House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 45% of the vote.
National Defence November 18th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, why is it that every time Canada gets into a disagreement with another country the Liberal Party of Canada rushes to the microphones as quickly as possible and stands up to defend the other country? Why does the Liberal Party not stand up and support Canada? Why does it not stand up and do what is best for Canada?
National Defence November 18th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, those of us on this side of the House who have the privilege to serve in government have an important responsibility to the people of Canada: to stand up and do what is best for Canada and what is best for Canadians.
The deal that was in front of us was not of net benefit to Canada, which is why we could not sign on.
National Defence November 18th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, it will come as no surprise to my friend from Wascana that I do not share much of the opinion that he has expressed, and it is opinion, not fact.
At cabinet, the Government of Canada has an important responsibility to stand up and do what is best for Canada, and that is exactly what we did in this regard.
Eliminating Entitlements for Prisoners Act November 16th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to tell you that all four of your House leaders are working very well together.
I did notice the enthusiasm of the member for Winnipeg South Centre, who wanted to pass more crime bills, so I wondered if we could have the unanimous consent of the House to pass all of the crime bills that have been put forward by the good Minister of Justice.
Public Works and Government Services November 16th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, this may have been the way things operated under the previous government. I note that on Elections Canada's website Joseph Broccolini made significant donations to the Liberal Party in its last year of government.
Of course, when this government was elected, we brought in the Federal Accountability Act. We eliminated the influence of big money in politics: no more corporate donations, no more fat cat donations, and no more union donations. That is what is bringing about more integrity to government, and that is what real leadership on ethics looks like.
Public Works and Government Services November 16th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, for this government it is a matter of the highest priority, its highest commitment to the people of Canada. We brought in the Federal Accountability Act that eliminated the influence of big money in politics.
In the past, there would have been $5,000 cocktail parties, events raising $1 million or raising hundreds of thousands of dollars.
It is this government that eliminated the influence of big money in politics, so that these types of activities could never again take place.
Public Works and Government Services November 16th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, I know two things. First, I know that the well-respected public service appeared before committee and confirmed that there was never any political interference in the awarding of contracts. That speaks very well.
Second, I know that Mr. Broccolini has made substantial donations to political parties, contributions so high they would not be allowed today. They were made on June 2 and November 30, 2005, and they were made to the Liberal Party of Canada.
Ethics November 16th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, all of us in this place have worked with Jim Prentice for many years. Jim Prentice has probably been one of the most well-respected individuals to serve in this and the previous Parliament. He has made an outstanding contribution to public service.
We appreciate the fact that a career came calling and he has moved on elsewhere. We wish him very well on that. We know him to be a man of high integrity. We know he consulted with the independent Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.
The Environment November 16th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, in Cancun, Canada will continue to work on achieving concrete results for all the items on the agenda, such as funding, deforestation, adoption, technology, commitments made by major polluters on mitigation, and reviewing mitigation commitments. We accomplished good work in Copenhagen and we will carry on our work in Cancun.
The Environment November 16th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, that is not the case at all. The Government of Canada was very proud of its participation in the Copenhagen accord negotiations. We will continue to work very hard in Cancun with more than 130 countries that have signed the Copenhagen accord. If 130 countries are in favour of it, why does the Bloc not support them?