House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2011, with 30% of the vote.
Foreign Affairs February 15th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I have always answered my colleague's question clearly. The Tunisian authorities have taken steps. We have encouraged the Tunisian authorities to take steps to allow us to work with them on developing options to freeze the assets of those who are not welcome in Canada.
Foreign Affairs February 14th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we are working with Tunisian government authorities to come up with a solution to freeze the assets of these people. I want to remind the hon. member that the goal is simply to ensure that we can support any initiative the Tunisian government might take.
Foreign Affairs February 14th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, there is a condition that needs to be met, as I have told my colleague many times: the request has to come from the Tunisian government. For example, in the case of Egypt, the request was made to the various countries my colleague mentioned. However, before we can take action, this request has to come from the Tunisian government. We have worked and continue to work closely with government authorities. My colleague, the Minister of Justice, is weighing all the options, and we will pursue this matter with the same intention I have already identified.
Rights & Democracy February 14th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, the law provides for consultations with the leaders of the opposition parties. We complied with the provisions of the law and sent the opposition leaders correspondence informing them that we had decided to appoint these individuals, who have carried out their duties in a professional manner to date. Clearly, the government is going to reappoint them.
Sales Tax Harmonization February 14th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I can simply say loud and clear that I was elected to Quebec's National Assembly. I do not know if he is capable of getting there himself.
Sales Tax Harmonization February 14th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to congratulate the Bloc leader for the show of support he received over the weekend. It is clear that someone is smiling even more than we are on this side of the House, and that someone is Ms. Marois. She is relieved because this means that he will be with us even longer.
As the Minister of Finance said, I will tell my hon. colleague that we are still negotiating with the Government of Quebec and certainly not with the Bloc.
Rights & Democracy February 10th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I would like to once again remind the hon. member that Rights & Democracy is an arm's-length organization that does work all over the world to promote democracy. In fact, I just reminded the hon. member, since he did not do his homework, that Rights & Democracy is currently involved in supporting democracy in Egypt.
Unfortunately, I have to help remind the hon. member to indulge in a little humility.
Rights & Democracy February 10th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I would remind my hon. colleague that Rights & Democracy, of course, is an arm's-length organization. It is a government-funded organization, mandated to promote human rights. If the hon. member had done his homework a bit, he would realize that among the projects that are being supported by Rights & Democracy is a project in Egypt, specifically, to support democracy.
Declaration on Perimeter Security February 9th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages, the declaration issued in Washington by the Prime Minister and the President of the United States, entitled “Beyond the Border: a shared vision for perimeter security and economic competitiveness”.
Afghanistan February 9th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada does indeed have contracts with private firms in Afghanistan. The goal of these private firms is precisely to protect assets and personnel. These firms have signed the Montreux document that outlines standards and best practices.