House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2019, with 34% of the vote.
Questions on the Order Paper January 30th, 2012
With regard to the Department of National Defence, how much did the department spend to conduct the reconnaissance flight to find a suitable landing spot near the Burnt Rattle fishing camp on the Gander River to pick up the Minister of National Defence in July 2010?
Petitions January 30th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I have a petition that is signed by a number of people in Saskatchewan, mostly around the Saskatoon and Wadena areas. These Canadians are concerned about chronic cerebral spinal venous insufficiency. They are worried that patients are sometimes denied proper access to testing and treatment in Canada. They urge the Minister of Health to consult with experts who have actual experience in this particular field and to proceed with phase III clinical trials on an urgent basis with a large patient participation in multiple centres across Canada. They also urge the Minister of Health to require follow-up for the patients with the appropriate kind of examination to track their actual experience.
I am very pleased to present this petition on their behalf.
Questions Passed as Orders for Returns December 14th, 2011
With regard to criminal record checks and vulnerable sector checks performed by the Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for each year between 2006 and 2011 inclusive: (a) how many applications were processed; (b) what was the average and median processing times for all completed checks, for (i) no fingerprint screening, (ii) paper fingerprint screening when there is a match to a fingerprint holding, (iii) electronic fingerprint screening when there is a match to a fingerprint holding, (iv) paper fingerprint screening when there is no match, (v) with electronic fingerprint screening when there is no match; (c) how much funding was allocated by the government for the program; (d) how much funding was collected in user fees; (e) how much funding was used by the program; (f) what are the purposes the clearances are used for; (g) has the government studied the impacts of an increase in the processing time and, if so, what are the results of these studies; (h) what additional information, if any, was required to be collected and analysed compared to the base year of 2006; and (i) which RCMP jurisdictions have digital fingerprint scanners and which do not?
Canadian Wheat Board December 9th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, in a document called “A Guide For Ministers and Ministers of State”, dated 2011 and signed by the Prime Minister, in section F.4. under the heading “Ministers and the law” there is the statement, “All government activity must take place in accordance with the law”.
It is rather surprising that that needs to be written down, but it is good to hear.
A court of competent jurisdiction has ruled that the conduct of the Minister of Agriculture is “an affront to the rule of law”. Therefore, the minister has violated the Canadian Wheat Board Act and he has clearly violated the Prime Minister's guidelines.
What are the consequences for ministers who violate the Prime Minister's guidelines?
Petitions December 7th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I have another petition to present today, signed by people primarily from the Saskatoon area of Saskatchewan, but other places as well.
The petitioners express their concern about the situation of those Canadians who suffer from chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency and multiple sclerosis at the same time.
The petitioners call upon the Minister of Health to consult experts who are thoroughly familiar with the experience of these two diseases. They urge the Minister of Health to proceed urgently with phase III clinical trials and to follow up on the treatment and life experience of these patients so a more thorough history can be accumulated with respect to the kinds of difficulties they suffer.
Search and Rescue December 2nd, 2011
Mr. Speaker, David Orchard would recognize what is going on here, as do the brave men and women of the Canadian Forces, and they have blown the whistle.
Search and rescue equipment was misused. It took not one trip, but a reconnaissance mission too. It cost $32,000 per hour. The chopper could not land. The minister had to be hoisted aboard in a basket, and all the while quick, inexpensive alternatives were available by land and boat.
Before this guise gets any worse, why will the government not simply accept the honesty of Colonel Ploughman and apologize?
Search and Rescue December 2nd, 2011
Mr. Speaker, documentary evidence confirms that the Minister of National Defence is having some trouble with the truth. Military officers say the story about showcasing search and rescue helicopters is “a guise” to hide a minister wrongfully commandeering defence equipment for his own personal use. The definition of “guise” is “pretence, make-believe”, and this one cost tens of thousands of dollars.
When first nations children are living in desperate conditions at Attawapiskat, why does the government defend such waste and dishonesty?
Foreign Affairs November 30th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, prejudicial legal manoeuvring continues in the political persecution against former Ukrainian prime minister Tymoshenko. Now the judge, who was to hear her appeal tomorrow, has just been fired, and her health in jail continues to deteriorate.
Other governments are wading in. What is Canada doing? Is Canada insisting on all legal proceedings being public? Has independent medical help been provided, and has Ukraine been warned that anything untoward happening to Ms. Tymoshenko will damage relations with Canada?
Ukraine November 25th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, as we recall the Holodomor genocide in Ukraine nearly 80 years ago, we are also concerned about the fragile state of Ukrainian democracy today. Interference in the legal system is used to stifle free political activity and now some mysterious illness seems to have befallen the leader of the opposition.
Will the Canadian government press Ukrainian authorities to allow Ms. Tymoshenko independent medical treatment? Will Canada offer to provide that treatment if necessary and will Ukraine be warned that anything untoward happening to Ms. Tymoshenko would severely affect relations with Canada?
The Economy November 24th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, complacency is never good policy, especially when economic risks are rising and the gap between the very rich and everyone else is getting wider. Household debt is record high. Ten percent of Canadian kids live in poverty. Food banks are in growing demand. However, children in low-income families cannot qualify for the government's tax credits. Low-income firefighters cannot quality. Low-income home caregivers cannot qualify.
Why are Conservative tax credits designed deliberately to exclude low income Canadians?