Dear Constituents,

Parliament has been sitting since April 4th and my workload has been very heavy having taken on a number of new responsibilities. Being an Opposition Member is a whole new experience because the onus is now on you to hold the government accountable for its action or inaction.

The new Government has introduced a Budget and some Bills to implement its plans and some to reintroduce legislation which was not completed in the last Parliament. There are some matters which cause me some concern already, such as the withdrawal of Canadian support for the Kyoto Accord to address climate change. There seems to be a pattern of decisions which I can only describe as the Americanization of Canada.

As well, the Government has been reluctant to respect the decisions of Parliament. In a minority situation, the Government needs the support of other Parties to win votes but has been all to willing to threaten to call an election if they do not get their way. The last minority government lasted only 18 months and although Canadians do not want another election soon, it appears that the current Government is looking for another election as soon as they think they might win a majority. Hopefully common sense will prevail and the Government will try to make Parliament work.

On the cover, I am pictured with Tom Wilkinson and his adoptive mother. There is a story inside about “Tom’s Walk”.

I hope that you and your family have an enjoyable summer season and as always, I welcome your questions and comments on matters of importance to you.

Sincerely,

Paul Szabo

After millions of years of remaining constant, greenhouse gas levels, particularly CO2, started to climb sharply at the beginning of the industrial revolution. They are now almost certainly higher than they have been in 20 million years. This is not a natural fluctuation. It is a side effect of us humans diligently burning the oil, coal and forests. These greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, much like a giant greenhouse. The heating is called global warming.

Global warming has already reduced the depth of the winter polar ice cap since the 1970s by 40%. Polar bears will become extinct if the ice retreat continues. 90% of all glaciers on the planet have retreated significantly in the last 50 years. As the white reflective snow melts, it leaves behind the darker earth which is even more efficient at absorbing solar energy. This causes an acceleration of the heating effect.

So what? Who likes snow and ice? Consider:

• The computer models show up to a metre sea level rise over the next 100 years.
• More heat means more energy in the atmosphere. This means more turbulent weather. Super hurricanes will cause millions in property damage.
• More heat means a redistribution of rain patterns. We are now seeing freakish storms all over the world that dump many feet of water in a single day where previously even an inch would have been considered a major downpour. This also means droughts in places that previously had abundant rainfall. For the first time in history, Canada had to import grain because of droughts. For the first time in history, rainy Vancouver's drinking water reservoirs were almost empty.

Wouldn't it be nice to live in a warmer climate? There are at least three drawbacks:

• You may find you have to run your air conditioner year round. Where are we going to get all the extra electricity to run the air conditioners? By the law of supply and demand, electricity prices will go through the roof, and you may find yourself unable to afford to run your air conditioner.
• With higher temperatures, water evaporates more quickly. Global warming disrupts rainfall patterns bringing extra rain to some places and drought to others. For those in drought, tap water will have to be brought in from further and further away. This means higher water bills. It also means skyrocketing food costs since the farmers need huge amounts of water for irrigation. Every degree rise requires 10% more water just to break even.
• If you live in Alberta or Saskatchewan or in the Ganges river valley, your tap water comes from glacier meltwater. Those regions will experience summer water shortages.
• The trees can't pack up and move to a cooler climate. We lost many of our grand fir trees in the summer of 2002 due to heat and drought. You would pretty well have to cut them down and replant with new heat-tolerant, drought-tolerant species. It will take a generation for the newly planted forests to mature.

The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement under which industrialized countries will reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2% compared to the year 1990 (but note that, compared to the emissions levels that would be expected by 2010 without the Protocol, this target represents a 29% cut). The goal is to lower overall emissions of six greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, HFCs, and PFCs - calculated as an average over the five-year period of 2008-12. National targets range from 8% reductions for the European Union to permitted increases of 8% for Australia. Other countries, like India and China, which have ratified the protocol, are not required to reduce carbon emissions under the present agreement.

The objective is the "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous interference with the climate system"

The treaty was negotiated in Kyoto, Japan in December 1997, opened for signature on March 16, 1998, and closed on March 15, 1999. The agreement came into force on February 16, 2005. As of April 2006, a total of 163 countries have ratified the agreement representing over 61.6% of emissions.

