Andrew Cash

[Business of Supply, March 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to underline the comments of my hon. colleague. He has made a very important point. We asked our veterans to make overwhelming, overarching sacrifices. This is not just any job. This is the job that governments must take a lot of time and deep consideration before engaging our military in any operation. We have had veterans who have come back and they have done the job that our governments asked them to do and yet they are being hung out to dry by a government that really does not stand up for veterans.

My colleague brought up the issue of seniors in the military. Would he continue that thought and talk a bit about how we could better support our veterans?

[Business of Supply, March 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, many in the House today, including of course the hon. member for Sackville—Eastern Shore and member from Québec, have enumerated some of the most egregious cases of neglect on the part of the government. The government loves to whip Canadians with the stick of anti-patriotism and of our letting down our brave servicemen and women, and yet in Toronto, for example, we do have homeless veterans. There are many homeless people and among them is a community of homeless veterans.

I am wondering if the hon. member would like to speak to this issue and what it says about the government's real commitment to our men and women in uniform.

[Public Transit, February 27th, 2012]

Madam Speaker, the greater Toronto area is home to 5.5 million people, 17% of the Canadian population, 40% of corporate head offices and one-fifth of Canada's GDP.

In other words, what happens in Toronto and how it happens matters except, it seems, to the Conservative government.

The GTA loses $6 billion a year due to gridlock and yet the government will not endorse the NDP's national transit strategy. What is worse, it has not come up with its own plan.

In the midst of an affordable housing crisis, the government will not endorse the NDP's national housing strategy. What is worse, it has not come up with its own plan.

When it comes to confusing voters about which polling station they should go to at election time, in that case the Conservatives come up with their own plan.

The NDP has come up with our own plans for housing and transit. Will Canadians have to wait until 2015 and an NDP government before they see real leadership for cities like Toronto?

[Housing, February 16th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I listen to the minister just about every day and it is clear that she does not understand that her plan is not working.

I will map it out just for Toronto. There are 70,000 households, some 200,000 people, on waiting lists for affordable housing. The backlog for repairs at Toronto Community Housing will be $1 billion by 2015. The government is doing nothing. It says a lot but does nothing.

Will the Conservatives commit today to supporting the New Democrats' national housing strategy?

[Housing, February 16th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, cities like Toronto are facing a housing crisis. The FCM says that housing is the number one problem facing cities. Even the CIBC is saying that most Canadian families are having a hard time finding affordable housing. In fact, one and a half million Canadian households are said to be in core housing need, and this government does not have a plan. Luckily, we do.

Will the government commit today to finally take action and support the New Democrat national housing strategy?

[Petitions, February 16th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Public Safety said this week that people who are against the government's online spying bill stand with pedophiles.

My constituents in the riding of Davenport in the great metropolis of Toronto beg to differ. Along with 80,000 others, they have signed OpenMedia.ca's online petition to stop the government's online spying bill. They wish to add their voice of opposition to the measures contained in the lawful access legislation that would compel telecommunications companies to collect and store personal information and turn it over to law enforcement without a warrant.

This petition speaks to that and I am honoured to present it today.

[Petitions, February 15th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I will take your advice to heart.

The petition I am presenting today is from constituents in my riding of Davenport who have grave concerns over the government's lawful access legislation and the fact that contained in this legislation are requirements for telecommunications companies to collect and store personal information about their users and that that information could be handed over to law enforcement without a warrant.

[Ending the Long-Gun Registry Act, February 13th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I want to ask my hon. colleague for some comments on what I am about to read. On February 6, a week ago today, the member for Fort McMurray—Athabasca said in the House, “an individual could raise more money by speaking about ending the long gun registry in politics than any other issue in my riding”.

Has my colleague opposite used the long gun registry to raise money in his riding? How many of his colleagues have used the long gun registry to raise money in their ridings? Does he think that is an appropriate way to honour all the vulnerable Canadians who have suffered at the hands of criminals who used guns, whether it be long guns or short guns, to perpetrate crimes?

[Ending the Long-Gun Registry Act, February 13th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the only way that we as a Parliament and the Canadian people can move ahead on these very significant public policy, public safety issues is through dialogue and the consideration of the real grievances on both sides.

[Ending the Long-Gun Registry Act, February 13th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I have only been here for a few months. I never expected on the one hand to be asked to speak for the Liberal Party and then on the other hand have to speak for the Conservatives. I do not know what I have done. It must be the sweater vest or something.

There was a time in Canadian society when there was an understanding that we endeavour to control the proliferation of weapons in our society, guns, handguns, long guns. I think at one point there was widespread buy-in from all parties. Unfortunately, the ideological drift of the current government has blown a lot of that conversation away.