House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 57% of the vote.
Afghanistan April 19th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, today in the Panjwai and Zari districts life is returning to normal. Families are returning by the thousands because the Canadian Forces are providing security. They are training the army, they are delivering aid, and they are making life better for Afghanis. It is what the Afghan government wants.
Afghanistan April 19th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, today in Kandahar the men and women of the Canadian Forces are doing us proud. They are protecting the Afghan people. We will stand by them and we will provide whatever equipment they need to do the job.
Afghanistan April 17th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, in case I did not mention the Taliban, the Taliban have gone into a number of villages and killed all the men because they considered them to be opposed to their mission. We and NATO will not allow these kinds of atrocities to occur. We will not allow the Taliban to return and persecute women and carry out public executions in soccer stadiums.
Afghanistan April 17th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the member opposite has brought up the mission.
I want to point out that today the human rights organization pointed out that the Taliban has killed over 700 Afghan people and that we cannot allow that murderous regime to succeed. That is why NATO, UN countries and ourselves are there to prevent their activities.
Afghanistan April 17th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, unlike the previous government, we are committed to rebuilding the armed forces and providing our soldiers, sailors and airmen in Afghanistan with all the equipment they need to survive and to be safe.
Afghanistan April 17th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I am glad the member opposite brought up the mission. The mission of our soldiers is to counter the Taliban.
Today, in Kandahar City, the Taliban attacked a UN convoy killing five people. Yesterday, they attacked a Danish aid group.
There are opposition parties in this Parliament that want us to pull out our troops right now and leave all those people in the hands of the Taliban and we will not do that.
Official Languages April 16th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, our government supports the Official Languages Act. We are applying the Official Languages Act within the defence department. We have a new plan because the previous Liberal plan failed year after year.
The member may note that more money is going into our site at Saint-Jean, and more students are passing through on language training.
Afghanistan April 16th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, our soldiers are the best equipped in NATO. Other nations come to see our equipment and they admire the equipment we have. We have provided the very best equipment to our soldiers.
Afghanistan April 16th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, all our allies, all NATO allies, including the group that met in Quebec City, know that our military commitment is to the end of February 2009.
National Defence April 16th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I find it outrageous that the member is playing with the soldiers' commitment to Afghanistan and their families. I have said a number of times that our commitment is to the end of February 2009.
On the matter of looking after the families in Petawawa, we have transferred $100,000 to the Ontario government, which has full responsibility for this matter.
I would ask that member to stop playing with the lives of families.