Dear Constituents,

I hope that you had a safe and enjoyable summer. Since this is my first householder since the election, I want you to know how very grateful I am for the opportunity to continue to serve as your Member of Parliament. My promise is to continue to work hard in a professional and responsible manner.

For me, the most important part of my job is to provide prompt service, support and assistance to all the people of Mississauga South. Since MPs spend so much time in Ottawa, they need a strong team in the constituency office and I have the best. Pictured with me on the cover are my team in Mississauga, Mrs. Joan Philips (seated) and Mrs. Irene Corridore.

Both have been with me for over 10 years and I have lost count of the number of times constituents told me what a terrific job they have done. They really know how to make people feel at ease. They are patient, courteous, professional and knowledgeable. As well, they have developed strong relationships with the various government departments and agencies with which they deal. Their extensive experience and expertise means that they can handle almost any challenge that comes their way. I am very grateful for their loyalty and all their hard work on behalf of the community.

Although I spend a great deal of time in Ottawa, I am in regular contact with my office so that I receive all my messages and correspondence. We also arrange for appointments with constituents on the days on which I plan to be in the riding. Do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of service.

The election last June resulted in a minority government and it is expected to be very challenging, as you have seen in media reports. The last minority government in Canada was in 1979 and it only lasted 9 months before there was another election.

The government has laid out its key objectives for the new Parliament and a copy of the Throne Speech is available from my office. The priorities are such that I expect several new pieces of legislation plus the re-introduction of Bills from the last Parliament. There is no shortage of work but the key will be the extent to which the various Parties can co-operate to make the Parliament work.

In the last Parliament, I served as the Chair of the Standing Committee of Government Operations and Estimates and also as the Vice Chair of the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development. After each election, Committees are re-established and the Committee Members elect their Chair and Vice Chairs. I have been asked to seek the position of Chair of the Finance Committee but no decisions have yet been made.

In this householder, I have prepared a few articles which may be of interest. These include the following:

• How you can get information on legislation
• How to get a passport
• Why non-citizens should get a Permanent Resident Card
• Summary of my private members Bills and Motions which have been tabled in the new Parliament
• About the new Ethics Commissioner for MPs
• Handling financial services complaints
• Feature article on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
• How to get congratulatory messages

If you need some information on a subject related to a federal matter, please do not hesitate to contact my office. If we do not know the answer, we know how to find out.

As always, I welcome your comments or questions on matters of interest or importance to you and you family.

Sincerely,

Paul Szabo, MP

If you are a Canadian citizen and may have to travel outside of Canada, you should have a passport. Any Canadian citizen may apply. Application forms may be obtained at any Post Office outlet, Local Passport office, from my office or by downloading the on-line form available at the Foreign Affairs website: www.dfait.gc.ca

After completing the application, you may:

• MAIL it directly to the Passport Office in Ottawa at the address provided in the application package – processing time is approximately 20 working days (4 weeks)
• DELIVER IN PERSON at a local Passport Office – processing time is 15 working days –

NOTE: there is an emergency service (proof of travel/emergency must be shown) with a 24 hour turnaround time at a cost of $70.00 plus the passport fee; or express service with 2-9 working days turnaround time at a cost of $30.00 plus the passport fee

You may also apply in person at any Passport office including Mississauga, Hamilton or Toronto (the addresses are listed in with the application package). You should note that the waiting times at passport offices could be very long. Due to the increased volume of passport applications, there will be two new offices opening this winter in Brampton and Toronto to help meet the demand. In the meantime, you may want to check your current passport expiry date. Note that some countries require that you passport have at least 6 months remaining before the expiry date.

Our local Passport Office is located at:
Central Parkway Mall
377 Burnhamthorpe Road East
Suite 116, Second Floor

You may also call Passport Telecentre # (416) 973-3251 for any other information you may require.

As of January 1, 2004, the Permanent Resident Card (PR Card) replaces the IMM 1000 Landing Document Form. If you are a Permanent Resident in Canada, and are not a Canadian citizen, you must apply for a PR Card and you should be aware that depending on when you landed in Canada, the time to obtain one can be long. The PR Card is required by Immigration upon re-entry into Canada. Therefore, if you are not a citizen and there may be reason for you to travel outside of Canada, apply as soon as possible.

