Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 48% of the vote.
Questions on the Order Paper February 25th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
Mr. Speaker, were I to reveal what was in the budget, I would be in a lot of trouble and I cannot do that. What I will say is our government has clearly demonstrated a deep commitment to our veterans and their families.
We promised to not only improve services and benefits for veterans, but to introduce a veterans bill of rights, and we have done that. Funding for veterans programs and services has been increased by over $523 million in our first two budgets, half a billion dollars more than what the Liberals spent in their last budget. The government appointed Canada's first Ombudsman for Veterans.
The Minister of Veterans Affairs has demonstrated great leadership in addressing and responding to issues raised by members of the Canadian Forces, veterans and area residents about the possible health effects of unregistered U.S. military herbicides tested at CFB Gagetown forty years ago.
After an extensive review, our government has announced a one time tax-free payment of $20,000 for eligible recipients connected to the testing of unregistered U.S. military herbicides, including agent orange, at CFB Gagetown in 1966 and 1967. In just over one month we have begun to get the cheques out. We got—
Mr. Speaker, what has been committed is in fact an act of hypocrisy on the part of the Liberal Party. that is not the question we were given.
I will answer the question we were given, which was with regard to the government's record on supporting our veterans, and particularly the announcement of an ex-gratia payment related to agent orange testing at CFB Gagetown in the summers of 1966 and 1967.
Before I do so, I will set the record straight for all members. Agent orange testing was not conducted at CFB Gagetown for 28 years, as the hon. member suggested in the question he really should have asked. It occurred in the summers of 1966 and 1967, for a total of seven days.
He further claims in his question, which he should have asked, that 150,000 veterans were exposed to herbicide testing. It would indeed be interesting to learn how the hon. member came to that conclusion.
However, before we are so informed, let me address the proud record of achievement the government has established in meeting its commitment to our veterans.
In our first two budgets we increased spending in veterans programs and services by over $523 million, or half a billion dollars more than the Liberals spent in their last budget.
We have introduced the veterans bill of rights.
We have introduced the new veterans charter to meet the immediate and long-term needs of soldiers transitioning to civilian life.
We have announced an $18.5 million investment in the veterans job placement program.
We are committed to paying $9 million a year to set up five more operational stress injury clinics.
We have appointed the first veterans ombudsman, Colonel Patrick Stogran, a decorated veteran and head of Canada's first deployment to Afghanistan.
We are committed to paying $1 million a year to support the families of Canadian Forces members and an additional $13.7 million to improve veterans services with respect to the standards set out in the veterans bill of rights.
Those are our commitments and accomplishments.
It is one of accountability to those who have served and those who continue to serve our country today.
Speaking of accountability, we have kept our promise to respond to concerns raised by members of our military, veterans and area residents about the possible health effects of herbicides used at CFB Gagetown.
Unlike previous governments, which sidestepped or ignored this issue for years, I am proud of the remarkable leadership the Minister of Veterans Affairs has demonstrated on this file.
In September, after research led by the Department of National Defence, our government announced a one-time, tax-free ex gratia payment of $20,000 to eligible recipients connected to the testing of unregistered U.S. military herbicides, including agent orange, at CFB Gagetown in 1966 and 1967. We have started delivering on that commitment and cheques are starting to go out. That is five weeks after the announcement.
Eligible recipients could include those who worked or trained at CFB Gagetown or who lived in a community any part of which was within five kilometres of the base when agent orange was tested in 1966 and 1967.
This has been a complex file that has demanded patience, resolve, understanding and commitment. The government has responded with fairness and compassion, with a plan that is principled and transparent and that reflects our open and transparent government.
We are committed to serving and protecting those who served and continue to serve and protect us. That is the right thing to do and our solution for the agent orange file is the right thing to do. As a veteran, I appreciate that.
Canadian Environmental Protection Act February 13th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, I think if you were to seek it you would get unanimous consent to see the clock as 7:10 p.m.
The Constitution Act, 2007 (Democratic Representation) February 13th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, apparently, members of the party opposite do not just have problems writing their own questions for committee, they have problems writing their own speeches.
I was very interested to listen to Dalton McGuinty's speech in the House. It did not sound quite like his voice, but is that the same Dalton McGuinty who denied representation by population to his own province in northern Ontario?
Will my hon. colleague vote to deprive Ontario of 10 more seats, yes or no?
Constitution Act, 2007 (Democratic representation) February 13th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, I thank the government House leader for a great speech and for outlining very clearly the direction we need to go to bring representation by population closer to reality.
I am the member for the riding of Edmonton Centre, which is growing very rapidly and has somewhere between 130,000 and 135,000 constituents now. I can sympathize with folks who have difficulty, who have to work extra hard because of all those people. I would love to have a riding with 30,000 people in it, but that is not the reality.
I wonder if the government House leader could comment on the workload of the average MP with one of those ridings that is growing very rapidly and in fact is overpopulated.
Afghanistan February 8th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, as one of the eminent Canadians of the Manley panel put it:
--our men and women are there willingly, and enthusiastically, and they take pride not only in their military operations, but also in the faces of the young girls—once shrouded—who now proudly sit in school and write their names with pencils provided by our aid dollars.
If the Liberals, Bloc and NDP succeed in their efforts and withdraw from Afghanistan, they will have changed the face of Afghanistan development forever.
It is the faces of the young children learning for the first time. I looked into some of those young faces last Christmas in Afghanistan and we simply cannot do that.
Afghanistan February 8th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, Canada is not in the business of building prisons in Afghanistan or in any other foreign country. We have a very good arrangement with the Afghan government and we are meeting all international obligations. The judge in Vancouver confirmed that and we accept her judgment.
We are going to get on with implementing the policy. That has never changed. The actual implementation will be up to the Canadians on the ground in Afghanistan. They are doing a great job. We respect them. We appreciate their great work and we wish the other parties would do the same.
Afghanistan February 8th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, we will reiterate the answers that we gave before. The judge did make it clear that the government had met all obligations to allow transfers to take place.
The arrangement that we put in place last May is still in place. The policy has not changed. It is still a good policy and it is still a good arrangement.
The decision will still be made on the ground by members of the Canadian Forces and other Canadian officials working in the area. They are the right ones to make it. We trust their judgment. The system is working. Why can they not accept that?
Infrastructure February 7th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Forces have been working with the people of Shannon for years. The people of the community have been using the Valcartier water system for years. We are working with them every day to try to make the situation as good as we can. We will continue to do that.