Fall, 2003
Dear Constituents,

I sincerely hope that you had a safe and enjoyable summer. On the cover, I am pictured with some of the crew of 14 Wing Greenwood, Squadron 405 and we are preparing to go on maritime patrol. The full details are included in this report.

As I am preparing this report, it is still August and by the time that it is printed and delivered to your home, Parliament will be reconvened. There are numerous Bills and other issues which are going to seize the House of Commons and I expect it to be a very challenging period.

The Reproductive Technologies Bill dealing with stem cells and cloning is still in debate and the Bills on Ethics, Aboriginal Governance, Electoral Boundaries and a few others should be coming forward.

The issue that will certainly get most of the attention is related to the definition of marriage. As you know, the Ontario Court of Appeal declared that the definition was unconstitutional thereby opening up marriage to same sex couples. The Government has drafted a Bill and referred it to the Supreme Court for an opinion whether it would resolve the issue. The Bill will be a free vote in Parliament but the court may not rule until the next year. In 1999, I voted to reaffirm the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman. My position has not changed.

In this householder, I have also included an extensive commentary on Government activities and some information about my work on Committees. I hope you find these to be informative. As always, I welcome your questions and feedback on matters of importance to you and your family.

Sincerely,
Paul Szabo

As a Member of Parliament, I am permitted to produce only four householders each year. As such, I cannot fully report all the details on the actions of Parliament and the Government of Canada. However, in response to a request from a constituent, I will try to provide you with highlights on items for which you may want to request additional information. The following summary of key matters up to June 2003 should give you an idea of the broad-range of issues that are being addressed by Parliament:

CANADA'S ECONOMY

• Tax Reduction: In 1977 the government introduced a $100 billion tax cut which will be fully phased in by next year. A two-earner family with children will pay on average 35% less taxes and average corporate tax rates and the capital gains tax are now both lower than the rates in the USA.
  
• Debt Reduction: As of last year, we had paid down the national debt by $46.7 billion since the budget was balanced in 1997. This debt reduction results in interest savings of approximately $2.5 billion each year.
  
• Employment: Last year, 560,000 jobs were created all across Canada and there have been 2.4 million new jobs created since 1993.
  
• Employment Insurance Premiums: EI premiums have been reduced every year since 1993. These reductions mean that employees and employers will save $8.6 billion in 2003.
  
• Innovation: An additional $1.4 billion has been allocated for the Canada Foundation for Innovation, as well as $900 million over five years to establish 2000 Canada Research Chairs, and $300 million for Genome Canada. The Network Centers Of Excellence also receive significant funding for five new centers.

HEALTH CARE

• Investing in Health Care: In response to the Royal Commission on The Future of Health Care in Canada, provincial reports, and the report from the Senate of Canada, a First Ministers' meeting was held in February 2003. As agreed to by the Provinces, we invested $34.8 billion in health care in budget 2003 over the next five years. In addition, we invested $900 million through 2007-08 to support health research in Canada.

THE ENVIRONMENT

• Endangered Species: The Species At Risk Act (S A R A) comes into force this year and Budget 2003 invested $33 million over two years to help with its implementation.
  
• Kyoto and Climate Change: In response to Canada's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in December 2002, Budget 2003 provided $2 billion to help implement the Climate Change Plan for Canada which includes strategies to promote energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable transportation and alternative energy sources.
  
• The Environment: Budget 2003 invested an additional $1 billion in a variety of informal projects including cleaning up of federal contaminated sites, improving air and water quality, supporting assessment and management of toxic substances, and establishing and maintaining parks and conservation areas.

INVESTING IN CANADIANS

• Infrastructure: Budget 2003 provided an additional $3 billion to improve Canada's infrastructure. This investment will add $2 billion to the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund and create a new $1 billion Municipal Infrastructure Fund.
  
• Homelessness and Housing: Our last budget extended The Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative by three years with a $405 million investment in order to help communities sustain their efforts to fight homelessness. Budget 2003 also added $320 million to our Affordable Housing Initiative bringing our total investment to $1 billion by the end of 2007/08.
  
