Andrew Telegdi

[Petitions, June 11th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the other petition I have calls on the federal government to maintain federal homelessness funding for the next five years and that it be at least at the same level of funding, adjusted for inflation, for the same type of programs, especially those that strengthen and extend existing local capacity as was provided through the national homelessness initiative.

[Petitions, June 11th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions to present.

The first petition essentially calls on the government to enact legislation to raise the age of sexual consent from 14 years to 16 years of age.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2007, June 8th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I recognize the member is new to the House, but when he talked about debts and deficits, what he failed to mention was this. The total national debt left by the Liberal government when the Conservatives came to power 1984, was $200 billion. In nine short years, after a record deficit, that $200 billion debt ended up being a $500 billion debt, a $300 billion increase.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2007, June 8th, 2007]

He is a rookie.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2007, June 8th, 2007]

You sold out.

[Petitions, June 8th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the other petition I have pertains to welcome the stranger. The petition talks about the need for Canada to increase the number of refugees that Canada accepts into Canada annually and to make it easier for them to reach Canada.

[Petitions, June 8th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition that comes to us from the board of directors of the Canadian Polish Congress, representing 800,000 Canadians of Polish heritage.

The petitioners call upon the government and Parliament to lift the visitor visa requirements for Poland, given the fact that Poland is a member of NATO and it is a member of the European Union.

[Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, June 5th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, to my colleague, I wonder if he finds it passing strange that a Conservative government takes leadership from the United States? If the government had its way, Canada would be in the war in Iraq and whenever something is happening down there on the far right, the government will support it.

Does the member not find it passing strange that the United States, which is now going through a process of regularizing undocumented workers and giving them a chance to work toward citizenship, recognizing how important they are to the American economy, just as our undocumented workers are very important to the Canadian economy, does he not find it passing strange that for once the Conservatives are not following the American lead and that they should to regularize undocumented workers?

[Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, June 5th, 2007]

I did not say no.

[Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, June 5th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly would, and I dare say I would imagine all the opposition members would agree with the member. The question is would the government? I am sad to say no because the Conservatives do not match their rhetoric with action when it comes to supporting our soldiers.