Paul Calandra

[Restoring Rail Service Legislation, May 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, CP Rail, the company whose trains carry over $500 million for the Canadian economy, has been on strike for almost a week. The trains have stopped, products are sitting on cars and Canadian jobs are at risk. Our government is acting to protect these jobs and the Canadian economy.

The House of Commons sat late last night to pass this critical legislation, but now the leader of the Liberal Party is threatening to delay the bill at the next stage. The other place has a long tradition of dealing with urgent legislation in one day.

The member for Wascana has once again turned his back on the western Canadian farmer, and now the Liberals will have to explain to Canadians the loss of over $75 million a day to the Canadian economy. If they choose to delay, will the Liberals pay back this $75 million, and if they will, will they also finally pay back the $40 million that they stole from Canadians?

[Government Priorities, May 18th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that this is another member who wants to talk about anything but what Canadians actually want to talk about.

What Canadians want to talk about is the jobs we have been creating through the economic action plan. They want to talk about the Minister of National Defence, who ended the decade of darkness. They want to talk about the Minister of Justice, who restored balance to our justice system, allowing the Minister of Public Safety to close prisons. They want to talk about the member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, who has brought in new legislation to protect our water resources. They want to talk about the member for Kildonan—St. Paul who continues to promote legislation to—

[Arts and Culture, May 18th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House a number of times, this government has actually invested more in arts and culture than any government has in the history of this country, and that includes our national museums. When we took over government, our national museums were starved for funding and resources. We actually reversed that trend.

On the exhibit that the member talks about, I am the father of two young girls and I will not be visiting it. It is up to parents to make that decision on their own. Originally the exhibit was meant for children 12 years and up. I was very pleased, as was the minister, that it was changed to 16.

We know Canadian parents can make their own choices. That is why we brought in choice for child care on this side of the House. The NDP voted against it. We will continue to focus on the priorities of Canadians.

[Arts and Culture, May 18th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the minister was invited to the Museum of Science and Technology by the president of the museum. He was asked for his personal opinion on the exhibit and he gave his personal opinion on the exhibit.

We, of course, value the independence of our national museums. We leave the decisions on their displays up to the museums and the board of directors. We expect that they will be reviewing it and we will see what happens with that display in the near future.

On this side of the House, when we are asked our personal opinion, we do not actually call our big union bosses and ask them what it should be. We actually speak for ourselves.

[Business of Supply, May 16th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I just want to confirm that the member is talking about the United States, which has a $3 trillion debt and a $1 trillion deficit. Is that the plan she is asking that we follow? I did not hear her, so could she just clarify if that is the plan she would ask us to follow?

[Business of Supply, May 16th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am quite glad the hon. member had an opportunity to speak, because she helps reinforce for Canadians just why the Liberals are in such a small position in the House of Commons now.

The real reason is that the Liberals always talk a great game but never actually accomplish anything. They actually admitted that they never had a plan to implement Kyoto. They admitted that they did not get the job done.

On this side of the House, on a chemical management plan, we did it; the Great Lakes cleanup, we did it; on Copenhagen, we are doing it; the acid rain treaty, we did it; the Lake Simcoe cleanup fund, we did it; $1 billion to secure our national heritage across this country, we did it; the expansion of our national parks, we did it.

On every single issue when it comes to actually taking care of the environment, there is a big difference between this side and the Liberals. We say what we are going to do and we do it. The Liberals say what they want to do because they think it will gain some votes, and then they never actually accomplish it.

Is the member not embarrassed to stand in the House today and pretend that she and her party have ever cared about the environment?

[Motions for Papers, May 16th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers be allowed to stand.

[Questions on the Order Paper, May 16th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

[Copyright Modernization Act, May 14th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I will ask another question of member of the opposition. At some point in time those members do not feel it is necessary to talk about the truth when it comes to this bill or other bills before the House. They talk about limiting debate, but the reality is the NDP have recycled the same speeches among the same members of their caucus over and over on this legislation. The same members have spoken, sometimes two, three or four times on this.

I have two questions. Why do the NDP members talk down our artists, just like they talk down our natural resources, our Canadian armed forces and our economy? Why will they not for once put the interests of the Canadian economy ahead of their interest to try to make it on this side of the House? Canadians will never let them be on this side of the House. That I can guarantee.

[Copyright Modernization Act, May 14th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, just in that last question we heard everything that is wrong with respect to the opposition. Its members are so concerned with trying to get over onto this side of the House that they will say anything and do anything. It does not matter how wrong they are or how far from the truth it is, they will say it. They will stoop to any level in order to get over here. That is the problem with the change of leadership that party has had. It has gone from a principled party to one that cares about nothing and will stand for nothing.

One of the members said that we were creating new prisons, which is not true. We are rebalancing the criminal justice system, which I know they are against.

Why is the hon. member so concerned about Canadian artists that she does not believe that they can compete with anybody around the world, when four of the top five artists on Billboard in December were Canadian artists, when some of the highest grossing movie producers are Canadians and when some of the best films in the world are Canadian?

What is it about our artists that the opposition members are so concerned about that they do not think that they can compete with anybody around the world and—