Hon. Yves Morin, seconded by the Honourable Elizabeth Hubley, moved:
That the following Address be presented to Her Excellency the Governor General of Canada:

To Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Canada, Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Military Merit, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY:

We, Her Majesty's most loyal and dutiful subjects, the Senate of Canada in Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Excellency for the gracious Speech which Your Excellency has addressed to both Houses of Parliament.

Honourable senators, I have the honour of moving the motion to adopt the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne given in this chamber two days ago by Her Excellency the Governor General. It was a truly remarkable speech, outlining a broad program of action by the government in response to the values and aspirations of Canadians, and setting the stage for a busy legislative agenda which we, as parliamentarians, must address in the months ahead.

Canada is universally acknowledged to be one of the best countries to live in. Does this statement apply to our Aboriginal communities? Does it apply to our underprivileged children? Does it apply to our needy populations?

We have a duty to ensure that this exceptional quality of life we enjoy is transmitted unchanged to our children, our grandchildren, and in the case of my honourable friend, Senator Setlakwe, to our great-grandchildren, by ensuring that we consolidate urban infrastructures, bolster our innovation and research system, clean up our environment and bolster our health system.

To start with the First Nations, we are aware of the Prime Minister's interest in and concern about their living conditions and socio-economic situation, as well as their very poor health, as illustrated by the tragedy of fetal alcohol syndrome in particular, which unfortunately is far more prevalent in our aboriginal communities. The measures recommended by the Speech from the Throne will, I trust, make it possible to reach solutions to this tragic problem.

Children are living in poverty in a country where so many people live so well. It is absurd that 60 per cent of the children of single mothers live in poverty, especially in a country that has been at the forefront of scientific studies on the link between early childhood care and later adult health status. Measures recommended in the Speech from the Throne will ensure a good start in life for all.

Concerning urban infrastructure, the Prime Minister recently said that over the last few decades, our cities have prospered and grown to become the places where a majority of Canadians live, work and play and that they have responded well to many of the challenges of rapid growth. He said that strengthened partnerships will be required to ensure that we sustain and enhance the quality of life in our large urban areas.

The Speech from the Throne confirms that there will be significant action within our federal jurisdiction to build urban infrastructure so that our Canadian cities become magnets for talent and investment.

On the subject of science and innovation, Canada, like many other countries, has embraced the knowledge-driven economy as a source of the creation of future wealth that will sustain and enhance our quality of life and our standard of living. This knowledge-driven economy is based on the creation, the discovery and the development of new ideas and their successful commercialization.

In the past, the Canadian government has enthusiastically endorsed such a science and innovation agenda. I am personally proud to have been instrumental, with others, in the creation of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, an organization that has become world renowned under the able leadership of Dr. Alan Bernstein. Measures recommended in the Speech from the Throne will improve our science and innovation performance and will promote skills and learning development.

With regard to the Kyoto Accord, on September 2, in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Prime Minister courageously announced that he would ask Parliament to ratify the Kyoto Accord during the current session.

Honourable senators, climate warming has been recognized as one of the most serious problems facing the world. We must ensure that we decrease greenhouse emissions, if only for the health of our grandchildren, in a way that will correct climate change.

The Government of Canada is developing a program to ensure that the burden and the various opportunities are shared throughout the regions and various sectors of Canada. The government must be commended for this bold and courageous decision.

As far as health is concerned, this year marks the 40th anniversary of health insurance in Saskatchewan. Over the years, health insurance has developed into an important aspect of our national identity.

However, more recently, this pride has been mixed with a degree of apprehension, because of what is perceived as the erosion and deterioration of our health care system. The Senate reacted swiftly and effectively to this situation by asking its Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology to examine the issue.

The Prime Minister also set up a second commission, led by the Honourable Roy Romanow. Once these two reports are released, the Prime Minister will convene a first ministers' meeting and he will take appropriate action, as was mentioned two days ago in the Speech from the Throne, to ensure that Canada's health system is strengthened.

On the subject of health, I am sure that my friends and colleagues from The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology were as pleased as I was to hear of the new initiatives in the important area of health promotion and health protection. Another plan that our leader, the Honourable Senator Sharon Carstairs, has been promoting for a long time will allow Canadians to take compassionate leave to care for their terminally ill family members. The government must be commended for this initiative.

Taken individually, the remarkable initiatives from the Speech from the Throne are all significant steps that will sustain and enhance our quality of life and will also assure our wealth and prosperity in the brave new world of the 21st century. Taken together, they are nothing less than a remarkable and courageous program of strategic investment in the future of our children, in the future of our environment, in the future of our economy, and in the future of Canada.

Honourable senators, it is for this reason that I am proud to have moved acceptance of the Government of Canada's agenda as set out in the Speech from the Throne less than 48 hours ago.