Mike Lake

[Census, November 26th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member says that it is not about threatening Canadians, but what happens to new Canadians who do not want to tell the government what their religion is? What happens is that an enumerator fills out what is called a total refusal form. At the top of the form it says that the information provided in the following sections may be used to support a legal prosecution. The other line the enumerator fills out asks for a description of the person who refused, for example, age, gender, height, weight, other physical details, such as facial hair, tattoos, glasses, birthmarks, distinctive clothing, et cetera.

I would say that seems a little heavy-handed approach for someone who does not want to tell the government what his or her religion is.

[Census, November 26th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of part of an outcry here, I have a letter written by the Liberal member of Parliament for Richmond Hill in 2006 to the then industry minister where he was hearing an outcry from his constituents. He writes that they are primarily concerned with the great deal of personal information they are required to fill out and therefore potential invasion of privacy. He says, “I share this constituent's concern”.

We will no longer threaten Canadians with jail time and fines because they do not want to tell the government what their religion is.

[Telecommunications, November 26th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, our government has a record of standing up for greater competition. We have removed the restrictions on foreign ownership of Canadian satellites.

There are considerable advantages to foreign investment, including increased competition on the international playing field due to enhanced investment and economies of scale. This will allow firms to access foreign capital and know-how and invest in new and advanced technologies. These measures solidify our commitment to consumers.

[Telecommunications, November 26th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member talks about the spectrum auction. Radio frequency spectrum is critical for growth and innovation in the wireless sector and the economy, as a whole.

The policy of this government has always been clear. We are very much in favour of more competition. That is why we set aside spectrum during the previous auction to allow new entrants to compete. New entrants mean more competition. More competition means lower prices, better quality and more services for Canadians.

[Pensions, November 26th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I think every member of Parliament and senator recognizes and sympathizes with the difficult situation facing Nortel pensioners and long-term disability recipients.

Unfortunately, in the committee studying two private member's bills on these issues, witness after witness has said that neither bill would actually help former employees of Nortel. In fact, many witnesses have pointed out that these bills would lead to more bankruptcies and could have a significant negative impact on the pensions of other Canadians.

[Census, November 24th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, as MPs, we are elected to represent Canadians. The decision we are talking about is whether or not Canadians should be jailed or fined because they do not want to tell the government how many bedrooms they have in their house or what their religion is. We do not believe this should happen in a free and democratic society. Certainly in a free and democratic society, such decisions should be made by the Canadian people through their elected officials.

On this issue, we will make no apology for standing up for the rights and freedoms of Canadians.

[Genome Canada, November 23rd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, this year, one of our country's true success stories celebrates an important milestone.

For 10 years, Genome Canada has invested in large scale projects enabling Canadian scientists to make groundbreaking discoveries.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of representing the Minister of Industry at “Genomics on the Hill”, a one of a kind science fair that gave parliamentarians the opportunity to see first-hand some of the most innovative genomics research projects taking place across this country.

There were 12 research projects highlighted at this event, including the autism genome project, which, of course, is of personal interest to me and my family. World-renowned Canadian researchers, like Dr. Stephen Scherer, are working on decoding the genetic basis of autism and providing critical knowledge, diagnostic tests and eventually treatments assisting tens of thousands of families in Canada and worldwide.

I am proud of Canada's investment of over $915 million in Genome Canada. The return on our investment is not only demonstrable to Canadians, but priceless for countless Canadian families.

[Foreign Takeovers, November 15th, 2010]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, we will be supporting the NDP motion tomorrow.

[Pensions, October 22nd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, it is a complex issue. It is important to this government, and we are carefully studying the issue. There are many bills that have been before this House and the other house that are being considered. The hon. member's office is two floors below mine, and I would welcome her at any time to come up to my office and discuss this issue.

[Pensions, October 22nd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, it is a complex issue. It is of concern to this government. We are carefully studying this issue. We realize that there are several bills, not just one, that address this issue both in this place and the other. As with all pieces of legislation, we will carefully review these bills. We welcome any ideas that members of any party may have to offer.