Tackling Violent Crime Act  Mr. Speaker, Canadians have had enough of the Liberal leader's hear nothing, say nothing and do nothing approach to tackling crime, while the members of his party sit back and watch the Liberal-controlled Senate delay and obstruct the passage of the tackling violent crime act. I have sat with families of crime victims in my riding of Kitchener—Conestoga, who have shared how their lives have been changed forever by violent criminal acts.

HIV-AIDS among Aboriginal People  Mr. Speaker, I was troubled by four things from the previous speaker. One was the disrespectful way in which she spoke about our Prime Minister by referring to him by his first name in the chamber. She also chastised us for boasting about how much we spend on HIV-AIDS in one breath and in the next breath she said we were not spending enough.

HIV-AIDS among Aboriginal People  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to respond to that question. Earlier this evening a colleague opposite made the comment that members on this side of the House do not care about first nations communities or aboriginal people. I take exception to that. When I came to Parliament two years ago I requested the opportunity to serve on the aboriginal affairs and northern development committee.

HIV-AIDS among Aboriginal People  Mr. Speaker, the fact that we are here addressing this issue indicates the urgency with which we all see this issue. We certainly want to take action on it. I trust that during the comments I made my colleagues picked up on the number of times that I referred to community based.

HIV-AIDS among Aboriginal People  Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to address the proactive action that is being taken to address HIV-AIDS in this country and around the world. As our Minister of Health indicated, this government is committed to addressing HIV-AIDS issues in Canada, and specifically within first nations, Inuit and Métis communities.

Justice  Mr. Speaker, the Liberal leader is refusing to stand up for Canadians who are calling on the government to protect the safety of our children. Ignoring the Liberal Ontario premier, who supports swift passage of the tackling violent crime act, the opposition leader refuses to show leadership by not urging his senators to expedite the bill.

Half-Masting of Peace Tower Flag  Mr. Speaker, we are all aware that this issue has been raised many times in a variety of different fora. I think we all agree that we need to honour the sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform and that we do in fact mourn every death that we hear about. Our troops know that they have our wholehearted support.

International Aid  Mr. Speaker, Canadians are well aware of the major natural disasters that occur around the world. We know that Canada's government made its largest contribution this year to aid the victims of the cyclone in Bangladesh. But there are lesser known catastrophes that do not garner national media attention.

World Vision  Mr. Speaker, the Christian world relief organization World Vision has created the One Life Experience, a 2,000 square foot interactive exhibit that allows people to walk in the shoes of one of four children affected by AIDS, guided by a soundtrack of their personal stories on an MP3 player.

Youth Criminal Justice Act  Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to discuss the merits of the bill moved by my esteemed colleague, the hon. member for Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont. Bill C-423 is a bill that deserves the support of all parties in the House and, indeed, of every member. I am extremely gratified to have heard the debate on this excellent bill thus far and am encouraged by the positive reception it has received on both sides of the House.

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, this government has been delivering real, tangible results on aboriginal issues. Since coming into office just 22 months ago, we have reduced by half the number of first nations communities with significant water issues. Sadly, however, the opposition is blocking Bill C-21, our attempt to empower first nations with the same human rights that all other Canadians enjoy.

Youth Criminal Justice Act  Mr. Speaker, in this debate I think one of the greatest dangers we face is the danger of polarizing the differences between rehabilitation and deterrence. We are not talking about an either/or approach. My colleague mentioned that we were talking about putting people in prison for as long as possible but that is not at all factual.

Health  Mr. Speaker, the issue of food safety and product recalls, in particular children's toys, have affected families across Canada and have led to a growing concern about the safety of products entering our country. That is why in the throne speech our government committed to introduce measures on food and product safety to ensure families would have confidence in the quality and safety of what they buy.

Youth Criminal Justice Act  Mr. Speaker, my colleague referred to the fact that this was not a complete package. Maybe he slipped into the chamber while I was part way through my speech but I was very clear in the early part of my comments that restorative justice, rehabilitation programs and prevention programs are a big part of the equation.

Youth Criminal Justice Act  Mr. Speaker, I would challenge every member of this House to answer the question as to whether they have heard from numerous constituents in their ridings begging us to take meaningful steps to strengthen this act. On the matter of house arrest or conditional sentences, I am not sure of all the legal technical jargon, but when people in my riding recognize that someone who has committed a violent act receives a sentence that does not fit the level of pain that he or she has inflicted on the victim, they cannot believe it.