Status Of Women  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for a very good question on a very important day. The cornerstone of the government's initiatives for equality among women is gender analysis. I said earlier how that empowers and will increase women's economic independence, will look at their social life and will look at their physical well-being.

Status Of Women  Mr. Speaker, the government in its budget has stressed very much the economic independence of women. We have talked about initiatives in tax credits. We have talked about changing the child support program. We have taken money to be gained out of that program and placed it into ways to eliminate poverty.

Status Of Women  Mr. Speaker, very important in terms of women's equality is that the government has agreed to put forward a plan for gender analysis that will cross every single government department. Gender analysis means that every time a policy, a law or an initiative is taken there will be a lens to look at that policy, law or initiative to see how it could disadvantage women or men.

Status Of Women  Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is absolutely right. The key to women's equality lies in their economic independence. The government recognizes that fully. When one looks at the initiatives we have taken in the past and looks even closer now at the initiative we took during this budget, we looked at women at every stage of their lives in order to ensure their economic independence.

Reform Party  Mr. Speaker, I have a confession. I have a 25-year habit I cannot kick, thinking like a physician. I have observed the Reform Party with clinical interest over the last two years. My diagnosis: collective schizophrenia evidenced by irrational behaviour, delusions of grandeur and loss of touch with reality.

Petitions  Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I rise to present a petition on behalf of the residents of the city of Vancouver, B.C. They call upon Parliament to endorse the Bessborough Armoury Community Services project for the use of underused defence institutions in the city of Vancouver, and to initiate appropriate action to designate the armoury facility for shared use and make it accessible to the residents of the city of Vancouver for the community services proposed.

Petitions  Madam Speaker, I have another petition to present from the people of British Columbia. The petitioners respectfully call upon Parliament to enact legislation requiring that all containers of alcohol sold in Canada bear warning labels, alerting consumers of the attendant risks of alcohol consumption.

Protection Of Personal Information Obtained By Certain Corporations Act  Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the hon. member asked this question. As she said before, medicare is a defining value of Canadians. Eight-nine per cent of Canadians support medicare. All the ministers of health in every province support medicare, with the exception of Alberta.

Health Care  Mr. Speaker, I do not know how often we have to say this in the House, but there is a Canada Health Act. It works on the five principles of medicare, guiding principles for the country. Eighty-nine per cent of Canadians, especially British Columbians, support that. When any province sets up any sort of clinic or anything which contravenes the Canada Health Act the government will act to take whatever steps are necessary to stop it.

Health Care  Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member is presuming many things. My mind has always been clearly fixed on the Canada Health Act and the five principles of medicare. Nothing since, before or during my life as a physician has ever changed that.

Food And Drugs Act  Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to have the opportunity to speak to this problem. I am also pleased that all three parties of the House agree on this issue. For the last 15 years it has been an issue with which I have been involved as a physician, as an advocate for my patients and as a member of the British Columbia Medical Association lobbying to change public policy.

Supply  Mr. Speaker, the hon. member stated there should be direct cash compensation instead of negotiated settlements with aboriginal peoples. Cash does form part of the settlements negotiated with aboriginal peoples. However, cash alone will not provide the kind of certainty and long lasting, enduring settlement necessary in this type of negotiation.

Supply  Mr. Speaker, I would be pleased to answer the two points. The first is that is appropriate to create a lame duck government in the last year of any government's term. This is so inappropriate. This is a process that has spanned two governments. It is a process that began in the last year of a Social Credit government.

Supply  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in my place today to respond specifically to the motion of the hon. member for North Island-Powell River that the House: -not enter into any binding trilateral aboriginal treaty or land claim agreements in B.C. in the last year of the provincial government mandate- Inherent in the motion is the issue my hon. friend referred to recently, which is the lame duck issue that seeks to nullify the powers of any government in the last year of its mandate.

Violence Against Women  Mr. Speaker, today is a day of national mourning and remembrance for the 14 young women whose lives were cut off in mid-stride six years ago for one reason only: they were women. As we mourn we should be mindful that over 50 per cent of women in Canada, one in three in B.C., are the object of physical, mental and emotional violence.