Mr. Speaker, I vote yes.
House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2015, with 20% of the vote.
Main Estimates, 2014-15 June 10th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I vote yes.
Main Estimates, 2014-15 June 10th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I agree to apply and I vote yea.
Main Estimates, 2014-15 June 10th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I agree and vote yea.
Employment June 10th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, when will the Minister of Employment lift the blanket moratorium on temporary foreign workers in the fast food industry?
Employment May 26th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, the government's moratorium on the use of the temporary foreign worker program in the food services sector punishes all for the abuses of a few. The moratorium threatens not only businesses dependent on temporary foreign workers, but also Canadian jobs should those restaurants be forced to close.
Now the minister's overreaction to some admittedly serious abuses inside the program includes musing about mandating wages for temporary foreign workers in the restaurant industry be higher than wages for similarly employed Canadian workers.
Does the minister not understand that this policy proposal would be discriminatory toward Canadian workers, and should a temporary foreign worker ever become a Canadian citizen, his or her reward will be a reduction in wages?
Public Safety May 14th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, in February the RCMP made the unilateral decision to reclassify the Swiss Arms Classic Green carbine as a prohibited firearm.
The Minister of Public Safety continues to blame this arbitrary decision on unelected bureaucrats; however, we now know that the RCMP had flagged issues to the minister's office regarding this firearm on numerous occasions, yet the minister failed to act and feigned outrage, insisting he had not been briefed.
If the decision of the unelected bureaucrats is so unacceptable, why not draft legislation to limit their discretionary powers? When will the minister stand up for law-abiding gun owners by tabling firearm legislation with clearer definitions?
Edmonton Oil Kings May 13th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Edmonton Oil Kings on winning the championship of the Western Hockey League last night, and doing so in a very dramatic fashion.
For the second time in three years, the Oil Kings have captured the Ed Chynoweth Cupas WHL champions. After posting a 50-19-3 regular season record, capturing the eastern division of the WHL, the Oil Kings swept the Prince Albert Raiders 4 games to 0 in the first round, then bested the Brandon Wheat Kings 4 games to 1. In the eastern conference final, the Oil Kings beat the Medicine Hat Tigers 4 games to 1, setting the stage for an exciting 7 game championship against the defending champions, the Portland Winterhawks.
Each of the seven games was riveting. After losing game 6, 6-5 in overtime, the Oil Kings prevailed last night in game 7 in Portland with a 4-2 victory, taking the championship 4 games to 3.
The Oil Kings will now travel to London, Ontario, where they will be hosted by the Minister of State for Science and Technology where they will compete for the Memorial Cup.
I would like to congratulate head coach, Derek Laxdal, and the entire Oil Kings organization, and wish them well in their quest to capture the Memorial Cup. Go, Oil Kings, go.
Taxation May 5th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, today is the tax filing deadline for millions of Canadians. However, as the Income Tax Act is 3,206 pages long, most taxpayers will file without any regard to the complexities of the tax code.
The Conservative government has managed to add 631 pages, or over 200,000 words, since taking office in 2006. In fact, the government has amended the Income Tax Act 22 times, mostly to introduce boutique tax credits. If the budget ever balances, we can expect even more boutique tax credits and an even more complicated tax code.
When will the government simplify the tax code by eliminating boutique tax credits for special interests, reduce the number of tax brackets, and cut tax rates for all Canadians?
Justice May 2nd, 2014
Mr. Speaker, the Right Hon. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court joins a list of dedicated public servants who are denigrated and then attacked by the government when they disagree with it.
The Chief Justice merely attempted to alert the government of potential issues regarding eligibility requirements before joining the high court.
Had the government heeded this warning, which occurred months before the matter was before the court and therefore not inappropriate, it would have saved the government the embarrassment of its botched appointment and a quarter of a million dollars in legal and translation costs.
When will the government publicly apologize to the Chief Justice and abandon its petulant policy of attacking any individual or institution that does not agree with it or does not kowtow to it?
Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act May 1st, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I am just curious if the parliamentary secretary can advise the House as to why he believes the motion will achieve its intended purpose in light of the Speaker's ruling, which would advise this House that an amendment at committee cannot go outside of the original purposes of the bill. Does he not accept that Speaker's ruling, and how does he square his amendment with the Speaker's ruling?
Second, I was wonder if he could advise the House, under which standing order he is making this motion, given that the bill has already been reported by committee to this House.