Karen Redman

[Ethics, February 28th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, Chuck Cadman was a respected parliamentarian and a man of integrity. We now learn that two mystery men went to Mr. Cadman's Parliament Hill office and offered him a bribe.

The Prime Minister has confirmed that these men were representing the Conservative Party when they offered this bribe. Would the Prime Minister now tell Canadians who his two emissaries were and are they Privy Councillors?

[The Economy, February 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I notice that the Conservatives did not send out their Minister of Finance to frighten Canadians with this talk of deficits. People remember his deficits from when he was the treasurer of Ontario.

That is why Canadians simply cannot trust this government. They will look us right in the eye, these Conservatives, and they will tell us things that they know are not true. Why should Canadians trust this government when it deliberately manufactures false numbers simply to mislead and deceive Canadians?

[The Economy, February 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the government continues to set new standards for dishonest communications. Just last week the Minister of Industry embarrassed himself with bizarre economics and incoherent math and these were backed up with false and misleading quotes.

The minister tried to rewrite the history of deficits in this country, the kind the Conservatives create and the Liberals have to clean up. Does the minister recall the multi-billion dollar deficit left to Canada by his political hero Brian Mulroney?

[Afghanistan, February 15th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, today, Canadians have had only secrecy and cover-up from the government when it comes to the Afghanistan mission.

The issue of detainee abuse and torture is a very good example. Canadians' faith in the Afghan mission is undermined when troubling reports of abuse in the Afghan prisons emerged. What was the response from the government? It was batten down the hatches and mum is the word.

Will the Prime Minister guarantee Canadians that this reign of secrecy about the Afghan mission is over and that he will operate with transparency and openness, both to Parliament and to Canadians?

[Afghanistan, February 15th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, Liberals believe that the key to success in the Afghan mission is honesty and clarity with Canadians. That is a very different approach from what we have seen so far from the government.

Our amended motion calls on the government to provide more frank and more frequent reporting to Canadians about the mission.

Will the Prime Minister commit his government to this kind of transparency about the mission to Canadians?

[Internet Child Pornography Prevention Act, February 14th, 2008]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-506, An Act to prevent the use of the Internet to distribute pornographic material involving children.

Mr. Speaker, the Internet is not a safe place for children. In Ontario, this week alone, we saw 23 arrests of users, distributors and producers of child pornography. There is nothing more horrific than the crimes that involve children and that are committed against children.

In spite of the best efforts by police forces, this problem of child pornography is getting worse.

As legislators, we have the responsibility to do everything we can to stop the use of the Internet to distribute child pornography. The legislation which I table today would make Internet service providers more responsible for the content that is being transmitted to their customers.

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

[Automotive Industry, February 12th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, today we also learned that General Motors in the United States has suffered the largest annual loss ever and is getting rid of 74,000 workers. Will the government do anything to protect Canadian jobs?

With the ongoing pressures on the North American auto companies and the additional impact of the market downturn, does the government even know what the effect will be on Canada or does it simply not care about Canadian workers?

[Automotive Industry, February 12th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the crisis in the auto parts industry is getting worse and still the government does nothing. Kitchener Frame announced that it is throwing 1,200 people out of work and this is a huge blow to the Waterloo region.

Will the government finally admit that there is a strong role for the federal government? How many good Canadian jobs have to disappear before the government does something about this emergency?

[Election Expenses, February 7th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, in looking for more proof that accountability was nothing more than a Conservative slogan during the campaign, we can just look at the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

The government has done everything possible to block an investigation by Elections Canada that found the Conservative Party, and no other party, overspending the legal limit for national advertising by a million dollars.

Will the member for Cambridge, the chair of that committee, assure this House that at the very next meeting there will be a democratic vote on hearings on the Conservatives' in and out scheme, or will he continue to merely be a pawn of the PMO?

[Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, February 6th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, Liberals who voted on the previous question will be voting in favour of this motion.