Jim Abbott

[Adam Angel, September 26th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay posthumous tribute to Kootenay—Columbia customs officer Adam Angel, who tragically died on October 17, 2004 while working alone at the Port of Roosville. During the midnight shift he was found in distress and, in spite of all efforts to assist him, emergency personnel pronounced him dead shortly after their arrival.

It is imperative for our customs officers to be safe at all times while protecting our Canadian borders. Every day we are reminded of the dangers our frontline workers face. They confront the most dangerous conditions putting their lives on the line to protect ours.

I am proud to say that the new Canadian government has responded with initiatives to strengthen our border security. We have committed $101 million over the next two years to provide arms to all officers, proper training and abolition of work-alone conditions like that of Officer Angel.

We believe in secure, efficient borders and we thank these men and women for their courage, bravery and hard work protecting our communities.

[Paramedics, September 21st, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to those who serve and protect us.

Two B.C. ambulance paramedics lost their lives in the line of duty May 17, 2006 at the Sullivan Mine in my constituency. The two paramedics were coming to the aid of others at the site.

Kim Weitzel and Shawn Currier responded to a 911 call to find two people who had collapsed. In aiding the fallen workers, the paramedics themselves lost their lives.

This reminds us of the danger our emergency workers face every day as they risk their lives attempting to save others. They confront the most dangerous of conditions, providing Canadian communities with protection and well-being.

Every day these people put their own lives in peril. We thank these men and women for their courage, bravery and hard work protecting our communities. We hold the names of Kim Weitzel and Shawn Currier in the highest honour.

[Canada Day, June 22nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, this year on July 1 we celebrate Canada's 139th birthday. This is a perfect opportunity to express the pride we feel about living in a young, prosperous and diversified country which is often the object of envy around the world.

Canada Day is an opportunity to gather in our communities across this vast country and to proudly celebrate all that we have in common. It is an ideal occasion to celebrate our accomplishments at home and abroad. Looking ahead, we have ever reason to view the future with confidence and enthusiasm.

We encourage all Canadians to participate in the various activities taking place in their communities, whether performances featuring local artists, street parties or parades. We should all take advantage of the opportunities to celebrate our great country with family, friends and neighbours.

I invite all Canadians to participate in the festivities of July 1. We have so much to celebrate.

[June 20th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, although we are certainly aware of the recent discussions surrounding the proposal for a new Canada Science and Technology Museum, as I stated in my earlier address, much work remains to be done before a decision is taken.

It is without question that the preservation of Canada's scientific and technological heritage for future generations is important. Canada has a rich history of innovation in these fields and our stories must be preserved and celebrated.

The importance of the continued viability of the Canada Science and Technology Museum and the effective delivery of its mandate are key concerns in the present context. However, within the context of the current situation, it is premature to enter into detailed decisions concerning the site that a proposed museum would require and therefore there are currently no plans to move this museum.

The Canada Science and Technology Museum is continuing its important work on assessing its needs for ensuring the integrity and accessibility of the collection it holds for all Canadians.

[June 20th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to respond to the member's question regarding the Canada Science and Technology Museum on behalf of the Minister of Canadian Heritage who is responsible for Canada's national museums.

The importance of the preservation of Canada's scientific and technological heritage as represented by the Canada Science and Technology Museum is an important issue and one that deserves to be set in the proper context.

Our history, beliefs, values and way of life are shaped by the stories and collected experiences of the people that have inhabited this country. Each new generation builds on the legacy of the past. Collecting institutions such as our national museums are the repositories for the wealth of experience, the stories, the people and the events that have shaped this country, and through their public programming and research they provide us with a lens into our future.

The Canada Science and Technology Museum is an institution, a living entity. it connects Canadians through its exhibitions, outreach programs, educational initiatives, partnerships with sister institutions across the country, and by celebrating the ideas and achievements of the innovators that have shaped our past and are leading us into a bright future. This museum represents the collected consciousness of Canada's scientific and technological heritage and our hope for the future.

The museum receives over 400,000 visitors through its doors each year. These visitors come to learn about communications, space technology and exploration, transportation, energy, medicine, engineering, manufacturing and industry, natural resources and the burgeoning new technologies.

