House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 56% of the vote.
Employment Insurance June 1st, 1998
Mr. Speaker, last week the finance minister denied that cutting EI premiums would create some jobs. However, last fall when he cut 20 cents from the EI premium he could not wait to tell the whole world about all the jobs it was going to create.
On which occasion was the finance minister telling the truth?
Health May 28th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, we on this side of the House have never heard such nonsense coming from a minister in our lives.
The fact is all victims of AIDS are now being assisted by the government but somehow the rules are different for hepatitis C victims.
Why is a one tier system the right one for AIDS victims but a two tier system is the government's choice for hepatitis C victims? Do hepatitis C victims not deserve to be treated equally?
Health May 28th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, this morning we learned that the health minister will now provide an ongoing package of $42 million to help all the victims of AIDS.
Once again I have a question for the Minister of Health. What about all the victims of hepatitis C? How long will the ones who were left out have to wait?
Employment May 27th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, in fact the only thing left in the $15 billion EI surplus is an IOU from the finance minister. Today when asked if he felt good about ripping off the surplus from Canadian business and workers he said that we have choices to make.
Why does the finance minister think it is such a good choice to continue ripping off business workers in the EI surplus when he knows very well that these payroll taxes are killing jobs and killing investment in this country?
Canadian Special Olympics Organization May 27th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to pay tribute to the Canadian Special Olympics Organization.
These very dedicated people provide programs of tremendous benefit to individuals with mental challenges.
The special olympics is one of the most respected charity help groups in all of Canada and this is due to the thousands of dedicated volunteers who donate so much of their time to this very worthy cause.
I am proud to host in my riding every year the Prince George special olympics charity golf classic which has raised more than $100,000 for our special olympics organization over the last five years.
I salute the many special olympics volunteers and especially the special olympics athletes who, with grit and determination, say “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in my attempt”.
Supply May 26th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, this is absolutely amazing. The member just said that the courts of appeal are now saying that some of these conditional sentences are not appropriate. What a revelation.
The last time I looked I thought it was the Liberal government that was supposed to be directing what happens in the criminal justice system. The former justice minister was the one who brought in conditional sentencing and it was his Liberal colleagues who supported it.
That is where the mistake was made. Now, surprise, surprise, after the Reform Party has been talking about it ever since the Liberal government brought in that insane legislation, the courts of appeal are now saying that it is not appropriate to let violent criminals walk out of jail with no jail time after being convicted.
We will never stop talking about the deplorable state of our justice system. We will never stop talking about the reality of the crime that is happening.
Supply May 26th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear to me that while the member for Charleswood—Assiniboine and his colleagues would prefer to dream in Technicolor about the criminal justice system, that everything is all right, the Reform Party prefers to talk in real terms. We prefer to relay what the voices of the Canadian people are telling us when we come to the House.
We do not prefer to talk about some fuzzy philosophy that everything is okay and it is no one's fault. The fact is that crime is happening, serious crime. While the Liberals would prefer to cover it over and pretend it is not there, the Reform Party talks about it and will not stop talking about it. If the member for Charleswood—Assiniboine is getting tired of hearing us talk about it, I would suggest he not show up any more because we will not stop.
He talks about our talking about the judicial system. When I look at some of the decisions and sentences handed down by some judges, quite frankly if I were king of picking judges I would be throwing a lot of them off the bench for some of the idiotic and insane sentences and decisions they have been making.
Supply May 26th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I would like to continue talking about conditional sentences. For people who are watching the debate, conditional sentencing is simply a loophole created by the former minister of justice which gives a judge the option of making a decision on whether people will be a threat to society and, if not, the judge can give the convicted people a conditional sentence of two years less a day that allows them to walk out of the court house.
I have no problem with someone getting a conditional sentence for shoplifting, for writing a couple of bad cheques or for committing some other misdemeanour crime because they are non-violent crimes. Certainly they will not be a threat to the safety of the community.
I will give some examples of people who are walking out of court under conditional sentencing. A fellow by the name of Fabian Torres received a conditional sentence in May 1997 after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter, which incidentally is killing somebody, in the shooting death of a 13 year old lad in 1995. He killed him and he walked out without serving one single day in jail.
On December 10, 1998 the Ottawa Sun reported “No jail term shocks victims”. A man who hypnotized his wife and forced his two step sons to have sex with her will not serve any time in jail. Justice Robert Desmarais handed Robert Demers a conditional sentence of two years less a day and two years probation.
