Lazare Gionet  Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to pay tribute in the House today to Lazare Gionet, who passed away last Friday, just four months short of his 109th birthday. Mr. Gionet was born in St. Paul, Middle Caraquet, New Brunswick. He followed in his father's footsteps, farming and fishing until he joined the army at the age of 20.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, while it is clear that the opposition continues to be firmly and completely opposed to the Kyoto protocol, the government continues to work with Canadian stakeholders from all sectors to achieve meaningful greenhouse gas reductions. In this regard, could the Minister of Natural Resources please confirm that the Government of Canada has reached a voluntary agreement with the auto industry on reducing vehicle greenhouse gas emissions?

Veterans  Mr. Speaker, Canadians want to know more about their heroes. I am speaking of those men and women who served our country during times of war. I am pleased that budget 2005 provides new funding of $6 million per year for future commemorative activities so that more Canadians, in particular younger Canadians, can learn of the achievements and sacrifices of Canada's veterans.

Gasoline Prices  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for bringing forward his private member's motion. It is a noble effort, and I would like to speak to it today in two parts. First, I would like to address Motion No. 165 by addressing the notion of a petroleum monitoring agency. This first proposal calls for the creation of a petroleum monitoring agency that would prepare an annual report on all aspects of the petroleum industry for consideration by the Standing Committee on Industry, Natural Resources, Science and Technology.

Department of Foreign Affairs Act  Mr. Speaker, what is remarkable about the work of this Prime Minister that all members of the House should keep in mind is that he was one of the earliest proponents of the expansion of the notion of the G-7 to an L20. Why did he drive that? I am convinced he drove it because he understood that there are a number of mid-power nation-states all over the world that needed to come together and serve in some ways as a counterweight to, for example, the economic power of the United States of America.

Department of Foreign Affairs Act  Mr. Speaker, again I was trying to discern a question. I appreciate the comment. Again, let us be clear with respect to CIDA. Why is the role of the CIDA minister not dealt with specifically in this legislation? This legislation is simple. It is to codify in law the December 2003 order in council.

Department of Foreign Affairs Act  Mr. Speaker, I was unable to discern a specific question or two with respect to the comments, but let me react to a few things the member said earlier. To begin, she spoke about the question of CIDA and whether or not CIDA has a particular mandate, a specific mandate, a legislated mandate.

Department of Foreign Affairs Act  Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to be able to contribute to the introduction of Bill C-32, an act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts. I think that this measure will definitely help Canada produce a more balanced and more consistent foreign policy as we enter the 21st century and will thus ensure a more certain and more prosperous future for all Canadians.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I have a petition to table this afternoon presented by a group of very concerned citizens with reference to children suffering from autism spectrum disorder. These citizens are calling upon the government to amend the Canada health Act and the corresponding regulations to include a particular kind of therapy called IBI and ABA for children with autism as a medically necessary treatment, and to require further that all provinces provide or fund this essential treatment for autism.

Foreign Affairs  Mr. Speaker, the situation in Togo, a member of the Francophonie, is of great concern. On the death of President Eyadéma, Togo did not comply with its constitutional requirement for the national assembly to fulfill interim presidential duties until an election could be held. Instead, the military put the late president's son in power, throwing that country into total disarray.

Black History Month  Mr. Speaker, February 12, 2004 marks the sixth annual Black History Month program in Ottawa. The theme of the program is “Keepers of the Story: Making a Difference--the Power of Choice”. This history in the street is a contemporary tribute to historic persons who laid the foundation for our human rights culture in Canada.

Telecommunications Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak in support of Bill C-37, an act to amend the Telecommunications Act. This is a bill that responds to the needs of Canadian consumers. They are fed up with unwanted and unsolicited telemarketing calls. I am sure that every member in the House could give anecdotal evidence of the frustrations felt by our families, friends and neighbours.

First Nations, Métis and Inuit War Veterans  Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to respond to the motion this afternoon. I commend the member for his efforts in keeping this issue alive but, unfortunately, I think many of the things that he has put forward in the motion are somewhat misguided and not always reliant entirely on the facts in terms of what the government has been doing in this regard.

Remote Sensing Space Systems Act  Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to speak to Bill C-25, the remote sensing space systems bill. I will begin by picking up where the hon. member left off, and that is to remind the House that there are national security implications with respect to the use of satellites. I would like to speak a little more directly to the natural security implications and address some of the important economic and ecological implications around the regulation that is provided through the remote sensing bill.

Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act  Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to respond to Bill C-281. I congratulate the member for Winnipeg Centre. There is no doubt that wage earners need protection when their employers go bankrupt. Everyone in the House is concerned about this problem and has been for a long time. Over the years different options for wage earners' protection have been considered.