The museum is where Canadians can experience how science, technology and innovation converge. They are introduced to Canada's innovators in the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame, with new inductees each year. They experience how science and technology have influenced and continue to shape our society.

I have personally visited the Canada Science and Technology Museum and have seen first-hand the extent of the collection and its relevance to our past, our present and our future. I have also been well apprised of the issues that confront the institution in the delivery of its national mandate and the design and development of its vision for the future.

The museum has been engaging Canadians and presenting significant Canadian innovations and scientific and technological accomplishments in a dynamic and thought provoking manner for almost 40 years. I would like to commend the dedication and hard work of those who have worked tirelessly to achieve such an important success story.

I would like to conclude my remarks by stating that the integrity of this important collection and the continued viability of the institution that provides for its stewardship are key issues that will deserve significant consideration as we move forward. With these priorities in mind, I would put forward that the question of a new facility for the Canada Science and Technology Museum is premature, but it will be dealt with at an appropriate time.

Having said that, one of the first tasks the Minister of Canadian Heritage undertook in her new position was to meet with representatives from the Canadian Museums Association. This is an important step in ensuring we have a strong museum policy.

The government will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that in a culturally diverse country such as Canada, we can build a shared sense of citizenship by acknowledging and preserving the multiple perspectives of our past. Our country's connection with its diverse past defines its spirit and solidifies its sense of achievement. These national collections are our tangible link with our past and our investment in the future.

[Telefilm Canada, June 16th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated to the member, we are very proud of the Quebec film industry. We are reviewing our policy. As a matter of fact, the minister is going to be meeting with the producers next week.

[Telefilm Canada, June 16th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, our government is very proud of the success of the Quebec film industry. We are very respectful of the industry's needs. We are currently reviewing the feature film policy.

[Committees of the House, June 13th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I am having a little difficulty in terms of understanding what part of the word yes he does not understand and for that matter the member from the NDP. The heritage minister has agreed to this. I would rather suspect that if this concurrence motion came to a vote that the government would be voting in favour of it.

It absolutely and totally baffles me that we have this situation. We have 2,200 heritage museums across Canada that receive $9 million from the government, as per the budget of the Liberals up to this point. We are at a point where the art gallery will be requiring extra facilities, as well as the library, the archives and the natural history museum. That is not to mention the fact that within Canadian Heritage there are also issues with aboriginal Canadians and multicultural issues. It goes on and on.

There is a fixation unfortunately, on the part of the opposition members currently elected, solely on broadcasting. Yes, it is important. We have said it is important. The minister has said it is important. The minister has agreed to this motion. There has never been an utterance from my mouth or her mouth to the opposite. Why are we spending time in this place discussing something that has already been agreed to? This sounds an awful lot like a filibuster.

[Committees of the House, June 13th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I have said yes. I have said yes repeatedly to my friend across the way. I do not know if he is having difficulty understanding the word yes. I just thought that maybe if I were to repeat yes enough times he might get the message.

However, with respect to his question about Yukon, I think that we have to be very careful as parliamentarians not to become involved in micromanaging the CBC. The CBC is an arm's-length corporation with people with management skills who work for its directors. These people are fully capable of making good management decisions with respect to where the various transponders or transmitters would be, could be and should be.

I have the same kinds of difficulties in my constituency. My constituency is probably not as big as Yukon, but it is very large. There are groupings of 50, 200, 300 or 1,700 people and we have to be concerned about the antennas and things of that nature. I do make suggestions to the CBC through the appropriate channels, but I always make it very clear that it is a management decision. It is indeed our responsibility as parliamentarians to look at the mandate and find out the best way to ensure that Canadians have the service they all want from the CBC.

[Committees of the House, June 13th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I would say off the top of my head probably not. The reason why, very simply, is that the minister announced in Banff that the CRTC is going to be doing exactly that job. I do not understand what expertise the committee would be able to bring to those questions that the CRTC is not capable of.

I am also reminded that the committee is responsible for things like museums, art galleries and archives. It is responsible for all sorts of things other than the CBC and broadcasting. I have found the fixation on the CBC and broadcasting to be really unfortunate considering the number of other responsibilities there are within the Department of Canadian Heritage. It is, after all, a $4 billion department, and I think it would do well for members to broaden their scope past the CBC and past broadcasting per se.