David Tilson

[Headwaters Health Care Centre, May 3rd, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, on May 3, 1997, a state of the art hospital opened in Orangeville, Ontario. The new hospital's name was Headwaters Health Care Centre. It included 108 beds and provided a range of acute care services for the town of Caledon and the county of Dufferin.

This year, Headwaters is celebrating its 10th anniversary of outstanding service and community excellence. This Saturday, the Headwaters Health Care Foundation will be hosting its annual dinner and auction in support of the centre.

Over the past nine years the volunteer committee has generated more than $1 million for the hospital to purchase new equipment. I commend the tremendous efforts of this dedicated group of volunteers who ensure that this event is such a resounding success each year.

This is an excellent opportunity for all Dufferin—Caledon residents to congratulate the Headwaters Health Care Centre on 10 incredible years of providing superior health care. I wish the centre more years of success and excellence in our community.

[Global Road Safety Week, April 23rd, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, in order to highlight the importance of reducing the 1.2 million fatalities and 50 million serious injuries and disabilities occurring each year on the world's roads, April 23 to 29 has been designated Global Road Safety Week by the United Nations.

Young road users are the focus of the first ever Global Road Safety Week.

Canada's national road safety program, Road Safety Vision 2010, has the goal of having the safest roads in the world.

Canada has a great deal to offer to low and middle income nations in dealing with their growing road safety challenges.

Canada has sent eight young people with an active interest in road safety and injury prevention to Geneva to participate in the UN's World Youth Assembly for Road Safety on April 23 and 24.

I express congratulations to all involved. I am proud that these young Canadians have heard the call to action and invite all Canadians to join them in being part of the solution.

[The Budget, March 27th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the member for North Vancouver spent his entire speech on what is not in the budget and what he thinks should be in the budget.

I wonder if the member would tell Canada all the goods things he thinks are in the budget?

[Afghanistan, February 27th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, Pakistan is increasingly being identified as an important element of a comprehensive strategy to address the security situation in Afghanistan, a point which the Prime Minister emphasized yesterday.

Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs inform the House what action Canada is taking to encourage Pakistan to improve the security situation in Afghanistan?

[Criminal Code, February 14th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I am interested in what my colleague has to say about the bill we are debating today. Somehow he has slipped into the Kelowna agreement. He has slipped into child care and now he is starting on taxation policies. What in the world does that stuff have to do with what is before us today?

[Kin Canada, February 14th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, Kin Canada has considerably enhanced the quality of life across Canadian communities by promoting service, fellowship, positive values and national pride since its founding on February 20, 1920.

This month, the Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs of Orangeville will be celebrating the organization's 87th anniversary of community service by declaring February 20 as Kinsmen and Kinette Day and the week of February 18-24 as Kinsmen and Kinette Week.

This declaration presents an excellent opportunity for all Canadians to pause and reflect with pride on the rich heritage of accomplishments throughout the 87 years Kinsmen, Kinette and Kin Clubs have been in existence in Canada.

I would like to recognize the tireless efforts of the Orangeville Kinsmen Club in improving the lives of so many Orangeville residents.

I encourage, not only Orangeville residents but all Canadians to salute their local Kinsmen, Kinette and Kin Clubs for their hard work and commitment to developing and funding the many fantastic programs that continue to meet the needs of Canadian communities.

[Criminal Code, February 13th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member for Wild Rose on his usual excellent speech in the House, particularly for providing the facts as to the problems with gun related crimes in our society today.

For the life of me, I do not understand why there is so much opposition to this. To me, it is a no brainer. Some members of the official opposition have said that they do not object to the reverse onus clause per se. However, they and other members of the opposition would rather have an omnibus bill. The member for Wild Rose spent quite a bit of time one that.

They say that it will violate the charter. We hear this about every bill that is introduced in the House. The minister has indicated this legal people have said that it does not. Only the courts will decide that.

They are grumbling because it will go to a legislative committee as opposed to a standing committee. I do not understand that argument. They have asked what this will cost. That will be revealed in due course, I suppose. However, I assume from that, if it costs too much, we should not do it.

Would the member for Wild Rose respond to the objection on the cost.

[Committees of the House, February 13th, 2007]

To return to the motion, Mr. Speaker, as I understand it, the citizenship committee and the members of the opposition want an official known as the Correctional Investigator to have jurisdiction over this matter and do a number of things listed in the motion, including giving these people in custody conjugal rights, access to canteen facilities and a number of other things.

My question for the member is about the fact that the courts, which have already made a determination that these people pose a danger to the national security of Canada, have that right now. They can do those things. Why should this official do them?

[Committees of the House, February 13th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, my question for my colleague is similar to the question I just asked one of my Liberal colleagues.

As I understand it, this matter is before the courts and the federal court has already made a decision that these individuals pose a danger to the national security or to the public safety of this country and that they should remain in detention until they can be removed from Canada. That is what I understand has been done to date.

We have an independent court that has made this decision. As I understand it, if the court saw fit it could put conditions on this motion, such as giving conjugal rights, my goodness, the court could do that, although I do not know whether it has been asked for.

However, the motion says that they want a correctional investigator to take over this issue. I do not understand that because the matter is before the courts and the matter is being dealt with. It is before the courts as we speak.

[Committees of the House, February 13th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I gather the hon. member for Mississauga—Erindale is a member of the committee. Obviously he has a certain amount of information with respect to this issue.

My understanding is that the Federal Court has already determined that the security certificates regarding these individuals are reasonable and that the matter is still before the Federal Court and it will be ultimately dealt with by the Federal Court.

The committee report calls on the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to mandate the office of the Correctional Investigator which has jurisdiction over all federal inmates, except for those held in the Kingston Immigration Holding Centre, to have jurisdiction over these issues.

Is the Federal Court not independent? Is the member suggesting that the investigator usurp the powers of the Federal Court? I hope that is not his position, but if that is his position, I am afraid we have a big problem.