House of Commons photo

Crucial Fact

  • His favourite word was centre.

Last in Parliament May 2004, as Liberal MP for Niagara Centre (Ontario)

Won his last election, in 2000, with 46% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Criminal Code September 29th, 2003

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member stated that he was not interested in the statistical jargon, but that is what measures accomplishments. That is what the sector is interested in. It is not interested in the dramatics in the House of Commons or what it took. Obviously it took a combined effort of everyone on all sides to pull this deal off.

I want to remind the hon. member that the annual growth in Canada's auto sector was 7% compared to 3% for the economy as a whole. During that same period, light vehicle production in Canada increased by 570,000 units. This is the equivalent of two or three typical assembly plants.

I think this is impressive, particularly given the fact that Canada accounts for only 8% of North American vehicle sales. Our share of total North American production has consistently been about 16% in this period of time. The Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association showed that Canada moved up to third place, behind only China and the United States.

Criminal Code September 29th, 2003

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is correct that during question period on May 26 he asked about the government's commitment to attracting new automotive production to Canada.

There has been a lot of discussion over the past year with various levels of government and what they are doing to attract new automotive investments in Canada. I am glad to have the opportunity to speak to this issue.

First, let me be clear that the government wants to see as much new automotive investment come to Canada as possible. The principal reason why the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council was created was to develop shared industry-government strategies to help ensure the long term growth and prosperity of Canada's automotive sector. We are working through CAPC with the assemblers, parts manufacturers, labour, and the provinces to develop a cooperative approach to addressing industry issues.

In the months which have passed since the hon. member voiced his concerns about the state of the automotive industry in Canada, there have been a number of developments which indicate that Canada continues to be an attractive location for automotive manufacturing investment.

DaimlerChrysler has recently announced that it will invest $1.4 billion to retool its Brampton assembly plant.

On September 26 Toyota held a ceremony for the production of the Lexus RX330 at its Cambridge, Ontario, plant. It will be the first ever Lexus to be built outside Japan. As noted by the Japanese and Canadian based executive of Toyota, this investment reflects directly on the government's commitment to the automotive sector.

All of Canada's five auto assemblers have current reinvestment plans.

In the auto parts sector, the news is also encouraging. Employment increased by almost 7,000 jobs in the first half of 2003, an increase of 6.9% over the last year. Total employment now stands at 106,384 jobs.

The auto industry invests in Canada because of our strong fundamentals: a highly skilled workforce; competitive labour costs; and an excellent business climate, including low inflation and interest rates, and a competitive tax regime. Canada will continue to be an excellent automotive manufacturing location, with strong performance on productivity and quality measures.

In addition, the federal government assists industry to innovate and to increase productivity and competitiveness through its many programs. A recent example of the success of this approach is the Navistar truck plant in Chatham, where the company reversed its decision to move its operations to Mexico. Instead, with the assistance of the technology partnerships Canada program, the company will be investing $270 million over 10 years in developing of state-of-the-art equipment thus guaranteeing the plant's future for years to come.

We on this side of the House recognize that Canada cannot rest on its past successes. We are continuing to work closely with the auto sector to maintain Canada's competitive advantages and to ensure that the auto companies continue to invest and grow in Canada. We are actively involved through CAPC in examining these very issues.

Duke of Edinburgh Award September 26th, 2003

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my constituent, Chief Warrant Officer Paul Brown of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment, Army Cadet Corps., who was presented with the Duke of Edinburgh award by Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, last June 24.

The Duke of Edinburgh award is designed to help young people between the ages of 14 and 25 develop a sense of responsibility in themselves and their community by expanding their horizons. The award has evolved into one of the most comprehensive, personal achievement programs in the world.

Chief Warrant Officer Brown is presently studying business administration logistics at the Royal Military College in Kingston. A nine year contract that he signed with the Canadian military includes his four years at RMC and five years of work with a possible six month period overseas.

I want to congratulate him on this most prestigious award and I wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavours.

Government On-Line: 2003 June 13th, 2003

Mr. Speaker, in order to inform parliamentarians and Canadians about the significant progress that has been made on the government online initiative, on behalf of the President of the Treasury Board, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the second government-wide GOL report, entitled “Government On-Line: 2003”.

Governor General's Medal of Bravery June 13th, 2003

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my constituent, Dennis J. Rogers, who has been awarded the Governor General's Medal of Bravery.

On February 18, 2002, Mr. Rogers risked his life to rescue a woman from a burning house in Welland, which is in my riding of Niagara Centre.

Mr. Rogers was driving by with his family when he noticed flames and thick smoke billowing from the house. He immediately pulled over and ran to the back door where an 11 year old boy told him that his mother was trapped inside the home. Getting no response to the calls to the woman, Mr. Rogers raced inside. Crouching and groping around under the blinding smoke, he followed the sounds of the victim's voice until he located her frozen with fear in a corner of the bathroom. As he gasped for air, he carried her outside moments before the House was fully engulfed in flames.

