Who did? You can't prove it. Table it.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 45% of the vote.
Situation in Sri Lanka February 4th, 2009
Who did? You can't prove it. Table it.
Situation in Sri Lanka February 4th, 2009
Madam Speaker, the Conservative government has been in power for three years. Before the Conservatives were elected to government, a Conservative member of Parliament from Nova Scotia said, “As soon as we get in power, we are going to list the LTTE”. As soon as they got elected, they listed the WTM. The Conservatives are saying that they are a caring government and they will do things differently from previous governments.
I am baffled. Not only am I baffled, I am bamboozled. The Conservatives want to do things different from previous governments. I am wondering, why have they not done anything from the day that they were elected until now, except list a community and equate the community by saying, “If you are a Tamil, you are a Tiger and you are a terrorist”. That is the signal that is coming from the government, and if they say I am wrong, there is a lot of people in the audience tonight who will attest to what I said. During the election, in different areas the Conservatives went as far to say that the Liberals had not done anything for the Tamils but that they would so people should vote for them. The consequences in Sri Lanka are a country that is totally divided and people are killing each other.
My question for the minister is, why did it take her so long to do something? Why did it even take her government so long to react when member after member were telling the Conservatives to do something? Why did it take so long?
Sri Lanka January 29th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, the civil war in Sri Lanka has placed civilian population in danger. Over 300,000 innocent people are in harm's way. They are in desperate need of humanitarian aid.
The United Nations and the European Union have called on the government of Sri Lanka to ensure the safety of civilians and the humanitarian workers who are trying to provide the necessities of life.
Sri Lankan-Canadians are worried about their loved ones. They have asked the Conservative government to take a stand. When will the government do more than just issue press releases and take the required action which is needed immediately in order to protect innocent people of Sri Lanka?
It is time that the government quits labelling people, especially the Tamils in Canada, and works with the diasporas and international agencies to ensure that civilians in Sri Lanka are protected and provided with much needed humanitarian relief.
Resumption of debate on Address in Reply November 26th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to what the minister had to say. One of the areas I would like to speak about and ask him a question on concerns our treaty exchange of prisoners with China.
China is our second largest trading partner when it comes to foreign trade. We certainly have to look to it to expand our horizons. We not only have to ensure we expand those horizons, but we also need to have more trade to create jobs.
I was saddened when the Prime Minister met with APEC in Peru, that he did not go an extra step and speak to the Chinese folks who were there to ensure we engaged them in more trade.
Canadians are in prison in China. Mr. Jimmy Chen is an individual on whose behalf I have been working. It was an opportunity for the Government of Canada to step in and ask that he be brought back to Canada after it was ordered to do so by a judge in Ontario. We do not have a formal exchange with China.
Would the minister take steps to facilitate, with our second largest trading partner after the United States, an exchange of prisoners with that partner so if Canadians are caught over in China, we can facilitate bringing them back to Canada? Mr. Chen is facing a prison term in China of 20 years and it is time—
Motor Vehicle Safety Act June 17th, 2008
moved for leave to introduce C-568, An Act to amend the Motor Vehicle Safety Act (speed limiters).
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce this legislation, an act to amend the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, speed limiters. I thank my colleague from Kitchener—Waterloo for seconding the bill.
Each summer we witness carnage on our highways caused by excessive speed. This legislation would require all vehicles manufactured after January 1, 2010, to be equipped with speed limiters so vehicles cannot travel at more than 150 kilometres per hour.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Khilafat Jubilee June 6th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, I join today members of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam as they celebrate 100 years of Khilafat.
I have been privileged to know two khalifas of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam, the current khalifa, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V, and the fourth khalifa, Mirza Tahir Ahmad. I have been privileged to be called his brother.
Founded in Qadian, India, members of the Ahmadiyya Movement have emigrated to 190 countries, where they have established new lives, built mosques and become respected members of society.
