House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2004, with 35% of the vote.
Parliament Hill September 30th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
A number of newspapers reported on Saturday that the Department of Canadian Heritage refused to lower the flag on the peace tower to half mast for Sunday's ceremony to honour police and peace officers killed in the line of duty.
Can the parliamentary secretary please explain why the flag was not lowered to honour these brave men and women?
Goods And Services Tax September 25th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance.
The minister has been accused of flip-flopping several times on the payment of GST on membership dues to non-profit organizations. There is still a lot of confusion out there. What is the situation? Do they have to pay or not?
Hamilton East June 18th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, last night Hamiltonians showed that they will stand up for someone who stands up for them.
Sheila Copps kept her word to the voters of Hamilton East. She put her seat on the line and gave her constituents the opportunity to judge her performance for themselves. The voters made their democratic choice very clear.
What Sheila stood for was fairness, compassion, job creation, clear support of medicare and a strong voice for Hamilton in the government. The people of Hamilton East responded to the message and we all look forward to Sheila returning to Parliament and delivering that message.
I know that Sheila is proud that during the campaign she canvassed every street and every poll in Hamilton East. The people of Hamilton East clearly supported her and her message.
I extend the congratulations of the entire caucus to Sheila Copps. It will be a pleasure to have her back in Ottawa and to resume working with her.
Disability Tax Credit March 26th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Revenue.
People with vision impairment have been affected by the definition of blindness used in the disability tax credit form. Recently in the Hamilton area, Zena Duguay received a letter revoking the credit which she has received for 20 years.
What is the minister doing to ensure that Canadians with disabilities get the benefits to which they are entitled?
Ford World Curling Championships March 25th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, the Ford World Curling Championships are taking place in Hamilton this week. All of Hamilton is pleased to be hosting this event. We all extend our welcome to the athletes and the visiting spectators.
Thirteen countries are represented at the championships. Along with Canada, there are also teams from Japan, Australia, the United States, Scandinavia, England, Scotland and Europe.
Canada is represented by two teams, one led by Marlin Bodogh of St. Catharines, Ontario, and the other led by Jeffrey Stoughton of Winnipeg.
In the previous world championships the Canadian men came first and the Canadian women came second.
The competition has been very exciting so far. Both Canadian teams have won their first three games and are in first place.
Curling is now an Olympic medal sport and the order of finish in these championships will help determine which teams attend the 1998 winter Olympic games in Nagano, Japan.
I wish the members of the Canadian rinks the best of luck and continued success in the competition.
Banks March 20th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, this morning the Globe and Mail reported that the major banks intend to continue their plans to expand their insurance business and sell insurance directly to consumers even though the finance
minister said that the existing restrictions on banks selling insurance would be retained.
Would the secretary of state for financial institutions explain to the House what steps the government is taking to maintain the existing restrictions on the sale of insurance by banks?
Hamilton March 5th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, 1996 is the 150th anniversary of the founding of the city of Hamilton. All the community groups involved and the organizing committee are to be congratulated on the several hundred events that have been planned for this year to celebrate Hamilton's sesquicentennial.
Hamilton's economy is relatively stable these days with an unemployment rate of 6 per cent. Co-operation between the unions, businesses, schools and government has created Hamilton's current success: a 5 per cent reduction in unemployment in two years.
Since Hamilton was incorporated in June 1846, the city has developed into one of Canada's major industrial centres. Although most famous as a steel town, Hamilton has numerous national attractions such as the Royal Botanical Gardens, Dundurn Castle, and the Art Gallery of Hamilton. This year's Grey Cup will be held in Hamilton, home of the Tiger Cats.
I would like to invite all my colleagues and all other Canadians to visit Hamilton this year to take part in the sesquicentennial celebrations.
Speech From The Throne February 28th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Winnipeg North Centre.
It is a pleasure to have this opportunity to take part in the debate on the throne speech. This is an exciting time in the history of our country. As we approach the 21st century, a world of opportunity lies before us. We must continue to build a strong economy to secure our communities, and to strengthen our country to take advantage of those tremendous opportunities.
The government has been laying the foundation for a strong and prosperous economy. In the last two years, 497,000 full time jobs have been created. Inflation is low and interest rates are declining.
In Hamilton, my home town, the unemployment rate is 6 per cent. This is down from a rate of 11.3 per cent two years ago, a 5 per cent decline since this government was elected. The low unemployment rate is a testament to the advantage of co-operation between business, unions, schools, community groups and government that exists in Hamilton. Organizations like Mohawk College in my riding have been co-operating closely with unions and management and the federal government to develop training programs for workers that have increased productivity. Increased productivity is leading to more jobs as resources are used more efficiently.
Through hard work and co-operation among everyone in Hamilton over the last five years, we have turned Hamilton into a world recognized model of sustainable community development. It took a lot of hard work, which is continuing, but the achievement was well worth it. I am sure that similar effort and co-operation among all Canadians can be equally successful across the country. That is the government's goal, as we heard the Prime Minister state earlier this afternoon.
Just as the Team Canada approach to external trade promotions is paying dividends, Team Canada co-operation can pay off in job creation. As was said in the throne speech, it is time to harness the energy of the Team Canada partnership to create hope, opportunity and jobs.
