House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2004, with 37% of the vote.
Petitions November 25th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, I have three sets of petitions to present today.
The first one deals with child pornography and arises out of the issue in British Columbia. The petitioners feel that the well-being and safety of children are put in jeopardy as a result of the British Columbia court decision and appeal.
They therefore ask that the government invoke the notwithstanding clause in order to set things right. I am sure all decent people will feel the same.
Aboriginal Affairs November 23rd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, let us take a look at some of these hearings that the Liberals have been talking about.
We had one in Prince George last week. Four people were allowed to testify. While people from Prince George sat in the audience and were not allowed to speak, three of the four people the Liberals put on their list were flown in from Vancouver and Victoria. So much for consultation.
Will British Columbians have a real opportunity to have their voices heard by voting on a province-wide referendum in British Columbia?
Aboriginal Affairs November 23rd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister talks about his obligations. We know what happened with the GST, so here we go now with Nisga'a.
The minister and Deputy Prime Minister have repeatedly stated that there will be a vote in B.C. by the MPs who represent British Columbia. However, when asked if they would pass or reject the Nisga'a treaty based on a vote of those B.C. MPs, they both very ineloquently stated no.
Given that they have both rejected the very mechanism by which they claim British Columbians will have a vote, will they now agree to a province-wide referendum so those very British Columbians will have the vote that this government has promised them?
Aboriginal Affairs November 22nd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what we have been doing. That is also what we did during the Charlottetown accord which turned it from 70% acceptance to 70% rejection. Maybe that is why they are afraid of this referendum.
Both the minister and the deputy prime minister have stated that British Columbians have a vote through their members of parliament. I would like to point out to them that a total of 10 B.C. MPs support the Nisga'a treaty and 24 B.C. Reform MPs, backed by constituent input from townhall meetings, polls and scientifically conducted polls, oppose it.
Given that the majority of B.C. MPs are voting against the treaty, will the government accept that as a rejection of the treaty as it is currently written, or will it hold a referendum to confirm—
Aboriginal Affairs November 22nd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, a ministerial briefing note to the B.C. minister of agriculture on the impact of the Nisga'a treaty points out that “there is likely to be significant disruptions to individual ranchers within close proximity to first nation communities”.
In the South Okanagan there are over 1,000 farms with crown tenures within 10 kilometres of existing native reserves.
The Nisga'a treaty affects all British Columbians. When will the government give all British Columbians a vote by holding a province-wide referendum on the Nisga'a treaty?
Supply November 22nd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, I would like to just touch on that referendum question. What is the difference? British Columbians would not have it imposed, they are asking for it.
I point out to the hon. member that I did a scientific poll in my riding on constituents' attitudes with regards to the Nisga'a treaty. Not only did we ask straightforward questions, but also did a lot of other polling at the same time.
One of the things this poll did was identify voter trends within the riding. Of the people who voted NDP provincially in the last election, the NDP government being the one that put this treaty on the table, 70% of those people wanted a referendum on the Nisga'a treaty. A referendum is not being imposed on B.C. B.C. is asking for it.
Will the member join with us in supporting the rights of British Columbians and their demand to have a referendum on this?
Supply November 22nd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, I, along with the hon. member, were in British Columbia last week at the Nisga'a hearings. Last Tuesday, we were in Smithers and listened to presentations by the Gitanyow Band who expressed extreme concern over their land being put into the Nisga'a agreement. The Bloc members at that time seemed to listen with great concern and indicated that they would be prepared to support an amendment to the treaty which would take the questioned land out of the Nisga'a treaty until such time as it was settled.
Obviously they would like the native people to see them as native friendly people so the aboriginal people in Quebec will not be concerned when the next referendum question comes up.
Did the hon. member say that simply to seem friendly to the Gitanyow while he was there or will the Bloc stand by that and support at least an amendment to this treaty?
Petitions November 5th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, ironically on the day that I put in my private member's bill that deals with the firearms requirements, the final petition I am presenting also concerns firearms. The petitioners call on parliament to repeal the act respecting firearms and other weapons and to replace it with legislation that deals specifically with criminals instead of law-abiding citizens.
Petitions November 5th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, the fourth group of petitions is rather thick and deals with immigration. The petitioners call on parliament to enact changes to Canada's immigration laws to allow the deportation of obvious and blatant abusers of the system. They also ask that claimants demonstrate through identification documentation or other means that they face genuine political persecution.
Petitions November 5th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, the third group deals with the issue of child pornography. The petitioners call on parliament, at the earliest possible opportunity, to invoke section 33 of the charter of rights and freedoms, the notwithstanding clause, to overturn the ruling that has been very distasteful for many in British Columbia.