David Sweet

[Foreign Affairs, January 30th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, it has been 22 months since the beginning of the crisis in Syria and Canadians, along with the international community, continue to be horrified by the violence inflicted on Syrian people. It is clear that Assad must go. Over the last year our government has contributed significantly to assist people in and outside of Syria and we continue to call for safe and unhindered humanitarian access.

Would the Minister of Foreign Affairs please update the House on our government's most recent announcement to help the people of Syria?

[Foreign Affairs, December 6th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, we are over a year and a half into the crisis in Syria and the Assad regime continues to prove to the rest of the world its utter disregard for human life. Today we hear reports that the Assad regime in Syria may be preparing to use chemical weapons against the Syrian population.

Would the Minister of Foreign Affairs please comment on these most recent reports?

[Nobel Peace Prize, November 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, only a few citizens of Canada have earned the distinction of winning a Nobel Prize, and one of them is our honorary Canadian citizen, the 14th Dalai Lama, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

The reason I raise this today is that Saturday, December 8, there is a commemoration of this achievement by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Tibetan Cultural Centre at 11 a.m. in Etobicoke in the city of Toronto.

The Nobel Peace Prize is the most prominent recognition of a life dedicated to peace and understanding.

As chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Tibet, which includes members of this House and the upper chamber of all political stripes, it is my honour to congratulate the Dalai Lama on this commemoration and also to encourage fellow Canadians to take part in this day of celebration on December 8.

[Helping Families in Need Act, November 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as I listened to my colleague's speech, I heard a lot of criticism and concerns regarding things but she obviously is supporting of the bill. I am just wondering what positive things in the bill she is prepared to support.

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, October 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the member mentioned on a number of occasions that the government was afraid of honest debate. I have to admit that I have not lost any sleep at all regarding the debate on the budget implementation act. Again, it is one portion of the entire budget that was tabled.

I remind Canadians that when we have an economic plan that has multiple budget implementation acts, it means there will be many days of debate here in the House and at committee, which are continuing now. In fact, multiple committees will look at this budget implementation act.

I would ask my hon. colleague what his concerns are with the bill. He mentioned “concern” multiple times, but not specifically. Is it the tax reductions that he is concerned about? Is it the fact that Canadian citizens would have less money taken out of their pockets and that pensions would be fairer for public servants? What aspects exactly is the hon. member talking about?

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, October 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Brampton—Springdale for a great overview of some of the initiatives in our jobs and growth plan for prosperity. It hearkens back to our initial 2006 advantage Canada, where we focused on tax relief, on red tape reduction, on supporting innovation through post-secondary education and so much more that he mentioned and at which he did a great job.

I want to emphasize that since that 2006 economic plan, we have not only tabled budgets but successive budget implementation acts, which means that we have had days and days of debate in the House and now, with this particular budget implementation act, we are actually going to have multiple committees take a look at it. This is going to be a robust debate on these initiatives, where democracy is really going to flourish. At the same time, we need to make sure these initiatives get enacted, so we support this economy and do not have the kind of experience as has happened in Europe and south of the border.

How important is it to get these initiatives in place so they can get working to stimulate our economy and continue to create jobs for Canadians?

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, October 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that we cannot do indirectly what we should not do directly. Clearly, unparliamentary language is being used by the member.

[Employment, October 25th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our government is supporting the Canadian economy from coast to coast to coast. Indeed, since July 2009, our government has created 820,000 net new jobs.

The key part of Canada's success are the oil sands, which are creating jobs across Canada.

Would the Minister of Natural Resources update the House on just how many jobs the oil sands are creating?

[Science and Technology, October 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, it is National Science and Technology Week. In that vein, I am proud that the two university campuses in my constituency, as well as nearby Mohawk College, are hubs of innovation and technology in this country.

In a global economy, we must continue to attract and retain young talent. That is why I am particularly pleased that this government continues to invest in the Canada research chairs program, including two chairs at McMaster University in Hamilton, which the minister announced last week were to be renewed, one in stem cell signalling and another in human cancer stem cell biology. Plus, we will now be adding a new Canada research chair in perinatal programming at McMaster.

McMaster University has an international reputation for research and innovation in engineering and the medical sciences, providing young people with lab experience and opportunities for careers in their given field.

This is a great example of what National Science and Technology Week is all about.

[Science and Technology, October 15th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, this week marks national science and technology week with events being held across the country.

As a member of Parliament representing a riding with two university campuses, I have seen first-hand how important it is to lay the groundwork for future careers in science and to engage Canada's youth so that we can continue to be an international science leader.

The week celebrates the significance of Canada's science and technology sector, demonstrating how science affects the daily lives of Canadians.

Could the Minister of State for Science and Technology please update the House on our government's ongoing commitment to science and technology?