House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2019, with 50% of the vote.
Public Works and Government Services October 25th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, the government needs to tell Canadian taxpayers the truth. Who changed the requirements of the $9 million contract awarded to LM Sauvé? How did a company that was clearly not qualified make the short list?
This is about one of Canada's national treasures. Will the government admit its political interference in these contracts has made a scandal of the West Block renovations?
Public Works and Government Services October 25th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, the facts about the West Block renovation are being revealed despite the government's stonewalling. It is quite a shocking tale of political interference in awarding contracts, unregistered lobbying, $140,000 payoffs, questionable Conservative fundraisers and at least one RCMP investigation.
When did the Minister of Natural Resources, the former public works minister, first learn about this mess and what steps did he take to clean it up?
Canada-Panama Free Trade Act October 22nd, 2010
Mr. Speaker, at the beginning of his speech, my hon. colleague from South Shore--St. Margaret's spoke about the long trading history our province of Nova Scotia has had the Caribbean region.
I think of the Caribbean region as a little more than Central America as the history of trade because we think of the many years over which Nova Scotia would ship fish to the Caribbean and then the ships would not come back empty. They would come back with things like molasses and sometimes some other liquid products from sugar cane that were well known and a source of considerable wealth in his part of Nova Scotia and other parts of Nova Scotia. Particularly during the time of prohibition in the U.S., the region was known for the movement of some considerable quantity of rum.
What does the member see in this agreement in terms of benefits for businesses in Nova Scotia and their workers but also in terms of the benefits for people in Panama.
National Defence October 21st, 2010
Mr. Speaker, the minister's ADM made it very clear to me this week that the past government did not decide this in advance, that in fact the competition was not settled and we were not part of it.
The biggest borrowing government in Canadian history was warned about the huge financial gamble it was taking on the untendered $16 billion fighter jet contract. Why has a government, which is adding $170 billion to our national debt, not learned from its gross fiscal mismanagement? Why does it oppose a fair and open competition when it knows it can have one?
National Defence October 21st, 2010
Mr. Speaker, last spring, in the House, the Minister of National Defence said, “This next generation fighter, again, will be an open, competitive, transparent process—”.
But this week, an assistant deputy minister at National Defence said that there was never meant to be a competition, and that it was impossible to purchase fighter jets through a bidding process.
Who was telling the truth to Parliament?
Young Humanitarian Award October 21st, 2010
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate an amazing 13-year-old Nova Scotian. Logan MacGillivray is the youngest person to ever receive the Canadian Red Cross Young Humanitarian Award.
Logan's many achievements include raising funds and organizing the shipment of two 12-metre containers to Sierra Leone, containers filled with school, recreation and building supplies to rebuild schools in northern Sierra Leone. He continues to raise funds to complete a children's centre that will serve 40 villages.
Logan's work and humanitarianism stand as an example that no one person is too small to make a difference, and he deserves to be recognized by the House.
Ending Early Release for Criminals and Increasing Offender Accountability Act October 18th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, we are going to support this bill, to send it to committee at second reading where we think it should be studied. Nevertheless, we have serious concerns about the government's overall policies in relation to justice matters.
I note that we recently had an announcement by the Minister of Finance that the deficit for last year was $2 billion more than previously reported. It is in the range of $56 billion, the largest deficit in Canadian history, and part of what we see in the future is that we are going to continue to have huge costs. The government will be spending something in the range of $10 billion on prisons in the coming years, and not spending in areas that will help to prevent crime.
Therefore, I want to ask my hon. colleague this: what is the government's forecast for the costs that will result from this bill?
National Defence October 18th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have had enough of the Prime Minister's attempts to smear anyone who questions the F-35 contract.
Alan Williams was in charge of defence procurement for seven years. He wrote the book on it. On October 7, he testified:
Undertaking sole-source deals leaves the procurement process more vulnerable to fraud, bribery, and behind the scenes deal-making....
Maybe that is why the Conservatives are afraid of a fair and open competition.
Who are we supposed to believe, a defence expert or a defensive Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence?
National Defence October 18th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, taxpayers will pay the price for the government's insistence on sole sourcing the $16 billion stealth fighter contract. The lack of competition will result in billions of dollars being squandered and lost business opportunities. That is the evidence of expert Alan Williams, who contradicted every falsehood the government has used to defend this sole-source contract.
Why not hold an open competition so we can get the best plane for the best price?
Government Contracts October 7th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, he is a well-known, long-established Conservative and the minister knows it.
Yesterday, the Minister of Public Works said that no member of the government was being investigated by the RCMP. How could she know that? Has the RCMP briefed the Prime Minister?
The government House leader's parliamentary secretary says that they mean that the Mounties have not contacted any ministers. It is not the same thing.
Why did the Prime Minister not say that? Why could he not be straight with Canadians? Are the Conservatives in this deeper than they wish to admit?