Ralph Goodale

[Points of Order, March 5th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, obviously from the perspective of the official opposition, we welcome the remarks that the Minister of Justice has just made. We will obviously want to take some time to consider the content of his statement.

I wonder if the minister is in a position to make available to the House the correspondence between him and Mr. Justice Iacobucci so that we can understand the full formal legal terms of his engagement and the assignment that he has been asked to undertake. The minister has summarized those matters. It would be important for us to know the detail and exactly when the review will be undertaken, and when we can expect the report the minister has referred to.

[Committees of the House, March 3rd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I was trying to get your eye earlier when you were dealing with the motion pertaining to the standing committee on Afghanistan. The government was kind enough to circulate, earlier in the day, the wording of the motion that it proposed to present in the House.

The reading of the motion that was just made by the Chief Government Whip does not appear to accord with the document that the government circulated to other opposition parties earlier.

Before this matter is disposed of I think it would be very important to determine that the wording of the document that was circulated to other opposition parties is exactly the same as the document that was read by the Chief Government Whip because the last paragraph appears to be missing, unless that was simply an error.

[Business of the House, December 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, it being Thursday, I wonder if the government House leader could explain his business plan for the rest of today and tomorrow, and what his expectations might be for the weekend and next week.

[Business of Supply, December 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the minister's proposition today seems to be that properly informing Parliament and honestly and fully answering questions about crucial issues like our mission in Afghanistan are somehow inconsistent with protecting the public interest or safeguarding national security or ensuring the most safe and secure conditions for our troops and others in the field in Afghanistan and maintaining good international relations. He says there is a fundamental inconsistency between properly informing Parliament and safeguarding those other things.

I would ask the minister, why is the government the only party that is in a position to safeguard those other things? Why is it not possible for the House of Commons and Parliament, which the Speaker made a ruling on earlier today, having all the powers to do so, to protect any sensitive information just as well as, and perhaps better than, the government can do?

[Year of the Métis Nation, December 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, there have been the usual consultations, and if you were to seek it, I think you would find unanimous consent for the following motion, which would be moved by me and seconded by the hon. member for Labrador. I move:

That, in the opinion of the House, the government should utilize next year, 2010, to commemorate the Year of the Métis in recognition of the 125th anniversary of the historic events of 1885 in Saskatchewan; and further, the government should recognize and celebrate the invaluable contributions of the Métis Nation across Canada which have enriched the lives of all Canadians, socially, economically, politically and culturally.

[Afghanistan, December 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, will the minister, when he appears before the committee this afternoon, bring with him that new evidence so that the committee can be informed of exactly the basis upon which General Natynczyk has changed his story and undermined the entire position taken by the government for the last three years? Will he bring the evidence this afternoon?

[Afghanistan, December 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the assertion that there is no credible evidence that any detainee transferred by Canadians had ever been tortured is the whole basis for the government's position and we now know that that basis is untrue. There is such credible evidence.

Will the minister tell us exactly what is that new evidence upon which General Natynczyk has changed his story and where has that evidence been for the last three years?

[Ukraine, December 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the time is short here. The election is next month. The stakes are high. Ukraine is the only country in that region making substantial progress toward a durable democracy.

Canada has the ability to help. Our 500 observers are needed. The cost is modest. A distinguished Ukrainian Canadian, for example, the respected deputy premier of Saskatchewan, the Hon. Ken Krawetz, could lead that team. Canada would again be heralded on the streets of Kiev. For heaven's sake, why not?

[Ukraine, December 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, more Canadian observers are needed to help monitor the presidential election in Ukraine in January. The leading expert on this issue, Mr. Davidovich, says Canada should match what we did so well in 2004.

In that election, beyond the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Canada sent 500 additional observers. Now they are needed again. Ukrainian democracy is being tested. Legitimacy is crucial.

Why has the government slashed Canada's support by nearly 90%?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, December 3rd, 2009]

With regard to government newspaper advertising: (a) how much has the government spent on promoting Canada’s Economic Action Plan through advertising in Saskatchewan; and (b) when was each advertisement published, and in which newspaper?