Judy Sgro

[Homelessness, February 13th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister's history speaks for itself no matter what he tries to say.

Poverty is a national problem. The Conservatives have refused to take leadership in the fight against poverty, preferring a laissez-faire, I do not care attitude.

The Liberal Party has a plan. Quebec and Newfoundland have plans in place and Ontario will implement one this year.

Do the Conservatives have a plan to fight poverty, or is it the minister's typical old plan, which is to cut programs for the poor, jail the homeless, slash child care and swipe another $5 billion from the aboriginal community?

[Homelessness, February 13th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister was part of the Harris government in Ontario that wanted to make homelessness a crime and called it “tough love”. That “tough love” was applied to his last federal budget, which shut out the homeless, aboriginals, children and seniors living in poverty. However, he paid his good friend MacPhie $122,000 to craft that “tough love” budget speech.

Why does the government's anti-poverty plan help just one group: old, tired Mike Harris cronies who were thrown out of Queen's Park?

[Municipal Affairs, February 11th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious issue. Charges have been laid as a result of this bribery investigation concerning a federal appointment.

The minister has been interviewed twice by the Ontario Provincial Police and will be called to testify in a criminal trial. Confidential informants are waiting to tell more.

OPP evidence suggests that the minister as well as other Conservatives have played a role here. Will the Prime Minister call in the RCMP now to investigate this attempted cover-up?

[Municipal Affairs, February 11th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, late Friday afternoon the Conservative government finally admitted that while the Minister of the Environment was in Bali, he instructed his chief of staff to call the head of the OPP anti-racket squad. He called not once, but twice, and the calls were made on the day after the OPP confirmed it was transferring this file to the RCMP. What an odd coincidence.

Why did the minister not just issue his own press release if he was so desperate for clarification?

[Municipal Affairs, February 8th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, some accountability. I am afraid that Mr. Kilrea was the one who turned down the bribe.

The OPP has evidence that suggests that the minister and O'Brien met during this period, that this bribe was on the table and that they discussed it at that meeting.

Let us try again to get a straight answer. Did the minister's chief of staff or others in his office make calls to the OPP after it was announced that it was handing over the case to the RCMP? A clear answer, if it is not yes, is it no, but give us a straight answer.

[Municipal Affairs, February 8th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, on December 10, OPP superintendent, Dave Truax, announced that he would be forwarding the O'Brien investigation to the RCMP after its eight month probe revealed that O'Brien had allegedly negotiated with someone at the federal level to get Terry Kilrea a federal appointment.

Strangely, the very next day the OPP changed its mind.

Would the Prime Minister tell us whether the environment minister's chief of staff called the OPP the next day on December 11? A yes or a no answer, please.

[Prebudget Consultations, February 7th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I know how hard the hon. member has worked on a variety of issues, whether we talk about child care or women's issues. I have attended many meetings with the hon. member and know of her intense interest in the issues surrounding the aboriginal community.

It has been two years since the Kelowna accord was taken apart and destroyed. Has there been any progress at all in dealing with the aboriginal files?

[Justice, February 7th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, behind the repackaged and rebranded Conservative Party, we see that it is nothing more than the old Reform-Alliance, trying to turn back the clock 50 years by voting unanimously in support of the death penalty yesterday.

The Prime Minister said that the death penalty and the issue of abortion were “not issues for the first Conservative government”. Does yesterday's vote not prove beyond a doubt the Conservatives want to bring back the death penalty?

[Black History Month, February 6th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, February is Black History Month.

This is a time to celebrate the many achievements and contributions of black Canadians, who throughout history have done so much to make Canada such a culturally diverse, compassionate and prosperous nation.

Today we are delighted to welcome to Parliament Hill young guests from the Children's Breakfast Clubs, a non-profit charitable organization that believes every child is entitled to a nutritious breakfast.

An estimated 4,000 meals are served each week in the more than 20 clubs across the greater Toronto area.

After question period today, all members are invited to a reception in Room 200, West Block with the Committee on Community, Race and Ethnic Relations of Toronto, where this year's Black History Month poster will be presented to all members.

[Manufacturing Industry, February 5th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the only reason that money was brought forward is because of the work that was done by this opposition party here, otherwise it would not have been done, just more rhetoric and more laissez-faire, “I don't care” from the government.

Last week the industry minister and the finance minister met with auto industry executives, but in the midst of contradicting each other they made zero commitments to provide any assistance to the auto industry. Is the government's indifference to the crisis in the auto sector just another example of the Conservatives' anti-Ontario attitude?