On December 17, 2002, Canada ratified the treaty. While numerous polls have shown support for the Kyoto protocol around 70%, there is still some opposition, particularly by some business groups, non-governmental climate scientists and energy concerns, using arguments similar to those being used in the US. There is also a fear that since US companies will not be affected by the Kyoto Protocol that Canadian companies will be at a disadvantage in terms of trade.

In 2005, the result was limited to an ongoing "war of words", primarily between the government of Alberta (Canada's primary oil and gas producer) and the federal government. There are even fears that Kyoto could threaten national unity, especially in Alberta.

After the January 2006 election, the Conservative Party minority government expressed opposition to Kyoto and announced that Canada would have no chance of meeting its targets under Kyoto, and would instead look to participate in U.S. sponsored Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. "We've been looking at the Asia-Pacific Partnership for a number of months now because the key principles around [it] are very much in line with where our government wants to go.”

On May 2, 2006, it was reported that environmental funding designed to meet the Kyoto standards has been cut. The One-Tonne Challenge (to educate the public on how they can help) and Energuide (subsidies for making homes more energy efficient) programs have both been cancelled. In late May, the Government instructed its negotiators at the Kyoto meetings in Germany that Canada no longer supports the current agreement.

These developments are very disturbing and represent a total rejection of the International concerns about the urgency to address global warming. The pressure from the US on many fronts and the reluctance of the government to deal with the large emitters particularly in the oil and gas sectors in Alberta seem to indicate that political priorities rank ahead of the priorities of Canadians.

Over the past 12 years, I have taken a special interest in what was then called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). It is now called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum of Disorders (FASD) because there is a range of physical and mental health damage that could result. This is an incurable but preventable condition which involves brain damage caused by alcohol consumed by the mother during pregnancy.

The alcohol in beer, wine or liquor is ethanol which is a poison. Once ingested, the ethanol gets into the blood stream of the fetus and because the fetal liver is so poorly developed, it takes about 4 times longer for the alcohol to be metabolized (broken down) than it would for the mother. Even though the mother may feel fine, the ethanol continues to dissolve the brain cells of the child and cause neurological damage and physical deformities.

In fact, maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is the leading known cause of mental retardation in Canada. It is also estimated that as much as 50% of the inmates in the jails of Canada suffer from FASD.

Individuals with FASD live with attention and memory deficits, hyperactivity and poor impulse control. As a result, adults with FASD have difficulty maintaining successful independence. They have trouble in school, keeping jobs or sustaining healthy relationships.

The most vulnerable period for the unborn child is days 15 to 22 of pregnancy. Since most women do not know they are pregnant at this time, it is not adequate to say that if you are pregnant, you should abstain from alcohol. Therefore, if pregnancy is possible - you are in your birthing years, sexually active and not using protection, the best advice is abstain from alcohol to eliminate the risk of permanently damaging your unborn child.
On May 9th, I had the pleasure of welcoming Tom Wilkinson and Mrs. Jill Dockrill, his adoptive mother, to my office on Parliament Hill. Diagnosed with FASD, 28 year old Tom has just completed, for the second time, an 812 kilometre walk from Windsor to Ottawa to promote public awareness of FASD and to raise funds for public education information to be produced and distributed. During his courageous walk, Tom and his dog, Shadow, visited 23 cities and met with city officials to share his message.

On May 10th, Tom and his mother were invited to sit in the front row of the Speaker’s Gallery inside the House of Commons to be recognized and thanked by the Members of Parliament. The following is a transcript of my statement in the House:

Mr. Paul Szabo (Mississauga South, Lib.):
Hansard May 10. 2006

“Mr. Speaker, maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is the leading known cause of mental illness in Canada. Fetal alcohol syndrome and other alcohol related birth defects are incurable but are 100% preventable.

Today a young man, Tom Wilkinson, is visiting Parliament Hill. Tom suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome. He and his dog, Shadow, just completed an 812 kilometre walk from Windsor, Ontario to Ottawa to promote public awareness of the risks associated with alcohol consumption, especially during the early stages of pregnancy. Having shared his message with 23 cities during his walk, Tom has done his part.

Today I call upon the national media to do its part and to share Tom's story and message with the people of Canada. I am also sure that all hon. members will want to rise to join me today in acknowledging Tom Wilkinson for his courageous initiative to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome.

