Joe Volpe

[Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, May 4th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, my record of the last three months as a cabinet minister for immigration will speak for itself.

As I said earlier on, I was deeply saddened by the response of the member for Edmonton—Strathcona and the member for Durham who missed the opportunity to condemn the actions and the member for Kelowna and his colleague from Calgary Centre who perpetuated a stereotypical image of 1.5 million members of our Canadian family.

I have given an indication already of my intemperate use of language, but I think the shame should be right--

[Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, May 4th, 2005]

I am sorry, Mr. Speaker, but my voice will not carry as well today. I have already indicated that I had an intemperate use of language, prompted by my abject anger at the racial slur and the ethnic slur directed my way. I gave an indication, and I thought I already made that statement publicly. For me, I am saddened by the fact that I have to learn yet again that there is no depth to which some of these people will not descend when they want to--

[Citizenship and Immigration, April 22nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I think everyone welcomed those three announcements, but in particular that latter one, because it allowed Canada to fulfill its commitment to all the skilled workers who came into the country with the expectation that they would then eventually be joined with their parents.

The announcement allowed parents and grandparents to come here on multiple entry visas. Those multiple entry visas are contingent upon health care insurance that is provided by the applicants. It is not a burden on the system. As well, it gives us an opportunity to strengthen the families and the concept of family that those members opposite do not understand--

[Points of Order, April 21st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I want the opportunity to respond to a point of order that was made last week, in the interest of demonstrating that some civility and gentlemanliness still exists in the House.

I want to respond to the point of order made by the member for Newton—North Delta. I will advise the House that on the issues that were raised by the member, I still hold my initial position that the issues that prompted that intervention are still worthwhile. I stand by my decision to refer the matter to two outside authorities.

I may have on another occasion given an indication that the member profited personally from that type of action and I want to withdraw that statement.

[Immigration, April 19th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the question, which is a serious question regarding governance and the programs the government is putting forward. I was pleased yesterday on behalf of the Government of Canada to indicate three initiatives in our immigration and citizenship program, things that are of no interest to members opposite, the Conservative Party members or others.

We accelerated the process by which parents and grandparents will be brought into the country. As well, we put in a program for regionalizing immigration and recruiting more international students who will be trained here and who will be given an opportunity to gain Canadian experience and then locate in regional municipalities. That is unification and that is--

[Liberal Party of Canada, April 13th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I guess the opposition, and I hesitate to say the hon. members, have a difficult time understanding that people in Canada have adopted this country as their own and that they willingly participate in a democratic process. They are delighted to do everything that is required to be completely integrated.

Look at this side of the House. There are members of the new Canadian family from every walk of life, every race, every culture, every creed, and we do not hold them in contempt--

[Liberal Party of Canada, April 13th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, that is really quite a twist. I guess being one of those new Canadians and a minister of the crown qualifies me as being held in contempt.

I think the only contempt that I feel is that which the Leader of the Opposition indicated toward one of his own members yesterday, when on a point of order he took the opportunity to identify the $50,000 that his member from Newton—North Delta charges his constituents in order to write me a letter and the Leader of the Opposition referred to that as criminal activity.

[Points of Order, April 12th, 2005]

Who gets the money?

[Points of Order, April 12th, 2005]

There is a transcript. Read the transcript.

[Points of Order, April 12th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to at least address a point of order that must be raised. I never suggested that there was criminality. I am surprised that the Leader of the Opposition accuses his own members of same. I would remind him as well that all the constituents who approached his member of Parliament are from that same Sikh community that they have so desperately maligned. Perhaps it is time that he came out of the closet and stopped being the spineless chameleon that he is known to be.