Blair Wilson

[Business of Supply, May 17th, 2007]

Mr. Chair, it does matter how Canadians find out about this. I would like to ask the minister this. Why did the government not compete this $29.6 million procurement and why was there no call for a tender?

[Business of Supply, May 17th, 2007]

Mr. Chair, before I begin my questions I would like to acknowledge and salute the hard work our brave men and women in uniform are doing in Canada, in Afghanistan and throughout the globe. All Canadians are deeply grateful for the tremendous sacrifices our soldiers and their families make on a daily basis. On behalf of the people of my riding of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, I thank them.

On May 7, the government announced that it was purchasing six Husky, five Buffalo and five Cougar 6x6 vehicles in order to better equip Canadian troops to address the threat of improvised explosive devices. However, on May 4 Force Protection Inc. issued a release announcing the purchase.

Would the minister please tell us why Canadians first learned about this purchase through the American firm instead of the Canadian government?

[International Trade, May 15th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, while British Columbians are working hard to build ties with our Pacific Rim partners and become a world-class hub of trade, the Conservative member for Delta—Richmond East is busy trying to tear down what British Columbians have built and the plans they have made.

Yesterday the member said that it makes no sense to push ahead with the Pacific gateway strategy. Why has the Minister of International Trade not condemned these irresponsible remarks and when will he defend the Pacific gateway strategy from attacks from his very own caucus?

[Senate Appointment Consultations Act, May 7th, 2007]

Tax and spend Conservatives.

[Senate Appointment Consultations Act, May 7th, 2007]

What about Fortier?

[The Budget, March 20th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, it could not be more clear to the residents of British Columbia that the Conservatives have chosen to punish them. The government is mismanaging the economy and has backtracked on promise after promise. Canadians and British Columbians are fed up.

Where is the money for the pine beetle? Where is the money for the visitors GST rebate program? Where is the money for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games? Why do the Conservatives continue to punish B.C. on equalization?

What do they have against the west? Why have they chosen to punish British Columbia on so many fronts?

[The Budget, March 20th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are clearly mismanaging Canada's economy and this shotgun budget is a prime example.

The minister closed his eyes and pulled the trigger in the hopes of hitting a few targets. It reminds me of the vice-president of the United States.

There is not a penny here to help fight the pine beetle in British Columbia. This is a devastating issue that the government had promised to address but now it is just another in a long list of Conservative broken promises.

With a $9.2 billion surplus, why has the government turned its back on British Columbia?

[Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, February 20th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, last June, the human resource minister, rather than taking a cab, spent almost $12,000 on limos and swanky hotels to attend the World Urban Forum in Vancouver. She was said to be discussing, of all things, poverty. It is unbelievable.

To add insult to injury, as the minister was busy talking she was also ruthlessly cutting vital programs for the poor and homeless.

Now in immigration, the minister continues to turn her back on the plight of some 50,000, not 450, lost Canadians and hundreds of parents who are trying to complete foreign adoptions.

Why is the minister so loose with the public's money when it comes to her own expenses, but so meanspirited--

[Committees of the House, February 13th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I would ask the member across the way if he has the opportunity when he is driving to or from his riding, or is around Ottawa, to drive to Kingston to that facility and examine the state that those three men are in right now and how they have to live their lives. They have been incarcerated for six and a half years. Two of the men have been in solitary confinement for two years of those six and a half years. All the time that they are--

[Committees of the House, February 13th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the member that we are sitting here before Canadians talking about the present situation. We are talking about the future. That is what is important, not the last five years of fiscal responsibility, of balancing budgets, paying down debt and giving the best economic prosperity to Canadians that they have ever seen.

No, that is not what we are here to talk about. What we are here to talk about is the future of Canadians and the future of our social justice system. We have a law on the books under security certificates that I believe is not balancing the rights of individuals with the rights of the collective. It is our job as parliamentarians to get that balance right. Things change. Time goes on. These men have been held for six and a half years. Their cases should be re-evaluated and the appropriate procedures should be followed.

I hope that all members of the House will listen to the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration and vote in favour of this motion.