House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2015, with 34% of the vote.
Ending The Long-Gun Registry Act February 15th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, our hon. colleague described this bill as grotesque, inconsistent and ideological. If that is the case, could she explain to us why two members of her caucus voted in favour of the bill in the last vote? Why did the hon. member for Western Arctic, who is also part of her caucus, state very clearly his intention to vote in favour of the bill?
Ending The Long-Gun Registry Act February 15th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the point that struck me as most important is that this wasteful and ineffective registry is not only a burden upon hunters, farmers and people who make their living using these tools of the trade, but it is a burden upon some of the Canadians who are among the most law-abiding citizens we have. He and I both replaced representatives of a party that now sits in the corner of the House. The person I replaced was one of those who had probably extended the life of this registry by at least a year.
Would the hon. member agree that by continuing to place this burden upon very law-abiding Canadians and by voting against real measures to make Canadians safe, those proposed by this government, members opposite, those who continue to support a long gun registry, are not listening to Canadians and are showing that they are the ones who are out of touch with our country?
National Defence February 10th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the only member I have seen in this House today speaking from notes is the member opposite. We have heard them before. The NDP really should get its facts straight.
The largest country committed to this project is the United States. It has recently confirmed it will take delivery, over many years, of 2,443 of these aircraft. Canada is with them, with eight other of our allies and partners.
This is the right aircraft to do the job. We remain committed.
National Defence February 10th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, as the member well knows, we have answered all of these questions and more.
The F-35 is flying. Nine countries including Canada remain committed to it. Some have committed to purchasing very large numbers of these aircraft. The project is creating jobs across Canada, through over $300 million of contracts for over 60 companies in 6 provinces.
This government will ensure that the Royal Canadian Air Force has the right aircraft to protect our sovereignty at home and to promote our interests around the world.
National Defence February 9th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, nothing has been forced on us. The hon. member understands full well that there was a selection process for this aircraft under the previous Liberal government. The selection process was validated by our government and by nine other governments who are now participating in the project. We just heard from Colonel MacDonald, a retired member of the Conference of Canadian Defence Associations, today in committee, and he said that there was no other alternative.
The true fiasco is that the NDP, Michael Byers and others are publishing reports that say that the F-35 is not the right aircraft. They have a real plan B and that is to cut Canada's military budget and reduce our capacity to the point where we would not have the equipment or the staff required to carry out missions in the future.
The Rideau Institute, the organization under which Mr. Byers published his report, clearly stated today that it would like only $15 billion to be allocated to defence—
National Defence February 9th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, it really is a pleasure. I thank the hon. member for Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques for his interest in this very important matter, the F-35 joint strike fighter.
This issue is important for Canada and for several other countries, including our closest allies who will depend on these jets for their security for decades to come. We are talking about the safety and security of Canada and of our personnel, our pilots, our men and women in uniform, who have always demanded that their government provide them with the best equipment so they can carry out their missions successfully and return home safe and sound. The capability of this very modern aircraft will give our pilots—beginning in 2016 and for years after that—the best possible chance of returning home safely after carrying out potentially very difficult missions.
I cannot talk about or mention the name of my hon. colleague's riding without thinking about the spinoffs and very significant benefits for Canada and for his beautiful home province of Quebec, the birthplace of Canada's aerospace industry, which is already benefiting quite significantly from this leading-edge international program. In fact, companies in Montreal and Winnipeg, in eastern and western Canada, and in six Canadian provinces are benefiting from this program. Already more than $300 million in firm contracts have been distributed to more than 60 Canadian companies from coast to coast. To my knowledge, there are none in the Arctic or in the three territories. We are participating in this program and reaping the benefits in terms of security. We are in the process of developing and enhancing the capacity of our aerospace industry, which represents 80,000 jobs in Canada.
We can talk about safety and security and about jobs, but let us also talk about future combat, combat we would like to avoid. We have to be equipped to protect our national interests in the Libyas of the future.
We need a fighter jet, as we have always had, for Canadian pilots and for the Royal Canadian Air Force, that can deploy, fight, win and come back. The F-35 is flying. There are over 20 in the air and over 35 in production this year. It is an international project, with nine countries still on board. Some of them, and my colleagues opposite never mention this, in recent months have reaffirmed and indeed enlarged their commitment to the F-35, including Japan.
At least two successive secretaries of defense of the United States have said that this aircraft will form the backbone of U.S. air combat capability for decades to come. Secretary Panetta said this most recently in Halifax, in a Canadian forum. They have reconfirmed that 2,443 remains the number that the U.S. will be buying, not in exactly the same years that they had originally hoped, over a slightly longer period, but still to form an absolute core capability for the United States, one that will suit Canada very well as well.
Copyright Modernization Act February 8th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I, too, congratulate my colleague from Leeds—Grenville for his work in the previous Parliament to bring this important bill to fruition in the form that we now find it before the House.
Would my colleague not agree with the statements that the minister made in the House before the vote we just had and with the whole spirit of the government's approach to the bill, which is that time is of the essence?
There will be amendments and there will be hard work in committee. There are some issues on which there will never be unanimity in the country. However, to protect creators from the scourge of piracy, especially when it involves organized crime, and to protect the rights of millions of Canadians who want full legal access to copyrighted products in the digital age, we need to move forward on the bill. It is a question of jobs, competitiveness and the future of this country. Would my colleague agree?
Bullying December 12th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I rise to put a question asked by students of the Pickering family of schools. The question is this: how do we use our collective voices to uphold everyone's right to live in a safe, caring and inclusive community?
The “i Am Who i Am” campaign was developed at Pine Ridge Secondary School after the devastating suicide of grade six student Mitchell Wilson, a victim of years of bullying by his peers.
At a time when adolescents are navigating new waves of social norms, online media, endless fads and personal insecurities, the “i Am Who i Am” campaign challenges students to stand up for each other. It seeks to promote integrity, honesty and non-violence.
To spread the message, schools in the Durham region will be selling T-shirts and wristbands, using the proceeds to purchase a wheelchair for a Pickering family in need.
In the first week of this campaign, over $5,000 has been raised, with monthly events now planned to raise even more.
In the wake of this year's Human Rights Day, all of us have a role to play in breaking this cycle of intimidation and violence by taking a stand against bullying.
Let us speak out against bullying among teenagers.
Let us speak up and speak out on behalf of victims. Let us celebrate the unique individuality of every Canadian.
I applaud the collaborative efforts of the 19 participating Pickering family of schools for saying “i Am Who i Am”.
National Defence December 9th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, this project has already generated important results for Canadian companies, generating jobs and growth across this country. There is $370 million in firm contracts for Canadian companies, many of them in Quebec, 65 of them engaged in this project. We continue to follow its progress through the Joint Project Office.
However, Leon Panetta, the Secretary of Defense for the United States, was very clear when he came to Halifax, as was the State Secretary of Norway when he came before us in committee. This is the best project for us and for many of our allies. It is going ahead.
National Defence December 9th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, our government is procuring the best aircraft in the world right now for the Royal Canadian Air Force. We are doing so to fulfill a very important mission: protecting Canada's sovereignty and carrying out overseas missions with our NATO allies, missions like the one in Libya.
This project, which will result in the acquisition of aircraft in a few years, is moving ahead as part of a joint plan with our allies, and we are very proud of it.