• Agriculture: $5.2 billion has been invested over six years on a National Agricultural Policy Framework which addresses food safety and quality, environment, science and innovation, renewal, and risk-management.
  
• Early Childhood Development Initiative: An agreement between the federal and provincial governments has been reached to help ensure a good start for young Canadians. The Federal Government has invested $2.2 billion over five years to fund these programs.
  
• Compassionate Care Leave: Budget 2003 provided a six-week compassionate care leave for people who must take time off from their jobs to care for gravely ill or dying family members. The maternity and parental leave benefits under Employment Insurance had also been doubled to 50 weeks in 2000.
  
• Arts Funding: Over three years, $5 million will be invested in arts and culture. This is the biggest investment in the arts by any Canadian government in more than 40 years.

CANADA AND THE WORLD

• Strengthening Canada's Military: In Budget 2003, we provided an additional $1 billion for our Armed Forces.
  
• The War on Terror: Canada has made important contributions to the international coalition against terror, including our contribution of troops and other support for Operation Apollo in Afghanistan. We also ratified the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism which aims to curb terrorist acts by cutting off sources of funding to terrorist organizations.
  
• Security at Home: In December 2001, Canada and the United States agreed to the Smart Border initiative in order to expedite the flow of legitimate goods and people across the border while addressing security risks. In addition, Budget 2001 provided $7.7 billion over five years to enhance security for Canadians. Budget 2003 provided an additional $75 million over the next two years for the Security Contingency Reserve, to enable the government to respond to unforeseen security needs.
  
• International Assistance: Canada is taking an active role in Iraq's reconstruction with the commitment of more than $300 million in humanitarian aid for the Iraqi people. To help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, we increased international aid by $100 million in 2001. In addition budget 2003 provided $500 million for the Africa Fund to encourage the creation of a new partnership to promote Africa's development and an additional $1.4 billion for the international assistance envelope over the next three years.
  
• New Immigration And Citizenship Legislation: The new Immigration And Refugee Protection Act came into effect in June 2002. It modernizes Canada's immigration policy by being tough on those who pose a threat to Canadian security, while working to attract the skilled immigrants we need in Canada. In addition, Budget 2003 invested $41 million to help integrate skilled immigrants into the Canadian labour market and society. In addition, Parliament is currently considering Bill C-18, The Citizenship Act, which reaffirms the rights and freedoms of Canadians.

JUSTICE

• Youth Justice: The new Youth Criminal Justice Act emphasizes prevention and distinguishes between minor offences and those that are more serious or violent. The Youth Justice Renewal Initiative aims to rehabilitate young offenders, to reintegrate them into society, to ensure meaningful consequences, and to help prevent crime.
  
• Child Protection: Changes to the Criminal Code to protect children from sexual exploitation came into force in July 2002. The new legislation makes it illegal to use the Internet to lure children in order to commit a sexual offence against that child, as well as to transmit, make available, export or access child pornography. Those found guilty of making child pornography and of Internet-luring can be designated as long-term offenders.
  
• Organized Crime: Aggressive new measures to fight organized crime came into force in January 2002. These changes include tougher sentences for criminals and protection from intimidation for people who play a role in the justice system. We have ratified the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime Capital, which obliges countries to criminalize certain conduct, such as criminal conspiracy, money laundering, corruption and obstruction of justice. The Convention is also designed to improve information sharing and law- enforcement cooperation among parties to facilitate the fight against organized crime.

INCREASING PUBLIC TRUST

• Ethics: on May 23, 2002, the Prime Minister introduced an eight-point action plan on ethics. The goal of this action plan is to improve public trust in government and Parliament. The Bill is currently being considered in Parliament.
  
• Political Financing: On June 19, 2003, Parliament passed the government's legislation regarding political party financing. The Act will ban corporate donations, except for a small amount at local level and limit personal deductions to political parties to $10,000. The Act also requires full disclosure by all political participants of all political donations. This Act comes into effect on January 1, 2004.