I question once again the sanity of conditional sentencing. I also question the sanity of Justice Robert Desmarais who felt this was not a serious crime. The fellow did no jail time. The Edmonton Sun of March 18, 1998 reported that the sex exploiter was spared jail and talked of healing reserve. The man was convicted by Justice Cecilia Johnson of sexual exploitation. The judge noticed his lack of remorse when he denied the charges right up to sentencing but agreed to the defence lawyer's suggestion that he should receive a conditional sentence. Something is wrong with this picture.
People who are committing serious crimes are not spending any time in jail. That is what the Reform Party and the people of Canada are talking about, and the member just happens not to have been listening.
Supply May 26th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the minister did have the opportunity to stay and answer the questions. She chose not to. She chose to not give unanimous consent.
The Liberal government has continuously accused the Reform Party of fearmongering. Let me tell members that it is the Liberal government that is spreading fear among society by its inaction of dealing with the criminal justice system and by its inaction of dealing with crime and the people who commit crimes. That is what is scaring people, not the Reform Party.
We talk about real life crime situations and things that are actually happening. We talk about people who are getting assaulted, killed, raped and molested. When we talk about those things, this is reality. The government accuses us of fearmongering. The people are afraid of this government. That is what they are afraid of. They are afraid of the inaction that is happening with this government.
Now we have a justice minister who has come up with this set of proposals to change the Young Offenders Act. It took well over a year to take some action. Now after all this time and after the continued questioning by our justice critic from Crowfoot on when she would be bringing it forward, she said in a timely fashion. Day after day we asked her when she would bring it forward. Finally, her version of making some changes and bringing forward legislation is bringing forward a strategy, nothing concrete, just a bunch of ideas that could change six ways from Sunday by the time they actually hit the House if they ever do.
There is no legislation. There are no changes to the Young Offenders Act. There is nothing. That is exactly what the Liberals have done with the criminal justice system since they came to power in 1993. Nothing.
I want to deal with conditioning sentencing, the scourge of the justice system. People are committing violent crimes every day and are walking out of the courtrooms without doing one minute of jail time because the disgraced health minister, the former minister of justice, brought in legislation to allow conditional sentencing. If ever there was a screwball idea in the justice system that was it. People are committing violent offences, assaults, attempted murders, rapes, molesting children and are walking out of prison without doing a day's time because they fall under the conditional sentencing.
The conditional sentencing provision is as heinous as some of the crimes that are happening which allow criminals to get out of jail and never serve any time.
I believe you would find consent for the following motion, Mr. Speaker:
That for the remainder of this session motions pursuant to Standing Orders 57 and 78(3) shall not be receivable by the Chair.
Supply May 26th, 1998
I am pleased to speak to the Reform Party's supply day motion, the Reform Party that has been the only party that has been crusading against crime since we came to this place, the only party that has been listening to the voices of average Canadians who have some genuine fears about our society and the safety in our streets and communities.
The motion today says that this House condemns, and condemn it should, the government for the deplorable state of Canada's criminal justice system and the government's lack of concern for public safety as demonstrated by its refusal to strengthen the Young Offenders Act, abolish conditional sentencing for violent offenders and introduce a victims bill of rights.
The government has failed miserably on all three counts. Since 1993 when it had an opportunity to bring in some real changes that would reflect some positive steps in our criminal justice system, it failed to do it. It has at best settled for some sort of tinkering around the edges of a badly flawed criminal justice system.
I cannot go on with this speech without bringing up something that happened earlier today. Under a barrage of questions from the Conservative Party and the Reform Party, we stood here in utter amazement and watched the Minister of Justice of the Government of Canada and her parliamentary secretary flee from this House in an attempt to evade questions. They were questions that came from real Canadians. They were questions about their safety and about the safety of their children. They were questions about the terrible crime rates.
No matter what the Liberals say about crime rates going down in some areas, the level of crime in this country is at an unacceptable level. Whether it has gone down or up, whichever way, the level of crime is simply unacceptable. The Canadian people have been saying do something to address crime. The government has failed miserably.
They fled from the House. Cowardice was shown by the minister and her parliamentary secretary as they fled from the House and from the questions that we brought forward from Canadians from all across this country.