Lee Richardson

[Committees of the House, May 27th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on International Trade on Bill C-24, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Republic of Peru, the Agreement on the Environment between Canada and the Republic of Peru and the Agreement on Labour Cooperation between Canada and the Republic of Peru, with amendment.

[Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, May 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I enjoyed the member's speech. I thought it was very measured and I appreciate the comments of the hon. member who is the critic for trade matters in his party. I want some clarification on two things he mentioned.

First, he suggested that the committee might visit Colombia as a further discussion on the free trade agreement. I think the member is familiar with the fact that the committee did visit Colombia about six months ago and tabled a report following that.

He also talked about the report that was tabled and wondered why there was not a follow-up in the House and why the government minister was not asked to respond to that report. I want to note that at the time of the tabling of that report, each party that was a signatory to that report filed a dissenting report, which is why it was not responded to at the time. It was not retabled in the House in this session.

[Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, April 20th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, I welcome the comments of my hon. colleague who is a colleague on the international trade committee and has some expertise in these matters.

I would like the member's thoughts on the adjacent and attendant agreements, along with the free trade agreement. I think that, like me, he would have received a letter from the ambassador of Peru complimenting our governments on this. He said:

The agreement will also have a positive impact in other areas beyond the economic dimension. It will help us fight against poverty by creating new employments and fostering the development of local communities. By the same token, it will contribute to affirm the rules on corporate social responsibility and the protection of the environment, which are issues that very much concern Canada's public opinion.

I would like the hon. member to comment on that because these are two areas on which he has often expressed his own views.

[Truth in Sentencing Act, April 20th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I do welcome the bill, the wide range of support the minister has just commented on, and also the support from members opposite.

I am particularly pleased with the consultation the minister and his department have had with our attorneys general across the country and with police forces. I know this is very well received in my constituency and in the west. The bill addresses the need for more truth in sentencing. It is only common sense that those who commit crime should serve the sentences they are given.

I was disturbed with news over the weekend of an editorial supporting Bill C-25, published in the Windsor Star, which referenced a case where Tammie Steinhoff, a disturbed and brutal incident, stabbed and killed her own toddler son. She was sentenced to nine years, but because of the current system, she will only serve five years and ten months.

Some critics will argue that the bill is against the charter of rights and that it is cruel and unusual punishment. I think Canadians accept and want this change. I would like to ask the minister to comment on those critics who suggest that the legislation might not be compliant with the charter.

[Business of Supply, March 31st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciated the hon. member's comments but we just simply cannot make a financial argument in this case. It is quite clear, from the estimates and from the CBC's appropriations that funding has gone up. It has gone up since the last Liberal government. It was $997 million and went to $1.043 billion last year, and $1.115 billion this year.

However, the point I want to make quickly was that the revenues of all of the stations, as the member for Dufferin—Caledon has said, and all the networks are suffering from economic difficulty because of reduced ad revenues particularly. The member simply missed the point here financially. If ad revenues have gone down for everybody, the CBC's ad revenue is a very small part of its budget--

[Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, March 13th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, first I want to congratulate the member for Mississauga—Brampton South on his comments today, but more so on his efforts as a critic in the past Parliament who really brought this bill to where it is today. I think it was an example of cooperation. We heard diverse views throughout. We heard witnesses extensively on these matters and came to what I think is a very good bill.

More than that, I think it is the start of an ongoing process. The way we proceeded with this reflects on the future. I would like the member comment on that, if he would, about how this begins a process and how it carries on. As he just stated, we are at a time in the world when we do not want to proceed down the old path of protectionism. It is very important to increase relations with countries around the world, to open up markets for Canadian products and open up opportunities for Canadian business around the world.

I know how knowledgeable the member is on these matters, so I would ask that he comment again on that point, and also on this particular bill and how it is an entry market to open a bigger market in Europe.

[Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, March 13th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted Bill C-2 has come to third reading because it is part of a broader plan. I wish the minister had more time in his address to speak to the bigger picture, the broader plan of global trading patterns and where we are in Canada's initiatives, being at the forefront of the new trend of freer trade around the world, particularly in this difficult economic time.

When President Obama visited Canada, there was some concern about protectionism. I think the dangers of protectionism became clear to most Canadians, particularly in a tough economic time.

Would the minister comment on the bigger picture? We have debated, at length, Bill C-2, and most of the House has agreed that this is a favourable and positive approach. However, I would like the minister to comment on the bigger picture of free trade and Canada's plans for the future.

[Petitions, March 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to present a petition of behalf of Canadian Grandmothers for Africa, a national advocacy network that has gathered thousands of signatures across the country in support of Canada's continuing efforts in foreign aid, particularly development assistance, our battle with global funding for TB and malaria particularly.

The petition contains thousands of signatures, mostly from western Canada on behalf of Grandmothers for Africa.

[Committees of the House, March 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on International Trade on Bill C-2, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the States of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland), the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Republic of Iceland, the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Kingdom of Norway and the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Swiss Confederation.

[Tackling Violent Crime, February 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to talk about violent crime in Calgary.

While crime is growing in our city, we are fortunate to have the leadership of police chief, Rick Hansen, Alberta justice minister, Allison Redford, and our federal government working together in a positive, coordinated way to combat this scourge.

Last spring, Parliament passed Bill C-2, the Tackling Violent Crime Act. Among other things, this legislation implemented new bail provisions that will keep those accused of serious gun crimes off the streets while awaiting trial.

This government is continuing to move forward on its anti-crime agenda. Earlier today, the Minister of Justice introduced Bill C-14, the next step in our anti-crime agenda.

The new law will target gang violence and organized crime, including gang murders, drive-by shootings and additional protection for police and peace officers.

Calgarians want action on crime now and that is what we intend to deliver.