Dick Harris

[The Budget, March 20th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, let us get some honesty here. The hon. member knows very well that in the 2006-07 budget the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister committed $200 million for 2006-07 and 2007-08 to the pine beetle infestation. The hon. member knows that so let us be honest with the people who are watching this program.

Speaking of honesty, I want to touch on the child care issue to which the member spoke. The myth that those members have been spreading is that somehow their institutionalized version of child care would be free for every family in the country. This is nothing but a myth. I think they are being dishonest with Canadian families when they spread that myth.

What they are not telling Canadian families is that their form of child care will only apply and be made available to families who live within large and medium sized cities like Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Edmonton and Calgary. What about the families who live in The Pas in Manitoba, in Winkler, Manitoba, in Steinbach, Manitoba? The member knows very well that the institutionalized child care system that her party talks about will not be established in these smaller communities. They know it cannot be. Why are they not being honest?

Our universal child care system provides $100 per month for every child under 6 years of age in all of Canada no matter where the family lives, whether it be in The Pas, in Winkler, in Cluculz Lake, British Columbia, Nazko, Wells, Barkerville, out in the Chilcotins or in Anahim Lake. Every family in this country, whether they live in a remote rural area or a downtown city area, receives the universal child care. Canadian families need that. They do not need some program that will only provide day care or child care to families who live in the city.

Why does the member want to discriminate against rural families and not provide them with child care and not support the universal child care program of the Conservative government that addresses the needs of rural families everywhere in Canada?

[Fisheries, March 2nd, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the fisheries critic from Sackville—Eastern Shore says that he defends fishermen while, in the same breath, says that he would kill the new Fisheries Act in a heartbeat. His own province of Nova Scotia says that the new Fisheries Act is overdue and it supports it.

Would the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans tell the House whether Nova Scotians want a new Fisheries Act or do they believe it should be killed?

[2007 Canada Winter Games, February 23rd, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I want to pay tribute to the athletes participating in the Canada Winter Games which began today in Whitehorse, Yukon. They are the very first Canadian games to be held north of the 60th parallel.

We can be proud of each one of the athletes and of this extraordinary event which brings together athletes from 22 sports over a two week period. This is a true testimony to the dedication and hard work of Canadian youth.

I also want to congratulate the thousands of coaches, officials, event organizers, volunteers and parents who have supported the athletes through the years particularly in preparation for this event.

Please join me in cheering on all the athletes and all the volunteers of the 2007 Canada Winter Games.

[Points of Order, February 2nd, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I would ask you to check the Hansard and you will see the words, the quote. What the member for Bourassa said was not consistent with his words earlier in the day.

[Points of Order, February 2nd, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order concerning a question of the member for Bourassa earlier. I bring this point of order up because I fear there may have been an intention to mislead the House and perhaps the viewers of this by television, whether they be young Canadians or new Canadians.

In his question, the member for Bourassa used the phrase “whether from Quebec or Canada”. This is important. The last time I looked the province of Quebec was a part of Canada. I am concerned that maybe new Canadians, who would be studying for their citizenship, would be confused by the reference.

Did the member intentionally mean to say that, or was it was an unintentional slip?

[The Environment, January 29th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, Natural Resources Canada recently released an internal audit showing serious faults in the operation of a 2003-2005 climate change program. The program was designed to cut greenhouse gases in the transport sector, including anti-idling in commercial truck engines and the promotion of alternative fuels, such as biodiesel.

Could the Minister of Natural Resources elaborate on the findings of this most important audit?

[Cariboo—Prince George, December 8th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I have always considered myself to be one of the luckiest MPs in Canada because of my tremendous staff who support me in every way, every day. They constantly seem to be working to make me look good, and they do a great job.

Every once in a while we have to take the time to thank our staffs, so I want to do that today.

I want to thank: in my Ottawa office, Theresa Bell who is such a wonderful employee and does a great job; in my Prince George office, Jeanne Clough, Gloria Cyr and Soraya Litke who handle a very busy office with such great ability that really makes me look good; and in my Williams Lake office, Walt Cobb who has just a wealth of expertise and history with the city and district of Williams Lake.

I very much thank all of them for doing such a great job for me. It is an honour to be associated with such great people.

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 3rd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, Liberals are skilled in dithering on important issues such as addressing land claims. The B.C. treaty process talks started by the former Conservative government were followed by 13 years of Liberal inaction. It took a Conservative government coming back into power to bring about a final agreement with the Lheidli T'enneh Band in an official signing ceremony.

Can the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development tell the House about this great new chapter for aboriginals in British Columbia?

[Petitions, October 27th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the Standing Orders I am pleased to present a petition to the House from many hundreds of residents of British Columbia.

The petitioners are very concerned about the issue of same sex marriage. The petitioners call upon Parliament to reopen the issue of marriage in this Parliament and to repeal or amend the Marriage for Civil Purposes Act in order to promote and defend marriage as the lawful union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.

I have two petitions with the same theme, both from many hundreds of residents of the province of British Columbia. I am pleased to present these, and I support their point of view.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2006, No. 2, October 27th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, that member should be embarrassed to stand up and try to defend the failed environmental plan of the government of that day, the Liberal government.

First, something should be clearly said about the so-called Kyoto plan that the Liberals tried to sell to Canadians. Let me rephrase that. The Liberals tried to ram the so-called Kyoto plan down the throats of Canadian taxpayers. The Liberal plan had unreachable targets and unrealistic goals. As a matter of fact, there is speculation that the plan was written on the back of a napkin.

However, the important thing is this. While they were prepared to try to ram that Kyoto plan down the throats of taxpayers and target greenhouse gases in some obscure way, they were quite prepared to let cities like Vancouver, Toronto and Halifax and other major centres be totally untouched in regard to the air pollution and the smog created in those cities on a daily basis. There was nothing in the Liberal plan that dealt with smog in big cities or in any size of city.

All the Liberals had was an unworkable greenhouse gas plan, with no price attached to it, and unrealistic goals. That is an embarrassment for the government of that day. I am surprised at that member. He is quite a reasonable fellow and, I have been told, quite half-smart too. I am surprised that he would want to stand up and try to defend that at the risk of embarrassing himself.