We thank Tom. We are all very proud of him.”

In recent weeks, we have heard and read a lot about avian influenza, or bird flu, and pandemic influenza. Three types of influenza are currently in the news: human influenza, avian influenza and pandemic influenza.

Human influenza, or the flu, is a respiratory infection caused by the influenza virus. Strains circulate every year, making people sick. Most people will recover from influenza within a week or ten days, but some including those over 65 and adults and children with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and cancer are at greater risk of more severe complications, such as pneumonia. Between 4,000 and 8,000 Canadians can die annually of influenza and its complications depending on the severity of the season.

What is avian influenza or "bird flu"?
Birds and other animals, including pigs, also contract and transmit influenza. Wild birds, in particular, are natural carriers of influenza A viruses. They have carried animal influenza viruses, with no apparent harm, for centuries. Migratory waterfowl (ducks, geese) are known to carry viruses of the H5 and H7 strains or subtypes.

Currently, avian influenza H5N1 is circulating in South East Asian and parts of Europe, infecting many poultry populations and some humans. This strain is highly pathogenic, or highly deadly to birds, and has infected a limited number of people. There is no evidence this virus is transmitted from person to person.

Why is bird flu a concern for people?
People are exposed to different strains of influenza many times during their lives. Even though the virus changes, their previous bouts of influenza may offer some protection against similar strains of the virus. However, three to four times each century, for unknown reasons, a radical change takes place in the influenza A virus causing a new strain to emerge.

One way this radical change can happen is that a person sick with a human influenza virus also becomes infected with the avian influenza virus and the two viruses re assort or "mix." This means that the avian influenza virus acquires some of the human influenza genes, potentially creating a new type of the influenza A virus that people would have no immunity against. If the virus was easily passed to and among people, this would create the conditions for an influenza pandemic.

There is no pandernic influenza at this time anywhere in the world. However, there were three influenza pandernics in the last century and scientists recognize that another is inevitable. That is why governments are planning to prepare to respond to a possible influenza pandemic.

What is the Government of Canada doing to prepare?
Canada has a plan for responding to an influenza pandemic. The Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan was released in February 2004 and outlines actions to be taken by the various levels of government so that a coordinated response that protects the health of Canadians is implemented in the event of a pandemic. Specifically, it outlines measures to curb infectious disease outbreaks, such as vaccine and antiviral strategies, surveillance, communication and emergency response.

The Public Health Agency of Canada continually monitors for new influenza viruses and will adapt and revise the Plan as new knowledge becomes available. At the same time, the Agency is working closely with the provinces and territories in the development of their readiness plans and serves a leadership role in supporting the work of other countries in this area.

Are vaccines and antivirals available to Canadians?
Vaccines and antivirals are two components of Canada's approach to pandemic preparedness. A pandemic vaccine cannot be developed until the new virus emerges. After the strain has emerged and has been identified, it will take about six months to develop and produce an influenza vaccine. Therefore, a vaccine would not be available at the start of a pandernic and may be in short supply during the initial stages.

Canada has a contract with a domestic supplier for the production of a pandemic vaccine. This helps us get ready in advance so we have everything needed to produce the vaccine before a influenza pandemic virus emerges.

Until a vaccine is available, however, antivirals will be an important part of our response to a pandemic. An antiviral is medicine that destroys a virus or interferes with its ability to grow and reproduce. It is usually given to patients in pill form once they are sick to reduce symptoms, shorten the length of illness and minimize serious complications. Antivirals do not provide immunity. When antivirals are used for prevention, the dose is much higher and has to be taken for as long as people are exposed to the virus.

Combined, federal, provincial and territorial governments currently own 35 million capsules of oseltamivir, with another five million on order.

Antivirals, however, are limited in their effectiveness and, therefore, are only one part of our overall strategy. They alone cannot be relied on to reduce the impact.

What can individuals do to protect themselves?
If you are travelling to a foreign destination, you should check Health Canada’s web site at www.travelhealth.gc.ca for advice.

Prevention is the best defence against any strain of influenza. Besides getting the annual flu vaccine, basic personal hygiene will help ward off sickness. The influenza virus spreads through droplets that have been coughed or sneezed into the air by someone who has the flu. So use a tissue, or cough into your sleeve, to avoid infecting those around you.

