Harold Albrecht

[Armenia, April 25th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as chair of the Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group to commemorate a solemn anniversary. Almost 100 years ago a policy of systematic extermination resulted in the deaths of between a million and a million and a half Armenians.

In recent years, both houses of Parliament have adopted resolutions referring to these events as “the first genocide of the twentieth century”, but I draw faith from the Armenian people. To visit Armenia today is to enjoy a country that has grown and recovered and today enjoys democracy.

Today our Armenian Canadian communities celebrate their culture in healthy communities from Montreal to Vancouver, including in my own home area of Waterloo region.

We remember this today, not to look back to 1915, but to learn from the lessons of history and to recommit ourselves to ensuring that such a tragedy never happens again.

[Petitions, April 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from a number of constituents in my area relating to the issue of abortion.

The petitioners are pointing out that Canada, in the company of China and North Korea, is the only nation in the western world without any laws restricting abortion. They also point out that Canada's Supreme Court has said that it is Parliament's responsibility to enact abortion legislation.

Therefore, they call on the House of Commons to speedily enact legislation that restricts abortion to the greatest extent possible.

[Petitions, April 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present two petitions today. The first one is from a number of people from New Brunswick and Alberta calling on the House of Commons to meet the public health challenges posed by suicides, to promote evidence based solutions to prevent suicide and its aftermath, and to define best practices for the prevention of suicide.

[Community Contributions by Firefighters, April 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, if we wake up to the sound of a fire alarm, Canadians know that help is only three digits away, at 911.

Today I want to honour the contribution of firefighters to our communities. Few of us would rush into a burning building to save a stranger, but these heroes do. They isolate the danger to protect neighbours and extinguish flames to protect property, and they are also often first on the scene for a medical emergency. Most importantly, they risk their lives for us.

The largest fire department in Kitchener—Conestoga belongs to the City of Kitchener but also supports volunteer departments in the townships of Wilmot, Wellesley and Woolwich.

Last year 230 staff, of whom 198 are front-line heroes, responded to almost 10,000 calls. That is more than one every hour on average. Whether a firefighter as a professional or a volunteer, they share one common trait: heroism.

I ask all members of this House to join me in honouring Kitchener firefighters Jeff Noble and Steve Jones, and all other heroes across Canada for their service and their willingness to sacrifice.

[The Budget, March 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's economic action plan 2012 was tabled yesterday. In that context, a number of things are worth noting.

Canadians will pay less in taxes to the federal government than they have in decades and our fiscal position remains the envy of the world.

The Waterloo region benefited greatly from previous budgets. A new Quantum Nano-Centre, the Institute of Food Processing Technology and the high-tech business incubator are some of the strategic investments that will pay dividends for decades.

I consulted my constituents in the lead up to yesterday's budget. Municipal leaders sought a long-term plan for infrastructure renewal. Employers hoped that we could reduce their red tape burden. Emerging entrepreneurs asked us to preserve and improve the focus of vital programs, like SR and ED and IRAP. I asked the Minister of Finance to invest in suicide prevention.

On all of these items, the budget delivered.

On behalf of my constituents, I must offer thanks. Under this government, Canada and the of Waterloo region have the fundamentals in place for long-term prosperity.

[Elmira Maple Syrup Festival, March 27th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, since 1965, the community of Elmira has attracted tourists from around the world. Since then, hundreds of volunteers have devoted thousands of hours to put on this event and to raise funds for our community.

In 1965, organizers hoped for 2,500 attendees. They were overwhelmed by more than 10,000.

The Guinness Book of World Records recognized the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival as the world's largest maple syrup festival after recording crowds of more than 66,000 in attendance in 2000.

This year, the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival will occur on March 31.

Once again I look forward to activities, like the pancake flipping contest, which I have yet to win, hayrides and games. I look forward to this rare opportunity where even a dentist indulges his sweet tooth. Most of all, I look forward to a day with the friendliest, most community-minded constituents any MP could be privileged to represent.

I extend a sincere invitation to all hon. members to join me on March 31 in Elmira.

[Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act, March 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I, too, listened with interest to my colleague's comments. The unfortunate part of many of the comments that have been made today is the rhetoric that is involved. She used the term “jail”. My colleague across the way used the terms, “prison camps” and “treated as criminals”. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are simply trying to identify the identity of the persons who are coming here.

Does she not agree that it is important we know whether those who come here to seek the protection of Canada are in fact terrorists or have been involved in criminal activity in their country of origin? Is that too much to ask for the safety of Canadians?

[Petitions, March 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a number of petitions signed by people from Nova Scotia, Ontario and British Columbia, including a number of first nations communities.

The petitioners call on Parliament to meet the public health challenges posed by suicide by adopting legislation that would recognize suicide as a public health issue, to promote evidence-based solutions to prevent suicide and its aftermath and to define best practices for the prevention of suicide.

[Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act, March 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, contrary to the preamble to the question from the member opposite talking about attacking the most vulnerable, Canada has the most generous refugee system in the world.

Many of us in this room have had the privilege and honour of working directly with refugee claimants when they have come here. We have helped them find their way through those early days here, find a place to live and find a place to work. I cannot understand why the opposition would not understand that it is important we have a system in place that actually ensures the security of the Canadian population.

One of the misconceptions that has been repeated over and over again by the opposition, all through this debate and especially this morning, is this myth that somehow Bill C-31 includes the mandatory detention of everyone who arrives as part of a human smuggling event. I would like to ask my colleague to explain the exemptions that are there for those who are under 16, and also how once an actual claim is processed the claimant is no longer detained in the detention centre.

[Petitions, March 13th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a number of petitions signed by people from Ontario and Alberta pointing out that suicide kills, on average, 10 Canadians each and every day, which means there are almost 4,000 preventable deaths each year. The petitioners also point out that suicide is not only a mental health issue but it is also a public health issue.

Therefore, the petitioners are calling on Parliament to adopt measures to recognize suicide as a public health issue, provide guidelines for suicide prevention, promote collaboration and knowledge exchange regarding suicide, and promote evidence-based solutions to prevent suicide and its aftermath, and to define best practices for the prevention of suicide.