House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 53% of the vote.
Petitions September 24th, 2003
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition by many concerned Canadians.
The petitioners call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all the necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia activities involving children are outlawed.
Petitions September 19th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition today on behalf of many Canadians. The petitioners recognize that home heating fuels are not a luxury in Canada and are a basic necessity of life. They are calling upon the government to remove the goods and services tax from the sale of home heating fuels.
Agriculture September 17th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, after spending the last 17 days on the road with the cattle liner talking to thousands of farmers across all political stripes, they tell me the time on the clock has run out. The borders must be opened, and opened now.
Canada's farmers are in crisis mode as we speak. Desperate decisions are being made by farmers all across Canada. Farmers say that shooting and burying 800,000 head of cattle is not a solution, it is insanity.
As parliamentarians we must do better. Farmers say that the Minister of Agriculture must get the lead out, stop the politics and start the border. The border was not closed by one sick cow. The border is closed by sick politics. It is time to make farmers a priority in Canada. A country that loses its farming production loses its sovereignty.
Housing June 6th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, $1 billion has been spent over three years and homeless numbers are up. The minister responsible for homelessness hates private landlords, mumbles misinformation and myths, while the minister responsible for CMHC ignores singles altogether.
CMHC states that the census information is missing on singles' housing needs but government spends billions to wine and dine in luxury hotels. A government ignorant of independent living singles' housing needs leaves 15,000 singles languishing in emergency shelters. Does the government not care for Canada's singles?
Homelessness May 16th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, in Edmonton a subway station was opened because of emergency shelter shortage. Two street people died. Toronto homeless deaths are up four times.
This week, homeless dollars were spent on a conference for 300 people at a luxury hotel in Saskatoon while the homeless on the riverbank looked on in envy. As homeless numbers and deaths grow, conference goers wine and dine on homeless dollars, and homeless issues are not even on the agenda.
Why are luxury hotel conferences more important than basic emergency shelters? What is the minister's priority?
Homelessness May 15th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, the minister of homeless outrageously claimed in committee great success in helping Canada's homeless over the past three years by spending $753 million.
Edmonton's emergency shelters have been overfilled for five years. After three years and $20 million, only 12 new permanent emergency shelter beds were added. This winter the homeless were forced to sleep on the cold floor of a subway station because of the lack of basic emergency shelter space. Two unlucky homeless persons died.
A memorial vigil was held in Toronto for 300 homeless persons who have died. Prior to the minister's help, 9 persons per year died on the streets of Toronto. Now, with the minister's help 34 persons per year have died on the streets of Toronto. The minister unconscionably brags about achievement while more homeless perish on the streets from her neglect.
The minister of the homeless file is a monumental failure.
Ride for Sight May 2nd, 2003
Mr. Speaker, this year is the 25th anniversary of a great organization formed to help the visually impaired; 25 years of caring for the sightless, 25 years of community volunteering, 25 years of motorcyclists all across Canada riding to fight blindness.
The longest running motorcycle charity ride in the world this year celebrates raising over $11 million for vision research.
Congratulations to the executive, the coordinators, committee persons, and of course the legions of riders and volunteers.
I encourage people to join with rider Gilles Cronier from Scarborough, volunteer Sue Ross from Whitby and thousands of others as they meet at the Great Northern Exhibition Fairgrounds in Collingwood. Do not miss the 2003 Ride For Sight in its 25th anniversary celebration ride June 20 to 22 in Collingwood, Ontario.
I encourage everyone to support the Ride for Sight all across Canada. We can help too.
Housing April 11th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, $753 million has been spent over three years to help the homeless. The homeless counts are up 60% and no homes have been built. The member for Mississauga West has specifically stated in the House that he does not support homes for single persons. Yet the Prime Minister appoints him for CMHC's housing.
Several homeless singles have died this past winter--and the Liberals applaud--on Canada's streets for want of a clean, warm, and affordable room. How many more homeless singles will die next winter waiting for a government and a minister of housing who cares about housing?
Homeless April 8th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, a cold chill exists on Parliament Hill, a cold chill from the office of the minister of the homeless.
Four years ago homeless counts in Edmonton showed emergency shelters as full and overflowing. Four years and $20 million of federal homeless funding later, exactly 12 shelter beds were added, even though the homeless counts were up 60%.
Homeless emergency shelter planning was so abysmal that they did not provide the most basic of human needs, a few square feet of warm shelter floor space to sleep on. Two people died on the streets of Edmonton this winter. Seven hundred and fifty-three million dollars has been spent nationally but the homeless still die on Canada's streets because of a lack of permanent basic shelter space.
Shame on a minister who has failed so miserably. Shame on a Liberal government that obviously does not care. The true cold chill on Parliament Hill is in the hearts of those in the Liberal government.
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (cruelty to animals and firearms) and the Firearms Act April 7th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague previously mentioned the point that a person might receive two years in jail for simply not reporting a change of address. Further in his speech my hon. colleague talked about other guns, such as air guns and pellet guns. He suggested there are one million pellet gun owners in Canada. I am one of them and perhaps many here in the House own a pellet gun.
The problem with the pellet guns is they are not all marked as far as the velocity goes. How many of those one million people would actually know that they are to register something as seemingly innocuous as a pellet gun? In reality what perhaps would be a larger more serious threat would be a flare gun and there is no call for registering flare guns at all. As well there is no call to register many other items. However pellet guns are to be under Bill C-10 and perhaps would bring one million Canadians, for the first time in their lives, under the peril of breaking a law that they would be doing quite innocently.
The question I would like to ask my hon. colleague is about pellet guns and of course I mentioned flare guns. Perhaps he could expand on more problems with this and tell us all about some of the other problems he envisions with this bill so we could all be informed.