House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 64% of the vote.
Petitions May 14th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, the third petition deals with the definition of marriage. It is signed by hundreds of people from Edmonton and the surrounding communities. These people call upon Parliament to pass legislation to recognize the institution of traditional marriage in federal law as being the lifelong union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.
Petitions May 14th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, my second petition deals with the Beads of Hope campaign, an excellent campaign across Canada which was spearheaded by the United Church of Canada. These petitioners call upon Parliament to pay down the debt and decrease the amounts of debt outstanding to third world nations.
They also call upon us to deal with the HIV-AIDS situation in these developing nations. They call upon Canada to increase its official development assistance to meet the 0.7% of gross national income, something which was endorsed in a parliamentary committee by all parties. They ask us to double the funding to the federal government's domestic program, the Canadian strategy on HIV-AIDS, to address the situation here in Canada.
Petitions May 14th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to present three petitions on behalf of the people of Edmonton Southwest and the surrounding communities.
The first petition deals with natural health products. These petitioners call upon Parliament to provide Canadians with greater access to non-drug preventive and medicinal options, as well as information about these options, and to sanction the personal choices of Canadians by clarifying the currently vague definitions of food and drugs in the outdated 1927 and 1952 Food and Drugs Acts.
They also call on Parliament to pass Bill C-420.
Health May 14th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, why is the government letting these people from the crown corporations go to this private clinic? That is the question the government has to answer.
The fact is the Liberals are treading a very fine line. The Prime Minister has been caught using private clinics. Now senior civil servants have been caught using these private clinics. Yet the government expects every other Canadian to wait in line and use the public health care system with waiting lists that grow day by day. It is a clear double standard in health care.
Why do the Liberals qualify for one standard of care and every other Canadian has to wait in line for his or her standard of care? Why the double standard?
Health May 14th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, last week the Deputy Prime Minister said that this clinic is open to the public. Yet when we checked into it, initial consultations are not covered by public health cards. Users have to pay. This clinic even offers air miles as an incentive for repeat business. It seems as if the government endorses the private system for those who can pay.
My question again for the government is, is this the Liberal Party policy? What is the government's position on delivering health services through the private system?
Health May 14th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, we learned today that Canada Post and the Business Development Bank of Canada, both crown corporations, pay to send their senior managers to private clinics for basic health services. Let me repeat that. Senior public servants who are already covered under a generous public health care plan receive care from private clinics for basic exams and services.
Will the Minister of Health confirm finally whether or not the government endorses this practice and the use of private clinics to deliver health care in Canada?
Gasoline Prices May 13th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, my point is their take goes up as the price goes up.
The Liberals say that we did not recommend anything. In fact the official opposition recommended a petroleum information commissioner. We recommended more resources to the Competition Bureau to investigate these cases. We recommended sharing the gas taxes with the provinces and municipalities. None of these recommendations have been acted on.
Why is the government not doing anything to alleviate any of the pain on consumers across the country? When will the Minister of Natural Resources finally step up to the pump and take some action and produce some gas relief for Canadians?
Gasoline Prices May 13th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, last year the industry committee studied gas prices in Canada and found that taxes are the fastest growing component of the final price of gasoline. Over the long term the price of gasoline, excluding taxes, increased by 50% while taxes themselves increased by 67%.
When will the government finally provide some relief to Canadians from high gas prices by eliminating the GST on the excise tax?
Liberal Party of Canada May 10th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, when the current Prime Minister was running to unseat his predecessor, he campaigned across the country promising to fix the democratic deficit.
One of the most fundamental principles of democracy is the right of the people to select their own representatives, not to have these representatives appointed by a monarch or a party leader. The Prime Minister has violated this principle by appointing four more Liberal candidates in western Canada.
In my own home city of Edmonton, he directly intervened and cut off the democratic process by appointing John Bethel and preventing local businessman Sine Chadi from contesting the nomination. Why has the Prime Minister chosen Mr. Bethel? Could it be that he was the Alberta organizer for the Prime Minister's leadership campaign? Shame.
The Prime Minister has violated that fundamental right of the Liberal members of Edmonton East to choose their own representative in favour of rewarding his own friends. The people of Edmonton will have the final say on election day when they will render a just judgment on this undemocratic action of the Prime Minister by making Edmonton Liberal-free.
Technology Partnerships Canada May 3rd, 2004
Mr. Speaker, the government continues to insist that subsidies to Rolls-Royce are actually investments and will be paid back. That is absolute nonsense.
In fact, since 1996, the government has doled out subsidies in excess of $2.5 billion and has recovered less than 2% of that money. That is absolutely shameless. That is a scandal for the taxpayer.
How can the government continue to justify ignoring Canadian patients, ignoring our soldiers and doling over $80 million to Rolls-Royce Canada?