Madam Speaker, I will be voting nay.
(The House divided on the motion, which was negatived on the following division:)
Lost his last election, in 1997, with 3% of the vote.
Department Of Canadian Heritage Act December 15th, 1994
Madam Speaker, I will be voting nay.
(The House divided on the motion, which was negatived on the following division:)
Racism December 14th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, racism breeds intolerance in society. One would think educational institutions in our multicultural society would be the last place where racism would exist. This is not the case.
Three weeks ago Mahendra Gupta, a teacher at Toronto's Humberside Collegiate, was deliberately pushed down a flight of stairs at the school. He was later found unconscious at the bottom of a concrete stairwell.
It was a cold and calculated attack. School officials were aware of racist correspondence sent to five non-white teachers but chose not to inform students and staff.
Racism still permeates the Toronto school board. According to Rick Kollins, a Toronto board superintendent, the attack was "not a good news story but a sign of moving in the right direction".
Years of inaction and window dressing by the Toronto school board have resulted in a teacher being racially attacked and the attack is perceived as a positive development by senior officials. It is not.
Employment Equity Act December 13th, 1994
I vote yea, Mr. Speaker.
(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)
Immigration Act December 13th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, I vote for the motion.
(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)
Immigration Act December 13th, 1994
I vote nay, Mr. Speaker.
(The House divided on the motion, which was negatived on the following division:)
Immigration Act December 13th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, I will be voting with the government.
(The House divided on the motion, which was negatived on the following division:)
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act December 13th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, I will be voting with the government.
(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)
Supply December 8th, 1994
Madam Speaker, I will be voting yes.
(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)
Joanne Dave December 8th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to pay tribute to my dedicated executive assistant, Joanne Dave, who passed away last week. She died after suffering severe head injuries in a car accident.
Joanne was a devoted assistant who never accepted an adverse response to a constituent query. She was so dedicated to her job that she would not stop until she got the best possible result for any constituent. She was much more than a highly competent employee; she was also a friend for many years and was always there to assist me in every matter.
Many members in this House who have met Joanne through her work will concur with me about everything I have stated. To her husband Pankaj, her three children Shilpa, Neha and little Chiku, I offer my deepest sympathy. She will be remembered fondly by all who have known her.
Violence Against Women November 24th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, fair and just treatment of all members of society is a cornerstone of a compassionate nation. In particular the House will agree with me that wife abuse should not and cannot be condoned in any form.
A victim of wife abuse should not be penalized further, as is the case of my constituent June Ann Sullivan Robinson. She has been ordered to leave Canada because her husband has withdrawn his sponsorship as a result of her complaints of wife abuse over a period of three years. He has since been convicted.
Ms. Robinson is a self-supporting woman with strong family ties in Canada. Her request to immigration officials to continue processing her application under humanitarian and compassionate grounds has been denied.
I am very concerned about the precedent set by this ruling. It sends a message that wife abuse is fair game for a sponsoring husband. I urge the minister to reconsider this policy in view of its far-reaching consequences.