House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2004, with 35% of the vote.
National Defence October 13th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, the same parliamentary secretary of defence, who now has the gall to stand and defend the government, said “The government has been neglecting defence and as a result it is in absolute crisis”. That was then and this is now I guess.
Will the Deputy Prime Minister assure the House that any inquiry will ask the question: How did this defence budget slashing impact the submarine retrofit and safety and operations?
National Defence October 13th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, it was that parliamentary secretary for defence who said “For 10 years the Liberals underfunded and disrespected their military by not giving them the tools to do their job”.
This report details a host of problems, including design flaws, system failures and cable communications. The subs had to be made safe and operational and that cost money. This was at a time when the Prime Minister was systematically cutting the defence budget year after year.
How did the Prime Minister's $54 million slash to the submarine program affect the improvements that were required to make these subs safe and operational?
National Defence October 13th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, we have uncovered a British parliamentary report on the submarines and it is damning. It outlines a litany of problems that plagued the subs when they were still owned by the British. Perhaps that was what the British defence minister meant when he said that the purchase was buyer beware.
Was the government aware of this report?
Refugees October 12th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the young people of St. Francis In-The-Wood Anglican Church, and schools all over North and West Vancouver.
Last month they organized a youth for Darfur fundraiser and raised over $21,000. The money will help the refugees of Darfur who left their country to avoid what some call a massacre and others call a genocide. The government and individual Liberal members of Parliament ignored their summer-long letter writing campaign, but they persevered and succeeded. I am very proud of them.
When 50,000 people were slaughtered and 200,000 had to flee their country, it was not this government that stood up to be counted, it was the young people of West and North Vancouver. Their efforts speak volumes of the idealism, energy and concern they have for other citizens of this planet. We should be proud of them and confident of our nation's future when they begin to manage our affairs.
Canada will continue to be a better place because of young people such as those I met at the Darfur fundraiser. They deserve our applause and encouragement.
Business of the House October 7th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the government House leader what the business is for the rest of the week and for next week after everybody goes home and has a nice Thanksgiving weekend.
Committees of the House October 5th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, considering the member for Fraser Valley's recent promotion to high office, I think you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:
That the membership on the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, appointed earlier today, be amended by replacing the name of Chuck Strahl with the name of John Reynolds.
Prime Minister May 14th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, our very talented research team has compiled a comprehensive file on Norway, and it is information to share with the Prime Minister. We do this because there are rumours he might travel all the way across Sussex Drive to Rideau Hall in the very near future.
The Prime Minister should inform his navigator that he does not wish to visit the Governor General at Norway Bay. It is a very pleasant community, but lacks an air strip to accommodate the Challenger.
He could, however, agree to meet her for breakfast at the Norway Spruce Bed and Breakfast in Ontario.
He should avoid travel to New Norway, Alberta, because he would not be welcome there.
We would advise him to avoid Norway House for the same reason.
While he is touring, he might want to study some Norway spruce trivia. It is the fastest growing member of the spruce family.
He should know that in Norway there is a Society for Barefoot Living. It boasts a national membership of six, but only four members are listed publicly. He should be come the seventh member of the Society for Barefoot Living because after the next election, he will discover that he has been knocked right out of his boots.
Business of the House May 13th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, this is the 54th sitting of the third session of the 37th Parliament, with a day to go.
I am wondering if the government House leader could tell us what miracle he has for the next day and a half to save us from probably the least productive session in the 30 years I have been involved in politics.
I also want to say to the government House leader, in all kindness, that I am looking forward to coming back after the election when he will be asking the new prime minister questions from this side of the House.
Liberal Party of Canada May 13th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, “No democracy. No respect. So we all quit”. Eight words from Liberals in British Columbia but they convey a powerful message. The democratic deficit has become an albatross hanging on the neck of the ancient mariner.
Do members remember those heady days when the Prime Minister promised he would do things differently? There are 14 former Liberals in Burnaby--Douglas who remember that promise. They all quit the Liberal Party because the Prime Minister parachuted his own candidate into their riding.
After a year of work of organizing and fundraising, two outstanding Chinese Canadian nominated candidates were told to take a hike. That has upset the Chinese community from coast to coast and overseas. They and their supporters will find the welcome mat out if they want to join the Conservative Party.
Speaking of mats, the Prime Minister, with this brutal undemocratic move, has yanked the rug out from under every Liberal candidate in British Columbia. Now we hear news reports that there are membership lists burning in Vancouver Centre as we speak.
Things just keep on getting better and better in British Columbia with a bad moon rising over the Liberal Party.
Standing Committee on Public Accounts May 7th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, we know why the Liberals are trying to shut it down. It is because it is not playing well in the province of Quebec for the government.
Let me quote one of the prominent Liberal members in the province of Quebec. He said, “People who are active in the party in Quebec now are not representative of the mainstream.The Liberal Party in Quebec is a collection of has-beens”.
Who said that? It was Jean Lapierre, the guy who is running the Liberal campaign in the province of Quebec.
The reason the Liberals want to shut this committee down is that it is not playing well in Quebec and it is not playing well in the rest of Canada.
Why will they not let us call the rest of these witnesses, the witnesses who can get to the bottom of the scandal, like the Prime Minister promised Canadians?