Kevin Sorenson

[Petitions, June 4th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I have the privilege to present to the House a petition signed by well over 200 concerned constituents from Drumheller, Hanna, Three Hills, Trochu, Morrin, Munson and Carbon.

This petition calls upon Parliament to ensure that Junior A hockey league players and teams be treated like Olympic sports participants, and that billeting costs and modest reasonable expenses and allowances not be treated as taxable income under provisions of the federal tax legislation.

It is a pleasure to present a petition like this in the House.

[Air India, June 4th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, in 1993 the leader of the official opposition, now our current Prime Minister, promised that the Liberals would “continue to press the government to create a royal commission to look into the Air India disaster”. After 10 years Canadians are still waiting for this unfulfilled promise.

Will the Solicitor General put an end to the wait and immediately initiate that royal commission of inquiry?

[Air India, June 4th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, of the 331 people killed on Air India flight 182, 280 were Canadians, 80 of whom were children, yet both the previous administration and the government refused to initiate a commission of inquiry. Recent allegations only serve to remind us that Canadians and the rest of the world deserve to know exactly what transpired on or before the June 23, 1985 disaster.

Will the Solicitor General immediately initiate that commission of inquiry?

[Air India, June 3rd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, allegations that CSIS erased wiretaps and destroyed files caused the RCMP to launch an investigation, not in 1991 but in 2000, an investigation as to how CSIS was involved in the Air India flight 182 bombing.

Those allegations in 2000 were proven to be true. Why then does the Solicitor General refuse to believe that these new allegations may in fact be true? Why does he refuse to initiate an inquiry to either prove or dispel the serious allegations?

[Air India, June 3rd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, it is a well known fact that operational procedures between CSIS and the RCMP have not always been followed. It is a well known fact that the relationship and the communications between the two security agencies have at times been strained. Therefore, there is the very real possibility that CSIS did not inform the RCMP of all pertinent information regarding the Air India flight 182 bombing.

My question is for the Solicitor General. Will he initiate and inquire to assure Parliament and Canadians that all information was given to the RCMP by CSIS?

[Air India, June 2nd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the RCMP claims that CSIS erased wire taps, that it destroyed files to cover up the fact that it knew about the plot of the bombing of Air India flight 182. Allegations are surfacing that a CSIS agent may have been involved in the conspiracy to blow up flight 182.

The Solicitor General is the minister who is in charge. He is the minister in charge of this department. When will he initiate an inquiry to either prove or dispel the allegations against CSIS?

[Air India, June 2nd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the disclosure of documents detailing the 15 year criminal investigation into the Air India bombing suggests that CSIS knew about the bombing of Air India flight 182 before it occurred but failed to report it to the RCMP.

Will the Solicitor General immediately initiate a full public inquiry to ensure that there was full disclosure on the part of CSIS?

[Agriculture, June 2nd, 2003]

Shame on you. Wake up, John, this is a whole industry we are talking about.

[Supply, May 27th, 2003]

Mr. Chair, before the committee suspended, the Canadian Alliance still had time left in its presentation.

Mr. Chair, you suspended, you took counsel and you left the chamber. We wanted a ruling right at that moment and we wanted the ability to continue on with our time. We looked forward to having the opposition question the minister on a evening that was set apart for that.

We would ask for the Canadian Alliance time back.

[Supply, May 27th, 2003]

Mr. Chair, Canadians are telling us that the gun registry is not working. The gun registry has been a colossal waste of money. It will cost close to $1 billion. That is $1 billion which is much needed in other places. I move:

That Vote 1 for the Department of Justice in the amount of $308,238,000 be reduced by $100 million to $208,238,000.