Robert Hawkins

I will agree with her on the clinical trial part, but who do you think they do the clinical trial part on? On people who have MS, in my view. If you talk to people who have MS out there, and I have some constituents who do have this, they view that as an opportunity for treatment and they would like to certainly be involved in this opportunity, as I’ve tried to describe it. Quite truly it is an opportunity of hope finally coming to a sector that has had very little hope and opportunity.

So the issue continues to be sort of the same point, which is how do we get our patients, our residents who...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During my Member’s statement I raised the issue of the liberation treatment that can offer a new hope to MS patients out there. I have written the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding this concern and I would like to call it an opportunity of hope for those people who have MS. My question to the Minister of Health and Social Services is: What is her department doing to look at this treatment? Is there any possibility that the Department of Health and Social Services can get on board and see if we can select a couple of patients to try this treatment to see...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Anything that moves this forward even by an inch is a success, in my view. I want to get people into this treatment. Again, we’ll call it research, if that’s all we want to describe it as, although I know very well that it’s being used as real treatment for a lot of people.

As I said earlier, we have MS patients in my riding who would like to be part of this process. Is the Minister willing to get out there and reach out to the MS community to start finding out if there are people who would be willing to join the research, who would want to be involved in the...

Mr. Speaker, the issue before us here is the Minister is saying not enough science out there that says one way or the other. Saskatchewan believes that there is enough science out there to give this a try. If I have it correct, I believe Newfoundland is seriously looking at this and if you ask anybody who has received the treatment for liberation to help them, certainly they think the science exists, because they are travelling all over the world to get these types of things.

Not to be cynical, but may I remind the Minister, and certainly this House, that for years scientists said cigarettes...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to talk about the liberation treatment offered to MS patients throughout the world. I’m hoping that the Minister of Health and Social Services here today will hear the call for some type of action on this particular issue.

Liberation treatment is now offering new hope in a way that has never been seen before when it comes to MS patients out there. They’ve had drug therapy and certainly physiotherapy to keep their lives in some type of order, but it is a problem that is pointing in one direction. Liberation treatment has come forward and is offering a new...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I raised the issue yet again regarding the concern of distracted driving and the fact that we don’t have an appropriate level of legislation that reflects banning cell phones while people are driving. I continue to raise this issue with the Minister of Transportation. I am well aware that there is some discussion out there regarding maybe we will have a law, maybe we won’t have a law. Quite honestly, I am starting to wonder that perhaps maybe the Minister is waiting until either cell phones become obsolete or certainly perhaps he is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise again today to continue to raise the issue of lack of legislative guidance to regulate the usage of cell phones while people are operating vehicles. What continues to be clear is, first, this problem is not a fad. Secondly, other responsible governments across this country continue to mount active campaigns through legislation to address this problem.

I’ve been asked by many, how long does personal lifestyle continue to trump the real concerns of public safety? We must patiently await the Minister of Transportation to answer that question, the question and call...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have often said, the government has the D problem, the deferred, delay, deny. I can go on forever. The Minister says he is watching Alberta about what they do, but, Mr. Speaker, where is the leadership from the Department of Transportation; more specifically, the Minister? Six other provinces have initiated a process and gone forward and taken action on this particular issue, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure what the Minister is waiting for.

Mr. Speaker, when can we see a legislative proposal that actually shows that the Department of Transportation is taking this issue...

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that veiled response by the Minister of Transportation. Fortunately, I don’t chew gum so I know he wasn’t referring to me.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, the Minister did say, as a response, that they have written the committee. They have gotten a response back from committee. I have to put the question right on the appropriate person, which is the Minister of Transportation. So now they have a response back from the committee. What specifically is the Department of Transportation planning to do on this issue and what type of timing is any decision going to be reflected in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have had a chance to take a peek at the visitors in our gallery today and I would informally call it seniors day from our mass attendance of our fine seniors. But notably, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to make special recognition of several constituents of Yellowknife Centre. That would be Vivian Squires, Ed Jeske, Blake Lyons, Ruth Spence, and David Wind. Thank you for coming today and thank you to everyone else.