Marc Garneau

[Redpath Museum, March 15th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 130th anniversary of the Redpath Museum at McGill University in Montreal.

The Redpath Museum opened in 1882 and was the first museum dedicated to the study of the diversity of our biological, geological, and cultural heritage. The faculty, staff and students of the Redpath Museum are active in scientific research, the study of collections and education at all levels.

To mark the museum's 130th year, the students of the Redpath Museum Club have published a book entitled Beyond the Roddick Gates celebrating the history of the museum.

The Redpath Museum is an important public resource that welcomes tens of thousands of visitors every year, who come to see its exhibits, attend conferences and take part in its bilingual public programming. As set out in its original charter in 1882, the museum is free for the general public.

I wish the Redpath Museum a happy birthday.

[National Defence, March 14th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, for 18 months now, the Liberals have been telling the Minister of National Defence that there must be a tendering process to replace the CF-18. But the minister insists that the F-35 is the only aircraft capable of doing the job. We are talking about tens of billions of dollars here.

The minister likes to spring to his feet 10 seconds before the end of the question in order to give the impression that he knows his files. I am asking him to spring to his feet today and tell us that the F-35 is the only aircraft capable of replacing the CF-18.

[Protecting Air Service Act, March 13th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I have a very simple question for the minister. Does this government think that air transportation for passengers is an essential service? The way it has handled this file over the past year seems to indicate that it considers it to be an essential service, but it will not go so far as to say so. Is it an essential service or not?

[Canadian Heritage, March 13th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, sweeping changes have been made at Library and Archives Canada in an effort to make its preservation criteria more rigid.

As we know, its mandate is to facilitate co-operation among the communities involved in the acquisition, preservation and diffusion of knowledge.

In light of the priority given to certain documents lately, can the minister assure us that documents and works that have marked our history will not suffer the same fate as the Alfred Pellan paintings?

[Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act, March 12th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. minister gave the impression that when the Liberals had a majority back in the early 2000s, we were also big users of time allocation. Just to get the statistics right, over a four-year period dealing with some 153 bills, we invoked time allocation about 10 times. The Conservative government has been in power as a majority for about 10 months and I believe this is going to be the 18th time that it has invoked time allocation.

Furthermore, if we look at when time allocation is moved, we would probably find that the Conservatives invoke time allocation after half as many hours as we would do when we were a majority government back in the early 2000s. They are not only doing it more often, but they are also in a big hurry to do it.

Why does the government have an obsession with ramming everything through without proper debate?

[Air Service Operations Legislation, March 12th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Acadie—Bathurst for his speech.

The Minister of Labour said that she was reluctant to intervene. I think that she was actually in a hurry to intervene, citing a very fragile economy. She first talked to the Canadian Industrial Relations Board about health and safety issues. That is ridiculous, because those issues are not even part of this dispute.

I have two questions for the member from Acadie—Bathurst. First, the minister said that job action would have a devastating effect on the economy, but provided no numbers or evidence to support that claim. Second, does the member think that the minister is sending us an implied message that the air transportation sector is an essential service?

[Safe Streets and Communities Act, March 7th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice and people on that side of the House like to talk a lot about victims. In fact, they like to portray themselves as the only ones who do actually care about victims. We on this side of the House also actually care about victims.

Members of the government made a big deal of the fact that they created an ombudsman for victims. Would the minister very briefly tell us what recommendations from the ombudsman for victims they have implemented to show that they really do care about victims.

[41st General Election, March 6th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, it bears repeating. There is no actual evidence of any expenses of RackNine in the Conservative campaign in Guelph.

The deputy program manager for that campaign, Mr. Andrew Prescott, says the reason is because it is covered in part of the $1,100 in personal billing expenses that he sent out.

We know that this is against the Canada Elections Act. Why does the government not save us time and shed some light on exactly what happened in Guelph.

[41st General Election, March 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, we all agree that the robocall scandal undermines the very foundations of democracy.

The body that regulates automated telephone calls is the CRTC, and it has the necessary authority to conduct a quick and effective investigation.

We know that the government wants to co-operate with Elections Canada in its investigation.

Will the government ask the CRTC to intervene?

[National Defence, March 2nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Defence. What will it be? Will he tell the brave men and women of the Canadian air force that they are going to get less than the 65 jet fighters that he promised them, or is he going to tell the brave men and women of our country, known as the Canadian taxpayers, that he is going to spend way more than the $9 billion that he promised them this project would cost?