My parents allowed me to do whatever I wanted, in terms of academics and community involvement, but we had different opinions about things like the length of my hair or the clothes I wore.
Finding a balance is just about figuring out who you are, and then being comfortable in your own skin. TC: What are the rewards associated with balancing a Tamil and Canadian identity? RS: Understanding where you come from and drawing from both cultures really adds a lot of breadth to who you are.
My Tamil heritage adds a lot to my understanding of who I am. I embrace both as much as I can. For some people I might be too Canadian, eh? RS: I think Canadian politics being seen as an old boys club was definitely a challenge, something that I had to break into.
So, inspiring and drawing in more women was a challenge but it came with time as people saw that my goal was to build. Once they took the time to look at my track record and talk to me, they knew that I meant business. TC: What are the most important lessons you have learned from the challenges you have faced?
RS: Never give up. If I, a young immigrant, can leave a war-torn country, come here and become a member of parliament under 30, anything is possible.
If you want to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer or accountant, go for it. From the get go, go where your passion is and work hard at it. Nothing comes easy. TC: How have the communities that you have worked in shaped your goals? RS: Every step of the way, every person I meet shapes who I am and my way forward.
Volunteering at a nursing home showed me that the people who built our communities are now ignored. The student movement taught me to lobby and revealed the poverty students are living in. As an elections observer in the Philippines, I saw people stand in the scorching heat for hours to make sure they voted. These experiences have underscored for me the importance of engaging in the political process.
TC: What is the best part of your job? RS: Best part of my job is that I get to talk to people, learn about their issues and then advocate for them. TC: What are your future aspirations? Right now the focus is on learning how to be the best Member of Parliament I can be, and being the best Member of Parliament Scarborough-Rouge River has ever had.
What holds in the future is what holds in the future. TC: What advice would you give to individuals who have political aspirations? RS: Go for it. TC: Favourite Hobby? RS: I like to be outdoors, biking, hiking, walking, running, or playing basketball. TC: Favourite movie? RS: Finding Nemo. TC: Favourite types of music? TC: A favourite quote? TC: Finish the following sentence. Speaker, the third petition contains thousands of signatures of petitioners who are calling for the removal of the gender-specific discriminatory tax on feminine hygiene products.
I am happy to report while I table this petition that the NDP motion to do the same thing has now been adopted by this House, and as of July 1 this year, this gender-specific discriminatory tax on women and feminine hygiene products will no longer be in effect.
The second petition, Mr. Speaker, is signed by youth and adults alike across the country and talks about the flavouring of tobacco products that are marketed to youth by the tobacco industry.
The petitioners are requesting that all flavours be removed from all tobacco products. Speaker, I rise today to present three separate petitions. The first petition is from petitioners who say that multinational seed companies are gradually replacing the immense diversity of farmers' seeds by industrial varieties.
They are obtaining an increased number of patents on different seeds and are threatening the ability of small family farms to produce the food that is required to feed their families and their communities. The petitioners are asking the government to adopt international aid policies that support small family farmers, especially women, and recognize their vital role in the struggle against hunger and poverty, and that these policies be developed in consultation with small family farms.
Speaker, over the last year, the government has pushed through critically flawed legislation for Rouge National Urban Park, ignoring the advice of several thousand Canadians, members of Parliament, the Ontario government, and several of Canada's top environmental organizations.
The new park that is being created would be less than two square kilometres and would not include the currently existing Rouge Park. The bill that I have put forward would actually fix many of the serious flaws in the existing Rouge National Urban Park Act by prioritizing and protecting the restoration of ecological integrity and watershed health; by respecting water quality agreement objectives and policies for the provincial Greenbelt, Rouge Park, the Rouge watershed, the Oak Ridges Moraine, and the Great Lakes; by requiring good public consultation and scientifically sound park management; by supporting healthy and sustainable farming in the park; and by respecting the history and heritage of the first peoples of the land.
I hope that we will be able to move forward with the bill and see a Rouge national park that is square kilometres, a people's park and will continue to be the gem in everybody's backyard in the city of Toronto and the greater Toronto area. Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.
Canada Revenue Agency June 11th, Now the Canadian Bar Association is warning that loopholes in the Criminal Code could allow the Conservatives to target legitimate charities and accuse them of funding terrorists. People are worried that the real target here are the charities that disagree with Conservative policies. Will the government fix the loophole instead of leaving the law open to abuse?
Petitions June 5th, Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of hundreds of Canadians from across the country who are calling on the House to adopt Motion No.
I want to thank all of the petitioners for their hard work and thank the House for supporting the motion.
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