Spring 2001

Dear Constituents,

On January 29th, the first session of the 37th Parliament commenced with the election of a new Speaker of the House of Commons. The following day, the Government delivered its Throne Speech to outline its program for the new Parliament. I have provided highlights in this report and a copy of the speech is available from my office or on my web site www.paulszabo.com.

On the cover, I am pictured with Mr. William Corbett, the Clerk of the House of Commons, who presided over my swearing in ceremony. Mr. Corbett has broad responsibilities related to the operations and administration of Parliament. He also occupies the chair immediately in front of the Speaker of the House and provides advice and guidance to the Speaker as necessary. Many of you will recognize him as the person who announces the results of votes taken in Parliament.

The Throne Speech was particularly notable for me because of its specific commitment to reduce the incidence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). As you may know, I have worked on this issue since 1995 and I was very pleased to have my work recognized by the Prime Minister in his first speech in this Parliament.

FAS has finally become a priority issue and the Minister of Health has set up a National Advisory Committee which consulted with me on the research I have conducted. The Committee will recommend strategies to address primary prevention, research needs and support to victims and their families. I have been asked by the Minister to continue to consult with the Committee to help ensure that their proposals are realistic and achievable.

In addition, a motion has been proposed to the House that health warning labels should be placed on the containers of alcoholic beverages to caution expectant mothers and others of the risks associated with alcohol consumption. I will be seconding the motion once it comes up for debate and a vote will be taken to indicate to the Government the level of support that exists. Until that time I will be seeking the support of the Provincial Ministers of Health and from the main groups involved in child health.

I am also pleased to inform you that I have been appointed by the Prime Minister as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC). While there will be no changes to my work in my Mississauga office, I am now working with and backing up the Minister in Ottawa. This includes such responsibilities as answering questions for him during Question Period and delivering speeches and representing him on official business.

The Ministry has broad responsibilities including The Canada Information Office, Canada Post, CMHC, Canada Lands and The Royal Canadian Mint. The Ministry also is responsible for providing services to all government departments. These include central purchasing and asset disposal, telecommunications, information management and technology, property and building management, project management, implementing sound environmental practices, and banking and disbursing services to name a few. PWGSC has a local number 416-512-5500 and a web site www.pwgsc.gc.ca if you would like more information.

In my last Householder, I announced a public information forum on environmental issues to be held on January 23rd. I am pleased to report that the meeting was very well attended and covered a broad range of issues raised by the residents in attendance. I have included a brief report inside and a detailed report is available from my office or on my web site. I want to thank all who were able to attend the meeting and to help demonstrate the urgent priority we place on environmental issues. For your information, I wrote a letter to the Mississauga News which is reproduced inside and I have also prepared an article outlining the role and recent actions of the Government of Canada.

I hope that you find this householder to be informative and I welcome your comments or questions.

Sincerely,

In addition to my Parliamentary responsibilities, I have pursued a number of private member's bills and motions on issues related to families and children. One issue which caught my attention in 1994 was FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome). FAS refers to physical and mental birth defects caused by consuming alcohol during pregnancy. It is incurable and affects its victims throughout their lives. 90% have mental retardation; 60% will drop out or be suspended from school; 60% will get in trouble with the law; 50% will go to jail or be confined to an institution; 50% will exhibit inappropriate sexual behaviour; 30% will abuse drugs or alcohol; 80% will not be able to live independently; and 80% will have employment problems.

Since that time, I have spoken in Parliament and at public forums about the issue on numerous occasions and last year, I also wrote a book on the subject. Last year, I also learned about new findings: the facial deformities characteristic of FAS victims are established between days 15 and 22 of pregnancy when most women do not know they are pregnant; justice officials suspected that half of the inmates in our jails suffer from FAS; and many of the gasoline sniffing aboriginal children were found to have FAS. These developments pushed the issue over the top and I was delighted to learn that the government had made reduction of FAS one of its priorities in the 2001 Throne Speech.

Health Canada has established a National Advisory Committee and in February, announced $800,000 in funding for strategic projects on primary prevention, research and social assistance. In addition, a motion is now before the House of Commons to consider health warning labels on the containers of alcoholic beverages. I had first proposed this initiative in 1995 and it should be voted on before the summer. I am encouraged by the growing interest in FAS and I intend to keep working towards solutions.

January 31, 2001

PM Pays Tribute to Mississauga South MP

OTTAWA: Today, in his address in Parliament in reply to the Speech From The Throne, Prime Minister Chretien paid tribute to the work of Paul Szabo, MP for Mississauga South. One of the Government priorities for the new mandate is to reduce the incidence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. In that regard, the Prime Minister said:

"We must significantly reduce the incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome in our aboriginal communities. We pledge to be part of a national effort to achieve this goal. I will tell the House of Commons that there is a Member of Parliament, the member for Mississauga South, who has written books about the issue. He has spoken about the issue in caucus and in the House for years. He is a backbencher who had an idea that he felt strongly about. He talked about it for years and now it has become one of the priorities of the government."

