Maurice Vellacott

[Budget Implementation Act, 2009, February 9th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague made some comments slagging the Conservative Party in respect to a sensible proposal put forward by the member for Yorkton—Melville with respect to scrapping the wasteful gun registry. It has been proven wasteful time and again in polls.

When she slagged the member about scrapping the gun registry was she stating categorically that none of her members would support that bill? I would dare say that some sensible members in the New Democratic Party, hopefully in the Liberal Party as well, and a vast number in the Conservative Party, will support that bill. Is she saying that members of her own party are not supportive of scrapping the gun registry?

First nations in her riding are negatively and adversely affected by the gun registry. Is she saying that she will not stand up with them and scrap the gun registry?

I would like to hear if that was a categorical statement or just her own personal views. Does she represent all NDP members in respect of that?

[Situation in Sri Lanka, February 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the minister has been very clear on the record this evening, as have other speeches been that were given, indicating very clearly, and from my personal conversations I would know that they are carrying on those discussions, that our foreign affairs minister and our parliamentary secretary want to keep all those channels open with both parties in order to be most helpful and constructive in this particular serious stage of things. It is rather crucial that they be talking to all the players over there and be engaging with them, particularly in this terrible conflict that has gone on far too long.

[Situation in Sri Lanka, February 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I am probably starting at the last and working my way up in response to the good questions that the hon. member has put forward, but I do know that the minister and the parliamentary secretary have listened to and heard differing submissions over the course of the last several years, but in particular over the last number of weeks. We have had contacts probably from members across the way, possibly the member herself as well, and I am sure that those conversations will continue on. That input will be more than welcome as it comes to the diaspora in our own country here, as that is fed through members of Parliament back to the foreign affairs minister and the department.

I do know and the minister is on the record this evening already as having stated that at the very highest of levels, through our high commissioner there, especially in these last number of days, our government, as I understand it, is more than ready to continue that process of engagement and doing what we can to offer our assistance and the unique perspective we bring. I believe that those high level discussions at all levels, through the international forums as well, will take place in the days ahead, hopefully to get the kind of result that members on all sides of the House and all parties desire for that very tragic situation in Sri Lanka.

[Situation in Sri Lanka, February 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the very important debate that we are engaged in this evening is more than just a remote situation for many of us around this House because we have friends, people that we know well, individuals that we have come to appreciate over the course of the last number of years in the Tamil community and the Sinhalese community as well.

One of my good friends, an individual in the community of Ottawa, has a Tamil father and a Sinhalese mother. He is an individual I have come to appreciate. He has related to me some of the turmoil and some of the difficulties in that situation in Sri Lanka, and so one's heart goes out to that. I think in some sense that matrimonial situation, a Tamil father and a Sinhalese mother, is almost a microcosm of what we would hope to have for that country in terms of bringing together people and groups of people with different backgrounds.

Canada has clearly stated its view. The minister is on the record tonight stating his view on the way forward with respect to peace in Sri Lanka. We believe that conflict will not be ended on the battlefield but through political accommodation.

This government has repeatedly called on the government of Sri Lanka to show leadership, to create those necessary conditions for peace, and to move forward with the tabling of further details for meaningful power-sharing agreements that will be acceptable to all communities, to all concerned.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs stated, on January 28, “Recent developments underline the urgent need for progress toward a meaningful and durable political solution”.

Given Canada's longstanding experience in dealing with pluralism and federal governance, we believe that Canada is well positioned to assist the people of Sri Lanka to arrive at a political solution when the fighting stops. Canada has that experience across a vast stretch of country and our federal system, with provinces, with a certain degree of autonomy. Pluralism is one of Canada's foundational values. It is based on the recognition that our diversity is actually a source of strength and that every individual and community has an equal voice, and can and should use that voice to participate as a full member of society.

Our Prime Minister has noted that throughout our history the accommodation of minorities, be they regional, ethnic, linguistic and religious, has been in fact very critical to Canada's overall health as a country.

Our government considers diversity to be actually one of Canada's greatest strengths. It is our gift to the world, in some sense. We can share that example, that model that we have here can be followed elsewhere in the world. Playing an active role in a political settlement would indeed build on past Canadian initiatives in Sri Lanka.

