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Crucial Fact

  • His favourite word was fact.

Last in Parliament October 2015, as Conservative MP for Cambridge (Ontario)

Lost his last election, in 2015, with 39% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act March 12th, 2015

Mr. Speaker, the member misses the entire point of this legislation. The legislation is about preventing the victimization of women in the first place. Let us understand what is barbaric about this practice. It forces 14-year-old girls to get married to older men so that they can be raped over and over again. It is about preventing that from happening.

How does the member respond to the fact that she complains about victims being revictimized? We are trying to prevent that. Victims themselves of this barbaric act have come out to support the bill. How can she continue with the rhetoric the New Democrats have come out with and state in this House that they will not vote to support at least one more measure to protect women and girls from being victimized in the first place?

Consumer Protection February 19th, 2015

Mr. Speaker, I can tell members that protecting consumers in cases like this is a priority for this government. We have, in fact, increased competition in the wireless market, making it a priority for Canadians and for our government.

Canadians know that competition is good for everyone. It not only lowers prices but brings better services for both Canadians and businesses. We will keep doing exactly that.

Manufacturing Industry January 26th, 2015

Mr. Speaker, southwestern Ontario's manufacturing sector is a driving force in Canada's economy, and our government is committed to helping these regional businesses and communities thrive.

I too was shocked to hear the Liberal leader say he has given up on southwestern Ontario's manufacturing sector. While the Liberal leader attacks and undermines this vital manufacturing sector, this Conservative government will continue to fight for these hardworking people, their families, and their jobs.

His comments are further proof that the Liberal leader is an economic novice who is completely incapable of managing Canada's economy.

Protection of Canada from Terrorists Act December 8th, 2014

Surprise, surprise, predictable.

Respect for Communities Act December 1st, 2014

Mr. Speaker, reducing harm is exactly what we do want to do. I want to make that very clear. Maybe I could just maybe explain to the member the issue that we do have.

We know that the Liberal Party wants to legalize marijuana. I have asked the medical association what legalization would mean in terms of prescribing marijuana. Now, the medical association actually does not know. It is going to want very reduced quantities of THCs and extreme regulations of the drug before it would ever prescribe it. That makes sense. That reduces the harm.

My concern, and I think the concern we have on this side of the House, is that while safe injection sites of course reduce harm, they are injecting an illegal drug that no one knows where it was made or how potent it is. What I am hearing members of the Liberal Party say is, “Well, that doesn't really matter because if they overdose, they're at least at a site”.

My question now, based upon what some of the member's own colleagues have said, is whether the next suggestion will be that the federal government itself, on the tax dollar, make and prescribe the heroin and do the whole thing. Will the next agenda be that the federal government make and supply the illegal drugs, not just heroin because we know this is for everything? Are we now getting into supplying illegal drugs?

Respect for Communities Act December 1st, 2014

Mr. Speaker, I think the consultation process is essential. It is important not only because the courts have actually asked us to provide a regulatory framework for these sorts of things, but also because, as the member has already mentioned, we are in fact looking at authorizing the use of illegal and very dangerous drugs. The member just mentioned a dose of bad heroin.

I have asked members in my own community of Cambridge whether or not they want an injection site in Cambridge. They do not, and I do not think it is a great thing to have. I have asked the NDP and the Liberals if they intend to put an injection site in Cambridge, and they have refused to answer that question, so my concern goes beyond a consumption site where folks come to get clean needles, because they bring illegal drugs into it.

The member is on record as supporting medicalized heroin. I want to know from the member whether the next step is to have the federal government make the heroin and supply it to the heroin addicts along with clean needles.

Manufacturing Industry November 24th, 2014

Mr. Speaker, the member speaks of only one fund and conveniently forgets all of the others.

This particular fund that the member talks about, the advanced manufacturing fund, is for large, transformative, large-scale, multi-year, multi-partnered investments. This fund's first round of money just closed last month, and I am excited about some of the projects that are in that fund.

The member has conveniently forgotten the $20 million that we announced for manufacturing just last week. This fund has a lot of exciting projects, and we will be announcing them in the next few weeks.

Manufacturing Industry November 24th, 2014

Mr. Speaker, in fact, the application deadline for the first round of the advanced manufacturing fund, which the member voted against, by the way, just passed last month, and so the first recipients of this particular fund will be announced in the coming weeks.

This fund is yet another example of our government helping employers in Ontario to become more competitive on the global stage and create jobs in Ontario.

Statistics Canada November 7th, 2014

Mr. Speaker, our government will continue to collect reliable statistical data while maintaining the privacy of everyday Canadians.

What we do not want to do, as the member's bill proposes, is to increase the burdensome red tape and costs to Statistics Canada, and ultimately taxpayers, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in more taxes.

I know the Liberals are okay with increased taxes, but Statistics Canada has said that the national household survey has yielded high-quality data that covers 97% of the Canadian population.

That is getting it done for Canadians, and that is getting it done efficiently.

Red Tape Reduction Act November 6th, 2014

Mr. Speaker, I apologize for interrupting the member, but I have been sitting here for this entire debate and that is exactly the same speech I have now heard three times. I encourage people watching this debate to compare the subject matter and the exact language of this speech. This is wasting the time of members in the chamber. This might be a good argument as to why we inflict time allocation. This is an important matter. If there is something new to add, I would like to hear it so we can debate it, but this is the third time I have heard this speech.