House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2015, with 44% of the vote.
National Defence June 4th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I want to again emphasize that the government is delivering on its commitment to rebuild the Canadian Forces by acquiring strategic and tactical aircraft to transport supplies at home and abroad, modernizing the fleet of army vehicles to protect our personnel and ensuring their mobility on the battlefield.
The NDP should learn from our efforts to enable our men and women to not only do their jobs safely but also succeed at missions.
National Defence June 4th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is taking action to ensure that due diligence, oversight and transparency are firmly embedded in the process to replace Canada's aging fighter jets. We are following a seven-point action plan to fulfill and exceed the Auditor General's recommendation. This includes freezing acquisition funding and establishing a separate secretariat outside of the Department of National Defence to lead this project moving forward.
National Defence May 31st, 2012
Mr. Speaker, it was the Liberal record of appalling negligence that brought us 10 years of darkness. Over these 10 years defence spending in Canada dropped to only 1% of nominal GDP in 2005, a level that placed us in the lowest of the NATO nations.
Our government remains committed to overcoming this lethargic approach to funding our military. We are, in fact, increasing our support for our military, unlike what the previous Liberal government did during its 10 years of darkness.
National Defence May 31st, 2012
Mr. Speaker, it was the Liberal record—
Search and Rescue May 29th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, search and rescue is a critical aspect for Canadian society and our government recognizes this fact. Our plans include proceeding as expeditiously as possible on the project. We will continue responsible management of this file, including consultations with industry. We are exploring options that will result in the best outcomes for search and rescue and the best benefits for Canadian taxpayers.
Veterans Affairs May 17th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to supporting our veterans and those who have served our country so ably. I would like to also point out for the member that the government has stood up for our veterans and brought a number of programs, which I can list.
In that regard, we are also saying, once and for all, that we will not be second to anyone when it comes to looking after our men and women in uniform, those who serve today and those who have served very ably in the past.
National Defence May 17th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, we are aware of the issues and the Minister of National Defence has ordered an investigation to look into some of these items. We are receiving the report and we will act on those recommendations as soon as they are made available to us.
National Defence May 17th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, far from lashing out at anybody, this is the government that put in place the resources necessary to ensure that our military can do the job we ask of it.
This government is committed to supporting the Canadian Forces. We are committed to ensuring that we do all that we can to enable members of the Canadian Forces to carry out their responsibilities in a way that also addresses the needs of Canadians.
Veterans Affairs May 17th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, the Government of Canada is currently studying the decision and considering the next steps.
No decision has been made at this point in time, so it is premature to assume that any decision has been taken or will be taken until such time as we make up our minds as to what needs to be done.
Business of Supply May 15th, 2012
Madam Chair, as a former police officer, I am especially interested in questions of enforcement.
Could the minister please inform the House about the importance of the role played by Canada's officers who enforce our environmental legislation?