Congratulations Dennis. He truly is a hero.

Millennium Excellence Awards June 11th, 2003

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 11 outstanding high school students in my riding of Niagara Centre who have been selected to receive one of the 404 millennium excellence awards that the Millennium Scholarship Foundation provides to outstanding Ontario students entering post-secondary education.

They have been selected on the basis of academic performance, community service and leadership and innovation.

Congratulations to Jimmy Wintle, Taryn Diamond, Keith Bennie, Sarah Golin, Delaney Greig, Deanna Hunt, Tasha Maheu, Lisa Moreira, Elena Paraskeyvopoulos, Kelly Todd and Janelle Fournier.

My best wishes to all of them as they follow their paths to a bright and promising future.

Canada Elections Act June 9th, 2003

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member mentioned that the roles of officers of Parliament have become increasingly complex and busier through the years, and the OAG is one. As the hon. member knows, it was this government that recognized that.

Under the former Progressive Conservative government, the Auditor General reported to Parliament once a year. It was this government that decided it was time to bring the Auditor General in four times a year. That was to increase accountability and to increase transparency. He or she, and she in this case, would report more often so we could identify the challenges and deal with them. As I said in my statement, the funding has been increased accordingly to help cover that.

Canada Elections Act June 9th, 2003

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to take part in this debate tonight with my hon. colleague in the House. The issue being debated tonight is an important one. It is central to the operation of this institution of Parliament. One of the most fundamental missions of the House is to provide a forum in which the government can be held accountable for its actions, especially for how it spends public funds.

The people's right to control how public funds are collected and spent is one of the cornerstones of democratic government. In Canada, like other parliamentary democracies, this control is carried out on behalf of the people by their elected representatives, and that is us, the members of Parliament.

Over the years, Parliament has given itself the tools it needs to make sure that the government remains accountable to the people of this country, that the government lives up to its commitments to deliver results to Canadians, and achieves the best possible value for money with every decision, with every policy, with every program. The Auditor General has played an invaluable role in this regard.

When the Office of the Auditor General was created by legislation, coincidentally 125 years ago today, it was seen as a means to promote good and effective governance in this country by ensuring that public funds would be spent wisely and effectively. The fundamental mission has remained unchanged to this day. For 125 years, a dialogue has been ongoing among the Office of the Auditor General, the government and Parliament. This dialogue is partly responsible for Canada being recognized today as having one of the most modern and efficient public services in the world, if not one of the best systems of government in the world.

The issue raised tonight by the member for South Shore is whether, given this important role, the Office of the Auditor General is being supplied an adequate level of funding by Parliament. It must be said that funding for the Auditor General's office already has increased considerably in recent years. Like most other government departments and agencies, the Auditor General's budget was reduced in the 1990s, after hitting a high of $60 million in the 1993-94 fiscal year. As the public accounts records will show, the entire shortfall was made up fully by fiscal year 2000-01. Since then, the Auditor General's budget has climbed steadily from $60 million to nearly $72.5 million in 2002-03. This represents a 20% increase over three years.

In 2002-03 alone, the OAG was granted a $9.2 million increase by Treasury Board. This represents a 13% increase in one year alone. I am sure that most members of the House and certainly most ministers who sit around the cabinet table would characterize a 13% increase as very sympathetic.

There is a process in place for the Auditor General to request additional funds from Parliament and it is through the Treasury Board. If recent practice by the government is any indication, it would seem that the Treasury Board has responded quite actively and supportively to requests for additional funding from the Auditor General.

Juno Beach Centre June 6th, 2003

Mr. Speaker, on June 6, 1944 Canadian soldiers stormed the beaches on the Normandy coast in France, code named Juno, as part of the allied effort during World War II.

Thousands of Canadians fought in this battle and hundreds lost their lives. Today this historic site is home to the Juno Beach Centre. Officially being opened today, it will ensure that all Canadians know about Canada's involvement in all campaigns during the second world war and fully appreciate the sacrifices our soldiers made.

The Juno Beach Centre project was developed by a group of World War II veterans who participated in the D-Day landings as well as other battles. The centre will inform visitors of Canada's participation in, and support of, the war effort both at home and in Europe.

Let us thank our veterans for their valiant efforts on the Juno Beach Centre project.

Rowing June 3rd, 2003

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the members of the rowing teams at Denis Morris Catholic High School, which is located in my riding of Niagara Centre.

The senior boys fours with coxie, under coach Matt Miller, placed first at the Wyandotte Regatta in Detroit, Michigan on May 2 and 3. The junior girls heavy 8, under coach Brian Dell, placed first at the same regatta. The senior boys heavy 8, under coach Brian Dell, placed first at the Mother's Day Regatta in St. Catharines on May 11.

I wish to congratulate all members of these three exemplary rowing teams. They have set the bar extremely high for others to attempt to equal their success.