Two years ago, I chaired a special committee of Parliament to consider how we examined the Estimates, which are the budgets of the various departments of government. Standing Committees have general responsibilities but in view of the sheer size of government, I recommended the creation of a new Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates. That Standing Committee was created in June 2002 and I am pleased to serve as one of its members. I believe this committee is one of the most powerful in Parliament because it has the latitude to look into virtually any aspect of government.

Last spring, our Committee undertook to look at the operations and activities of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner which was headed by Mr. George Radwanski. As an officer of Parliament, Mr. Radwanski has the authority to operate independently but remains fully accountable to Parliament, who approved his appointment. There was some question about his independence and accountability and Mr. Radwanski offered to provide a letter he had written to the Justice Department which explained his position. On receipt of that letter, it was noted that one paragraph had been deleted which was confirmed by comparing it to a copy of the letter originally sent to the Justice Department.

On confronting Mr. Radwanski with the deletion, he explained that his staff had misunderstood his instructions to prepare a summary of the letter excluding the point made in the missing paragraph which he felt was not relevant to the matter before Parliament. According to Mr. Radwanski, he was in Vancouver and had made the instructions by phone. His explanation was plausible and would have been accepted in normal circumstances. However, one of the staff members contacted the committee to advise that the story Mr. Radwanski had given was not true. This employee was a whistle-blower and who was concerned about losing their job.
Under the circumstances, the committee decided to pursue the contradiction. With the advice of legal counsel and with the support of experts in parliamentary procedure, we scheduled a series of in camera meetings. This means that the hearings would not be open to the public and there would be no public transcript made available. As well, witnesses would be placed under oath and their identity and our discussions would be kept secret. For any witness, committee member or authorized support personnel to disclose any information about our proceedings would have constituted a contempt of Parliament.

With these rules in place, more employees came forward with testimony which clearly contradicted Mr. Radwanski and which brought to light spending irregularities which have been referred to the Auditor General for a full investigation. That report is expected before the end of September 2003. Mr. Radwanski himself appeared at the beginning of the hearings and was also the last witness at the end. He was provided with all the evidence but publicly continued to deny any wrongdoing. The Committee issued an interim and final report by the end of June and concluded that Mr. Radwanski had deliberately misled parliament and had lost the confidence of the committee. The Committee report is a public document and is available from my office.

Since Mr. Radwanski was appointed by a vote of Parliament, he could only be removed from office by a vote of Parliament. Shortly after the report was issued, Mr. Radwanski resigned his office and an interim officer was appointed.

The Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates still has a responsibility to address the issue of contempt of Parliament. Mr. Radwanski and at least three employees gave false information under oath and the penalties can be severe. The Committee will complete its work in September and based on its report, Parliament may be asked to vote on the contempt charges.

As a member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Environment, I have become acutely aware of the risks to our environment and to the important role that we all can play in conserving our resources and reducing pollution. The average Canadian generates almost two kilograms of garbage every day - more than any other citizen in the world.

The best way to cut down on waste production is to reduce our consumption of products. We should re-use products as much as possible, before discarding them. Finally, when we recycle items, we are conserving our forestry and metal resources and reducing the pollution caused by manufacturing and by ordinary garbage disposal methods. For example, one family's yearly supply of newspapers can be recycled into enough insulation for one house.

Reduce

• Do not buy more than you really need. It costs you more and just ends up as garbage we can do without.
  
• Avoid over-packaged products which produce unnecessary garbage.
  
• Think twice before throwing away items that no longer work properly or are worn. Will repairing or refinishing them make more environmental sense than replacing them?
  
• Buy products that are well made and durable; that way you will reduce waste while saving yourself time and money.
  
• Look for the EcoLogo products that have a high content of recycled materials in their manufacture.

Re-use

• Be practical and creative in finding further uses for things instead of just discarding them.
  
• Empty glass jars and plastic containers can be used to store bulk food, workshop articles and odds and ends.
  
• Purchase reusable cloth bags for your weekly trips to the grocery store or for other shopping.
  
• Plastic shopping bags can be taken back to supermarkets for re-use, used as garbage bags instead of buying bags, or used to protect certain articles from dust and moisture.
  
• Cardboard boxes and paper bags can be used to store things or when packing items for your next move.
  
