Jobs and Economic Growth Act  Madam Speaker, I think the hon. member was talking about veterans. Veterans in my community have asked for more of a focus on brain health. The brain is the most vital organ in the human body. If it does not work properly, every aspect of life may be compromised. One in three, or 10 million, Canadians will be affected by a neurologic or psychiatric disease, disorder or injury at some point in his or her life.

Jobs and Economic Growth Act  Madam Speaker, I am honoured to rise today and give thanks to the proud, hard-working people of Etobicoke North. I left a job I loved to run for elected office because I believed, and still believe today, that it is the job of government to make life better for Canadians and to have a plan, a real plan, to build for a better tomorrow.

Jobs and Economic Growth Act  Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his comments with regard to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation and the environment. In the Arctic climate change is not only an environmental issue, but also a social justice issue. Those who are most heavily impacted have had the least responsibility for it.

World Autism Awareness Day  Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring to the attention of this House that tomorrow, April 2, is World Autism Awareness Day. Autism is a pervasive disorder which affects one person in 110, and millions of people around the world, including thousands of Canadians. We need a national strategy in this country to help those who are living with autism and their families, a strategy to address the challenges brought on by autism, with child, adolescent and adult supports.

Aboriginal Healing Foundation  Mr. Speaker, I will start by saying again that a mistake has been by the government. Will the government do the morally right thing and restore funding? I will talk again about the Native Women's Shelter of Montreal. The executive director explains: Your mother didn't go but your grandmother went [to residential schools], so she couldn't raise your mother.

Aboriginal Healing Foundation  Mr. Speaker, I think we all agree that this is such an important program. It is evidence-based, it is cost-effective, and there is almost unanimous agreement among those canvassed that AHF has been very successful at both achieving its objectives and in governance and fiscal management.

Aboriginal Healing Foundation  Mr. Speaker, a few weathered crosses scar a barren field. The old man who tends to them remembers coming with the religious leaders to bury the small boxes. He has spent a lifetime trying to come to terms with what happened at residential schools, how they shattered his family and how he spent decades trying to rebuild ties.

Tuberculosis  Mr. Speaker, today is World Tuberculosis Day. Tuberculosis is Canada's forgotten disease. The tuberculosis rate among status Indians is 31 times higher than that of non-aboriginal Canadians, and the rate among Inuit is 186 times higher. Why does the government think that sub-Saharan TB rates are acceptable among aboriginal Canadians?

World TB Day  Mr. Speaker, today is World TB Day, an international call to action, to mobilize political commitment to reduce the burden of tuberculosis. Yet, today, TB is Canada's forgotten disease. Aboriginal people in Canada face a third world risk of the disease. The tuberculosis rate among status Indians is 31 times higher than that of non-aboriginal Canadians.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, this is not a laughing matter and of course we support the increase in ODA, our official development assistance. I also want to take the opportunity to explain that when the condom campaign was finally launched by the CDC in early 1994, the campaign promoted condom use.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, the material that I presented is based on historical fact. CDC, the Institute of Medicine and the World Health Organization recognized the history that took place in the United States. If action were taken in 1981, the epidemic could have been slowed. Sadly, the word “AIDS” was not even mentioned until 1985.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, the material that I presented is historical fact. The facts that I presented come from the World Health Organization and from the United Nations. I will take this opportunity to talk about preventing the transmission of HIV-AIDS as stipulated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Abstain from sex...until you are in a relationship with only one person, are having sex with only each other, and each of you knows the other’s HIV status.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Vancouver Centre. Every day almost 7,000 become infected with HIV and almost 6,000 die, mostly because they have no access to HIV prevention, treatment and care services. In Canada someone in the country becomes infected with HIV every two hours.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Madam Speaker, absolutely not. I was highlighting that Saudi Arabia had a vision for its people to build for education, to build for a better tomorrow. How could any country go from 67th position in the world economy, back in 2004, to rank at 13th by 2010, with the goal of being in the top 10?

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for the question. I think that is a question for the other side of the House. My concern is certainly that we in the Liberal Party would like to see a focus on more money for Canadians who have low incomes. We would like to see child health care.