Sue Barnes

[Omar Khadr, June 4th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Khadr faces very serious charges is the answer we get from the Conservatives. That is the exact same thing they said about Maher Arar. “The legal process is continuing”, the government said.

The fact that there is no judge does not seem to be bother them.

Maybe the new Minister of Foreign Affairs could answer today. Will the new minister continue to ignore the advice of his own foreign affairs department that says that Omar Khadr should be brought back to Canada?

[Omar Khadr, June 4th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, every question we ask about Canadian, Omar Khadr, gets the same response about him being treated humanely and receiving welfare visits from foreign affairs officials.

In fact, the report for those welfare visits indicates that in the opinion of the American officials, Omar Khadr is, “A good kid who is not a radical and is 'salvageable'”.

Foreign affairs officials say that the tension in Guantanamo will turn Omar Khadr into a radical. Is that the government's intentions?

[Human Rights, June 2nd, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, two months ago, the member for Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre promised to make amends for his regrettable homophobic remarks caught on videotape.

The gay and lesbian community, specifically in Regina, accepted the member's apology on the condition that he was serious and that he showed concrete evidence of his sincerity. However, to date they are still waiting. There has been no response to their letters, no meeting, nothing in two months.

Could the Prime Minister tell us exactly what the parliamentary secretary will be doing to make amends and when he will do it?

[Committees of the House, May 29th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, this motion refers to conscientious objectors and I will tell the member up front I am prepared to support this motion. I think it is one that many of us will be prepared to support.

I wish to question the member because the term “war resister” is used in the media and it is used by many people. The definition of “war resister” and what the motion says about a conscientious objector, to me, and particularly the latter term, is more constrained. It has a legal meaning.

Would the member like to elaborate on whether he sees any difference or whether these two terms are interchangeable? I think this is important to the discussion in order not to mislead people.

[Code of Conduct, May 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, this is about the government's judgment and willingness to turn a blind eye to conflicts of interest whenever it involves its friends.

Mr. Montenegrino was hired by the PMO to hold the hands of Conservative MPs during months of committee hearings on the Mulroney-Schreiber affair. He was hired by MPs and cabinet ministers to do legal work, while, at the same time, was registered to lobby the same people on behalf of different clients.

What went on in those closed door meetings between the Prime Minister's confidant and the judicial appointees he was asked to vet?

[Code of Conduct, May 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, Emanuel Montenegrino has worked for the Conservatives on a host of legal matters, including legal representation for the Prime Minister. He is also registered to lobby for 10 clients, which includes lobbying the Prime Minister's Office and MPs directly.

Now we have learned that he was asked to secretly vet some prospective judicial appointees outside the normal established process.

In an unrelated matter, that individual was recently suspended for two months and fined by the Law Society of Upper Canada for professional misconduct.

Is he still working for the PMO and lobbying its offices at the same time?

[Terrorism, May 9th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians who are detained abroad deserve to know their government will help them. Canadian citizenship should mean something. However, the Conservative government has developed a pattern of trying to be judge and jury, arbitrarily deciding whose rights it will respect.

When will the government bring Mr. Khadr and Mr. Abdelrazik to Canada so they can be dealt with here under Canadian justice and in compliance with due process?

These are important matters that Canadians believe in, our due process and the Canadian justice system and values.

[Terrorism, May 9th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister labels people who question his government's judgment. When we asked about the Afghanistan mission, he called us Taliban sympathizers.

The government House leader has accused the opposition of backing two terrorists, implying Mr. Khadr and Mr. Abdelrazik. No one in the House backs terrorism but we do believe in legal rights and due process.

When will the government bring Mr. Khadr and Mr. Abdelrazik to Canada so they can be dealt with here in compliance with Canadian justice and due process?

[Minister of the Environment, April 16th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, Friends of Science helped the Conservatives by launching an anti-Kyoto PR campaign on the very same day that the former Liberal government's project green was announced.

Now we learn through this week's release of the Calgary University's audit services report that they also worked with the Conservatives in the last election through the potentially illegal third party advertising during an election, an advertising campaign that hit Ontario.

Given that the revenue minister may be among those who personally benefited from these questionable ads, has the minister recused himself from any of his department's--

[Minister of the Environment, April 16th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, we have heard reports that a Canada Revenue Agency investigation is ongoing into whether the Prime Minister's friend and adviser, Barry Cooper, misused the University of Calgary's charitable tax status by engaging in partisan activities in election advertising.

I ask the revenue minister , who was heading up the investigation? When does he expect it to conclude, and will the conclusions be made public?