House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2008, with 56% of the vote.
Canadian Waterways March 5th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, the issue warrants more than a diplomatic note. In its fisheries act of 1995 the U.S. Congress mandated that "the president should ensure that the U.S. coast guard has available adequate resources to provide for the enforcement of United States law and to keep peace among vessels operating in disputed waters".
These disputed waters are Canadian waters. Are we to expect to see battle ready U.S. coast guard vessels operating in Canada's inside passage off Campbell River?
Canadian Waterways March 5th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, the Americans are flexing their muscles not only with respect to Cuba but also on Canada's west coast. As a consequence of Brian Tobin's ill advised and unsuccessful 1994 fish war with the U.S., the American Congress has found B.C.'s inside passage to be an international waterway.
Why has the government failed to protect Canada's sovereignty on this internal Canadian waterway?
Fisheries March 5th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, last year on August 26 I went fishing in a native only commercial fishery. My vessel was immediately boarded by DFO officers and I was charged. Now six months later I have been quietly informed by the government that it will not be proceeding with the charges against me. They cannot make them stick. In allowing for a racially exclusive fishery, the minister has exceeded his authority and defied the B.C. Court of Appeal.
However, the government will still have to defend its actions in court. Last fall I filed a statement of claim in the Supreme Court of British Columbia asking the court to declare that the minister acted improperly in excluding commercial fishermen from the native only fisheries. The government will not be able to avoid the issue; it will have to answer to the judge.
Questions On The Order Paper December 11th, 1995
With regard to work contracted for involving the department of fisheries, (a) does the department of fisheries have a contractual relationship with Bristol Communication, if so, what is the service provided, ( b ) what was the billing in the fiscal years 1994-95 and for the first half of 1995-96, and ( c ) what is the policy or regulation governing contracts with companies in which departmental officials or minister's staff have an interest?
Employment November 6th, 1995
Time.
Quebec Referendum October 25th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, Canadian historian Desmond Morton maintains that a nation is a people who
have done things together in the past. It is not bound by language or by a common culture but by a shared experience.
We are a prosperous, peaceful and tolerant society. Most significantly in the words of Jacques Hébert: "Quebec and its differences have been accepted since 1867 within a federation that is the most decentralized in the world, precisely to accommodate Quebec's differences, its distinctive language and education systems, its civil code".
Nevertheless, the separatists would diminish what our forefathers have built, a nation which is the envy of the world, a nation which because it is what it is, continues to be a country of choice for many of the world's less fortunate.
Last June, the leader of the Reform Party cautioned that we cannot stand by passively and allow Quebec voters to make a decision without a vigorous defence of Canada, including a positive federalist alternative to the status quo.
It is time we trumpeted the virtues of this land in which we have been blessed to live.
Questions Passed As Orders For Returns September 18th, 1995
With regard to fishing activity within the 200 mile exclusive economic zone, ( a ) what NAFO nations will Canada allow inside the 200 mile exclusive economic zone on the east coast in 1995-96 to catch national allocations, and for which species of fish, ( b ) what nations will Canada be allowing to fish inside the 200 mile exclusive economic zone on the west coast, and for what species, ( c ) to the government's knowledge, what other nations allow foreign countries to fish inside their 200 mile exclusive economic zone?
(Return tabled.)
Questions On The Order Paper September 18th, 1995
With regard to the turbot fishery off Canada's east coast and NAFO allocations or quotas, ( a ) what percentage of this years total allowable catch (TAC) is to be caught by Canadian vessels, ( b ) what percentage of the Canadian allocation or quota is to be caught by Canadian vessels, ( c ) what percentage of the TAC is to be caught by Russian vessels, ( d ) what percentage of the Canadian allocation or quota (northern zone) is to be caught by Russian vessels, ( e ) what percentage of the TAC (northern zone) is to be caught by French vessels, ( f ) what percentage of the TAC (southern zone or nose and tail of the Grand Banks) is to be caught by French vessels; other European Union vessels; Japanese; Russian; Korean; or flagged vessels of other NAFO states, ( g ) is the French catch as provided for in the recent Canada-France agreement counted as part of the EU or Canadian allocation-if Canadian, why is it treated as part of the Canadian allocation as opposed to the EU allocation?
Firearms Act June 13th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, the issue is whether the question the poll has asked can be equated to Bill C-68. In my view asking the question "are you in favour of registering firearms" does not equate to Bill C-68 because Bill C-68 goes far beyond that. That is the point. The question that gets answered is the one asked.
In this instance the pollsters are not asking the right question. At best a series of questions would have to be asked regarding Bill C-68. Then we as members of the House would have to balance it off and ask what would carry the most weight, the registration of guns or the violation of the human rights or legal rights that we believe are inherent in it.
Firearms Act June 13th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, the issue of licensing put quite simply is that if I have a car that is not used on the highway I do not need to register it. If I am not using the vehicle registration is not required. That applies to many elements in society.
The issue is not about licensing. The issue is about public safety. The gun handler is licensed. The legislation requires a very stringent test and personal interventions by police authorities to ensure that the person can adequately operate the weapon and so on. We have given very careful consideration to dealing with the issue of licensing.
However the issue is not licensing; the issue is public safety. We are opposed to the bill because licensing will not advance the cause of public safety one iota.