David Christopherson

[41st General Election, March 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, here we go again. The government wants to have it both ways.

The fact is we have heard today that there are 800 complaints, 250 open case files in 200 ridings in every province in the country. Yet, as late as an hour or two ago, government backbenchers were describing this whole robocall scandal as nothing but just mistakes and a circus.

Again, the government again cannot have it both ways. The government cannot keep saying it is both. This is either very serious and it agrees that it is or it does not think it is important at all. Either way, the government should come clean with Canadians.

[41st General Election, March 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, today at the procedure and House affairs committee, the Chief Electoral Officer said, “Any action taken to deliberately misdirect electors and interfere with their right to vote under the constitution and the Elections Act is a serious offence....that is totally unacceptable in a modern democracy”. He also went on to say that any attempt to misdirect voters was an absolutely outrageous attempt to thwart our electoral process. Yet the government continues to characterize all this as just opposition smear tactics.

The government cannot have it both ways. Which is it? Does it think that this is all just games or does it believe there is a serious issue here that needs getting to the bottom of?

[Committees of the House, March 28th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts in relation to its study of chapter 2 G8 legacy infrastructure fund of the 2011 spring report of the Auditor General of Canada.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109 of the House of Commons the committee requests the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

[Elections Canada, March 28th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, over two weeks ago the NDP motion giving the Chief Electoral Officer more power passed this Parliament unanimously. Mr. Mayrand believes these powers would “substantially enhance transparency and accountability”. We are still waiting for the government to honour its vote and bring in the actual legislation that will give the CEO the power he needs to do his job.

To make matters worse, Conservatives are now playing games with the Chief Electoral Officer. Mr. Mayrand asked to come before Parliament and report on his investigation into allegations of coordinated voter suppression by Conservative operatives. However, the Conservatives used their majority to force Mr. Mayrand to testify tomorrow, on budget day, when almost every journalist on the Hill will be locked up in a room without even their BlackBerrys.

Talk about the Prime Minister's dream democracy: an electoral process the Conservatives can manipulate, our Chief Electoral Officer with no powers and all the journalists locked up.

[National Defence, March 27th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian armed forces and their families should not have to wait for the budget on Thursday to hear whether or not the promise that was made to them will be kept or not.

They said there will be no change in the amount of PLD that is being administered under the Conservative government and that there will be no decrease in anyone's paycheque. Who said that? It was the Minister of National Defence in the last election.

The minister owes it to the Canadian people and the Canadian armed forces to stand up today and say there will be no cut to the PLD that our armed forces count on.

[National Defence, March 27th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, it would seem even military families are not being spared from the Conservative government's attack on the Canadian standard of living. Canadian Forces families are very worried about the government's plan to cut the post living differential or PLD. PLD allows families of the Canadian Forces to enjoy an equal standard of living no matter where they serve in Canada.

Will the Conservatives end this uncertainty and tell families of the Canadian Forces that they are safe and that their benefits will not be cut in the upcoming budget?

[Service Canada, March 14th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the employees at the Service Canada call centre in my riding of Hamilton Centre and my constituents who rely on these services recently received the bad news that our local office was being closed no later than March 2014 and possibly as early as this Christmas.

This office plays a critical role in providing support to thousands of people in my hometown of Hamilton who need assistance with employment insurance, old age security and Canada pension plan applications. The closure means the loss of good paying jobs in our community. More importantly, my constituents who use these services, many of whom have literacy issues or language barriers, or do not have access to the Internet, are now at risk of being left behind. This is completely unacceptable.

The move to close the Hamilton office is part of a continuing trend by the Conservative government to save money at the expense of providing quality and timely services that Canadians expect and deserve from their public institutions. The Conservative government continues to fail my constituents just as it continues to fail Canadians across the country.

[41st General Election, March 13th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, last night the House unanimously passed an NDP motion calling for the Chief Electoral Officer to be given more investigative powers. The easy part was the motion; the hard part now is getting the legislation in the House, because without legislation, every day that goes by is a day the Chief Electoral Officer does not have those powers.

My question is clear: in light of the unanimous decision last night, when will the government honour that vote and bring in the detailed legislation that would give the Chief Electoral Officer the power that this Parliament and Canadians demand?

[Elections Canada, March 12th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, given the government has formally and finally indicated its intent to support our motion and the amendment to clean up elections and increase the power of the Chief Electoral Officer to demand documents from parties in future and past elections, now it is time for the government to put its money where its mouth is.

Will the government give a clear, unambiguous commitment today that after tonight's vote, when it honours its commitment to support our motion, it will indeed honour that vote and bring in the legislation within the six months specified in the motion, yes or no?

[Business of Supply, March 8th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I will indicate for my colleague again, as I did for the previous Conservative speaker, because they insist on putting things forward that are absolutely untrue, that the Chief Electoral Officer's report states:

Indeed, unlike candidates and other regulated entities, political parties are not required to provide any documentary evidence to support their returns.

Therefore, the Chief Electoral Officer does not have the power, which is why he came to committee to ask for the power in the first place.

If the motion is passed by the House, the government would then be required to bring legislation to the House within six months. Given that the government has now indicated that it plans to support the motion, not the amendment, is it also its clear intent to provide legislation for the committee as per the motion if it passes the House today?