Mr. Speaker, Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family and friends and, above all, to give thanks for the many blessings we share as Canadians. Today there are over 600,000 family caregivers in this country, and they are no doubt thankful that they still have their ailing loved ones living with them.

Government Priorities  Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have said that helping Canadians take care of ailing family members could be “reckless”. The same Conservatives are spending $10 billion to build prisons to house the perpetrators of unreported crimes, $16 billion to buy planes without an open competition, which, as Alan Williams said yesterday, means an incredible $3.2 billion is being wasted.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind Canadians that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Canada and around the world. Although much has been done to combat this dreaded disease, it is estimated that in this year alone more than 23,000 Canadian women and an estimated 180 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 5,000 will die from it.