Lost his last election, in 2006, with 34% of the vote.
Citizenship Of Canada Act May 29th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague is right when he says that we should have the right to appeal. I do not see that in Bill C-16. That is the problem with the bill. I would be the first one to deport those who obtain citizenship under false statements or by hiding some criminal history, but we should let the individual have the right to appeal the process directly to the supreme court. We should not leave that in the minister's hands.
Citizenship Of Canada Act May 29th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member as well as other members in the House and I who chose Canada feel the same way as any of the five to six million Canadians. It is a sad day for us because we are not as equal as our own children.
We have to strive to improve that and to create legislation that will unite us as Canadians regardless of what seniority we have, whether it be five days or 500 years. If we want to create an even stronger and better society we have to be treated as equal members of our family.
Citizenship Of Canada Act May 29th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Mississauga West.
I am pleased and honoured today to speak to Bill C-16, an act respecting Canadian citizenship. There is a handful of members in the House who could probably share the same life experience as myself and the hon. member for Kitchener—Waterloo. This issue is very close to me and I would like to share my experience with my hon. colleagues and the nation.
As a young boy in Croatia I dreamed about Canada. I dreamed about a huge country. In 1968, in Vienna, when I applied and went through the process to come to this country, I was honoured and I was privileged. I was only 18 and a half years old at that time.
I chose this country. I came by myself, on my own. Three years later I applied for Canadian citizenship and I received Canadian citizenship two years after that.
In that citizenship courtroom in Waterloo, which was held in an old post office building on King Street, I still remember watching the faces of many people similar to myself, their special feelings and the smiles on their faces.
When I go to citizenship courts today as an elected member of parliament the judge usually asks me to make comments. When I make these comments I tell new Canadians that they are equal members of the greatest society, the Canadian family, and equal to anybody who was born here or those families who came 300 or 400 years before them. Just recently, I found out that I was wrong.
I do not know if I could go again to that same citizenship court and tell new Canadians that they are equal. According to Bill C-16, they are not, which is really sad. It is really sad that I am not as equal a member of Canadian society as my own children. Over five million Canadians are in the same position.
The Canadian government and the Canadian parliament promote equality, especially abroad. Under this legislation there is no equality. Under this legislation I am treated as a second class citizen. In no other department does the minister have the right and the power to overrule the Supreme Court of Canada, but this legislation would provide that power. That is wrong.
I know many new Canadians who probably did not tell the whole truth for many reasons. Perhaps they came from a country where their lives and their freedom was not protected by the laws of that country, so they used every means available to get out and become members of the greatest family.
Canada is a party to the international convention on civil and political rights adopted by the UN general assembly on December 16, 1966. This United Nations covenant says that a person who has lived in Canada for 20 years or more, whether or not he or she is a citizen of Canada, can consider Canada to be his or her own country. For the purposes of articles 12(4) and 13 of the covenant, such a person cannot be expelled from Canada. If the person leaves the country on vacation, he or she cannot be prevented from re-entering. It is clearly stated in these articles that even non-citizens under the UN convention have more rights than what is proposed in Bill C-16.
Let us say that a person, of whatever nationality, somewhere in Moscow, is stepping on the property of the Canadian embassy, and someone else is stepping on the property of the Canadian embassy in Beijing. Those two individuals are protected by the charter of rights. They are not even landed immigrants and they are not even citizens, but Canadian citizens under Bill C-16 are not equal members of Canadian society. That is wrong.
Can we imagine how many different nationalities there are in my riding of Cambridge? I could start with Croatians, Serbians, Portuguese, Indians, Punjabis, English, Irish, Scottish, Hungarians and Poles. All those people came to this country by choice but are not equal members of our society.
I was surprised on listening to the member from Winnipeg this morning to learn that he and the NDP caucus are fully supporting Bill C-16. Let me quote Alistair Stewart, an MP from Winnipeg, a CCF member, in debate on April 3, 1951. The debate was similar to this one today. He said:
The minister has the right to decide, and it is no reflection on the minister when I say that all of us who are elected members of parliament know what it is to be the victim of political pressure and political urges. While I am content to leave this right with the minister, I am not content to leave with him the right to have the last word. We suggest for the earnest consideration of the minister, partly as a safeguard for himself and partly as a safeguard for those who might be accused, that the individual should have a final right of appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada...That court is impartial. Let that court decide whether or not the individual should suffer the most grievous penalty of losing his citizenship. Were we to do that, then I think we would be restoring some of that equality for all which we desire. I hope that the minister will give this suggestion his most earnest consideration.
We are giving that same power to the political side to make that decision instead of to the supreme court in our judicial system which should be and is impartial. That is completely wrong.
It is not right for five million Canadians who by their own choice adopted Canada as their homeland. I am one of them and I am proud of Canadian society. I hope members of the House will realize how dangerous it is to leave that power in the hands of the politicians instead of our judges.
