Debates of Oct. 6th, 2005

House of Commons Hansard #133 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was first.

Topics

Canada-U.S. Border
Oral Questions

2:45 p.m.

The Speaker

Order, please. Perhaps the hon. member for New Brunswick Southwest, who I think is making a lot of racket over there, could control himself.

The hon. member for Acadie—Bathurst now has the floor. We will have a little order.

David Dingwall
Oral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin Acadie—Bathurst, NB

Mr. Speaker, employees earning minimum wage or middle-class workers who quit their jobs are not entitled to EI: the Liberal government introduced this penalty in 1996. Furthermore, they are not entitled to severance pay.

However, when Mr. Dingwall, a former Liberal minister who lost his seat and was then offered a job by the Liberal government, with a $270,000 annual salary—plus a pack of chewing gum—quits his job, this same Liberal government wants to give him half a million dollars in severance pay.

Is the Prime Minister recommending that employees take the government to court—

David Dingwall
Oral Questions

2:45 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. Minister of National Revenue.

David Dingwall
Oral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Markham—Unionville
Ontario

Liberal

John McCallum Minister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, we will pay Mr. Dingwall only if our counsel determines that we must. An independent audit re-examining his expenditures is underway.

Furthermore, should any discrepancies be uncovered by the audit, the government will insist upon a dollar for dollar repayment to the Treasury.

Criminal Code
Oral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Vic Toews Provencher, MB

Mr. Speaker, handgun related homicides are skyrocketing in Toronto this year. Nationally, Statistics Canada says that homicides in Canada increased 12% in 2004; 622 people were murdered, 73 more than in 2003.

Despite this huge increase in murders, why does the Liberal government continue to mislead Canadians by denying that violent crime in Canada is rising?

Criminal Code
Oral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Northumberland—Quinte West
Ontario

Liberal

Paul MacKlin Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, as the minister has stated, there is no greater responsibility for this government or any government than to protect its citizens.

In this particular case, the Criminal Code contains many minimum mandatory sentences relating to violent crimes that are committed with a firearm. In fact, I think the hon. member and all members of the House ought to hear about these mandatory minimum sentences that deal with violent crime.

First, if a firearm is used in the commission of an offence in a criminal negligence case causing death, under section 220—

Criminal Code
Oral Questions

2:50 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Oshawa.

Firearms Registry
Oral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Colin Carrie Oshawa, ON

Mr. Speaker, tragically, yesterday a 15-year-old girl became the latest victim of gun violence when she was severely wounded near her home in Oshawa.

This is the latest in an ongoing string of shootings that proves that the government has failed Canadians by failing to get tough on crime.

Instead of throwing away $2 billion on a useless gun registry that does nothing to stop gun violence, why has the government not put those resources into front line policing to help avoid tragedies like this?

Firearms Registry
Oral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Edmonton Centre
Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, I wish those members would get their facts straight. Again, $2 billion is just an out and out lie.

Firearms Registry
Oral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Firearms Registry
Oral Questions

2:50 p.m.

The Speaker

Honestly, the Deputy Prime Minister knows that the use of that term is quite unparliamentary and she will want to withdraw it right away and make a correction in her answer.

Firearms Registry
Oral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

Anne McLellan Edmonton Centre, AB

Mr. Speaker, I withdraw that comment.

In relation to the gun control program, it is interesting that the gun control program continues to garner the support of front line law enforcement officers and the chiefs of police.

Let me read what the former president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Edgar MacLeod, stated, “There is no question that the system works and that it—

Firearms Registry
Oral Questions

2:50 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre.

Government Aircraft
Oral Questions

October 6th, 2005 / 2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Tom Lukiwski Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK

Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that Challenger jets were only to be used when “there is no other alternative that would allow government business to be discharged reasonably”.

On January 29 of this year, the finance minister flew back to Regina by himself on the Challenger when, according to his own media advisories, his next event was on January 31 back here in Ottawa.

Could the minister explain why he spent $67,000 of taxpayer dollars on what appears to be a personal trip?

Government Aircraft
Oral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Toronto Centre
Ontario

Liberal

Bill Graham Minister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, this is really drawing the House into seriously crazy business.

I can give the House an example. One of the examples that was cited by the hon. members and in the article was the fact that the former fisheries minister was accused of flying to Vancouver on a Challenger when there was an alternate flight available. However it turned out that the plane was going empty to pick up the Governor General and he flew there and saved the government money.

I think, before the hon. members attack the finance minister, who is doing his best for this country, covers himself and ensures the rules are observed, they should get their facts right before making these unreasonable attacks.