Mr. Szabo has been a tireless advocate for responsible use of alcohol and prevention of FAS since 1995. In March 2000, he also published his latest book: "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - The Real Brain Drain" which is on his web site www.paulszabo.com.

"Every Member of Parliament strives to have an influence on the work of Parliament and it is very gratifying for me to have my work recognized by the Prime Minister before my peers in the House of Commons. I am honoured by the tribute and I intend to continue the fight on prevention of the incidence of FAS." said Mr. Szabo.

Each year, thousands of students from schools across Canada visit the Parliament Buildings. For most students, this is an experience of a lifetime and Members of Parliament do whatever they can to make it a very special occasion.

On February 1st, almost 100 students from Tecumseh Public School received a special treat during their visit. Prime Minister Chretien paid a surprise visit to greet the students and to pose for a picture. The students also had an opportunity to ask questions and from all accounts, they had a great visit to Ottawa.

Congratulations to the all the teachers and parents who helped these students to have this special opportunity. It takes a great deal of planning but it is well worth the effort. If your school would like to consider such a trip, my office would be pleased to help out.

Secretary of State, Jim Peterson and Prime Minister Chretien join Mississauga South MP, Paul Szabo to greet Tecumseh School.

Tecumseh Public School Visits Parliament - February 1, 2001

In my last householder, I published a notice of a Public Information Meeting on Environmental Issues. Of particular interest were the plans for the Lakeview Generating Station and the proposed Southdown gas-fired hydro plant. This meeting was held on Tuesday, January 23rd at Port Credit Secondary School and was attended by over 300 residents.

The participants included representatives of The Peel Medical Officer of Health (MOH), Environment Canada (EC), Sithe Energies Canadian Development Limited (Sithe), Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE). Each participant made brief opening remarks and 51 questions were posed during the meeting.

My full Report on the Proceedings is 30 pages long and can be obtained through my office or on my Internet site. The following are some highlights from the report:

• MOH confirmed increases in asthma and respiratory problems associated with the quality of our air. Also stated that current air quality guidelines were insufficient to be protective of human health.
  
• MOE stated that no final decision had been made on whether an environmental assessment would be done for the Sithe plant.
  
• MOE said that new regulations for the electricity sector would reduce emissions by 45%.
  
• Sithe has conducted a comprehensive environmental review including a health risk assessment which is being reviewed by MOE and by consultants who are being overseen by the City of Mississauga and the Region of Peel.
  
• EC confirmed that as much as 50% of the bad air we breathe in southern Ontario comes from the Ohio valley which relies primarily on coal to produce its hydro.
  
• OPG has recommended that Lakeview be converted to gas and the Province has said it is not a matter of "if" it will happen but rather "when".
  
• Lakeview is polluting 3 times more than it did in 1996. OPG does not expect the operations to increase and confirmed that they would continue to invest in other ways to reduce emissions while they are waiting for it to be sold or converted.
  
• OPG stated that the periodic foul smells coming north from the Lakeview area were from the adjacent sewage treatment plant.
  
• On the potential impacts of the Southdown plant on our community, Sithe said residue emissions other than those which create acid rain and smog, will be a fraction of the established limits. Air monitoring studies have been conducted and are being reviewed by MOE, the City and the Region.
  
• MOH confirmed that on occasion, cancer or other health problems occur more frequently in some neighbourhoods than in others. These clusters are investigated by MOH.
  
• With regard to alternative forms of energy production, MOE noted there are programs to promote such initiatives but they are not yet very competitive in terms of price. In an open market place, they will be available if the consumer wishes.
  
• MOE said they regularly monitor and report to the public on 28 pollutants. Under proposed regulations, the monitoring will be extended to all major sources of emissions and will cover 358 pollutants.
  
• With regard to the increased sulphur and asphalt smells from the PetroCanada plant, an official of PetroCan confirmed there was a problem with their operations and it would be fixed.

These points reflect only a small portion of the report but I think you can see that the issues were substantive. The feedback from residents was very positive and I thank all of those who were able to attend for their input. Based on the dialogue at the meeting and my discussions with residents and the participants, I wrote a letter to the Mississauga News. A copy is included in this report.

The Federal Government has 3 essential areas of responsibility related to air quality. These are transboundary pollution, Canadian vehicle emission standards and monitoring and reporting on pollutants causing smog.

