Mark Holland

[Federal Accountability Act, November 20th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad the minister takes such fun in breaking the law. His party has broken the law and that is what is at issue. The Reform Party, the Alliance and even the Conservatives, back when they were progressive, all followed the laws for conventions. When they came together in 2005, are we supposed to believe they had amnesia? The reality is that every party in this House knew the rules and the Conservative Party broke them. What that party is trying to do now is cover it up. Well it will not work.

If the Prime Minister will not take responsibility for this mess, Canadians will in the next election. So one more time to the Prime Minister, drop this mockery of an amendment. Pay back the money and accept the consequences of breaking the election--

[Federal Accountability Act, November 20th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, under the cloud of investigation by Elections Canada for trying to hide nearly $2 million in illicit donations for its 2005 convention, jaw-dropping Conservative hypocrisy strikes again.

Caught breaking the law, government members want to rewrite the accountability act to let themselves off. The Conservatives want to create a loophole that would allow their flagrant violation of Canada's election laws to stand. So much for accountability.

My question is for the Prime Minister. When will the Conservatives drop this dishonest amendment, pay back any illicitly received funds, and own up to the fact they broke the law?

[Remembrance Day, November 9th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring to the attention of the House a reading and remembrance project.

Started and managed by the Durham West Arts Centre in my riding, this innovative program provides educators with tools to promote literacy while carrying out Remembrance Day activities in their classrooms and schools.

This year's project is Holocaust and anti-racism education and will focus on the values for which Canadian veterans have sacrificed their lives. Educators can select reading materials found on the Durham West Arts Centre website and will spend 10 to 20 minutes with their students reading and remembering on November 10, as close to 2:10 p.m. as possible.

We, as members of Parliament, are in a unique position to share with young people the importance of the values that Canadians have and continue to fight for. It is my hope that on Remembrance Day more students will have the chance to participate in this worthwhile event and that my colleagues on all sides of the House will take a moment to read and remember with young Canadians.

[Federal Accountability Act, November 8th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, yet another amendment from the Conservatives. That makes 52. Conservative senators just introduced number 51 yesterday.

Here are the choices. The Prime Minister and the minister can apologize, stop these violations and pay back the money. They can toss this promise in the garbage heap, along with all the other deceptions they made to get elected, and admit that the Conservatives' word means nothing. They can own up and admit that they pulled a fast one on Canadians. Or, are they going to say that Hansard did not catch their promise?

Will the minister keep the commitment he made to Canadians on April 11, yes, or no?

[Federal Accountability Act, November 8th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the minister of evasion and non-answers failed to respond yesterday about 44 Conservatives who violated that party's empty accountable promise of last April 11 to limit contributions to $1,000.

Today, we learned of a 140 more. That is right; nearly 200 violations in total and now 200 broken promises.

Thousands of other violations will occur if the Conservative promise-breaking machine keeps smashing forward.

Will the minister confirm that these overcontributions will be returned and stopped? Will the Conservatives keep their promise of April 11, yes or no?

[Government Accountability, November 7th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the government should talk to the Conservative Senate which has 50 amendments holding the bill up right now.

One of the 44 violations was made by Conservative Senator Hugh Segal. Was he sorry? We should know better.

The Conservative senator had this to say about his transgression, “I actually don't feel governed by the...federal accountability act at all”.

I guess that sums up the actions of the Prime Minister and his minister of hot air; promises made, promises broken 44 times.

What will it be? Will the Prime Minister apologize for misleading Canadians yet again and pay back this money or serve notice that all Conservative promises have no meaning?

[Government Accountability, November 7th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, less than a year in and the Conservatives are breaking promises faster than the foreign affairs minister drives; income trusts, an elected Senate, patronage, clean air and now accountability.

The Prime Minister and the Conservative Party promised to follow the rules of the accountability act from the day it was introduced. They specifically promised to vigorously enforce the $1,000 donation limit they imposed for their party.

Why then do we now learn from Elections Canada that the Conservatives broke their promise on donations, not once, but 44 times? Does accountability end for the Conservatives when someone signs a cheque?

[Income Trusts, November 6th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, if that is true, then why did the Conservatives campaign against the best interests of Canadians? Why did that party make a promise that it broke? It is a pure deception.

Robert Horner writes: “It is inconceivable to me that your party during the last election gave comfort to this most vulnerable class of our society to continue to enjoy the returns from their investments and then within a year break that trust with the people. Shame on you. Your Machiavellian approach to this situation has left me feeling betrayed, and that my government is deceitful, careful and as such, dangerous”.

When can Mr. Horner and thousands of other Canadians who feel cheated and betrayed expect a direct and unequivocal apology?

[Income Trusts, November 6th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the letters from betrayed Canadians on income trusts are pouring in. Ed and Judy Bohnet write: “After the Prime Minister's campaign assurance of 'no change in tax structure for income trusts', we felt confident in our decision to put our savings into this investment vehicle. We were thoroughly taken in by the rhetoric of honour and openness put out by the Conservative Party, what a disappointment. We feel completely blindsided”.

Will the Minister of Finance apologize to the Bohnets and the thousands of other Canadians whose votes they stole based on a deception and whose savings they annihilated by allowing value to build falsely on a betrayal?

[Criminal Code, October 30th, 2006]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-373, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (cruelty to animals).

Mr. Speaker, we recently learned of the death by brutal torture of Daisy Duke, a Labrador Border Collie cross, in Didsbury, Alberta. This outrageous action highlights the failure of Parliament to modernize Criminal Code provisions dealing with animal cruelty.

Our present laws date back to 1892 with only minor amendments. Bills to modernize our animal cruelty laws have been introduced in every Parliament since 1999, but they have all died on the order paper.

This bill that I am introducing today is identical to Bill C-50 in the 38th Parliament. It is the product of countless hours of debate, testimony and study. Previous versions of this bill were in fact passed by both Houses of Parliament but failed when both Houses could not agree on minor amendments.

I not only call on all members of the House in all parties to get behind this bill but on the government itself to reintroduce this legislation as government legislation. It is time we passed proper legislation for the protection of animals and stop failing Canadians.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)