Applications can be obtained:

• By calling the Citizenship & Immigration (CIC) Telecentre at 1-800-255-4541
• Downloading on-line form at www.cic.gc.ca (if you cannot or do not wish to pay fees on-line by Visa, Mastercard or American Express, you must obtain an original IMM5401 form for payment of fees to a financial institution. This form is not available on the website because it is an original receipt with a unique serial number)
• You may either pick up a form, or request a form be mailed to you from my constituency office at (905) 822-2111

If you travel outside Canada and do not have a PR Card, you can apply from any Canadian Embassy outside of Canada for a one time Re-entry Permit at a cost of $50.00. This is obtained at an in person visit and will be produced for you the same day as your application.

Processing time from the date you mail in your application until it is available for pick-up at the CIC Toronto office is approximately 4-6 months if you came to Canada before 1974. Processing time for those who came after 1973 are shorter since verification data is on the CIC computer and can be accessed quickly. If you must leave sooner and you are traveling by commercial carrier, include proof of travel with your application and mark the envelope “Urgent, Proof of Travel Enclosed” and it will be examined on a priority basis. For more information, contact my office.

As a Member of Parliament, my job involves a variety of aspects. My first responsibility is to serve the needs of my constituents in matters involving the Government of Canada. As well, it is important for me to inform myself about your views on issues facing our nation so that I can represent those views to the government and in Parliament when I speak on legislation.
Another important part of my job is to raise issues which the government should address. One important way that an M.P. can do this is by proposing Bills and Motions for debate in Parliament. These are optional and not all MPs sponsor Private Members Bills or Motions. However, I have had some success in the past where my initiatives have been adopted by the Government including:
· Amending the Employment Insurance Act to extend maternity and parental leave benefits to a full year. This was adopted by the Government on January 1, 2001.
· Amending the Income Tax Act to provide a “Caregiver Tax Credit” for those who provide care in the home to pre-school children, the chronically ill, the aged or the disabled. In 1997, the Government implemented a Caregiver Tax Credit in the Income Tax Act.
· Amending the Criminal Code to provide for stiffer sentences for those convicted of spousal or child abuse. This Motion was adopted and the Criminal Code was amended.

This summer, in preparation for the next session of Parliament, I prepared the following Bills and Motions which will be tabled on resumption of Parliament:

• Motion to amend the Criminal Code to define “Obscenity” in the Act to make the demeaning or degrading depiction of women, children and others an illegal act in Canada. Currently, the Criminal Code has no such definition and it could be helpful for combating the proliferation of pornography and especially child pornography.
• A Bill to amend the Food and Drugs Act to require health warning labels on the containers of beverage alcohol to caution expectant mothers and others on the risks. This is related to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome on which I have written a book. The fact is that consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is the leading known cause of mental retardation in Canada. Warning labels have been used in the US since 1989.
• Create a Public Safety Officers Act to provide a benefit to the families of police officers, fire fighters and other public safety officers who lose their lives in the line of duty. In the US, surviving families are eligible for up to $250,000. Our Canadian firefighters have been advocating for this compensation fund for over 10 years.

In the last Parliament, I also had a series of 17 motions on how we can help seniors. These will also be tabled in Parliament and include the following objectives:

• Implement a Guaranteed Annual Income for Seniors
• Establishing Provincial, Territorial and regional poverty lines;
• Eliminating mandatory retirement for seniors at age 65;
• Examining the need for improvements in homecare, pharmacare, affordable housing and other community supports and the need to regulate nursing homes;
• Examining the taxation of seniors and the adequacy of pensions and income supplements;
• Establishing the Offices of Physician General of Canada and a Secretary of State for Seniors;
• Developing a public education campaign to combat “Ageism” (age discrimination);
• Enhancing Caregiver Tax Credits, creating new benefits under the Employment Insurance and Canada Pension Plans and increasing the Medical Expenses Tax Credits;
• Adopting stiffer sentences for those convicted of elder abuse or of defrauding seniors; and
• Adopting a “Bill of Rights for Seniors”.

If you would like any information on these matters, please contact my constituency office.

“My son has fetal alcohol syndrome. He was diagnosed at age 8. I got pregnant between high school and college. I was a social drinker and have never had any problems with alcohol. I did not know I was pregnant until I was three-and-a-half months along. I stopped drinking then, but it was too late. The damage was done. Though I did not set out to harm my child, I did, and now I need to do whatever I can to make things easier for him.”

