House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 61% of the vote.
Agriculture September 17th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, the minister stays true to form. He always ignores the victims in this. He is forgetting about the farm and ranch families, the real folks out there, and the livestock producers. The primary producers are left hanging out to dry.
Why does the minister always put his own political agenda ahead of these producing families?
Agriculture September 17th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the parliamentary secretary for agriculture said that with the border open a crack the crisis is over.
The agriculture minister thinks since he threw around a few dollars livestock producers are saved. Guess what, both of them are wrong and both need new jobs.
Farmers are on Parliament Hill today to ask questions of their AWOL minister. When will he accept the industry's recommendations and announce phase two and the budget to implement it? When will the minister do that?
Agriculture September 16th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary proved to the world he does not get it. That is the problem.
The borders are open about 20%. We can get parts and pieces of cattle through but not a live one. That is the problem. Aged cattle are piling up in this country and there is no processing to handle them, sir. That is the problem. Farmers and ranchers are going broke here day by day. These guys do not get it.
Why is the minister letting the livestock industry crisis get worse while he plays politics with agriculture aid? What is he doing?
Agriculture September 16th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government mistakenly believes that it has reopened the border to trade for Canadian livestock. Far from it. Limited trade in muscle cuts will never save our livestock industry. It is really death by a thousand cuts.
Trade of live animals represented more than half of our sales pre-May 20. Now hundreds of thousands of culled and aged animals have little or no value.
When will the minister table his plan to deal with this escalating problem, or does he just not give a damn?
Agriculture September 15th, 2003
There you have it, Mr. Speaker, some more of that BS package that they were spouting all summer.
The minister knows his April fool's joke contains no provisions that will address a crisis like the BSE outbreak. Farmers and ranchers reject the APF as again too bureaucratic and off target. Using their own calculations, farmers will receive even less support from the Liberal government than they have in the past.
Why will the minister not sit down with the producers and provinces and actually work at resolving this crisis before he cripples another industry?
Agriculture September 15th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, since May of this year the Canadian livestock industry has been reeling from the impact of a single BSE infected cow. All the stakeholders in the provinces agree there was and continues to be a lack of leadership at the federal level.
When will the agriculture minister abandon his heavy-handed attempt to force his APF strategy on the provinces and concentrate on resolving the BSE crisis?
Ways and Means June 12th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, Canadian Alliance members will be voting yes on this motion.
Main Estimates, 2003-04 June 12th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, Canadian Alliance members will be voting no on those motions.
Main Estimates, 2003-04 June 12th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, Canadian Alliance members will be voting no on these motions.
Main Estimates, 2003-04 June 12th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, Canadian Alliance members this evening will be voting no on this motion with the exception of the member for Delta—South Richmond.