The community delivers a message of peace, tolerance and offering assistance to those in need. Their message reminds us of the kind of society we want for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren, a just society.
I have many friends in the Ahmadiyya community. Over the years, I have worked with them as they have offered humanitarian relief to victims of tsunamis, floods and earthquakes. They are the kind of friends we look for: honest, loyal, dedicated and trustworthy. They are truly a people who live by their community motto: Love for All, Hatred for None.
I ask my colleagues to join me in offering best wishes to the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam as they celebrate this important milestone of their faith, 100 years of the Khilafat.
Budget Implementation Act, 2008 June 3rd, 2008
Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out to the hon. member that we did the honourable thing. There was an inquiry at which prime ministers testified. I am wondering if the current Prime Minister will be testifying before committee about the affair involving the previous minister of foreign affairs. He certainly is not.
However, the fact still remains that the minister was not asked once but twice about where the money was spent. She said that she would provide the information but she did not. Which part of that does the member not understand? Which part of that does the member still want me to point out? I guess none of it because he does not want to listen.
The member talked about foreign credentials. I want to share with him a personal experience about foreign credentials.
He talked about a website that the government has set up. The minister raves about the site and says that it has had thousands of hits. I am just wondering if any of the Conservative members have taken the opportunity to visit that website and see what is on it. It has a phone number that refers people to Service Canada. When people phone Service Canada about foreign credential recognition it does not know what it is talking about. I phoned myself and said that I was an engineer who had graduated from the University of Toronto and was thinking about moving back to my area in Canada, and I gave the person the coordinates. When I asked who I should be calling I was told to contact the professional association of engineering technologists. Service Canada does not know what it is talking about and neither does that member.
Budget Implementation Act, 2008 June 3rd, 2008
Mr. Speaker, I sent out a questionnaire to all my constituents outlining the bill and putting out there the government's perception of the legislation and its talking points. I also put in my own talking points. I held a town hall meeting. Many constituents, mainly the mainland Chinese and Mandarins, invited me to a town hall meeting at a church. I did not hear one individual support the legislation, support the way it came in or support the way the government was doing things.
The status quo certainly needs changing. The minister has the duty and the responsibility to ask the citizenship and immigration committee to take a look at this.
I do not want to sound like a broken record, but the minister has the duty and the responsibility to tell the House exactly where the money was spent and how much was spent in the ethnic paper, as she promised. If she does not feel that she has the duty to do that, then she is certainly hiding behind something, and the Conservative Party is in cahoots with that. Therefore, either she does the honourable thing and does it today or she can hand in her resignation.
Budget Implementation Act, 2008 June 3rd, 2008
Mr. Speaker, we certainly do not want to take any lessons from the NDP, or lack thereof, on representing our constituents. However, he pointed out the way the government is using advertising dollars.
I want to point out for the member that I brought to the attention of the House under a question of privilege the fact that the minister had spent the money before she was allowed to and that the government put out ads before the bill was passed. There was a ruling from the Chair but I will not go into that.
However, I wonder if the member agrees with me that we must get a complete itemized list of where and how the money was spent. I am wondering if he also supports that.
Budget Implementation Act, 2008 June 3rd, 2008
Mr. Speaker, either the member did not listen carefully, he did not pay attention or he is too busy reading the Conservative spin.
Although he rants, raves and talks about what we will do and what we will not do, the question still stands. We have hundreds of doctors in this country. The minister could easily call the local organizations right across the provinces of Ontario and Quebec and ask them to please ensure people are eligible to practise. We do not need new doctors to come to this country. The minister does not need to say that she will bring in doctors. She knows very well that in the agricultural community, where there are no doctors, this red herring will be sold nicely.
The member did not get up and say that the government would provide the money that the minister promised. I am wondering if he wants to stand on his feet again and reassure the House, on behalf of the minister, that the government will do the ethical thing and provide what has been asked for, not the stuff it gave, which is totally senseless.