Mother of an FAS child

For several years, I have pursued a variety of initiatives related to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. It is incurable but 100% preventable and public education is a very large part of the solution. I have submitted a Private Members Bill on this issue and this feature should give you the basic information you should know and may wish to share with others. We can all be part of the solution.

Every week, as many as 10,000 babies are born in Canada. Of these, 3 are born with Muscular Dystrophy, 4 are born with HIV infection, 8 are born with Spina Bifida, 10 are born with Downs Syndrome, 20 are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and 100 are born with other alcohol-related birth defects.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, commonly known as FAS, refers to a group of physical and mental birth defects. Its primary symptoms include growth deficiency before and after birth, central nervous system dysfunction resulting in learning disabilities, and physical malformities in the face and cranial areas.

Other alcohol-related birth defects involve central nervous damage like FAS but without the physical abnormalities. Since FAS is incurable, most victims will usually require special care throughout their lives. Depending on the severity, the estimated lifetime cost for the care of an FAS victim ranges from $3 million to $6 million.

The secondary symptoms of FAS victims relate to quality of life characteristics as follows:

90% have mental health problems;
60% will be expelled or suspended from school or drop out;
60% will get into trouble with the law;
50% will go to jail or be confined in an institution;
50% will exhibit inappropriate sexual behaviour;
30% will abuse drugs or alcohol;
80% will not be capable of living independently; and
80% will have employment problems.

Alcohol is a drug and a toxic substance that can harm the fetus even at relatively low levels of exposure. Unfortunately, many do not believe this fact because of the mixed messages they have received. In 1992, the Federal Minister of Health stated that, “Changes in fetal breathing and reduction of fetal blood flow to the developing brain have been linked to the ingestion of a single drink during pregnancy.” However, in October 1996, a Joint Statement of 18 organizations recommended that “Health professionals should inform women who consumed small amounts of alcohol occasionally during pregnancy, that the risk to the fetus in most situations is likely minimal.”

The terms moderate, social, and occasional drinking are all too loosely used in much of the literature. The degree of risk of these vague levels of consumption is also affected by factors such as the time in the pregnancy cycle, the amount of alcohol, genetics and nutrition. The literature, for the most part, suggests that everyone has to assess their own situation and define the terms for themselves. There is no standard nor consistency. However, experts do agree that “binge” drinking (five or more drinks on a single occasion) causes the most devastating effects on the fetus since it so sharply increases the amount of alcohol in the blood flow to the baby’s brain over a very short time frame. On the other hand, some women who are alcoholics or heavy drinkers can occasionally deliver healthy babies. Is it any wonder that so many people are unsure or do not believe that low levels of alcohol consumption can hurt their unborn child?

Harm can also occur at any time during the pregnancy, even during the first month when most women do not even know that they are pregnant. Research findings suggest that days 15 to 22 is the period of pregnancy during which facial and cranial deformities could be caused by alcohol consumption. That is why women shouldn’t wait until they are pregnant before they stop drinking.

Over 50% of pregnancies are unplanned. Therefore, if a woman is sexually active and pregnancy is possible, she should abstain from consuming alcohol to totally eliminate the risk of harming their child. To choose not to abstain is the same as playing Russian roulette with the life-long health and well being of the child.

There is no recommended safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and therefore the prudent choice for women is to abstain. Everyone in Canada should know that fact and they should have ready access to clear, concise, consistent and correct information about the risks and consequences associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

FAS is most often described as the leading known cause of mental retardation. While it is true that it is more prevalent than both Down Syndrome and Spina Bifida, FAS is not the cause. The simple fact is that consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is the one and only cause.

FAS is a societal issue and we all have a vested interest and a role to play in reducing its incidence. Therefore, when we are in the company of a family member, friend or acquaintance, who is drinking and becoming at risk of harming themselves or others, we should intervene in an appropriate fashion to ensure that they do not become just another tragic statistic.

If we could prevent even a small percentage of alcohol-related birth defects, the savings in health, social program, educational and criminal justice costs would be many times more than the cost of an effective national prevention strategy. More importantly, we could eliminate so much human misery and suffering which is the essence of a caring society.

