House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2015, with 82% of the vote.
Ethics May 21st, 2013
Mr. Speaker, ordinary Canadians cannot get a special Conservative deal to wipe out their expenses.
The Prime Minister previously said he personally looked at Senator Wallin's expenses and they were fine.
Did the government learn any new details of Senator Wallin's expenses last week that it was not aware of months ago?
Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act May 8th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals agree to apply and will vote no.
Government Expenditures May 8th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, instead of investing in young Canadians so they can put their education to work, the government spent $2.4 billion on expensive consultants. Worse, in 90% of the cases, the government failed to publicly disclose what Canadians paid for, despite guidelines instructing each department to provide a description of the work done.
Why is the government blindly squandering billions of dollars on high-priced consultants, while doing nothing to help young Canadians who have to live in their parents' basements because there are no jobs available?
Memorial University Students May 8th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Laura Francis from Rose Blanche-Harbour le Cou in the riding of Random—Burin—St. George's.
As a fifth-year Bachelor of Commerce student at Memorial University's Faculty of Business Administration, Laura, along with her classmate, Krystal Hobbs, competed in Canada's next top advertising executive competition, run by McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business. There were 141 entries from 30 schools. Congratulations to Laura and Krystal on placing in the top 10, the first students from Memorial University to do so.
After completing the three phases required in the competition, including a 30-minute presentation in front of a panel of 22 judges composed of industry executives, both were awarded internships with General Motors. Laura credits much of their success to the business program at Memorial University and said, “To me, this is really the best prize I could have won. ...To be chosen for an internship is simply incredible. ...I can't wait to get started.”
I ask all members to join me in congratulating Laura Francis and Krystal Hobbs on this significant achievement.
Search and Rescue April 30th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General's report spells out the significant challenges facing Canada's search and rescue. It is painfully clear why the Conservative government refused to call a public inquiry into the tragic death of 14-year-old Burton Winters, despite repeated requests. Given the Auditor General's report, it is also painfully clear why the Minister of National Defence should not use search and rescue as a limousine service from a fishing camp.
Will the government finally deliver the significant improvements, as demanded by the Auditor General, in order to protect Canadians?
Employment Insurance April 29th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, these are taxes on Canadian families, not the Chinese.
Changes to employment insurance are penalizing middle-class income earners and their families. Instead of helping those who have lost a job through no fault of their own, the government is forcing people to take low-paying jobs, travel long distances away from their families, and incur increased transportation costs and child care costs, all at a time when money is already tight.
Will the government finally reverse these reckless changes to EI?
Winners of the CBC Searchlight Competition April 29th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the musical band, Sherman Downey and the Ambiguous Case, winner of the CBC Searchlight music contest. Lead singer Sherman Downey is originally from the Codroy Valley, in my riding of Random—Burin—St. George's.
Sherman, along with fellow band members, Andrew Ross, Paul Lockyer, Bill Allan and Neil Targett, recently won the national competition over 3,000 other Canadian musical acts. During the voting process, no one was more involved in actively seeking votes for the band than Sherman's 85-year-old grandmother, Margaret Aucoin, who lives in South Branch in the Codroy Valley.
As winners, they will perform at the CBC music festival in Toronto on May 25, and be featured in a video, as well as receive $20,000 in musical equipment.
The music business is highly competitive, and those who succeed do so through talent, hard work and determination. Clearly this group has all three in abundance.
I ask all members to join me in wishing Sherman Downey and the Ambiguous Case success in the music industry forever.
Employment April 25th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, as students finish their exams and begin to look for work, they remember last summer when their employment rate was the worst ever recorded by Statistics Canada.
In Newfoundland and Labrador the Conservatives cut the number of student jobs by 40% compared to the jobs supported by the previous Liberal government.
When will the Conservatives stop ignoring our young Canadians and take action to help them find summer jobs so they can pay for their education and put that education to work?
Business of Supply April 24th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 45 I ask that the vote be deferred until tomorrow, Thursday, April 25 at the expiry of the time provided for government orders.
Ethics April 18th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, the facts speak for themselves. Having listened to my hon. colleague, he is clearly not apprised of the facts. We are, in Newfoundland and Labrador. Labradorians know that they deserve better. They need that strong voice. Where was that strong voice? The member speaks about all of the times Peter Penashue spoke in support of initiatives. We certainly did not hear it in the House of Commons. Labradorians were looking to hear from their member of Parliament.
Let me point something out, because there is one thing that really does gall me, and that is the suggestion by the Conservatives that the Liberal Party does not support the seal hunt. How can the member stand there and say such a thing when he knows that it is blatantly untrue? Let me tell the House what has happened since the Conservatives had Mr. Penashue there. In fact, under the Conservatives, the EU imposed a ban on the importation of seal products, and since Mr. Penashue became an MP, Russia, Belarus, Pakistan, and Taiwan have also banned seal import products--