Multiple Sclerosis  Madam Chair, health is not an area assigned exclusively to the provinces by the BNA Act. It is a shared area. That is why we have a federal minister of health and a federal committee on health. The Government of Canada has a legitimate role to play in the area of health. For example, it is responsible for the health of aboriginal Canadians and the Canadian Forces.

Multiple Sclerosis  Madam Chair, I rise tonight to advocate on behalf of all Canadians living with multiple sclerosis, who not only have the courage to battle their disease every day but also have the guts and the tenacity to take on a new fight, the fight for diagnosis and treatment of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, CCSVI.

Multiple Sclerosis  Madam Chair, I have a letter from a Canadian medical doctor who has been practising since 1969, which states: I have MS since 1990 and just got back from Poland where I had balloon angioplasty to a stenotic right internal jugular vein. I have noticed improvements in several areas.

Multiple Sclerosis  Madam Chair, many MS patients are experiencing a rapid decline in their health. We believe there is a moral obligation to offer all MS patients the imaging necessary to identify venous malformation and access to treatment that could possibly stop the progression of their disease in its tracks.

Human Rights  Mr. Speaker, let each of us in this House take a minute to respectfully and solemnly remember the thousands killed, many of them innocent bystanders, in 1984. Canada is celebrated around the world for our diversity, diversity which would never have allowed such events to occur.

Health  Mr. Speaker, on May 6, we sent an open letter to the minister asking that individuals living with multiple sclerosis receive diagnosis for blocked veins and treatment if required. We also asked that the government provide a modest $10 million for research into MS. Testing and treatment are of the utmost urgency, as many MS patients are experiencing a rapid decline in their health.

ALS Awareness Month  Mr. Speaker, June is ALS Awareness Month, recognizing people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often referred to as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, and their supportive families. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and severely impacting voluntary muscle action.

Health  Mr. Speaker, last week was World MS Day, a day to stand in solidarity with two million people worldwide who suffer from multiple sclerosis. In Canada, patients diagnosed with devastating MS are actually discriminated against and deprived of imaging necessary for diagnosis and treatment of blocked or narrowed veins draining the brain.

Health  Mr. Speaker, where is the money? MS patients with a clear obstruction of blood flow from their brains are being denied treatment. They are denied angioplasty, a well-known universally practised procedure. It is not experimental and it is very low risk. Will the minister explain to those MS patients in the gallery and to tens of thousands across Canada why they are being discriminated against?

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, yesterday, President Calderón called on the Prime Minister to do more on climate change. The president said that we cannot wait, that quality of life and the future is at risk. Time is of the essence and there is no better opportunity for Canada to show leadership than at the G8 and G20 next month.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, not only did the government mismanage the security costs for the conference next month, but the agenda will not speak to the most pressing concerns of our global partners. The Conservatives are on the wrong side of bank reform. They are ignoring climate change. Their approach to maternal health will cost lives.

Vision Health Awareness  Mr. Speaker, I rise to propose to the House that all levels of government have a collective responsibility to raise awareness of vision health as every 12 minutes in Canada someone develops vision loss. CNIB is promoting May 27 as Shade of Fun day because CNIB wants to make vision health awareness a priority for all Canadians.

Request for Emergency Debate  Mr. Speaker, I rise to request an emergency debate on an urgent issue of national importance. There are 55,000 to 75,000 Canadians who live with multiple sclerosis. Our country has one of the highest rates of the disease in the world. MS is a devastating, unpredictable disease, which affects balance, hearing, memory, mobility and vision.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, once again in Canada we have a recall of meat that may be contaminated with listeria. We are so far lucky in this case that no one has been made seriously ill. The government claims that it will implement all 57 recommendations in the Weatherill report to prevent tainted meats from making it to market.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, 22 people died from a listeriosis outbreak in 2008. Last year, in response, independent examiner, Sheila Weatherill, investigated this tragedy and put forward clear recommendations that, if implemented, would help ensure the safety of our foods: prevention in the first place, not just multiple recalls after the fact.