Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 43% of the vote.
Questions on the Order Paper September 27th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
Employment September 23rd, 2011
We are trying to help. We absolutely are.
The Minister of ACOA and the Minister of National Defence have met repeatedly on this issue. They have had long and ongoing discussions on this matter.
The closure of the mill is due to a global economic downturn. Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation has assigned a representative to a committee—
Employment September 23rd, 2011
Mr. Speaker, first, the hon. member knows full well that as much as he wants to use hyperbole in this place, it does not serve any purpose. The reality is that with NewPage alone—
Justice September 22nd, 2011
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the NDP, led by the member for Surrey North, criticized the Safe Streets and Communities Act. He even stated that it was unfair that we are seeking to limit the ability of criminals to get pardons. Sadly, out-of-touch statements like that are not surprising from the official opposition.
The Safe Streets and Communities Act is reasonable and tough, and it is what Canadian gave us a mandate to do. For example, it stops those who have committed sexual offences against children from getting pardons.
On this side of the House, we believe that often, while a criminal's jail term may end, the suffering caused to his or her victims lasts a lifetime. Canadians have been clear: it is unacceptable to ever forget the harm that child molesters have caused to their victims.
I call on the NDP members to finally put the rights of law-abiding Canadians ahead of the rights of convicted criminals and support the Safe Streets and Communities Act. It is not too late for them to come to their senses.
Track and Field September 20th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the achievements of Jenna Martin from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, in South Shore—St. Margaret's.
Jenna won the Canadian women's 400-metre title at the national track and field championships this past June in Calgary. She participated in the World Track and Field Championship in South Korea and also finished sixth in the women's 400-metre final at the World University Games in China. She has been an NCAA All-American, as well as a Canadian junior athlete of the year. Now Jenna is preparing to train for the 2012 Olympics in London.
In closing, I would like to congratulate Jenna, as well as her long-time coach Charles Scarrow, also from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. I congratulate Jenna on all her accomplishments so far and wish her the best of luck to bring home the gold for Canada and Nova Scotia in 2012.
The Economy September 19th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, Canadians gave our Conservative government a strong mandate to stay focused on what matters: helping to create jobs and promoting economic growth.
Canada's economy has created nearly 600,000 net new jobs since July 2009. It is the strongest job growth record in the G7. What is more, both the IMF and the OECD forecast Canada's economy will be among the strongest in the G7. Moody's recently renewed Canada's AAA credit rating due to our economic resiliency, very high government financial strength and a low susceptibility to event risk.
However, the global economic recovery is fragile and the last thing Canada's economy needs now is the NDP and Liberal massive job-killing tax hikes. Staying the course with our prudent low-tax plan will support Canada's economic recovery and help create jobs for all Canadians.
Restoring Mail Delivery for Canadians Act June 25th, 2011
That was just how I felt about the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre. It's not all organized labour, it's just the hon. member.
Restoring Mail Delivery for Canadians Act June 25th, 2011
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I appreciate the comments that my hon. colleague is making across the way, but they have nothing to do with the point of debate that we are on.
Restoring Mail Delivery for Canadians Act June 25th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments from my hon. colleague across the way. I understand that we may have slightly different points of view on this issue.
There is another issue that gives a glaring example of union leadership out of control. We all know that CUPW membership does not decide what they are going to do. The union leadership decides what they are going to do. In this case, both sides have been at the table long enough. It is time to go back to the union membership--not to the leaders, not to the member's own colleagues, who are all former union leaders, but to the membership--and ask them to vote again on the offer.
I believe if they went back again and voted on the offer, Canada Post would be back to work.
Restoring Mail Delivery for Canadians Act June 24th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I have not yet engaged in this discussion or debate in this place. I have listened to the hon. member's comments quite closely, and I there are a few small corrections that need to be made.
First, with respect to the hon. member, he is not simply elected by some constituents. He is here to represent all of his constituents. This is not a closed shop. This is not a union organization. This is not a non-union organization. Our job, as members of Parliament, is to represent everyone as fairly as possible.
The issue is quite simple. We have a group of workers that failed to negotiate. What the workers could not negotiate, they will now try to get through intimidation, and the tactics with which to intimidate are the official opposition.
I cannot understand for the life of me why those members would not agree to put the postal service back to work so all Canadians can get back to work.