Leon Benoit

[Business of Supply, October 9th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I just want to follow up on a question asked by my colleague opposite. In his answer, the member said that the leader had said that he was open to a west-to-east pipeline. Is the leader open to any east-to-west pipeline?

[Petitions, October 8th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as we approach the International Day of the Girl, the petitioners remind Parliament that 92% of Canadians support ending sex-selection pregnancy termination.

The petitioners call on Parliament to condemn discrimination against girls occurring through gender-selective pregnancy termination.

[Petitions, October 8th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present two petitions today.

In the first petition, the petitioners call on Parliament to recognize August 9 as national bison day. They do this because bison have played an important part in Canadian history and they still play an important role in Canadian agriculture.

[Military Contribution Against ISIL, October 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I was somewhat shocked by the member saying military action is needed but Canada should not be part of that. It is letting someone else do the dirty work. That really does bother me.

I heard throughout these presentations members of the opposition parties saying what we really should be doing is providing humanitarian aid to people in the refugee camps, in Iraq and that type of thing. I agree with that, but that is not the most important thing. The member for South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, the member for Mississauga—Streetsville and I went to Iraq about a month ago. We visited three of the camps near Erbil and Mosul. What we were told was very clear. They want to take their children and go home. The only way they can take their children and go home is if there is military action to stabilize their home territory so that they can do that. Therefore, if we care about the children and care about doing what is best for the people in these camps, what we need to do is to get involved in military action so they can go home.

[Petitions, October 6th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, in the second petition, the petitioners note that over 92% of Canadians believe that sex selective pregnancy termination is wrong. The petitioners call on Parliament to condemn discrimination against females through gender selection pregnancy termination.

[Petitions, October 6th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to present two petitions on behalf of constituents.

In the first, the petitioners are calling for tougher penalties for those who drive impaired. The petitioners are calling for a mandatory, minimum sentence for persons convicted of impaired driving causing death, as well as redefining impaired driving causing death as vehicular manslaughter.

[Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act, October 1st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, in this debate on time allocation, it is interesting to listen to the Liberal members opposite complain about our government's use of time allocation.

I was here from 1993 for 13 miserable years of Liberal governments, and the Liberals used time allocation all the time. They did not complain when it was them.

Then when we listen to the NDP, we see that the reason we have to use time allocation is that members opposite repeat the same message again and again. A certain amount of repetition is reasonable, but they say the same thing over and over again. They are being mischievous. The reality is that they understand the need for us to use time allocation, because, quite frankly, they are not being responsible with all the time that is made available, which is hours in the House and hours at committee. They must start to be more responsible.

[Petitions, October 1st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is on prostitution.

The petitioners request that the House of Commons makes it a criminal offence to purchase sex from a man, woman or child, and a criminal offence for pimps, madams or others to profit from the proceeds of sex.

[Petitions, October 1st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions that I will present quickly.

The first is on a national bison day. The petitioners note that the bison is the largest mammal in North America. It has religious significance to first nations and it has agricultural significance.

The petitioners therefore call on Parliament to name August 9, 2015, as the first national bison day.

[Canada-Korea Economic Growth and Prosperity Act, September 24th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I must say it is a refreshing change for members of the New Democratic Party to support a trade deal. This is the first time in all the years I have been here, in fact, that the New Democrats have supported any of the trade deals that have been signed.

However, richer than that was the former speaker, the member of the Liberal Party, who stood up and had the gall to ask why this deal was not done sooner. Her party was 13 years in government, and what trade deals did it sign? I think it was three, with Costa Rica and Panama. The Liberals just did not do the job. That is clear.

She had the gall to do that, and it surprised me. At least this member is finally changing her ways, and I want to commend her for doing that.

I would ask this question: why have the New Democrats finally seen the light on trade? Why do they finally see it as something that is important to the Canadian economy and to jobs?