• Tin cans can be used to sort and store small household and workshop items, as indoor plant pots, and to place around garden plants as protection from insects.
  
• Wrapping paper, string, rubber bands and twist ties will soon be needed again.
  
• Clothing, toys, furniture and almost all other household items can be donated to social service groups for use or sale or you can sell them yourself at a garage sale.
  
• Books and magazines can be donated to hospitals, the seniors' residences, community organizations and schools.
  
• Many items can be donated to schools and day care centers for use in handicrafts.

Recycle

• Recycling can have a dramatic effect on the amount of energy used. The environmental costs of recovering, reusing, and recycling materials can be up to 100 times less than the environmental costs of producing new materials.
  
• Every ton of glass recycled reduces the equivalent of over 1 kg of carbon dioxide emissions
  
• The use of secondary paper resources instead of new materials results in a 74% reduction in air pollution, a 35% reduction in water pollution and a 58% reduction in water use.
  
• To help reduce pressures on our natural resources and build markets for recycled products, buy products made of recycled materials.

For more information visit Environment Canada at www.ec.gc.ca

In August 2001, I conducted a survey of a large number of constituents about spending priorities. At that time, prior to the terrorist attacks on the U.S., a number of responses questioned the spending on national defence and particularly our Armed Forces. A year later, the Department of National Defence started a Canadian Forces Parliamentary Program to give interested Members of Parliament an opportunity to experience life in the military.

Last spring, I applied and was selected to serve in the Canadian Air Force. The program requires a Member of Parliament to volunteer three weeks over a one-year period. During that time, there is an orientation, a military exercise and an international mission to be completed. MPs wear military uniforms and they work and live alongside Canadian Forces members whenever possible.

This August, I was stationed in Canadian Forces Base Greenwood in Nova Scotia as a member of 14 Wing Greenwood with the rank of Major. I was assigned to 405 Squadron responsible for Maritime Patrol. During the operations, I lived in barracks and had an opportunity to meet and to get to know many in our Air Force.

My squadron flew CP 140 Aurora aircraft, which are capable of being airborne for several hours and are equipped with sophisticated radar and tracking technology. During my stay, we flew two missions. The first was to patrol off Newfoundland and Labrador looking for vessels in Canadian waters and determining if they were authorized to be in those waters.

The second 8-hour mission was farther north near Baffin Island in international waters as part of Canada's support of international treaties related to marine security. During the two missions, 37 vessels were detected and identified for follow-up by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans or by the RCMP.
Vessels were identified by taking pictures at altitudes as low as 300 feet. With all the tight turns, I can tell you that it occasionally felt like a ride on a roller coaster at a speed of about 240 knots.

My last experience with a crew was to join them at the base in the flight simulator where they trained in tactics to detect submarines. The simulator is identical to the inside of the aircraft and allows the operators to simulate a submarine and put it through evasive maneuvers to test the crew’s skills. The Aurora aircraft has sonar tubes it can drop in the water to send out detection signals which can be picked up by the equipment on board the aircraft. They also have torpedoes which can be launched if necessary. When you work and live among these motivated and highly trained personnel, you get a better sense of the professionalism and dedication that these men and women have to protect the interests of Canada. Life is very fast-paced and they are always on call.

While I was stationed at Greenwood, 50 Air Force personnel boarded a plane for Afghanistan on a six-month tour. Initially I was scheduled to join them but the situation had become more unstable and even our Canadian base in Afghanistan was under threat of attack. The Department of National Defence would not permit MPs to be in harm's way but having lived and worked with those trained to do the job, it made me proud to think of how brave our military personnel are to take their place beside those of other countries.

Over the past year, I've had an opportunity to meet and to get to know many people in the military including their spouses and children. Military life is very tough on families. You can be away for six months, home for two months and then be shipped out for another tour. Some of their children told me they wanted to be a pilot too but others said they would never join. Today I have a deepened respect for our military personnel. My experience on this program will make me better able to consider the needs of our Armed Forces when they come before Parliament.

Visit us on the Internet: www.paulszabo.com

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