On February 19th, the Environment Minister, David Anderson, announced a $120.2 million clean air action plan to protect the health of Canadians. The 10 year strategy includes steps to reduce transboundary pollution; to ensure cleaner vehicles and fuels; to reduce the emission of smog pollutants from industrial sectors; to initiate more clean air science; to improve the national network of pollutant monitoring stations and expansion of the public reporting by industry on pollutant releases; and to help Canadians and communities who want to take their own clean air actions.

While domestic action is the first priority, transboundary measures to curb air pollution are particularly important. Studies have shown that between 30% and 90% of smog in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada comes from the United States during the summer. Last year in response to the facts, the Government negotiated The Ozone Annex under the Canada-US Air Quality Agreement. It includes commitments by both countries to dramatically reduce the smog-causing pollutants, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, that cause ground level ozone to form and which cause health and other environmental problems.

By significantly reducing the transboundary flows of air pollutants causing smog, the Ozone Annex will benefit 16 million people in central and eastern Canada. It has also opened the door to the next round of discussions to address the concerns of millions of Canadians and Americans who live on the border of British Columbia and Washington State.

Vehicle emissions are the single largest cause of smog. For that reason, the 10 year plan will bring cleaner engines and cleaner fuels to Canadian cars, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, tractors, heavy duty diesel equipment and small engines such as snowblowers, lawnmowers and leaf blowers. The plan will also ensure that Canadian vehicle and fuel standards are in line with the stringent requirements in the United States starting in the 2004 model year.

For the immediate period, while new vehicle and engine regulations are being developed, a comprehensive set of voluntary agreements have been put into place that require manufacturers and importers to provide equipment offerings in Canada equivalent to the new US standards.

Canada is reducing sulfur in gasoline through regulations that require reductions across Canada to 150 parts per million by 2002 and to 30 parts per million starting in 2005. The reductions are especially important in Ontario which has the highest sulfur levels in gasoline in Canada. These regulations will avoid over the next 20 years, more than 2,000 premature deaths, 93,000 cases of bronchitis in children and 11 million incidents of respiratory problems such as asthma attacks.

Canada maintains two air monitoring networks. The National Air Pollution Network (NAPS) and the Canadian Air and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CAPMON). Under the 10 year plan, Canada will invest $29 million to expand and refurbish federal and provincial networks of monitoring stations across Canada. The new funding will ensure that these networks meet the monitoring and measurement requirements of the Ozone Annex and the Canada-Wide Standards for Particulate Matter and Ozone.

Full details on the 10 year plan and on other environmental issues are available on Environment Canada's web site at www.ec.gc.ca.

On January 31st, the Governor General presented Throne Speech 2001 to outline the government's plan for the new Parliament. The following are some brief highlights:

• Income taxes will be reduced by $100 billion over 5 years. The average personal taxes will be reduced by 21% and will be 27% less for families with children.
  
• Cash transfers to the Provinces and Territories will be increased by $18.9 billion over 5 years.
  
• To encourage life-long learning, the government will create Registered Individual Learning Accounts to make it easier to plan for and finance learning needs.
  
• To make Canada one of the most innovative countries in the world, we will double our investment in Research and Development by 2010.
  
• To connect Canadians to the digital economy, we will build a state-of-the-art high speed information infrastructure.
  
• For children and families, we will take action to help disadvantaged families with children to break the cycle of poverty and dependency and ensure that all families have access to the services and supports they need.
  
• For cleaner air, we will implement the agreement with the US leading to a 90% reduction in smog-causing vehicle emissions.
  
• For safer communities, we will introduce laws on organized crime, cybercrime, terrorism and Young Offenders.
  
• We will help to strengthen our communities by helping with public transit infrastructure and affordable housing.
  
• Trade and investment, promoting Canadian culture and promoting global opportunities are also key priorities.

A copy of the Speech from the Throne and a complete set of talking points are available through my office and on my internet site, www.paulszabo.com, under "Current Events".

Special personal messages of congratulations may be requested for those Birthdays and Anniversaries listed below. As these events are very important occasions, you may want to request a message, when applicable, from Her Majesty The Queen, the Governor General and the Prime Minister of Canada.

Greetings from Her Majesty the Queen are available for 100th Birthdays and every 5th year thereafter, and 60th Wedding Anniversaries and every 5th year thereafter. Please note that copies of birth certificates and marriage certificates are required by Government House for messages from The Queen.

Birthdays

75th and over - message from the Prime Minister

90th - 99th - message from the Governor General

100th and over - message from Her Majesty The Queen (copy of birth certificate required)

Wedding Anniversaries

25th and over - message from the Prime Minister

50th - 59th - message from the Governor General

60th and over - message from Her Majesty The Queen (copy of marriage certificate required)

Please complete this form to inform us of the occasion and return it postage free to my Constituency Office.

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.