I do not know what my feelings will be next time when I am called to participate in the citizenship courts. I should not say no but I cannot mislead or lie to people. I cannot go over there to congratulate those who just became second class citizens. I do not know how my colleagues will feel about that, but I feel disappointed and dishonoured as the member representing Cambridge riding. I hope my colleagues will do the right thing when we vote at third reading.
Citizenship Of Canada Act May 29th, 2000
Madam Speaker, with only a minute left I will not ask a question of the hon. member for Kitchener—Waterloo. I will take this opportunity to commend my colleague. Both he and I are so-called newcomers to this country. As well as having similar pasts, being almost former neighbours from Europe, we are neighbours now in the Waterloo region. I want to commend him for his courageous stand, his principles and his beliefs. I have been honoured to work with him very closely on this important issue which is very close to both of us as well as to over five million Canadians.
At the same time, I am disappointed that one of our colleagues, whom I should call the delivery boy, would take that kind of stand and position and talk in the House when he has no clue what it means to be a new Canadian and what it means to get Canadian citizenship.
I want to thank my colleague again.
Supply May 18th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I have high respect for the hon. member for Macleod as a professional. I am glad to hear that the hon. member, as a professional, is not in favour of a two tier system.
Early in his speech he mentioned brain drain, but I am not sure if the hon. member is aware of brain gain.
In the Waterloo region there are probably close to 40 medical, highly qualified and experienced doctors from all over the world. As he knows, there is a quota in Ontario. I believe that there are quotas all over the country. Would the hon. member encourage the provincial ministers to leave those quotas and to give those opportunities to newcomers to practise medicine in the country, as well as nurses?
National Police Week May 15th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate National Police Week we also celebrate the memory of police officers who have given their lives for us.
In my riding of Cambridge an inquest into the death of Constable Dave Nicholson who lost his life on August 12, 1998, while trying to save young Mark Gage from the speeding waters of the Grand River is a solemn reminder to all of us of the sacrifices police officers make.
Constable Nicholson's widow, Wendy, described her late husband as her hero in life, not death. These touching words are a fitting tribute to all fallen police officers and have been inscribed on the new Ontario Police Memorial in Toronto.
I encourage all Canadians to remember these heroes in life, not death, not only this week but every day of the year.
Adventure In Citizenship May 9th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, each year Rotary Clubs throughout Canada sponsor over 200 young Canadians to take part in the Adventure in Citizenship program.
Since 1951 over 10,000 students have come to Ottawa to explore the governmental process and institutions at the federal level. Designed to develop potential leaders, the program explores our nation's identity, shared values, freedoms and history of tolerance and compromise.
This year Chelsea Zylstra from my riding of Cambridge is taking part in this important learning experience.
I join all members in welcoming these future leaders from all ten provinces and the three territories. I wish them success as they learn about the common bonds that unite all Canadians.
Bradley Gaskin Marshall Critical Care Fund May 4th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, to celebrate their 100th anniversary, Bradley Gaskin Marshall Insurance Brokers Ltd. donated $35,525 to the Cambridge Memorial Hospital Foundation. This represents $1 for every day BGM has been in business in Cambridge.
The Bradley Gaskin Marshall Critical Care Fund will support the emergency and intensive care units of our hospital.
Cambridge corporations and individuals have long been known for their compassion and giving. BGM managing partner, Mr. Fred Gaskin, has been generous with his time by providing astute insight and a broad perspective as a member of my Community Advisory Council since 1997.
I congratulate BGM on its centenary and I encourage others in Cambridge to adopt the “dollar a day” concept.
Petitions May 2nd, 2000
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the privilege to present to the House a petition from 100 concerned citizens from my riding of Cambridge.
They wish to draw to the attention of the House that the collection of publications and abortion statistics are vital in order to study various health implications associated with abortion.
The petitioners pray and request that the Parliament of Canada act immediately to request the provision of Canada's annual abortion statistics.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. April 6th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, yesterday Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. announced plans to build the award winning Lexus RX300 sports utility vehicle beginning in 2003 at its industry leading plant in my riding of Cambridge.
This good news translates into new investment of $650 million, the creation of 300 new jobs in Cambridge, an increase in the plant's capacity from 200,000 to 220,000 vehicles per year, and a spinoff expansion of eight new Lexus dealerships throughout Canada.
Toyota Canada president Yoshio Nakatani stated: “The Cambridge-built Corolla is the best selling Corolla in Canada, and the RX300 is the best selling Lexus. Now they will both be stamped `Made in Canada'.”
Prior to this announcement, Toyota created 2,800 jobs in Cambridge and invested over $2 billion in the facility which industry analysts rated as the most productive auto assembly plant.