Devinder Shory

[Petitions, March 29th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of more than 330 of my constituents and other residents of Calgary.

The petitioners call upon the House to protect the livelihood of hundreds of families and the consumers' choice against the Calgary Airport Authority's exclusive contract for limousine service awarded to a single company. It takes away employment from hundreds of limo operators in Calgary and also kills healthy competition in the market.

I am pleased to present this petition and the signatures are affixed on the back.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, March 11th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to the speeches very carefully and have actually read the budget as well.

I am a new Canadian and many of the constituents who live in my riding of Calgary Northeast are also new Canadians.

I like the comment made by the member for Nanaimo—Alberni that Canada is the best country live in and that is why I believe I chose this country.

I understand the budget measures will not only help to sustain the jobs but also to create jobs in the coming days. I also understand that many private sector economists have applauded the second phase of our economic action plan.

As a new Canadian, the foreign credentials recognition issue is very near and dear to my heart as well as to many constituents in my riding.

When I came to Canada it took eight years to get my education recognized. I am a living example of that. Since our Conservative government came into office, the Prime Minister has taken a leading role and the government has invested millions and millions of dollars to address this issue.

I would like my friend from across the floor to comment on this matter.

[Petitions, March 10th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of Canadians who believe that animals feel pain and can suffer and that efforts should be made to prevent animal cruelty and reduce animal suffering.

Therefore, the petitioners request that the Government of Canada support a universal declaration on animal welfare.

[Komagata Maru, March 9th, 2010]

Madam Speaker, many across Canada are concerned about the kidnapping and beheading of innocent people in Pakistan. We offer our sympathy to the affected families.

On another note, the Komagata Maru incident was a sad time in our nation's history, but the Liberals did nothing about it.

After being elected in 2006, our Conservative government took action. The Prime Minister publicly apologized in the presence of thousands of Indo-Canadians. We set aside $2.5 million for the historical recognition program and recently made two funding announcements to recognize and preserve the facts of the sad incident.

Are the Liberals angry because our Conservative government is recognizing and preserving the history of the Komagata Maru incident, or are they ashamed because we have done so much on this issue in four years?

I call on the Liberals to stop playing cheap politics and appreciate our government for taking action, which the Liberals refused to do during their 80 years in power.

[World Masters Games, December 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand here to recognize the outstanding achievement of my constituent, Gurpreet Mann of Calgary Northeast.

In October 2009, a new Canadian, Mr. Mann represented Canada in shot put at the world masters games in Australia as one of 260 team Canada members. Inspired by his family and friends, Mr. Mann earned a silver medal for Canada after competing with over 20 athletes.

On behalf of my family, my constituents, and the whole South Asian community, I congratulate Mr. Mann on his remarkable achievement. I also thank team Canada for being a hard-working and humble inspiration to all Canadians as we prepare for the exciting 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

I now invite all members of this House to join me in applauding Gurpreet Mann and team Canada for their hard work and excellent sportsmanship in representing Canada on the international stage.

[Employment, December 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, this week the Prime Minister and the finance minister delivered the government's fourth report to Canadians on the state of the economy. Canadians should be proud of the fact that our strong economic record in these tough times is making Canada the envy of the world.

Can the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities update the House and all Canadians on the progress we have made and how we are helping Canadians from coast to coast to coast to combat the effects of the global recession?

[Polar Bears, November 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, October 30, the Minister of the Environment travelled to Greenland to sign an agreement between the governments of Canada, Nunavut and Greenland to ensure the protection of shared polar bear populations.

Could the minister please share with the House the importance of this agreement?

[International Aid, October 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the devastation in Indonesia and Samoa has claimed over 660 lives so far. The initial outbreak that struck Indonesia triggered landslides and wiped out at least four villages across the western coast. Estimates put the total number of homes destroyed at over 10,000. In Samoa some 20 villages have been wiped out, leaving over 3,000 homeless.

Could the Minister of International Cooperation tell the House what Canada is doing to help these poor victims?

[Calgary Northeast, October 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in my Eid Milan meeting with the Muslim community in Calgary Northeast, the community informed me that the overwhelming majority of the people of Pakistan stand for peace, prosperity, human rights, the rule of law and democracy. I once again publicly wish Pakistani Canadians and our Muslim friends a happy Eid ul-Fitr.

The community also applauded the fact that the Prime Minister attended the meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan with President Obama, Prime Minister Brown and President Zardari.

I also wish to recognize and congratulate Calgary police constables Charanjit Meharu and Kevin Leard in the House today for achieving the life saving award. While responding to a late night domestic assault, through their quick actions they saved the life of a female victim who was no longer breathing.

I call on all sides of the House to commend these heroes and also to work with our Conservative government in placing a priority on the rights of Canadian victims, including victims of domestic violence.

[India, September 18th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in the 1990s, before the present Liberal leader returned to Canada to be crowned by party elite, the Liberal government was pursuing an isolationist policy toward India.

However, I am happy to say that Canada-India relations are at an all-time high under our Conservative government.

With trade, for example, exports to India in 2008 totalled $2.4 billion, more than double the last year the Liberals were in power. We have also begun talks on an economic partnership agreement which could be worth billions; started discussions on a nuclear cooperation agreement; advanced negotiations on a FIPA; and expanded our trade network in India to eight offices, making it one of Canada's largest networks worldwide.

Our Conservative government recognizes that isolating important partners is not the way to do business. We want to build on our successes and create even more opportunities for Canadians and Indians alike.