House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 41% of the vote.
Human Rights April 18th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, that statement reveals a statement made by Mr. Wajsman, not by anybody in the Liberal Party.
I just want to state one thing. Mr. Wajsman was in my employ for less than a year. I want to put it on the record that I bear no responsibility for any statements that he has made or any alleged conduct that he has engaged in after he left my employ, just as no member in the House would bear any responsibility for anything that any person did after they left their employ.
Human Rights April 18th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, they are not so late or so little. The hon. member opposite is just not listening to the other comments I have been making on this issue and on other issues.
Human Rights April 18th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, in my capacity as Minister of Justice and Attorney General, I have condemned racism, hate speech and hate crime, including anti-Semitism, in the House and outside the House.
I join with Chief Fontaine of the Assembly of First Nations in his rebuke to Chief Nelson and in his expression that we condemn all racist hate speech against any identifiable group, be they aboriginal people, be they racial or religious minorities, be they Muslims, Jews, gays or lesbians.
As I said, we envisage a country in which there is no sanctuary for hate and no refuge for bigotry.
Charter of Rights and Freedoms April 18th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, our response with respect to the equality rights provision, section 15, which was stated inside and outside the House, was that we regarded section 15 as having been a transformative act in giving all Canadians, individuals and groups, a panoply of rights and remedies that had never existed before.
We trust this will continue in the march toward equality.
Charter of Rights and Freedoms April 18th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I do not know of any backroom deal. I only know the answer I gave to a question asked by the hon. member in the House, to which the hon. member referred.
I said that any special legislative committee that was set up would address this bill in hearings as it did any other bill.
Justice April 14th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, we take all crime seriously, but when it comes to mandatory minimums, we are not going to go ahead and introduce something that all the evidence shows is neither effective nor a deterrent. We want to combat crime, but not with ineffective deterrents.
Liberal Party of Canada April 14th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, for the hon. member, who asked for an absolute discharge because he did not understand the election act, who does not understand what the Gomery process is all about, who misrepresents the presumption of innocence, who misrepresents the rule of law, I also will not take any lessons from him about condemning anti-Semitism.
Liberal Party of Canada April 14th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, first of all, the hon. member continues to misrepresent this House a. He is not a special counsel to the Minister of Justice, number one. It is utterly irresponsible for the hon. member to cast aspersions daily on a judicial process, and it is morally hypocritical for someone who violated the provincial elections act with regard to election spending to come and preach political morality in the House.
You have become a disgrace to the House of Commons.
Charter of Rights and Freedoms April 14th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, on April 17, 1982, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms became the centrepiece of our Constitution and the cornerstone of our democracy, a transformative act that impacted not only on our laws but on our daily lives and where individuals and groups now enjoy a constitutionally protected panoply of rights and freedoms.
On that day Canadians affirmed that the values of respect, fairness and democracy reside at the very core of our shared national identity.
Unlike the rest of the charter, section 15, the equality provisions, did not come into force until 1985. For three years, Canada's jurisdictions—federal, provincial, and territorial—reviewed and revised their laws in order to ensure that they complied with the new equality rights.
And so, on April 17, 1985, the rights and freedoms cherished by Canadians, such as the fundamental freedoms of thought, belief, opinion and expression, the right to life, liberty and security of the person, the right to vote, were joined by the equality rights protection.
I therefore rise today to recognize the 20th anniversary of section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Section 15 marked a milestone in Canada's evolution as a nation. Since April 17, 1985, it has enshrined our shared commitment that all Canadians are equal before and under the law, that every individual has the right to protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.
Over the years, analogous grounds, such as sexual orientation, marital status and aboriginal place of residence, have been included reflecting our Constitution as a living tree and resonating with our evolving understanding and aspirations.
For 20 years this principle, that all Canadians are equal before and under the law, has guided legislators and judges in their work to ensure that our legislation and our laws respect and uphold the charter rights of all Canadians.
In fact, the inclusion of section 15 in the charter has been emulated by many countries around the world with Canada emerging as a world leader in the promotion and protection of human rights.
In many ways, section 15 of the charter has become a fundamental expression of Canada's commitment to a society in which the inherent dignity and worth of every individual and the equal worth and dignity of all persons are recognized and affirmed; where protecting and promoting equality are fundamental to the pursuit of justice; where discrimination against any individual or group diminishes us all; where equality is an organizing principle for the establishment of a just society in which every person is deserving of equal respect, recognition and consideration; and where equality is at the core and the heart of a society that is promotive and protective of human dignity.
I invite all Canadians to take a moment to mark this important anniversary and to learn more about the significance of section 15. It has shaped our very identity as a country. It embodies the values that lie at the heart of our Canadian identity. It is a moment worth celebrating.
Sponsorship Program April 12th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I am stunned that a former crown attorney does not understand what the rule of law is all about, does not understand what the integrity of the administration is all about, does not understand what a judicial process is all about and comes here, goes ahead and pronounces conclusions without any evidence and without any attribution to any judicial authority. It is a scandal.