Hansard - Grandmothers For Africa petitions presented in the House by NDP MPs

40th PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION
UNEDITED HANSARD • NUMBER 123
OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD)
Thursday, December 3, 2009

Ms. Judy Wasylycia-Leis (Winnipeg North, NDP):
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition that was organized by the Grandmothers for Grandmothers campaign who wanted to see Bill C-393 pass through the House to committee.

They are delighted with the results of the vote in the House last night. They urge all parliamentarians to continue working on the bill to ensure that necessary medications get to those countries that cannot otherwise afford them to deal with such horrible and deathly diseases as HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

On behalf of everyone in the House, I would like to thank the grandmothers again for their great work on this issue.

Mr. Brian Masse (Windsor West, NDP):
Madam Speaker, I am honoured to table a petition on the issue of AIDS in Africa.

The Canadian Grandmothers for Africa are calling for the House of Commons to immediately set a timetable to meet, by 2015, a 40-year-old promise to contribute 0.7% of our gross national income to development assistance; to contribute its share to the global funds to fight AIDS, TB and malaria with 5% of the funding needed for each of the next five years; and to make the legislative changes necessary for Canada's access to medicines regime to facilitate the immediate and sustainable flow of low cost, generic medications to developing countries.

As a representative who actually sat on the original hearings on this in 2002, it is very important that the petitioners see justice on this file because only one application for generic drugs has been sent to Africa and this is a solution that we can implement immediately for these petitioners who have submitted this petition.

Mr. Bill Siksay (Burnaby—Douglas, NDP):
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition on behalf of Canadian Grandmothers for Africa, a national organization that has done great advocacy work regarding the situation of HIV-AIDS in Africa.

They are calling upon Parliament to immediately meet the long-term promise to contribute 0.7% of our gross national income for development assistance. They are also calling for strong Canadian support for the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. We know that Canada needs to strengthen its commitment there.

They are also calling for support for the kind of measure that this House passed last night to ensure that Canada's access to medicines regime facilitates a sustainable flow of lower cost generic drugs to developing countries.

Ms. Niki Ashton (Churchill, NDP):
Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition by the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign regarding the fight against AIDS in Africa and throughout the world.

Canadians from Alberta and Ontario are calling on the government to play a role in the fight against AIDS not only in our own country, but throughout the world. They want us to help communities by providing drugs and general support.

This also concerns the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Tuberculosis is a problem in a number of our first nations communities and in our own country. People are calling on the government to lead by example.

Mr. Charlie Angus (Timmins—James Bay, NDP):
Madam Speaker, I am very honoured to rise to bring forward this petition today on the need for a strategy to help those in sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the third world who suffer from HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

I had the great honour of sitting with the member for Winnipeg North at the meetings to establish all parliamentary support to fight maternal mortality rates in Africa, and we made such great progress. I see the great progress the member for Winnipeg North has made in terms of fighting to access generic drugs, so that they can be used in situations where there is dire poverty in Africa.

The Chair will remember last night's vote, when we were able to vote on this as a Parliament. It was a very proud moment for me. This is exactly in the spirit of this petition and what the petitioners are asking for. They are asking for leadership from the Parliament of Canada, from the legislators of Canada, to understand the dire situation facing people in sub-Saharan Africa, who are dying from diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, who are suffering from HIV, and who do not have access to simple drugs that we take for granted in Canada.

The petitioners are calling on some very straightforward and simple steps to be taken by Canada to show leadership, that we set a timetable to meet by 2015 the 40-year-old promise to contribute 0.7% of our gross national income to development assistance; to contribute a fair share to the global fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria; and to make the legislative changes necessary for Canada's access to medicines regime to facilitate the immediate and sustainable flow of lower cost generic medicines to developing countries. I think all members in this House would support such a motion.

Hon. Jack Layton (Toronto—Danforth, NDP):
Madam Speaker, the petition I have, among many others, is actually signed by one of our former colleagues, the former parliamentary leader of our party, Bill Blaikie. He joins with many others who are calling for action in conjunction with the Canadian Grandmothers for Africa, which is a remarkable movement of grandmothers who have linked with grandmothers in Africa, who are facing the catastrophe of having lost their daughters and they are having to raise their grandchildren.

They are at the forefront of a campaign for international economic aid, particularly to achieve the 0.7% of gross national product to development assistance. They are also calling for Canada to contribute its fair share of the funding needed for the global fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria for each of the next five years. This would be a lifesaving measure.

The petitioners are also calling for legislative changes, which we are happy to report are now moving forward to the standing committee to ensure that medications could be made available to the people who need them in Africa.

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40th PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION
UNEDITED HANSARD • NUMBER 124
OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD)
Friday, December 4, 2009

Ms. Linda Duncan (Edmonton—Strathcona, NDP):
Madam Speaker, my second petition is a petition from residents in British Columbia and Alberta from Canadian Grandmothers for Africa. I am pleased to say that there is a very strong contingent of the grandmothers in my riding and across Alberta.

They are seeking the House to give support to the immediate setting of a timetable to meet by 2015, less than five years from now, its 40 year old promise to contribute 0.7% of our GNI to development assistance, contribute its fair share to the global fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and make the necessary legislative change for Canada's access to medicines, a good step along the way that we have made just this past week.

Mr. John Rafferty (Thunder Bay—Rainy River, NDP):
Madam Speaker, my third petition is signed by residents right across Canada. It calls on the government to ensure that Canada immediately sets a timetable to meet its 40 year old promise to contribute 0.7% of our gross national income to development assistance. I am very pleased to stand in the House and present these today.

Mr. Claude Gravelle (Nickel Belt, NDP):
Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I present this petition from Canadians. The petition reads:

"We, the undersigned residents of Canada, petition the House of Commons to ensure that Canada immediately set a timetable to meet by 2015 its 40-year-old promise to contribute .7% of our gross national income to development assistance, and contribute its fair share to the global fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria. Example, 5% of the funding needed for each of the next five years. And make the legislation changes necessary for Canada's access to medicine regime to facilitate the immediate and sustainable flow of low-cost generic medicine to developing countries."

Mr. Jim Maloway (Elmwood—Transcona, NDP):
Madam Speaker, millions of people are dying needlessly in Africa from treatable diseases such as HIV, AIDS, TB and malaria. In sub-Saharan Africa, the HIV/AIDS crisis has been made worse by extreme poverty and lack of antiviral drugs. This is causing people to bury their adult children and raise their orphaned grandchildren. Development assistance and antiretroviral drugs offer people with HIV/AIDS the chance to live healthy and productive lives.

This petition demands three things of Parliament: that a timetable be immediately set to meet by 2015 its 40 year old promise to contribute .7% of our gross national income to developmental assistance; and, contribute its fair share to the global fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria, for example, 5% of the funding needed for each year in the next five year; and, make the legislative changes necessary for Canada's access to medicines regime to facilitate the immediate and sustainable flow of lower cost generic medicines to developing countries. In fact, that is what we dealt with in this Parliament this past week.