Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a petition from approximately 125 of my constituents who are asking Parliament to look at amending section 223 of the Criminal Code.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 47% of the vote.
Petitions May 2nd, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a petition from approximately 125 of my constituents who are asking Parliament to look at amending section 223 of the Criminal Code.
Wheelchair Athlete April 26th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to stand in the House today to recognize Josh Cassidy, who hails from Burgoyne in my riding of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound.
Josh is on the Hill today for the Rolling Rampage event. He recently raced in the men's wheelchair division of the 116th Boston Marathon, winning and also setting a new world record.
Shortly after he was born, Josh was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer of the spine and abdomen, which resulted in the amputation of both of his legs.
Josh has been committed to working hard and has overcome many obstacles. Because of this, he beat the world record in the wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon by two seconds. He finished an astounding 3.14 minutes ahead of the second place contestant. Josh has firmly established himself as the frontrunner for the London Summer Olympic Games.
Josh is a shining example of what hard work can do if one puts one's mind to it. I congratulate him and wish him all the best in his future races. Constituents in Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound and indeed all Canadians are proud of Josh's accomplishments.
Firearms Registry April 3rd, 2012
Mr. Speaker, last night an unelected and unaccountable Liberal senator continued the opposition's misinformation campaign on our government's efforts in the wasteful and ineffective long gun registry. A misleading collection of pictures of firearms was sent around that included prohibited firearms. Liberals know it is misleading because they created the firearms classification system themselves. This is part of a clear pattern of opposition parties trying to mislead Canadians on this issue.
The MP for Papineau did the same with deceitful tweets, and the NDP put up false billboards in major cities last year. The opposition needs to stop playing dirty tricks and start working for everyday Canadians. Firearms are part of the way of life of rural Canadians, hunters and farmers. Canadians gave our government a strong mandate to end this wasteful and ineffective long gun registry once and for all, and that will happen very soon.
Rather than engaging in fearmongering, I call on the Liberals to stop treating law-abiding hunters, farmers and sharp shooters like common criminals.
Petitions March 29th, 2012
Madam Speaker, I have the pleasure today to table in the House a petition from 50 of my constituents.
According to Canada's 400-year old definition of a “human being”, a child does not become a human being until the moment of complete birth. The petitioners call upon the House of Commons and Parliament to assemble to confirm that every being is recognized as “human” under Canadian law by amending section 223 of the Criminal Code.
Committees of the House March 13th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.
I am very pleased to report that the committee has considered the votes of the main estimates 2012-13 under agriculture and agri-food and reports the same.
New Democratic Party of Canada March 9th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, yesterday it came to light that an NDP backroom operative was accessing the divorce records of the Minister of Public Safety, an operative working on the leadership campaign for the member for Ottawa Centre, no less.
When this came to light, the member for Winnipeg Centre tried to throw us off the scent of this drive-by smear campaign by trying to throw the premier of Manitoba under the bus. This is very typical of the holier-than-thou member for Winnipeg Centre.
Given all of this, it also comes as no surprise that the member for Timmins—James Bay was filibustering the attempts of the ethics committee to study the use of taxpayer resources to engage in a sleazy Internet smear.
We already know that the leader of the Liberal Party has confessed that the Liberals engaged in dirty tricks using taxpayer resources. What are the NDP members hiding? Canadians have the right to know.
Pink in the Rink February 13th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Owen Sound Attack and the Canadian Cancer Society for teaming up and hosting the inaugural and very successful Pink in the Rink event on Saturday night at the Harry Lumley arena in Owen Sound.
The rink was a sea of pink. Fans were decked out in pink T-shirts and waved pink rally towels. The goal of the event was to raise awareness and money for lifesaving breast cancer research, as well as to support local patients who utilize the programs and services offered by the Canadian Cancer Society.
The hockey game featured the OHL champion Owen Sound Attack against the visiting Peterborough Petes. Real men can wear pink and the home team sported new pink jerseys in honour of loved ones who had lost their courageous battle to breast cancer and in celebration of those who are still with us.
To top off the night, a sold-out crowd of fans saw the Owen Sound Attack soundly beat the Peterborough Petes 12:0 in arguably their best game of the season. What an exciting and memorable evening. Job well done.
Points of Order February 13th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I believe that some members in this House and the media misunderstood the point I was making last week during debate when I argued that the confiscation of firearms was often the first thing that authoritarian governments do.
While calls and emails of support from my constituents and from Canadians across the country indicate that they understood the point I was trying to make, and I do stand by my beliefs, but, because of my respect for the House, I want to reiterate my withdrawal and apology for referencing two individuals in the way I did.
National Sweater Day February 9th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, today is National Sweater Day.
This national campaign, promoted by the World Wildlife Fund and Loblaws, encourages people to lower their thermostats and put on a sweater to stay warm while saving energy and helping our environment.
Individuals, organizations, companies, schools and campuses across Canada are turning down their thermostats and people are wearing sweaters of all types, whether it is that hand-knitted sweater made by grandma that is never worn, that store-bought hoodie that is worn all the time, or a favourite hockey jersey that is only worn on game day.
The goal of this initiative is to raise awareness about the importance of valuing energy in Canada and bringing out the best conservation efforts in all of us.
National Sweater Day is just another great example of how small changes in behaviour both at home and at work can have a positive impact on our planet.
I encourage all Canadians to turn down the heat and wear a warm, cozy sweater today.
I thank my hon. colleagues for participating in this year's event.
Points of Order February 7th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, earlier today in this House I was speaking to Bill C-19 and I referred to and used the name Adolf Hitler. While the references to the gun registry and what this evil guy did to perpetrate his crimes are very clear, it was inappropriate to use his name in the House and I apologize to anybody it may have offended.