LaVar Payne

[Business of Supply, February 28th, 2012]

Madam Speaker, it is interesting because the Liberal Party brought a similar bill forward previously. I am reading from the Quorum and it talks about the Daily Gleaner. There is a report that says that in December 2010 New Brunswick RCMP began to investigate a case of sharing child pornography and that the suspect had up to 170 Internet addresses. The police went to the provider who refused that information and about 15 days later the police got the warrant. In the meantime, that user quit using that address so the police could not get any information.

I wonder how quickly police could track down these child predators without having an opportunity to go in and get some basic information prior to getting a warrant.

[Business of Supply, February 16th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear my colleague speak to this extremely important issue in terms of first nations peoples, the Government of Canada and the other interested parties, including students, elders and parents.

We have invested approximately $1.5 billion in first nations education and 118,000 students. We reached a tripartite agreement in B.C. on January 27. There are now seven of those tripartite agreements. We also had the joint first nations and Government of Canada conference and the National Panel on First Nation Elementary and Secondary Education. It is extremely important and that report has just been released.

Would the hon. member agree that we need to work in partnership with all the first nations people, our provincial governments, the parents, the elders and the children to ensure that education moves forward?

[Business of Supply, February 16th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to be on the aboriginal affairs committee, working with my colleagues on both sides of the House. In particular, I was honoured to attend the first nations meeting here in Ottawa on January 24 and see where first nations and the Government of Canada are in agreement in working together in partnership. I know that education is a high priority for our government and we have done a number of things.

My question for my colleague, who also sits on the aboriginal affairs committee, is how much money has Canada put into first nations schools?

[Canada-China Relations, February 10th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our government remains focused on jobs and economic growth. Our efforts toward improving international ties are no exception.

The Prime Minister's visit to China this week is just one example of Canada's successful efforts to improve and diversify trade linkages around the world.

Be it in forestry, tourism, education, energy or agriculture, our joint initiatives are rapidly increasing commercial, cultural and scholastic ties between our two countries. Canadian families, business and communities will see the economic benefits of these agreements. Our economic relations with China will benefit Canadian communities, large and small.

As China continues to grow in significance as one of our trading partners, I am sure we will see more and more benefits from our government's efforts to strengthen economic ties in Asia.

[Ending the Long-gun Registry Act, February 7th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, my riding is very expansive. There are rural and urban communities. I have talked to front-line police officers and to constituents right across my riding. Whether rural or urban citizens, there might be the odd one I have talked to who has wanted to keep it, but the vast majority, I would say 99% of them, would like to get rid of the long gun registry. We know this has been a very expensive piece of legislation.

My hon. colleague supports the elimination of the long gun registry. Would he tell us how much it has actually cost Canadian taxpayers? Could those dollars have been of better use for the citizens of Canada?

[Business of Supply, February 2nd, 2012]

Madam Speaker, I listened intently to the comments of my colleague across the way and I heard how wonderful the Liberal Party was in the past and how its members have done wonderful things to ensure the financial stability of the country. We know in fact that they actually cut $25 billion from the provinces which was done directly on the backs of the provinces and citizens, including seniors.

We also heard the member talk about trusting the Prime Minister. My recollection is another issue regarding the Gomery inquiry where funds were missing under one of the Liberal prime ministers.

I also heard the member talk about a companion pension plan. It is my understanding that the provinces do not want any kind of companion pension plan.

Should we not be looking far enough ahead to ensure that all citizens who should be eligible for old age security will get it?

[Annual Business Awards, December 14th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to recognize a number of organizations in my riding that won awards from the Medicine Hat Chamber of Commerce's annual business awards, in conjunction with National Small Business Week.

Many category winners go on and compete at the prestigious Alberta Business Awards of Distinction hosted by the Alberta Chambers of Commerce.

I would like to enumerate a few of the winners today. First, congratulations to Outlaw Collision and Custom Coatings for having won the award of excellence. I also congratulate Premium Sausage for having won small business of the year, and Blue Imp Recreational Products for having won large business of the year.

The Brooks and District Chamber of Commerce also handed out its best in business annual awards. I congratulate Liberty Trucking for having won business of the year award in the category of under 20 employees. I also congratulate Brooks Industrial Metals for having won the business of the year award in the category of over 20 employees.

I am very proud of the entrepreneurial spirit of the businesses in my riding, and wish them all continued success.

[Citizen's Arrest and Self-defence Act, December 1st, 2011]

Madam Speaker, it is really appropriate that I put a question to my colleague. In Taber, in my riding of Medicine Hat, an individual who had intruders on his property, who were proposing to obviously steal property, took some action to prevent that because the police were not readily available.

In these kinds of circumstances, should there be any kind of charges against this individual?

[Petitions, December 1st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to stand and present a petition from people right across Canada calling for the de-funding of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

The petitioners want to ensure that the government is aware that the sum of $1.1 billion given by the Government of Canada to CBC does present an unfair advantage to CBC over its competition in the private sector.

Therefore, these petitioners call upon Parliament to end the public funding of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

[Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers, November 28th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to part of the hon. member's speech and found it very disturbing. In fact, as I recall, he said that no western MPs responded to any phone calls, emails or letters from farmers in their ridings. That is not true at all. I responded to every phone call, email and letter from farmers. There was one fellow who was about 92, another who was 80-some-odd, another in his 70s, and many hundreds of others who supported our position on this.

I would ask the hon. member how many of his farmers actually supported his party's position.