Carolyn Parrish

[The Budget, March 9th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I will be voting for the motion.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

[Citizenship and Immigration, March 8th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, Quebec receives four times the immigrant settlement dollars that Ontario does. The difference of $3,000 per immigrant puts an unfair burden on areas like Peel and shortchanges the immigrants themselves.

The government has had 11 years to address this inequality. Will the Minister of Finance commit to undertake an immediate review of the true settlement requirements of immigrants for every province in Canada?

[Sponsorship Program, February 1st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the Gomery commission's budget has been doubled to $60 million after three short months. Legal fees are a substantive part of this apparently limitless spending. The website of Ogilvy Renault, firm of chief counsel to the commission Bernard Roy, lists one Sally Gomery as a partner, a partner who benefits from every dollar paid to the firm.

Is Sally Gomery related to Judge John Gomery, and if so, was this relationship declared and does it create a conflict of interest under the current government guidelines?

[Question No. 45, January 31st, 2005]

With regard to permits granted by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigrationin the last 12 months, what was: ( a ) the total number of permits issued; ( b ) the distribution of those permits over 308 electoral districts; and ( c ) the number of permits granted through lawyers and consultants who charge fees for immigration services?

[Governor General, December 14th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, my question is with regard to the budget of the Governor General. Since the appointment of the current Queen's representative, some expenses related to her operations or travel have been channeled through other departments such as foreign affairs.

Now that her budget has been cut, will expenses of equal or greater value be rerouted through any other government accounts for the remainder of the budget year?

[Privacy, December 9th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the current scandal affecting CIBC and other banks, and the sloppy conduct regarding wayward faxes is an infringement on the privacy of Canadians. However, an even more egregious attack on this privacy exists. Tens of millions of Canadian credit card holders are now open to wholesale scrutiny by the U.S. government.

Many financial institutions subcontract credit card operations to Total Systems, a U.S. company which operates under the patriot act. Private information on Canadians can be, and is, routinely shared with the FBI, the CIA, and other security organizations. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians who travel to--

[Citizenship and Immigration, November 29th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, all members of Parliament have constituents suffering under a wide variety of devastating humanitarian circumstances that require minister's permits. I currently have at least a dozen heart-wrenching cases that have been refused by the minister.

For transparency and clarification, will the minister agree to lay on the table in the next sitting day the total number of permits issued during the last 12 months, the distribution of those permits over 308 ridings and the number of permits granted through immigration lawyers and consultants who charge fees for these services?

[Foreign Affairs, October 21st, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

According to John Ibbitson of the Globe and Mail , a large body of officials at Foreign Affairs and CIDA are convinced that Canada is about to sacrifice its hard won reputation as an honest broker in the Middle East, a reputation established by Lester B. Pearson in the 1956 Suez crisis.

Is the cabinet considering a change in policy in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

[Rodent Importation, October 14th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to protest the incredible waste of taxpayers' dollars and the harassment of a law abiding constituent.

In a nutshell, Steve Patterson, a naturalist, a teacher, and an honest man, diligently did his research and legally imported six week old Sabrina, the American flying squirrel.

Since June our government bureaucrats have harassed him, have taken him to court, and have practically bankrupted him. Steve and Sabrina won their day in Federal Court. The judge, soundly condemning the Canada Food Inspection Agency, ruled it was doubtful the government had ever shown that a serious issue existed.

That should have been the end, but it is not. The government is appealing, using unlimited resources in fear of a floodgate of 90 gram squirrels. The cost? Up to $200,000 for my constituent. The solution? Drop the case, save us money, and allow Sabrina to get her Canadian citizenship.

Flying squirrels enter Canada over the border and through treetops every night. This is one little squirrel that escaped the bush, and which we can afford to keep.

[Arab Canadians, May 14th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge representatives from the Arab Canadian community who are here this week to meet members of Parliament in their first official lobby day on the Hill.

Today approximately 500,000 Arabs are proud Canadians who have contributed extensively to our economy and our culture. They have been part of the fabric of this country for more than 100 years.

Unfortunately, stereotypes and misinformation have been perpetrated by the Hollywood media, causing much stress in the Arab community. Hassles at border crossings and airports and unforgiving security laws have entered the lives of Arabs in Canada.

Rather than disrupt, Arab Canadians are making positive efforts to effect changes by coming to Ottawa to educate and to break down barriers.

I encourage all of my colleagues to welcome the delegates to their offices and give serious consideration to the policy recommendations being put forward.

Congratulations to Arab Canadians for having the courage to confront their difficulties head on and in a constructive way.