Indeed, the hon. member for Toronto Centre, in his past work as the chairman of the forum of federations, when he was out of politics for a while, was a key part of Canada's contribution to facilitating power-sharing discussions between the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE in 2002 and 2003.

More recently, in March 2008, some here might be aware, Canada organized a regional conference in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, on pluralism in south Asia with a specific focus on minority integration and participation in government and civil society, and that event included participation from the government of Sri Lanka.

So, it is very clear, I think people from all sides of the House would agree, that the only path to a durable and a peaceful solution in Sri Lanka is a political settlement that respects the equality of all Sri Lankans and is acceptable to all communities.

So Canada stands ready to assist, ready to help in any way it can, the parties to arrive at that kind of a solution and to turn the page on this very tragic chapter in Sri Lankan history.

[Economic and Fiscal Statement, December 2nd, 2008]

He was from my riding.

[Petitions, June 19th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the petition that I have in hand here reminds us that since 2003 over 400,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced in the horrific conflict taking place in Sudan.

This petition also stresses Canada's responsibility as a prosperous and internationally engaged country to play a leading role to save the people of Darfur from ongoing death and displacement. The appeal of these petitioners to the Government of Canada, then, is to engage with the international community in whatever way is necessary to end these ongoing atrocities.

[Taxation, May 29th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal leader has some explaining to do. He has spent the last two years telling Canadians that he opposes a carbon tax, but now the flip-flopping Liberal leader has changed his mind. He has decided to punish hard-working Canadians by imposing a massive gas tax. He wants Canadians to pay even more to drive their cars and heat their homes. This on top of his threat to increase the GST and to eliminate the $1,200 per year child care benefit.

We on this side of the House are not the only ones who cannot believe the Liberal leader wants to do this. His own MPs are worried. They know that higher energy prices will hurt middle and low income Canadians, including seniors on a fixed income.

Under this Conservative government over three-quarters of a million jobs have been created. We have kept our promise and reduced the GST from 7% to 5%. The debt has been paid down and income taxes have been reduced.

This Conservative government is providing strong economic leadership and is standing up for Canadian families.

[Petitions, May 13th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition I would like to table contains 10,859 signatures. It was also organized by the Canadian Alliance for Social Justice and Family Values Association.

The petition opposes Vancouver's so-called safe drug injection site and urges the government not to renew its exemption from prosecution under the Criminal Code. The petition urges the government to formulate and implement a comprehensive policy for the treatment of drug addictions.

We again congratulate the Canadian Alliance for Social Justice and Family Values Association for this very successful campaign in respect to the crucial issue.

[Petitions, May 13th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour today of tabling two petitions. The first petition urges Parliament to resist all attempts to decriminalize or legalize prostitution.

As the petition makes clear, prostitution exploits women and children. The petitioners say that keeping prostitution illegal is in the best interests of vulnerable populations in Canada.

The petition was organized by CASJAFVA, the Canadian Alliance for Social Justice and Family Values Association. It contains 12,376 signatures, almost exclusively from the Lower Mainland of B.C.

We congratulate the Canadian Alliance for Social Justice and Family Values Association for this successful campaign.

[Business of Supply, April 29th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the member, who made a statement in her speech to the effect that the former chief electoral officer, Jean-Pierre Kingsley, was fired. I know she is new around this place, although she has been involved in politics elsewhere in the country for a long time. I will read from the Globe and Mail of February 2008, which stated that Jean-Pierre Kingsley “denied yesterday that his sudden resignation was sparked by political pressure from the Conservative government”.

I want to give the member an opportunity to withdraw what she just said. She is an hon. member and that would be the honourable thing to do. He went on to say, in referring to the allegation she just made:

There's no basis to that at all. I couldn't understand when that came out at all. There were linkages that were being drawn that escaped me entirely.

Mr. Kingsley revealed that he was leaving his job to take a new post heading a major Washington-based organization, IFES, that helps to organize and monitor elections around the world.

I will give the hon. member an opportunity to be honourable by withdrawing her statement, because clearly from the words of Jean-Pierre Kingsley himself he was not fired by this Conservative government but made a choice to move on to other opportunities.