Gord Brown

[Democratic Reform, April 30th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, a bill is languishing in a Senate committee. The bill is so reasonable, so practical and so realistic that it is hard to believe anyone would want to or try to oppose it. Yet that is exactly what is happening with the bill to limit the terms of senators.

The bill is simple. It seeks to limit the terms of unelected, unaccountable senators from the current maximum of 45 years to a more reasonable eight years.

Could the Minister for Democratic Reform inform the House of the status of this important bill?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2007, April 23rd, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, in my other life I happened to be involved in the tourism industry. The hon. member mentions the government's position on the former GST visitor rebate program. I know, having dealt with that program first-hand, there were a lot of problems with it.

He talks about the fact that small business was not being listened to, but let me quote Mr. Tony Pollard, who happens to be the president of the Hotel Association of Canada. In its release he says:

The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) has congratulated [the] Finance Minister...and [the Prime MInister]...for their recognition of the importance of hotels in the new federal budget.

We applaud [the] Minister [of Finance] for maintaining the convention and tour component of the GST/HST Visitor Rebate Program...The Minister has always told us that he greatly values the economic development contribution of hotels across Canada. He listened to us.

This is what we hear from the industry.

I know the hon. member sat on the finance committee. Now that the government has recognized and fixed the program, which did have a lot of problems and which I know first-hand from my involvement in my private business, could the hon. member tell us why he thinks the government was not listening when in fact the industry leaders are telling us that the government did listen?

[Correctional Service of Canada, April 23rd, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, on a much more serious note, my constituents in Leeds--Grenville are concerned that 36% of federal offenders are convicted of a new crime within two years of completing their sentence. They want us to end the revolving door justice system created by the Liberals by creating a fair and effective corrections system that places the priority on protecting Canadians.

Can the Minister of Public Safety update the House on our platform commitment to review the operations of Correctional Service of Canada?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2007, April 16th, 2007]

What about the GST broken promise?

[The Budget, March 27th, 2007]

You don't believe that.

[Committees of the House, March 27th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. In accordance with the order of reference of Friday, May 19, 2006, your committee has undertaken and has completed its review of the Anti-terrorism Act as required by section 145 of the act.

I had the honour of chairing this committee and I want to commend members from all parties who took part in this study. The report was first undertaken in the 38th Parliament. It is now complete and is tabled today in the House. All members of the committee worked very hard and worked well together, but I do want to pay special tribute to the member for Scarborough Southwest, who really went above and beyond and did a great job of learning all of this. I am pleased to table this report.

[Anti-terrorism Act, February 27th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal flip-flop on two important provisions of the Anti-terrorism Act continues to puzzle me and the majority of Canadians. Investigative hearings and preventive arrests are crucial in our battle against the threat of terrorism in Canada.

As chair of the committee that reviewed the act for this House, I want to thank the Liberal members on that committee, the members from Scarborough Southwest and Etobicoke North. They worked diligently and supported the extension of these provisions. They know that we are not immune to the threat of terrorism.

Families of the victims of the 9/11 and Air-India terrorist attacks want us to place the safety and security of Canadians ahead of partisan politics and support these provisions. Will the opposition leader stop playing partisan politics and join Canada in its fight against terrorism?

[Robert Sutherland, February 22nd, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, today is North Star Legacy/Reconciliation Day, which is part of Black History Month 2007, and the J'Nikira Dinqinesh Education Centre, along with Library and Archives Canada and Queen's University, will present Excellence and Nobility.

Excellence and Nobility honours the excellence and legacy of Jamaica-born Queen's University graduate Robert Sutherland, as well as the nobility and legacy of the 19th century founders, faculty, students and associates of Queen's, who treated Sutherland “like a gentleman”.

In 1849 at age 17, Sutherland, born in Jamaica of African ancestry, during slavery, was the 60th student enrolled at Queen's. He excelled and went on to great things. His fortune, left to Queen's College, and if Queen's should fail, to Reverend George M. Grant, Principal of Queen's, saved his alma mater from bankruptcy.

Let us remember Robert Sutherland and celebrate his place in our history.

[Anti-terrorism Act, February 19th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, today the Air-India Victims Families Association, the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime, and the Canadian Coalition Against Terror all called on parliamentarians to extend two crucial anti-terrorism provisions brought in by the former Liberal government.

Several prominent Liberals and a growing number of Liberal members of Parliament have stated their support for extending these measures.

Can the Minister of Public Safety explain to the House the importance of these measures for the safety of Canadians?

[Rideau Canal, February 19th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate that I am speaking about the Rideau Canal on Heritage Day.

Stretching from Ottawa to Kingston, the canal opened 175 years ago. It encompasses many communities, all with unique heritage: Seeleys Bay, Newboro, Westport, Portland, Perth, Rideau Ferry, Smiths Falls, Merrickville, Burritts Rapids, Kemptville and Manotick.

The canal was built to move troops and supplies from Montreal to the Great Lakes without fear of attack by Americans along the St. Lawrence River.

Lieutenant Colonel John By set up camp just a few hundred metres from where I stand today to begin this remarkable project.

Over the years, this oldest continuously operating canal of its type has become a major tourist attraction. It is a heritage river, a national historic site and, hopefully, will soon be a world heritage site.

I encourage everyone to learn more by searching on the Internet for the Rideau Canal and visiting all the sites listed there.