Paul Dewar

[Vietnamese Cultural Day, May 2nd, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, as part of Asian Heritage Month, Ottawa will celebrate “Vietnamese Cultural Day” on Saturday. This year's celebration will include the launch of a book on Project 4000 titled, Gift of Freedom: How Ottawa Welcomed the Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian Refugees.

In the spring of 1979, citizens led by the mayor of Ottawa, Marion Dewar, opened their doors to refugees fleeing persecution and chaos in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Project 4000 was launched. The faith community, businesses and neighbours came together to resettle thousands of newcomers.

Gift of Freedom is a must read for those who take pride in the spirit of our community. It tells the stories of a vibrant community and its members who arrived in Ottawa as refugees and soon became fully participating members of Canadian society.

I congratulate Ottawa's Vietnamese community, those who assisted in editing and producing this book and everyone who contributed to Project 4000. I wish them all the best in building the Vietnamese Boat People Museum in Ottawa.

[Foreign Affairs, April 30th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Abdelrazik took refuge at the embassy because Sudan is not safe. Two governments and four foreign affairs ministers have refused to bring him back to Canada. Mr. Abdelrazik has rights. It is not fair to him or to his family. This is not reassuring to Canadians in light of what happened with the Arar case.

When will Mr. Abdelrazik return to Canada?

[Foreign Affairs, April 30th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, Sudanese authorities intended to release Canadian citizen Abousfian Abdelrazik as early as 2003, but kept him at the request of the Canadian government. This is a breach of Mr. Abdelrazik's rights.

If the government has any reason to detain him, it must do so legally in Canada, not through an extraordinary rendition in a foreign country. As a Canadian citizen, he is entitled to return to Canada and to due process. When will Mr. Abdelrazik be back in Canada?

[Petitions, April 18th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, finally, I have a petition from citizens who want to see the government protect the Nahanni National Park and the entire south Nahanni watershed. The petition is signed by people from Ottawa as well as people from outside the Ottawa region.

[Petitions, April 18th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I have another petition from citizens who want the federal government to restore support to and stop the funding cuts to the operating budget of the Status of Women of Canada.

[Petitions, April 18th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present today.

The first petition is signed by hundreds of citizens who ask the government to do the right thing and to locate the national portrait gallery in the appropriate place, and that is here in the national capital region. They note that other nations have their national portrait gallery in their capital cities. They also note that keeping the portrait gallery in Ottawa would save the federal government $2.5 million a year.

[Special Events, April 18th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to support the Friends of Ethiopia and join in its celebration of the Ethiopian millennium.

To mark this historic event, Friends of Ethiopia is sending some of the basic tools for self-sufficiency and independence to Ethiopia.

I attended the launch of its first event when it approached the City of Ottawa to donate an ambulance. Soon the ambulance will be sent to Ethiopia.

I congratulate Friends of Ethiopia and its founder, Samuel Getachew. I wish the Friends of Ethiopia every success.

I wish to pay tribute as well to the Public Service Commission which is celebrating its first centenary this year. On behalf of my hon. colleagues, I extend best wishes to all of its employees who continue to help the Public Service Commission do its important work on behalf of Canadians.

I encourage everyone to visit the Library and Archives of Canada from April 29 to May 2, when the library will be hosting a special historical exhibit that highlights the Public Service Commission's achievements during the past 100 years.

[Criminal Code, April 18th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member from the Bloc for his intervention.

The concerns that we have had on this side have been about due process. We have heard from the government and others regarding due process, suggesting that all is well and that the Conservatives have the right balance somehow. They have taken a piece of legislation, which they believe was riddled with problems, but nonetheless, enough was done to repair the concerns.

I am particularly concerned about due process, the provision of evidence and what happens when someone does give a statement and what happens to that.

I would like the hon. member's take on the concerns he might have as a member of Parliament, as a legislator. Does he believe that the balance is right? We have certainly heard from his speech the concerns he has, but could he elaborate on that, particularly concerning evidence and due process?

[Points of Order, April 15th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During the response to a question from the member for Ottawa South, the environment minister suggested that the member for Ottawa Centre was not aware of what was going on because perhaps he was wearing his tinfoil hat a little too tight.

I just want the Minister of the Environment to clarify which member he was referring to and to assure him that the only hats I have in my cupboard are ones for the Ottawa Senators.

[Afghanistan, April 15th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was forced to repudiate his Minister of Foreign Affairs's suggestion yesterday that the governor of Kandahar should be replaced. This has actually squeezed President Karzai by making the actual replacement of Asadullah Khalid practically impossible.

Quite frankly, the foreign affairs minister is becoming an embarrassment to all Canadians.

Does the Prime Minister not realize that putting a flat tax poster boy in charge of Canada's affairs abroad was a very bad idea? Does he not realize that the conduct of our Minister of Foreign Affairs has to be more than just a photo op?