Greg Rickford

[Firearms Registry, May 3rd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal member for Nipissing—Timiskaming has a big decision to make when it comes to the wasteful and ineffective long gun registry. He was once clear with his constituents when he called the long gun registry “disgusting”. At the second reading vote on Bill C-391, he declared, “I decided quite a while ago that I was going to support this bill”. Now he is being forced by the Liberal leader to vote for the long gun registry.

The member for Nipissing—Timiskaming says that he wants more changes to his own party's position. He has only two choices: he can vote to keep the long gun registry or he can do the right thing and scrap it. It is that simple.

The North Bay Nugget said in an editorial last week that “huge numbers of folk regard the registry as a multi-million dollar boondoggle”.

The member for Nipissing—Timiskaming should do the right thing and actually listen to his constituents and vote to scrap the Liberal long gun registry.

[Firearms Registry, April 20th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Liberal leader came out against an attempt to scrap one of the most notorious Liberal billion dollar boondoggles: the wasteful long gun registry. Here is hoping this attempt to control his caucus will not be any more successful than his recent failures.

Eight of his rural MPs voted for the private member's bill that would scrap the wasteful long gun registry. We know the Liberal leader has become accustomed to his caucus voting against him , but we have some advice for him on this one. He should support this bill.

The private member's bill before the House is a good bill, putting an end to the ineffective long gun registry, a legacy of Liberal waste and the criminalization of lawful gun owners. The Liberals can vote to either keep it or scrap it. There is no middle ground.

If the Liberal leader muzzles his MPs on this one, he will just prove once again that he is not in it for Canadians, he is just in it for himself.

[World Curling Championship, April 14th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, it has been another great year for Canada's curling teams at the Olympics and our recent success at the World Curling Championship in Italy.

Spring is in the air, but the curling season is not over yet. This weekend it is time to rally behind our Canadian seniors men and women teams who are heading to the 2010 World Senior Curling Championship in Russia.

I want to make special mention of the fact that Andrea Ronnebeck from Kenora is one of the team managers.

Our government is committed to building a stronger Canada by encouraging seniors to be role models and to be active contributors to society, including competitive sports. The World Senior Curling Championship organizing committee and the Government of Canada share a common interest in the well-being of seniors.

On behalf of the Government of Canada, please join me in sending best wishes for the teams, coaches, managers and volunteers for proudly representing Canada, and proudly representing Canadian seniors on sports world stage.

[Democratic Reform, March 29th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, it is unacceptable to Canadians that unelected senators can hold terms of up to 45 years. Our Conservative government has always been committed to reforming the Senate. To that hopeful end, could the Minister of State for Democratic Reform update the House on the government's commitment to Senate reform?

[Business of Supply, March 15th, 2010]

Or the Somali inquiry?

[Business of Supply, March 15th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I have a quick question for the member about something he alluded to a second ago with respect to all ten percenters. I have one term in my head and that is “body bags”. It was on one particularly disturbing ten percenter. I wonder if he is prepared to comment on that, as much as he has tried to impugn the information that other parties in this House have put out.

[Business of Supply, March 15th, 2010]

Is it any different from the way you were, Wayne? Is it different or what's your point?

[The Economy, March 4th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I know a couple of things about that member. He started his caravan in the great Kenora riding. They were poorly attended partisan events. When he went over to Thunder Bay he and his other Thunder Bay colleagues were soundly chastised for not focusing on the jobs that federal MPs have to do in their ridings.

This matter, as he ought to know, is a matter for the province to decide. We have an obligation to support that, as we have for other provinces, and that is the fact.

[The Economy, March 4th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I think there was a question in that huff and puff. I will just say that the folks in Kenora sure appreciate the work that this government has done. They like to see Canada's economic action plan and signs reminding them of where the federal government is spending moneys in their communities.

I note that the Official Opposition on the other side of the House has engaged in deficit fighting before. I can assure the member that, unlike his party, we will not be cutting health care in an effort to fight this deficit.

[The Economy, March 4th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, we were global leaders when it came to stimulus spending as a portion of our GDP. With respect to the great Kenora riding, I can report to him that we have many projects on the go of small and massive scale. Many of them are well underway. These have created jobs for the local economy, people and businesses. We have formed community groups in an effort to focus and maximize on the benefits of the stimulus program.

As I said in my speech, I am looking forward to entering the second phase of this economic action plan to build and improve on that.