Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Davenport for bringing this concern to the House today. He not only brings concerns on food safety to the House, he also brings concerns on the environment, and we appreciate that. All members will know, given our painful exper

Environment  Mr. Speaker, now that the recommendations for the cleanup of the Sydney tar ponds have been received by governments from the joint action group, will the Minister of the Environment please tell the House what the next steps will be leading to the final cleanup of this hazardous s

Landmines  Mr. Speaker, as the House is well aware, the threat of landmines throughout the world is still causing great injury not only to military personnel but also to the civilian population. Canada has always taken a lead role in the elimination of the use of landmines. Last night was

Devco  Mr. Speaker, through the process of winding down the coal operations in Cape Breton, Devco, the crown corporation in charge, has identified a surplus in the miners' pensions, but the board of directors has determined that the surplus belongs to the corporation. The member for Br

Cape Breton Seniors  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform the House of a new project I announced yesterday to support seniors in Cape Breton. We are funding $284,000 over three years to provide for a project at the Cape Breton Seniors Community Learning Network, which will be implemented by the CAP So

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy  Mr. Speaker, this is my first address to a debate in the House. I am a farmer. My family has been in the beef industry for 30 years. This is a very volatile occupation under normal circumstances, but this incident has again shown us the challenges beef farmers are facing. The l

International Aid  Mr. Speaker, three years of drought in the Horn of Africa have left more than two million people in danger of starvation. Could the Minister for International Cooperation inform the House how her department and the Government of Canada are responding to their urgent need for foo

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, the next few weeks will be very important for the residents of Sydney, Cape Breton. During this time, residents will have an opportunity to have direct input on which remediation option should be used for the cleanup of the Sydney tar ponds and coke oven sites, one

World Trade Organization  Mr. Speaker, there is concern among Canadians about what we are giving up at the WTO negotiations with respect to services. There is concern that there is no transparency and decisions are jeopardizing Canadian values. Could the Minister for International Trade tell me how we ca

National Parks  Mr. Speaker, as a Cape Bretoner, I am extremely proud of the role our national parks have in our communities. Could the Minister of Canadian Heritage please explain how the announcement today will help Cape Breton?

Racial Discrimination  Mr. Speaker, the United Nations chose March 21 as International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. On this day in 1960, anti-apartheid demonstrators conducted a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, and were shot and killed by police. In 1989, Canad

Black History Month  Mr. Speaker, February is Black History Month and I would like to draw to the attention of the House the unique accomplishments of the black Canadians in Nova Scotia. The black community in Nova Scotia has strong roots. In fact Sydney, Nova Scotia is the site of one of the first

Flooding in Newfoundland and Labrador  Mr. Speaker, over the weekend the residents of Badger, in Newfoundland and Labrador, were faced with a community emergency. The frigid waters of the Exploits, Red Indian and Badger Rivers rose quickly and spilled over their banks, covering half the community with as much as 1.5

Basketball  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand and recognize an exciting national sports event in my riding. The Breton Education Centre in the town of New Waterford once again successfully hosted the annual Coal Bowl Basketball tournament last week. High school students from across Canada

Christmas Daddies Telethon  Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise in the House today to pay tribute to one of my constituents. Freddie Lavery is a well known Cape Breton musician and entertainer. He is also a generous and committed man. In 1977 Mr. Lavery appeared for the first time on the Annual