From time to time, constituents have suggested that I should include information in my householders on the Bills before Parliament and details about other current affairs issues before Parliament or the Government. Occasionally I have addressed some specific items which I may personally be involved in but the volume of Bills and issues is far too great. In the last Parliament there were more than 75 Bills.

You can however access every Bill through my web site or the Parliament of Canada site at www.parl.gc.ca. Other information is also available on any Bill through my office. The various government departments produce commentaries on their legislation and other talking points which highlight the key issues and provisions of their Bills.

By far the best source of information on legislation and emerging issues is the Parliamentary web site which is updated daily. You can look at the speeches that are delivered in the House and also see the transcripts of committee meetings reviewing the legislation. At committee, expert witnesses appear to express their views on the Bills and the Members of Parliament ask them questions to focus on aspects of concern to them. By looking at the indexes, you can read everything that has ever been said on a particular subject going back as far as 1994. You can also see transcripts of every time that I have spoken in Parliament which is over 1,000.

Members of Parliament are permitted to produce 4 householders per year. It takes about 2 weeks to prepare and print the publication and then Canada Post has up to 3 weeks to deliver it to the riding. Householders therefore cannot report information on a very timely basis. That is why I have tried to include information that might not be readily available elsewhere or which might be of interest to the general public.

If you have any suggestions on matters you would like to see in a householder, please let me know.

From time to time, constituents have come to me about problems they have had with the financial services industry such as banks, insurance companies and investment firms. There is a relatively new complaints network called Financial Services OmbudsNework which may be helpful to you.

Through the industry-sponsored Network, consumers across Canada have access to a free one-stop assistance and referral agency for resolving problems with financial products and services.

The consumer assistance and referral service can put you in touch with the right complaint-handling contact. If you are not sure where to begin, or if you run into problems along the way or if you need assistance in determining the next steps, you can call their toll free number at 1-866-538-3766. They also have a web site www.cfson-crcsf.ca which provides tips, helpful links, sample complaint letters, and access to an online complaint tool.

Most complaints are resolved at the company level. All of the more than 800 banking, insurance and investment firms within the OmbudsNetwork have complaint-handling procedures in place. If you have a problem, start by following the firm’s own process. If the company has issue its final position letter and you are still unhappy, you may still pursue the complaint with this independent ombudservice.

To reduce the risk of problems occurring, be an informed consumer. Ask questions if you do not understand, be sure to keep all papers and keep a record of all relevant information, names numbers etc.

Finally, before you sign anything, make sure you understand:

• what you and your financial provider have agreed to do;
• whether there are any exceptions to these promises;
• and what you should do if something goes wrong.
  

In the last Parliament, MPs adopted a new Conflict of Interest Code for the Members of the House of Commons. Mr. Bernard J. Shapiro is the new Ethics Commissioner is and he reports to Parliament. The purposes of this new code are to:

• maintain and enhance public confidence and trust in the integrity of members, as well as the respect and confidence that society places in the House of Commons and as an institution;
• demonstrate to the public that members are held to standards that place the public interest ahead of their private interests and to provide a transparent system by which the public may judge this to be the case;
• provide for greater certainty and guidance for members in how to reconcile their private interests with their public duties and functions; and
• foster consensus among members by establishing common standards and providing the means by which questions relating to proper conduct may be answered by an independent, non-partisan adviser.

As a result, the code requires each Member of Parliament to file, with the Commissioner, a full statement disclosing their private interest and those of their family including their souse and children. Once Disclosure Statements are file for the MP and each member of their family, the Ethics Commissioner will prepare a Disclosure Summary which will be made available for public viewing. The Disclosure Summary will include: the sources and nature of income; a list of assets and liabilities having a value of $10,000 or more; the subject-matter and nature of any contracts with the Government of Canada; and the name of companies which are related to any private corporation in which an interest is held.

For more information, you can call the Office of the Ethics Commissioner toll free at 1-800-328-6189 or write to him at 66 Slater Street, 22nd Floor, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5H1.

Visit us on the Internet: www.paulszabo.com

Mississauga Office Hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments can be scheduled during office hours or other arrangements can be made by calling the office.

Constituents may write to any Member of Parliament or Cabinet Minister postage free. Simply address your envelope to the particular Member, c/o House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6. Your views and suggestions are important.