House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2019, with 39% of the vote.
Petitions December 10th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, one year ago today Cassandra Kaake of Windsor and her preborn baby girl, Molly, were killed in a violent attack.
This petition calls upon Parliament to pass legislation to allow a separate charge to be laid in the death or injury of a preborn child when that child's mother is a victim of crime.
Canadians want justice for victims like Molly.
Kitchener—Conestoga December 8th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today for the first time in Canada's 42nd Parliament, having been re-elected for my fourth term to serve the best riding in Canada.
I first want to humbly thank the people of Kitchener, Wellesley, Woolwich, and Wilmot for trusting me to represent them once again the House. I look forward to meeting constituents in Kitchener, New Hamburg, St. Clements, St. Jacobs, Elmira, and many more of the great communities of Kitchener—Conestoga. I want to ensure constituents that I will be working hard for them every day, and for the next four years I look forward to serving in every way that I can.
Of course, I would not be here today without the support and prayers of a huge team. I thank Rob, Linda, Stephanie, Mark, Darryl, Michael, and dozens of other volunteers who worked long hours day after day, for weeks, to ensure my election victory.
Special thanks to my wife Darlene for her constant love, support and encouragement, and to our three children, Gavin, Benj, and Arja, and their spouses and our nine grandchildren, who make what I do here in the House so very worthwhile.
Petitions June 17th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour of presenting six petitions today on the same subject matter. The petitioners are asking us to implement tougher laws and new mandatory minimum sentences for persons convicted of impaired driving causing death. They also want the Criminal Code of Canada to be changed to redefine the offence of impaired driving causing death as vehicular manslaughter.
Committees of the House June 17th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the tenth report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, entitled “Licensed Hunting and Trapping in Canada”.
Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.
Taxation June 16th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, listen to this feedback from constituents in my riding of Kitchener—Conestoga as it relates to our enhanced universal child care benefit. They say, “this is definitely the right way to go. We need to support young families”, and “for my seven grandchildren, the more help they get from a fair Conservative government the better off they will be”. Constituents in Kitchener—Conestoga strongly support our government's plan to reduce the tax burden on young, middle-class families.
We make no apologies for ensuring middle-class families are aware of the measures that put more money back in their pockets. We want Canadians to know about the new family tax cut and the enhanced universal child care benefit, which will benefit 100% of families with kids, the vast majority of the benefits going to young and middle-income families.
We know the Liberals and NDP would raise taxes on the middle class. Canadians know that it is only our government they can trust to lower taxes.
Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act June 16th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his very informed speech.
This spring I had the privilege of travelling to Malawi and Zambia and observing some of the projects our government is funding there in relation to maternal and newborn child health initiatives as well as the issue of early and forced marriage.
We were able to visit with a young lady who had received help to escape from an early forced marriage. We were able to hear her story and hear some of the devastatingly negative impacts that the marriage had on her. We saw funds being used by the YWCA in Zambia to address an issue that the Zambian government wants to address, and it is actually welcoming the help that we can give in that regard.
Early and forced marriage is an issue that we might not be that familiar with here in Canada, because it is often hidden. I wonder if my colleague could highlight some examples and explain the importance of addressing that issue with this legislation.
Justice for Animals in Service Act (Quanto's Law) June 11th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I did not intend to enter this debate, but I have just listened to my colleague confusing the issue of general animal protection with animal protection for these specific groups included in this bill. It is important for Canadians to realize what we are doing.
The current law, as it relates to cruelty to animals, is covered in section 445 of the Criminal Code:
(1) Every one commits an offence who, wilfully and without lawful excuse,
(a) kills, maims, wounds, poisons or injures dogs, birds or animals that are not cattle and are kept for a lawful purpose;
—liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years....
The is when the offence is prosecuted by indictment.
For clarity, I would like my colleague to affirm that this bill directly deals with military animals, law enforcement animals and service animals. All three of these categories are clearly defined within the bill.
It is important for Canadians to know what we are trying to do here. It is a special category of protection for those animals that provide specific protection to Canadians or provide specific help to Canadians who may be blind or need some assistance in that regard.
Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act June 9th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, for his defence on this issue.
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of visiting Zambia. I was in Lusaka, where a group of YWCA members, and many youth who had joined them, was trying to counteract early and forced marriage. I met a young girl who had been helped to escape an early forced marriage. I heard her story and saw the devastation this had brought to her life educationally, socially, and even physically.
I only saw a very small piece in Zambia of the devastation being caused, but I would like to give our colleague a little time to expand a bit on the devastation this is causing among young women and girls.
Business of Supply June 8th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, my colleague said that he thought the government had forgotten people on EI. I want to remind him that in the budget this year, on page 240, there is extensive coverage on an issue with which I know you, Mr. Speaker, are very familiar. It has to do with extending palliative care and care for those who are providing palliative care up to six months of coverage through EI. Up until now it has only been six weeks. In fact, prior to these changes, people claiming EI would have to prove that their relatives were close to death.
Our government has initiated very good programs. Would my colleague acknowledge the fact that it is our government that has put into place many changes, like the one I just referenced, which help Canadians who are the most vulnerable and who need this kind of care most?
Business of Supply June 4th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I was not intending to ask a question, but my colleague, the member for Northwest Territories, prompted me because he is measuring dollars to measure the success of a program. We all know that we need to measure the results of the program, not how much we are spending on the program. If in fact we can spend less and do more with it, that is the objective we should have.
I would just point out that since 2011, we have seen the cost of a food basket for a family of four drop by $137 a month. That is impressive, and that is the kind of measurement we should be looking at, not how much money we are spending as a measure of success.
My question for my colleague who just spoke is really about the facts from the NDP. On April 2, the New Democrats said that they would like to see 55 communities made eligible for the subsidy. On May 26, they released a list of 46 communities that they would like to see fully eligible. Today, the opposition states in its motion that it wants to see 50 communities made eligible for the subsidy.
Which number is it?