Honourable senators, I address you today to pursue Senator Tardif’s motion concerning access to justice for francophones in minority French-speaking communities in Canada.
I wish to thank the Honourable Senator Tardif for initiating this motion on a subject that is also close to my heart. For a long time, Canada has been a country of immigration…

Honourable senators, I would like to thank Senator Seth for bringing up the inquiry on the subject of blindness. It gives me the opportunity to speak about blindness in the rest of the world, particularly in Africa. Trachoma is a highly contagious and blinding disease that occurs in 57 countries and destroys the lives of 40 million people. Globally, trachoma costs 2.1 billion euros in lost income. This is unnecessary as trachoma is easy to treat and prevent with the right medicines and hygiene rules…

Honourable senators, Vancouver lost its visionary and Canada lost a champion in March when former mayor Art Phillips passed away. In 1968, Mr. Phillips helped launch the centrist political party The Electors’ Action Movement and was elected to city council. Five years later he was elected mayor, a position he held for four years. He would also go on to serve briefly as Member of Parliament for Vancouver—Centre.

In 2010, Sisters In Spirit, a research, education and policy initiative facilitated by the Native Women’s Association of Canada reported that there are more than 582 missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada, a higher proportion than any other segment of the population. In the past three years little has been done to address the issue and we have no idea how much this number has grown.

Honourable senators, it has been over 30 years since Canada ratified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. This convention requires the state not only to condemn, prevent and punish all forms of discrimination against women but also to address the root causes of discrimination. Canada has failed to uphold this commitment, and calls for action by international human rights authorities have not been answered. Today, I wish to add my voice to those calling for a national inquiry on missing and murdered Aboriginal women.

Honourable senators, on Thursday, May 23, the National Association of Friendship Centres, MPs Jean Crowder and Chris Warkentin, and I hosted a luncheon reception to celebrate friendship centres in Canada’s urban communities.
The National Association of Friendship Centres’ board of directors and staff were present at this event, as were their counterparts from the Assembly of First Nations, the Native Women’s Association of Canada and the Canadian Building Construction and Trades Association.

My question also is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate, and leader, this is on another topic. I had asked you questions on Syria some time ago, and there is not one senator in this place who is not aware of the terrible situation that exists in Syria. I have tracked down figures regarding the help that Canada has been giving as of this morning, so I have a number of questions for you, leader. One is, how will Canada help to make up the Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan’s $190 million deficit?

Honourable senators, today I feel truly privileged to introduce President Kenneth Kaunda. As a young person, he was my mentor, and he is a true leader of Africa. Today, at lunch, he said to me that I should tell all of you he is here in Canada to thank Canadians for the role they played in ending Apartheid in South Africa.

Honourable senators, today is the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula. More than 2 million women and girls in developing countries are living with obstetric fistula, a hole in the vagina or rectum caused by labour that is prolonged, often for days, without treatment. Usually the baby dies. Since the fistula leaves women leaking urine or feces, it typically results in social isolation, depression and deepening poverty.