Gerald Keddy

[Ending the Long-gun Registry Act, October 27th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, a short time ago in the House, the member for Yukon spoke, and he quoted Robert Service. I am sure the member opposite is familiar with Robert Service, a bard of northern Canada. However, he did not quote from another poem of Robert Service:

When out of the night, which was fifty below, and into the din and the glare,
There stumbled a miner fresh from the creeks, dog-dirty, and loaded for bear.

The reason I quote that is because here is someone who was out in the cold and the dark, and came into the warmth and the light.

I appreciate the hon. member's passion for this subject, but I do not understand how everything that says registration is good, when in reality we are registering licensed gun owners.

As a hunter and a gun owner, if I get stopped for running a red light, the RCMP would put my name through the database. They would get the same results today as they would have gotten prior to the elimination of the registry because I am still a licensed, registered gun owner, so the safety aspect that we talk about is still there. To say it is not is just contrary to logic.

[Ending the Long-gun Registry Act, October 27th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I have a question that has been bothering me because, quite frankly, it is quite a conundrum. I just cannot quite wrap my head around it.

The New Democratic Party was all over the map on the gun registry prior to our forming government. A large group of its members, who represent rural ridings, voted in favour of the gun registry. Then when the votes really mattered, when we had an opportunity when we first formed government, NDP members turned their backs on that previous vote and voted against the gun registry.

Now that we have a majority government, their votes still matter in the House, but they will not matter when they are tallied up on this bill. I wonder how many New Democratic members will now change their mind again and vote against the gun registry.

[International Trade, October 24th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear that free, fair and open trade is good for Canadians and is good for the rest of the world.

I wish the NDP member from Dartmouth—Cole Harbour and his colleagues would just once in this place stand on their feet, support Canadian business, support Canadian workers and vote for free trade agreements, because it will help. It will provide jobs and opportunity.

You might want to listen to your own rhetoric sometime.

[International Trade, October 24th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the passage of the three new free trade agreements with the U.S., which include Colombia, Panama and Korea, is a clear recognition, which we applaud, by the U.S. lawmakers that free and open trade is the best way to create jobs and economic growth.

We are, however, disappointed that the bill includes the removal of the $5.50 tax exemption on air and sea passengers, not on all passengers, arriving to the United States from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. We would hope the Americans recognize the error of their ways and that free and open trade is the way out of this economic depression, not into it.

[International Trade, October 21st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Etobicoke Centre for his support for our job-creating pro-trade plan.

Yesterday we announced the wrap-up of the ninth round of the comprehensive economic trade agreement with the European Union. The benefits from this trade agreement will be substantial. The hon. member mentioned them all: a 20% boost in bilateral trade, 80,000 new jobs, and nearly $1,000 on average per Canadian family.

As we have done throughout negotiations, our government will continue to vigorously defend Canadian interests to ensure that this agreement--

[Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, October 21st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians gave us a clear mandate to keep taxes low and balance our budget by 2014-15. ACOA has identified ways to make its internal services more efficient--for example, by reducing costs associated with travel and internal operations.

Over the next year, we will continue to cut the fat out of government. We will review all spending. We will review all hiring.

This government has done more for ACOA than the previous government, and we continue to support it.

[Shipbuilding Industry, October 20th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on what matters most to Canadians, which is, creating jobs and economic growth.

Yesterday, the shipbuilding secretariat announced its decision. The national shipbuilding strategy is a win for all of Canada that will create thousands of new jobs and billions in economic growth in cities and communities across this great country.

Unfortunately, as non-partisan public servants were explaining the process that was based on merit and run at arm's length, free from political involvement, the leader of the NDP was calling for political intervention in the process.

Let us remember that the NDP members voted against this procurement, and now they want political interference in a plan they never supported. This contradictory position from the NDP is another worrying example of its lack of understanding of how Canada works.

[International Trade, October 18th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, there was some chattering across the way and I did not hear the end of the question but I will give what I expect the member is looking for as an answer.

Some hon. members may not have realized it but we received a strong mandate from Canadians, which is why we have a majority government and why we are pursuing free trade agreements that will benefit Canadians, benefit Canadian workers and supply Canadian jobs to Canadians who need those jobs.

[International Trade, October 18th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, that question only proves once again that the NDP is ideologically opposed to free trade.

On our side of the House, we welcome the ninth round of negotiations as the benefits to Canadian workers and businesses through a free trade agreement with the EU are expected to be enormous: a 20% boost in bilateral trade; a $12 billion annual boost to Canada's economy; 80,000 new jobs for Canadian workers; and $1,000 average extra income for Canadian families.

[Keeping Canada's Economy and Jobs Growing Act, October 17th, 2011]

We're not getting rid of the Wheat Board.