Pam Damoff

[Abortion Access, October 26th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, October is Women's History Month.

I want to highlight the brave feminists who fought for abortion access in our country and the women who were forced to give their children up for adoption in postwar Canada.

Earlier this year, I read the book Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall. While the book is historical fiction, it includes real events like the Abortion Caravan that descended on Parliament Hill in the 1970s and laid the groundwork for the removal of abortion from the Criminal Code. The book also shares the heartbreaking stories of unmarried women who were housed in so-called maternity homes and were forced to put their children up for adoption, which was the subject of a Senate study entitled “The Shame is Ours”.

We still have much to do in this country to ensure abortion is accessible to all who choose it, and that forced adoptions are recognized in Canada for the trauma they caused young mothers and their children.

[Foreign Affairs, October 18th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, we have and we will continue to.

These decisions are made by officials on the best advice. We will continue, as we always do, to ensure that Canadians are safe when they are abroad.

[Foreign Affairs, October 18th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I would disagree with the hon. member. We are never late protecting Canadians. We will always stand up for the security and safety of Canadians here in Canada and abroad.

As the Speaker knows, yesterday the minister indicated that Canadians in Lebanon should make plans to leave. We are aware that the situation could be volatile there, and we want to make sure Canadians are safe. She has advised Canadians to leave the area.

[Foreign Affairs, October 18th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, the situation in Gaza is a tragedy. The loss of Palestinian lives is absolutely horrifying. This is an unthinkable act, and it is imperative that innocent Palestinians be protected and that international law be upheld.

[Mary Lamb, October 17th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, Mary Lamb, a palliative care pioneer, passed away recently in Oakville. She became the director of nursing at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital in the 1980s, where she and her colleagues helped to pioneer the development of a palliative care program at the hospital.

Mary's passion for dying with dignity led her back to the Royal Victoria Hospital for special training in palliative care. She always said that it was not about the quantity of life, but the quality of life.

In 1983, she hired the first part-time palliative care coordinator at OTMH. She always had a deep passion for promoting evidence-based care practices, which led her to her interest in therapeutic touch, a recognized modality with the College of Nurses of Ontario.

I presented Mary with a well-deserved pin in honour of her work to ensure that all people in Canada can die with dignity.

I offer Heather and her family my deepest sympathy. May they know that Mary's work and legacy will live on.

[Foreign Affairs, October 16th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, we are deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. A civilian is a civilian, and any loss of civilian life is deeply troubling.

We continue to call for international law to be respected. The minister has been engaging directly with her counterparts in the region about the need for a humanitarian corridor to provide rapid and unimpeded access for relief, and she will continue to do so.

[Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October 4th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, congratulations.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Together, we must do more when it comes to breast cancer prevention, early detection, treatment and support. Breast cancer is still the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Canadian women, and one in eight of us will be diagnosed in our lifetime.

Most of us in this House know someone who is one of those women, people like my sister, Jill, who was diagnosed in 2019 and now lives cancer free, and my friend, the member for Labrador.

While much progress has been made, there is much more to do. I thank those on the front lines doing life-saving research and all of the doctors, nurses, activists and health care professionals who are working with patients, survivors and families. I give a special shout-out to Jill and all those impacted by breast cancer.

[John Marlatt, September 28th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, in July, we lost one of the pillars of the Oakville community. John Marlatt, owner of the iconic Moonshine Cafe, passed away after a brief illness. John and his wife Jane opened the Moonshine Cafe 17 years ago and created a unique live music venue where artists were supported and the public was always entertained.

The President of the Treasury Board and I were very lucky to get to know him over the years. I have many fond memories of fun nights at the Moonshine. John hosted a music night before the 2010 municipal election, where candidates like myself were invited to sing with Phil Cain on stage.

There was a celebration of John's life on Monday in Oakville. He had a heart of gold will be missed by all, but none more than Jane and his family. I have no doubt that John is playing his guitar and singing his songs up in heaven.

[Points of Order, September 26th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I am rising on a point of order about the language that was used during question period today. I know how deeply hurt the government House leader has been by the actions of the Speaker on Friday. She has handled questions with dignity and grace and in a measured way, trying to bring truth to this.

During question period, the hon. member for Thornhill called the government House leader a disgrace. The Leader of the Opposition repeated that, calling her a disgrace. I do not think that is parliamentary language, and I would like them to apologize to the member.

[Terry Fox Run, September 19th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, “I just wish people would realize that anything’s possible if you try; dreams are made possible if you try.” Terry Fox asked us to carry on when he was unable to complete his Marathon of Hope for cancer research.

This past Sunday in Oakville, I joined about 1,200 people, including Canada's National Para Ice Hockey Team captain and gold medallist Tyler McGregor, to take part in the 43rd annual Terry Fox Run. Tyler lost his leg to the same cancer as Terry did, but he was given an 80% chance of survival. He is living proof that Terry Fox-funded research dollars make all the difference.

I want to thank my volunteer committee members; the Town of Oakville; our top teams, Team Darrell and Team Win/Primal/BronteRunners; and our volunteers, our sponsors and everyone who took part and donated to see Oakville raise $150,000 this year. I thank Canadians for continuing Terry's dream of a world without cancer.