Gary Lunn

[Sports, March 9th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, yes, we are fully engaged with national sports organizations. We have some that are actually doing a very good job. We continue to work with them and continue to do the research. I am working with the Minister of Health on strategies in how we can bring about greater awareness.

At the end of the day, we have to work with the experts. I understand this raises the issue about helmets. We have to ensure that we have raised awareness.

I was deeply concerned at what we saw in the NHL game last night. I saw the hockey player out cold on the ice as well. Again, we will do everything to ensure that the NHL does not allow this kind of action to continue.

[Sports, March 9th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his question and his serious interest. This is a serious issue, something we have taken very seriously.

We have spoken with national sports organizations. I am working with the Minister of Health on strategies of bringing them together. It is something that we are concerned about.

Obviously, I saw the same hit the member did last night in an NHL hockey game. It is something we hope that the NHL also takes very seriously. That type of hitting is unacceptable.

[Sports, January 31st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, funding to amateur sport in Canada is happening at an unprecedented level, the highest in the history of this country, something that our government is very proud of. We will continue to support those organizations to continue to do their work, as we have done, but we are not going to start regulating the wearing of helmets in sports. We are going to leave that up to national sport organizations like Hockey Canada which, quite frankly, do a very good job.

[Sports, January 31st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by saying nobody likes to see overly aggressive hitting or fighting in any sport at any level.

Right now, amateur sport in Canada is receiving its highest level of funding in history. We are proud to support our athletes. We will continue to support Hockey Canada and its efforts to make sure that it continues to address this, as it is doing now.

Everybody in amateur hockey in Canada wears a helmet and that is the way it should be.

[Amateur Sports, November 18th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, this being the first question I have been asked since the Olympics, I am very proud to remind the House that we won 14 gold medals, which makes us all very proud.

On a serious note about the concussions, we take all of this very seriously. Hockey Canada runs a number of programs. We provide funding. However, we should let Hockey Canada regulate this. It is doing a great job. Children wear helmets in Canada. They will continue to do that. We support Hockey Canada in its efforts. However, I do not think this is a place for the government to step in and regulate.

[Balanced Refugee Reform Act, April 26th, 2010]

Madam Speaker, first of all, let me commend the minister. This issue is something I have felt passionate about.

Madam Speaker, you and I would both remember people coming to the west coast years back. We did those people no service or justice as it took years to process them and they all ended up going back after admitting being economic refugees.

I would like the minister to boil down, for the people watching, in real terms, how long it takes under the current system, for people to go through all appeals, and what will happen after the legislation?

[Business of Supply, March 23rd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the member a question about something I believe is unconscionable.

We listened to the member's rant and do not need to take advice from the Liberals on any of these issues. If they had a genuine interest in women around the world, why would they attack a previous U.S. administration in the motion, or the current one, or any one, for that matter, our strongest neighbour and ally? Together we have stood side by side in every major conflict.

Why would the member not keep the motion to the positive? Why did the member not focus his motion on what he was are trying to achieve? Why did he have to put in the motion an attack on a previous U.S. administration?

You can pick up the Globe and Mail today and see two previous U.S. presidents, Presidents Bush and Clinton, working side by side doing humanitarian work together in Haiti. Yet your party wants to attack a U.S. president—

[Olympic Winter Games, December 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank the member for his unwavering support for our athletes.

I am holding an email from the official spokesperson for the Liberal Party, intended for its own members. It starts out by saying, “The Liberal Party must capitalize on the positive publicity”.

I want to remind the member that this is not about parties. It is not about politics. It is about our athletes who have worked and trained for decades for this golden moment to win that gold medal.

Even worse, the memo goes on to raise a number of what they perceive to be negative talking points. Nowhere does it mention the great work that our athletes are doing, how hard they are training and to get behind them.

This is about Canada. This is about our athletes. Let us all cheer them as they go for gold.

[Olympic Winter Games, November 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, our government is proud to be supporting the Olympics and to be cheering on our athletes. I can say who is going to be providing the security for the games. It is going to be our RCMP. It is going to be the Department of National Defence. It is going to be people who serve our country so proudly every single day.

Contracts are awarded through a public tendering process. Yes, there are companies that operate on both sides of the border, but we are cheering on our athletes. It is time the Liberal Party got on board and quit its complaining.

[Olympic Winter Games, November 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, that is complete nonsense. First, we had a public tendering process that was fair and transparent. We received a number of bids and we awarded a contract to Exhibitgroup/Giltspur, with operations in cities on both sides of the border, including a number of cities in Canada. The pavilion will be built by Canadians who are proud of it.

The Liberals complain all the time about the Olympics. The last time they were complaining about the Olympic torch relay, which Canadians are excited about. Before that it was the Olympic clothing, and now they are complaining about the Canada pavilion. Why do they not try cheering on our athletes who are going for gold and making us all so proud?