House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2011, with 35% of the vote.
Questions Passed as Orders for Returns October 19th, 2009
With respect to government spending in the constituency of Brampton West, what was the total amount of government funding since fiscal year 2005-2006 up to and including the current fiscal year, itemized according to: (a) the date the money was requested in the riding; (b) the dollar amount requested; (c) the dollar amount received; (d) the program from which the funding came; (e) the department responsible; and (f) the designated recipient?
Questions on the Order Paper October 19th, 2009
With respect to Employment Insurance claims made by residents of the constituency of Brampton West: (a) what is the number of claims that have been made since January 2008 (i) broken down by month, (ii) in total; (b) what is the percentage of claims that have been approved since January 2008, (i) broken down by month, (ii) in total; (c) which claims have been denied since January 2008, (i) broken down by month, (ii) in total, and what were the reasons for their denial; and (d) what has been the average period of time it has taken to process the claims that have been made since January 2008, (i) broken down by month, (ii) in total?
Questions Passed as Orders for Returns October 9th, 2009
With respect to applications to sponsor family members for visitor’s visas and permanent residency, made by residents of the constituency of Brampton West: (a) what is the average processing time for applications made to sponsor family members from (i) India, (ii) Pakistan, (iii) all countries aggregated; (b) what is the approval rate for applications made to sponsor family member from (i) India, (ii) Pakistan, (iii) all countries aggregated; (c) what are the top five main grounds for denying claims and their rates of usage for applications made to sponsor family members from (i) India, (ii) Pakistan, (iii) all countries aggregated; and (d) what are the details of all refusals with the dates, names and reasons?
Questions Passed as Orders for Returns October 9th, 2009
With respect to federal infrastructure spending in the constituency of Brampton West, what was the total amount of government funding since fiscal year 2005-2006 up to and including the current fiscal year, itemized according to: (a) the date the money was requested in the riding; (b) the dollar amount requested; (c) the dollar amount received; (d) the program from which the funding came; (e) the department responsible; and (f) the designated recipient?
Conservative Party of Canada October 5th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, while some Canadians might be interested in seeing Michael Moore's new exposé on unscrupulous corporate criminals, they should know that Canada has it own intrepid whistleblower, a truth seeker, man of the people and true blue Canadian hero, former Conservative candidate Gordon Landon.
Landon revealed on CTV's Power Play with Tom Clark last Friday that the Prime Minister's Office required that the truth be “sanitized” for public consumption.
What truth, might members ask? It is the truth that tens of millions of taxpayer dollars have been funnelled into Conservative ridings, money that was meant to be distributed equally in order to address the economic crisis but instead was used as part of the Prime Minister's cynical cash for votes electoral strategy.
Why would the Conservatives ever do this? Is that not the party that rode to power on the promise of cleaning up government? Is that not the government led by a man who spent his entire career criticizing abusive government spending?
How quickly the tables are turned. Now the government is engaging in the worst type of pork-barrel politics, borrowing money at an equivalent of $150 million a day, mortgaging our nation's future for the purpose of the Conservative Party's narrow political aims.
Petitions October 1st, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition on behalf of my constituents with respect to the 25th anniversary of the June 4, 1984 killings that took place in the Golden Temple and 38 other gurdwaras in the Punjab.
On behalf of the members of the Canadian Sikh Association and the constituents, I would like to submit this petition.
Committees of the House June 15th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations in relation to the use made of the statutory authority granted by Parliament to impose charges, as illustrated by the challenge of certain provisions of the Broadcasting Licence Fee Regulations, 1997.
Serious Time for the Most Serious Crime Act June 12th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, it is an excellent point. That is exactly the sort of information that must be produced in determining whether the law should be changed.
There are current statistics, which I am aware of and that I mentioned, in terms of who is going into prisons. They are people with addiction issues essentially. That is something that should be examined both in prisons, for rehabilitation purposes, but also in Canada.
It is true that the vast majority of murderers commit crimes on family members or someone they are close to. A lot of that is in the heat of passion. There is no excuse for it, and I will not make any no excuse for it. However, I am concerned that an ideology or a previous Reform Party position, call it what one will, is now being brought forward when we should be focusing on isotopes and the economy.
Serious Time for the Most Serious Crime Act June 12th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, in terms of what is currently available, my chief concern at present is that the government has produced this legislation during this crisis without any expert evidence in terms of a problem. I think it is trying to turn the channel from the economy to criminal justice issues, when frankly they are not urgent.
I have a study on how the views of the public are shaped in terms of the media and political parties. There is a study by Ms. Julie Belinda Erb, which says essentially that there is a misperception by the public in terms of offenders reoffending. They really do not. For rehabilitated people who are released early with conditions, the chances of reoffending are actually very low. There is a whole range of views that are not really tied to statistics in terms of what people believe is happening in society based on what politicians and the media say.
My simple point is that I am not for or against; I am in favour of a study, but let us see what the actual intellectual arguments are rather than rhetoric.
Serious Time for the Most Serious Crime Act June 12th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, given her first comment in terms of being soft on criminals, obviously the member was not in the House of Commons when I gave my speech earlier this week on the sex offender registry. I was challenging the government to get tougher on its own legislation.
We are dealing with this legislation without any statistics, without any background information, without hearing from experts, without anything suggesting there is currently a problem. In 2008, 109 people were released and there were no offences other than parole violations.
I want to know why we are here now, with a week to go in Parliament, and we are not dealing with serious issues such as EI or medical isotopes.
I would have no difficulty addressing this legislation in the fall or later on. Should we study it? Yes. When we are in an economic crisis, and with a week to go, why are we not dealing with the important issues I just mentioned?