The flu virus is also found on the hands of people with the flu and on surfaces they have touched. You can become infected if you shake hands with infected persons or touch contaminated surfaces and transfer the virus to your own eyes, nose or mouth. Frequent hand washing with soap and water is the best way to prevent spreading the germs to others.

Every Spring and Summer, we all should take the time to check out our homes to see what might need to be done to keep them safe and in good repair. Here are a few tips from the insurance industry:

• Replace your furnace filter
• Clean kitchen exhaust hood and filter
• Make sure you have a working multi-purpose fire extinguisher
• Review your fire escape plan with your family
• Consider installing a lighting protection system on your home
• Have an air conditioning contractor inspect and maintain your system as recommended by the manufacturer
• Have your roof inspected for potential leaks
• Repair all cracked or uneven driveways and walkways to provide a level walking surface
• Check all fascia and trim for deterioration
• Check your water heater
• Check the shutoff valve at each plumbing fixture
• Clean clothes dryer duct, damper and space under the dryer
• Replace extension cords which have become brittle or damaged
• Inspect and clean dust from the covers of your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms
• Secure your home when away on trips or vacation and arrange for someone to pick up mail and cut the grass
• Check all recreational equipment for proper maintenance
• Check you wood deck or concrete patio for deterioration
• Make sure there are working night lights at the top and bottom of all stairs
• Check exterior siding
• Check all window and door locks for proper operation
• Check your home for potential water leaks
• Check water hoses for clothes washer, refrigerator, icemaker and dishwasher for cracks and bubbles
• Check the garage door cables and tracks for wear or adjustment
  

Part of the Federal Accountability Act was to establish the Public Appointments Commission to oversee the appointment of persons to hundreds of full and part time positions on Government Boards, Agencies and Crown Corporations. These include such positions as Directors, Chair of the Board and President of organizations such as Canada Post, Via Rail and the Canadian Mint. Needless to say these are important jobs and should be filled by well-qualified persons.

Treasury Board is part of the Cabinet of Government and it is their job to establish guidelines for the process. As a past Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and estimates, I had been very involved in the development of the process. It involves the publication of the position opening in National newspapers, the review of credentials by a recruitment firm and the scrutiny by a Committee of Parliament. Ultimately, it is the Government who reviews the available candidates and nominates its choice.

From a public perspective, there has always been the view that former politicians, or persons very involved in a political party who get such appointments are actually getting paid back or rewarded for past activity. This is commonly referred to as patronage. Despite their qualifications, it is usually a rough ride whenever this happens.

The Conservative Government said they wanted to address the patronage process and proposed to establish a Public Appointments Commission. As a starting point, the Prime Minister nominated Mr. Gwyn Morgan to head the Commission. There was no advertising or recruitment process and although Mr. Morgan was a successful Calgary oilman, he was also a major fundraiser for the Conservative Party. At this point, the public becomes annoyed.
Needless to say, the nomination flew directly in the face of the Federal Accountability Act. Public Appointments were supposed to be made in accordance with a strict process to demonstrate transparency and accountability.

Whenever an opposition party starts to question the appropriateness or suitability of an appointment, they tend to do a little extra research to find out whether there is any background information which may reflect on the suitability of a candidate. It did not take much digging to find that Mr. Morgan had made some questionable remarks in public forums.

During a February speech in Toronto, Mr. Morgan had said that multiculturalism could work to divide Canadians. Using France and Australia as examples, he said: “It seems as if multiculturalism in these countries has created subcultures bearing little relation to the mainstream culture and values of the Country.”

In December, he linked rising gang violence in Canada to immigrants from Jamaica and Indo-China. Those cultures are “dominated by violence and lawlessness,” he said. On May 16th, Mr. Morgan appeared before the Government Operations Committee who was asked to review his appointment and provide comment. They do not have the authority to reject the appointment. Mr. Morgan was not so much questioned on his abilities to do the job but rather on his suitability for the job.

When asked about his comments about multiculturalism, immigrants, unions and the poor in our society, he admitted that he would have re-written the speeches to be more careful. The Committee voted to report their opinion that Mr. Morgan was not suitable for this important position. Not only did the Prime Minister withdraw his nomination, but he scrapped the whole Commission saying he would have to wait until he had a majority government. Surely there must be other qualified Canadians.

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