Dick Harris

[Forest Industry, April 30th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, that is nonsense. The province of British Columbia came to the federal government well over a year ago with a five year plan to fight the beetle infestation. It has been waiting and waiting for the federal government to live up to its responsibility and respect the billions of dollars that have come into its coffers from the forest industry in our province but it has done nothing.

I will ask my question once again. When will the government stop playing politics with the lives of British Columbians and join in the province's five year pine beetle plan? When will it do this?

[Forest Industry, April 30th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, British Columbia's pine beetle infestation is a natural disaster in every respect, and the crisis is dramatically increasing every day that these Liberals refuse to accept their responsibility to help in the fight against this disaster.

I will ask my question for about the fourth time. Will the Liberal government put aside its historic disdain for British Columbians and live up to its responsibility to help in the fight against these pine beetles?

[Criminal Code, April 29th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Just moments ago we dealt with that. It is being deferred until Monday or Tuesday. We are prepared to support the bill at that time. We will not give unanimous consent.

[Softwood Lumber, April 29th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, it is our party that has always demanded that the softwood dispute problem be resolved through litigation. The key NAFTA ruling today proves that we were right and that the government's continuous attempts at end runs around the process were wrong.

Will the government stop its band-aid approach to the softwood lumber dispute and let the established resolution process continue to win this dispute for our softwood industry?

[Softwood Lumber, April 29th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, it is despite the government's bungling that our softwood industry has just won a key decision by the NAFTA dispute resolution panel. It ruled that U.S. lumber producers have not suffered injury from Canadian exports.

When the Prime Minister visits with George Bush, will he demand, not wish, not hope, but demand that billions in illegal softwood penalties imposed on our producers be returned immediately to our softwood producers? The workers and their families demand it, not wish it.

[Viking Millennium Celebration, June 13th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, my question surrounds some possible tax evasion and I would think that would be of interest to the government. What we have here appears to be a new twist on the underground economy, a new example of how to make extra money and avoid paying taxes on it.

Given the cloud of scandal now hanging over the ACOA minister, will he just step aside today until this whole issue is cleared up?

[Viking Millennium Celebration, June 13th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, in the Canadian Alliance if we see a problem we investigate it and we fix it. We do not try to cover up like those Liberals over there do.

That money was not spent on the Viking millennium projects; there are no receipts. It was not political contributions; there are no records at the riding level. That could only leave that perhaps it was meant to augment some personal income. So I ask the Minister of National Revenue, will she direct her department to audit the ACOA minister's personal income file and recover any taxes owing on his other income?

[Petitions, June 11th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, in the third petition the petitioners pray that Parliament legislate the definition of marriage passed by motion in the House of Commons on June 8, 1999 as the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.

[Petitions, June 11th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from people in my riding who are very concerned about the pornography issue.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking every step necessary to ensure that all materials that promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed absolutely.

[Petitions, June 11th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to present three petitions to the House today signed by hundreds of people from my riding of Prince George--Bulkley Valley.

The first petition is signed by petitioners who are very concerned about Bill C-250. The petitioners call upon Parliament to protect the rights of Canadians to be free to share their religious beliefs, whatever their religion, without fear of prosecution.