House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2011, with 14% of the vote.
Petitions October 21st, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to rise today to present to the House some petitions on behalf of my constituents. In the first petition, the petitioners are asking that the Income Tax Act be changed to allow for income splitting. There are a lot of seniors who will have problems coping with rising energy costs, which this government is doing nothing about. I will continue to champion this cause.
Disaster Relief Funds October 21st, 2005
Mr. Speaker, when the government held its photo ops it gave the distinct impression that any NGO raising money for disaster relief in Pakistan would be eligible to receive matching funds.
Now we are learning that is not how it is going to work. Instead, the Liberals will be putting all the money in one pot before allocating it to groups of their choosing. So, indeed, very few groups raising money will actually receive matching funds.
Why has the government misled Canadians who have given so generously?
Nicholas Salamis October 18th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of my Conservative colleagues and all Greek Canadians to pay tribute to an icon of Montreal's Greek community, Father Nicholas Salamis, who passed away on Sunday at 108 years of age.
Father Salamis was born on the Greek Island of Samos in 1897. At the age of 17 he immigrated to America before settling in the Greek community in Montreal in 1919. At age 35 he decided to become an Orthodox priest and returned to Athens to study theology.
In 1938 Father Nicholas Salamis returned to Canada and spent seven years in a Toronto parish before he transferred back to his beloved Montreal.
Father Salamis became the rock of his community watching over his flock for over 40 years. I am told that Father Salamis conducted over 10,000 religious ceremonies throughout his tenure.
My executive assistant, George Sardelis, who is of Greek descent, has spoken highly of Father Salamis to me on many occasions.
The Greek community will miss him dearly. However, we will never forget his passion and commitment toward his community.
Justice October 4th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, the government does everything it can for criminals and nothing to protect our law-abiding citizens. It has mobile units giving heroin addicts a free fix, and adult criminals who commit gun crimes can be back out the very next day only to terrorize their victims again.
Why do the Liberals continue to dither on violent crime and why is the government doing nothing to protect vulnerable Canadians like Ruby Thompson?
Justice October 4th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, last week Ruby Thompson, an 83-year-old lady, was mugged in broad daylight in Toronto. She is a double amputee who was doing her Christmas shopping because it is too cold for her in the winter. She was knocked out of her wheelchair by a 16-year-old and received a broken arm and an injured hip.
Under the Liberal justice system there are no serious consequences for this type of crime. Why is the Prime Minister so out of touch that he will not close the loopholes on these horrific crimes?
Energy Prices September 30th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I met with Ellie Chaves, plant manager of Alcoa Wheel Products in Collingwood. Due to skyrocketing energy costs, Alcoa can no longer compete with emerging markets like China, India and Brazil and the plant is scheduled to close.
Terry Geddes, the mayor of Collingwood, Ron Best, president of Local CAW 1995, 430 Alcoa employees and I are fighting to keep the plant open.
When will the government come up with a national strategy and stand up for my constituents to ensure Canadian companies can compete with these emerging markets?
Remote Sensing Space Systems Act September 30th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to speak to Bill C-25. In June 2000 Canada made a commitment under the Canada-United States agreement concerning the operation of commercial remote sensing satellite systems. Bill C-25 intends to augment the commitment made five years ago in the form of upgraded technology.
Private remote sensing satellite systems are used to analyze groundwater, agriculture, forestry and oceanography, natural resources and industries that are very important to Canada. They also can be used to map topography, what kind of land is where and what the soil is like.
Remote sensing satellite systems can also be used to monitor forest fires, thus it will hopefully serve to save many provinces money in the forest fire prevention portions of their budgets and even some people's homes. This will be done by locating a fire still in its infancy.
They can also be used to monitor our borders and assist our border security officers. At the same time, they promote co-operation between ourselves and the United States while still firmly establishing our sovereignty over Canadian soil.
Initially it will cost $1.3 million to set this up and it will take eight to nine staff members to run this program through the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of National Defence and Canada's National Space Agency. The Conservative Party finds this reasonable and believes it represents good value for Canada. It will allow for ongoing research and is especially beneficial to Canadians because it will ensure that Canada will have the most up to date technology. That means there will continue to be high tech, long term opportunities for our citizens. Our post-secondary institutions will also benefit by this because they will have to continue to teach, research and explore this technology so we can continue to develop.
Ongoing research in space opens up new capacities daily regarding the details of natural and human events everywhere on earth. A few short years ago it would have been inconceivable to think about legislation that would govern satellites in space taking pictures of our movements.
The government has a role to play regarding the privacy matters of its citizens. The government needs to know who is scanning the nation, what kind of information they are coming up with and what kind of capabilities are out there. Originally we had concerns about privacy, but the legislation, as amended, deals with this and privacy is protected.
We also are pleased it has secured a proper place for the private sector and scientific and industrial activity as does its commitment to defence of the nation and the hemisphere from military threats from abroad and from terrorist activities conceived at home or abroad.
The official opposition believes the government has done its job to protect the privacy of Canadian citizens while not compromising the security of the nation by having brought the bill to the standing committee where it was examined clause by clause. We have eliminated any language that we thought detrimental to both citizens and national security.
Given the amendments made to the bill in committee, we support the legislation.
Gasoline Prices September 28th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, it is only now that we are learning about the Liberal hidden agenda on high gas prices. The Calgary Herald revealed this in an interview with the environment minister. He said that high gas prices were actually good for Canada.
Will the Prime Minister admit that his environment minister is wrong, listen to Canadians and help them with the out of control cost of gas?
Gasoline Prices September 28th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, another day goes by, another day of inaction from the government and high gas prices.
According to an internal 1999 Environment Canada study, the government felt that Canadians should be paying $1.40 per litre for gasoline. Has the Prime Minister stopped trying to implement this secret report or will he continue to gouge Canadians at the pumps?
Make Poverty History Campaign June 27th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, the Make Poverty History, la lutte contre la pauvreté, campaign seeks more and better aid, trade, justice, debt relief and an end to child poverty. I encourage all members of the House to support this issue by wearing one of the white wristbands which are available in the lobby.
In beautiful Simcoe this Canada Day weekend, the Live 8 concert will be held to remind the world about the plight in Africa. The government also needs to be reminded about the tsunami victims in southeast Asia.
Just last week we learned how the government has failed to deliver almost two-thirds of its tsunami relief. In fact, the Liberal government's record on international assistance is the worst in our nation's history.
I ask the minister opposite to carefully consider the pledge she is making before she slides a Make Poverty History band onto her wrist. I would also like her to consider the Conservatives' call for waiving the Live 8 concert fee.