The government's balanced and steady approach to deficit reduction has led to a steady reduction in the deficit and in interest rates. Careful spending cuts, coupled with a well thought out restructuring of the government will lead to a stronger economy and to job growth.
Members of the business community have often stated that if government would get it finances in order, private industry would create jobs. The government is putting its finances in order and is challenging Canadian businesses to move forward on job creation, particularly for our young children.
Of course, getting the government's finances in order is not an end in itself. The steps we are taking are necessary to defend and maintain social programs, such as medicare, that embody the
values that Canadians hold dear such as caring for the less fortunate and maintaining a high quality of life in all areas of the country.
As was stated yesterday in the throne speech, the government will continue to defend the principles of the Canada Health Act: comprehensiveness, universality, portability and accessibility. The government will maintain the sustainability of social programs by putting a floor under the cash component of the Canada health and social transfer so there is a steady level of cash transfers to the provinces. The government will also be working with the provinces to develop common standards to maintain our social programs.
Youth unemployment is a major challenge to the government and it is addressing this through programs such as the youth internship program and Youth Service Canada. The proposal to double the number of federal summer jobs this coming summer will be a great help to students. These programs help young people make the transition to the working world giving them the experience they need to get their first job.
Whenever I visit Mohawk College or the high schools on Hamilton Mountain, I am impressed by the intelligence and enthusiasm of these students. Canada's young people are tremendously talented and have a great deal to offer our country.
It is our responsibility through programs such as Youth Service Canada to give young Canadians the opportunity to put their talents to use. In my riding of Hamilton Mountain a $150,000 youth service project, which will help to reduce the incidence of car theft and vandalism, is co-sponsored by the Hamilton-Wentworth Regional Police and the federal government. Along with improving community safety this project will provide young Hamiltonians with valuable experience in planning management and communication skills. The government has also taken steps in the throne speech to reassure all Canadians that their retirement years will be financially secure years. The benefits of current seniors will be protected. Adjustments to the Canada pension plan will be made to ensure that future seniors can enjoy their retirement.
Canada is the best country in the world to live in. In order to keep making our country even greater we must take steps to enhance the security of our communities as well as improve our economic security.
Recent reforms of the justice system such as amendments to the corrections act, gun control legislation and amendments to the Young Offenders Act will help ensure the safety of our streets and neighbourhoods. Proposed changes such as legislation on dangerous offenders, improvements to the stalking legislation and the establishment of DNA data banks will future enhance safety for Canadians.
Security of our communities does not simply refer to personal safety. Environmental protection is equally important. The health of Canada's air and water is vital to our quality of life. In recognition of the importance of our environment, the government is committed to modernizing the Environmental Protection Act. We must take steps now to ensure our children can still enjoy a clean environment in the future.
The Liberal government is determined to work with all Canadians to build a modern, united country to face the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. For all our differences, Canadians live in peace and we have together built a successful and prosperous country that is the envy of the world. Our shared values unite us more than our differences divide us. Our success in the world is proof of the wisdom of continuing to build on those common values.
Canada is more than the sum of its parts. Together we can and we will build on our common achievements to create an even better country in the years ahead. Canada is a country committed to international co-operation, open to the world and open to new citizens of every heritage.
Canada must continue to engage in the events of the world and promote peace, economic development and environmental protection on a worldwide basis.
While continuing efforts to reduce economic barriers around the world, we must continue efforts to reduce trade barriers among our own provinces. All Canadians have a role to play in modernizing our country. Every single citizen can and must have a say in our future. We must not let the voices of disaffection dominate the discussion or convince us that we would be better off divided and separate rather than united and working together.
Working together, we can build on our wonderful heritage, our incredible blessings, our amazing diversity and our limitless opportunities to ensure that Canada will always be a beacon to the world of hope, of freedom, of human dignity, of peace and of decency. It is a very exciting future that Canadians can and will chart together. That is the message of the speech from the throne, for that is the real message of Canada.
Gun Control December 8th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, as all members are aware, this week the crime bill received royal assent. On average one woman is killed every six days in Canada, often with a firearm at home by someone she knows. The weapon of choice in most cases is a legally owned firearm and 80 per cent of the time the firearm is a rifle or a shotgun.
A study released this week estimated the economic cost of violence against women in Canada at $4.2 billion per year. The recent passage of new gun control legislation is an important step in dealing with the problem of violence against women.
Mrs. de Villiers, the president of CAVEAT, has requested that I thank the Minister of Justice and the government for passing the gun control legislation despite the often hysterical and ill informed opposition.
The new gun control legislation will help to reduce the scourge of violence against women. However it is only a first step. More needs to be done. The government has been providing valuable leadership but all parts of society must co-operate to eliminate violence.
The Balkans December 4th, 1995
Madam Speaker, I have no necessity to speak to the minister because he already knows how I feel because our party is free and open. We can say how we feel at any time.
I am sure no troops from Canada will ever be allowed to go in ill prepared or ill led. I have stated an opinion and we may hear from other members more familiar than I am about how much improvement has gone on with the equipment since the committee made those comments.
That is how I feel right now. I am quite willing to be proven wrong. I also know the Americans will be going in with plenty of equipment and our troops will be using their equipment if we do not have adequate equipment ourselves.