David Tilson

[Budget Implementation Act, 2005, April 13th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the member a question specifically on the topic of border security which she raised in her comments, not only in that respect but because she was past Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

In my riding and in a number of ridings at least in southern Ontario, 60% to 70% of the work we do in our constituency offices involves immigration and the completing of passports.

We have had the Auditor General make some very severe criticisms about the security with respect to the production of our passports. Quite frankly, my office is swamped in assisting people with respect to that. We have had Americans saying that our security is terrible at our borders, that we have severe problems, and that we are not pulling our weight.

The former minister has talked about the issue of border security and has said that it is in pretty good shape. I submit it is not. I submit that our constituency offices are not going to be able to handle the passport problem. I submit that I have seen no signs that the Department of Citizenship and Immigration is going to be improving security with the passports. I have had no signs through the budget, which we are speaking on today, that sufficient money will be put into the passport system to improve security.

Not only as the member who just spoke in the House but also as a former minister. I would like her to comment on those very serious issues.

[Capital Hill Experience, April 12th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure of introducing several guests from my riding of Dufferin—Caledon who are in the House today. For the past three days, students Pavan Sapra, Michael Lucci, Marissa Hunter, Angela Davenport, Bartosz Junik, Rebecca Snelgrove and Nathan Wynes, as well as chaperones Nicole Robins and Real Gagnon, have been touring our nation's capital and learning about our Canadian government and Parliament on the Capital Hill Experience.

Not only have these students had an opportunity to tour Parliament Hill, but they have visited the Supreme Court of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the CBC studios, the New RO, and attended a lecture at the British High Commission.

This experience has been made possible through funding by the rotary clubs of Shelburne, Orangeville, Caledon West and Bolton. These rotary clubs have worked with my office to select students and provide a capital hill experience these students are sure to remember.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in welcoming these students to Ottawa.

[Petitions, April 6th, 2005]

Madam Speaker, I wish to present a series of petitions signed by 875 constituents of my riding of Dufferin—Caledon.

The petitioners wish to preserve the definition of marriage by having Parliament affirm legislation recognizing the institution of marriage in federal law as being the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.

[The Budget, March 9th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Portage—Lisgar commented in his speech on post-dated cheques and the phoniness of the budget.

When we look at almost all the expenditure promises that the government has made, the promises for Kyoto, defence and child care, they are all spread over five years, are they not? It is quite remarkable to look at the fact that 1998 was the first year the Liberals balanced the books and by 2005 spending will have increased by 82%. That is quite remarkable. I do not know how future governments, whether they are on this side or that side, are going to be able to have budgets, because there is no money left. The Liberals have spent it all.

Can the member make any predictions as to where in the world the government is going to find the revenue over the next five years to pay for all of these promises?

[The Budget, March 8th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I have a comment for my colleague from the Bloc.

First of all, I would like to make it quite clear: Conservatives are not very happy with this budget. The member keeps saying that we are supportive of everything in the budget. We are not happy with this budget.

However, aside from that comment I would like to ask a question of my colleague from the Bloc. In The Globe and Mail this morning, and I do not know whether my colleague has had an opportunity to read it yet, there was a piece done by one Jeffrey Simpson. He raised a question on the spending philosophy over the next five years, the commitments being made with respect to the budget over the next five years. He pointed out that in 2007-08 there will be a $7.9 billion increase, in 2008-09 a $12.6 billion increase, and in 2009-10 a $16.6 billion increase.

My question is, why have budgets? Will there be enough room to have budgets in the next number of years? Have we made the cupboard bare? When this government has made commitments over the next five years and there will be no money left, how can we possibly plan for the future other than to perhaps have a budget to raise taxes?

[The Budget, February 24th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member for Central Nova for his presentation. He raised one area about which I have great concern, and that is the surpluses. A piece written by Greg Weston in the media this morning talked somewhat about this, in other words collect money now and then decide later how it will spend it.

Mr. Weston referred to the Auditor General criticizing a recent report of $9 billion being put into foundations. With this budget, there will be another $5 billion stashed away in surplus, and this will all be decided later. That is $14 billion which will be stashed away.

For health care, $4.2 billion will put in a wait-in-times reduction trust. For child care, $5 billion will put away. For defence strategy, $13 billion in defence will be put away, although the budget describes where some of it will go. However, we do not where the bulk of the money will go.

Should the ministers be given the discretion to spend this money without debate in the House?

[Renewable Energy, February 23rd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, this past November, Centre Dufferin District High School in Shelburne became the first high school in Ontario to install a solar and wind powered renewable energy system.

Phase one of the project is now complete. Phase two of the project is to be completed for Earth Day, April 22, with the wind tower increasing the capacity to two kilowatts.

Canada's future must involve the rapid growth to renewable forms of energy generation and significant reductions in our energy use. The green power project offers us as citizens a fantastic opportunity to learn about our future energy technologies, energy choices and methods of energy conservation.

Teacher Jeff Wellman and the students and teachers at the school have assisted in a partnership with the Power Up Renewable Energy Co-Operative, the Fairfield Group, the Upper Grand District School Board, Canadian Hydro Developers and Hydro One.

Please join me in commending this group on a project that is sure to be a big success for the future in our environment.

[Information Security, February 17th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, doing business with the Government of Canada electronically may be hazardous to your health, your finances and your identity. The Auditor General is alarmed by the federal government's computer security, describing it as “a serious problem that needs to be fixed”. She said, “I'm disappointed that the government still does not meet its own minimum standards for IT security...”.

Why has the government failed to protect Canadians from this very real threat to their privacy?

[Supply, February 17th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I expect that this resolution is a continuation of the excellent question by the hon. member for Elmwood—Transcona yesterday on the failure of the government to meet the Kyoto agreement. Of course the Liberal answer to that is to have a conference in Montreal.

I do not know whether the member had a chance to watch CPAC last night, but Jay Myers of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters said, and I am paraphrasing, that if we took every car and truck in Canada off the road today, we would not meet Canada's Kyoto target; if we were to shut down every manufacturing plant in Canada today, we would not meet Canada's Kyoto target.

My question for the member for Elmwood—Transcona is, if the NDP agrees with these statements, and it probably will not, is the New Democratic Party living in a dream world?

[Supply, February 15th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party is providing an alternative of choices with respect to assisting families with child care. The Liberal government has no choice. The money is going to go into day care. That is it. In fact, I am not even too sure whether it is going to be public day care or private day care. I suspect it is going to be mainly public day care.

The member for Oak Ridges—Markham spent a great deal of time on the financing of child care, but as I understand it, the $5 billion that is being set aside by the Liberal government is coming from the surplus and that is going to be spread over five years. I have two questions. Should that issue not be debated in the House? The issue of this slush fund, this $5 billion that is coming out of a surplus by surprise, and unilaterally the Prime Minister of the country says this is going to go into child care. Should that not be debated? Finally, what happens to day care in this country after five years?