James Bezan

[The Environment, March 27th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has the third largest supply of freshwater in the world. In my home province of Manitoba, we have Lake Winnipeg, the 10th largest lake in the world.

Lake Winnipeg is important to thousands of cottagers, hundreds of commercial fishers, attracts thousands of tourists and is the main source of water for many of my constituents.

Budget 2007 announced the establishment of the national water strategy and allocates money to protect our lakes and to improve water and waste water infrastructure.

Could the Minister of Environment tell the House how this will help the province of Manitoba and my constituents in Selkirk—Interlake?

[The Budget, March 26th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I want to add my voice to all members who support the budget. It is a great budget. My friend from Peterborough mentioned how it is fixing the fiscal imbalance. This has been a big issue in my province of Manitoba.

We are seeing more equalization transfers go to provinces that have been struggling. Manitoba, P.E.I., New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec are definitely in that category. This budget fixes that fiscal imbalance. Finally, Manitoba can invest, on par, in infrastructure programs with the increase in social transfers. It can also carry on investing in health care and post-secondary education, all big wins for Manitoba.

For my riding, the one thing I am really excited about in the budget is the national water strategy. It has allocated $7 million to the Lake Winnipeg basin to finally clean up the lake and address the needs of the tourism industry, the commercial fishery, and to look at the overall scope of nutrient loading the lake.

This is a good news budget right through, and I wanted to add my voice of support for this great budget.

[Aboriginal Affairs, March 22nd, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, victims of Indian residential schools have been calling for years for a settlement agreement. Unlike the former Liberal government that miserably failed on aboriginal issues, this Conservative government has taken action on this since the beginning and has moved things forward as quickly as possible.

Could the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development update the House on the status of the settlement for the Indian residential schools survivors?

[Committees of the House, February 28th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing order 108(2) I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 11th report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, respecting the barley plebiscite.

I also make note that there is a dissenting report from the Conservative members of the Committee.

[Infrastructure, February 23rd, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, this year is the 10th anniversary of the 1997 flood of the century. Manitobans were devastated and had to endure the loss of lives and property.

The Prime Minister stated that he would commit to the expansion of the Red River floodway and protect Manitoba's capital region.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport inform the House of recent developments on keeping our commitments?

[CN Rail, February 20th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the strike at CN Rail is presently going into its 11th day. The CIRB decided last night that the strike was indeed legal.

Right now there is a lineup of cargo ships in the Port of Vancouver waiting for western grains. Automakers have been forced to reduce their shifts and some remote areas are having difficulty receiving food and fuel. This work stoppage is having serious economic consequences all over the country.

Could the Minister of Labour please tell this House what status the strike is at and what his plans are at this time?

[Business of Supply, February 20th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, everyone in this House is concerned about poverty and everyone wants to see it as something that becomes history and not something that is part of so many Canadians' daily lives.

I appreciate the motion being brought forward by the member for Sault Ste. Marie and his compassion and his passion on this issue but I do have a concern about the motion.

I come from a rural area in Canada and mandating the $10 per hour minimum wage would be extremely difficult for a lot of my small businesses and farms. The hon. member said that he wants to talk about the future in implementing the program. If we were to go ahead with a $10 minimum wage that would put a lot of our small businesses in rural Canada under the table or essentially take them off the map, creating more unemployment. How would we address that situation?

We need to be concerned that in every area of Canada one size does not fit all.

[Criminal Code, February 14th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hon. member's comments about crime prevention.

One of the reasons I became a parliamentarian was I wanted to make sure that our communities were safer. I wanted to make sure that my own family could wander the streets and be in a safe and secure setting. What I hear from my constituents across my riding of Selkirk--Interlake is that they want crime dealt with.

They are concerned that in the past dozen years or so it has been a catch and release system with so many criminals. Essentially we want to make sure that dangerous offenders have to prove they are worthy to go back onto the streets with the reverse onus protocol that we are bringing forward in Bill C-27.

I am hearing accolades across my riding and across the province of Manitoba. We are hearing from provincial and territorial governments across the country that they want Bill C-27 brought into force.

There is talk that this is going to cost us too much money. Currently there are only 360 dangerous offenders registered in Canada. The reverse onus protocol that we are bringing in might increase that number by 50%. We are not talking about a huge cost. We are talking about a corrections service that can handle this increased uptake. I am confident that this will bring about the results that Canadians want.

[Criminal Code, February 14th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. We are debating Bill C-27 today and I encourage the member to focus on that. I know it is tough over there in the Liberal Party these days to be focused and talk about the issues at hand. Today, we are talking about Bill C-27, reverse onus, dangerous offenders. Going into detail about crime prevention, although it is interesting and it is something on which I agree with him, it is not the bill that we are discussing right now. I ask him to address the debate that is taking place in the House today.

[Firefighters, February 13th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to salute two firefighters from my riding of Selkirk--Interlake.

Last week I was honoured to participate in the presentation of the Governor General's Fire Services Exemplary Service Medals to Fire Chief Robert Herda and Deputy Fire Chief Glen Basarowich for their 20-plus years with the St. Clements fire department.

This presentation to two brave and dutiful firefighters comes at a time when Winnipeg and Manitoba are mourning the tragic loss of two fire captains, Captain Tom Nichols and Captain Harold Lessard, who tragically lost their lives while battling a house fire on February 4.

This tragedy reminds all Canadians of the continual courage and service of all our firefighters, both professional and volunteer. They protect our families, our communities and our property.

I gratefully acknowledge Fire Chief Herda and Deputy Fire Chief Basarowich for their years of dedicated service.

As well, let us not forget Captains Nichols and Lessard, who made the ultimate sacrifice.

I thank all firefighters for their quiet heroism.