House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2019, with 34% of the vote.
Points of Order October 2nd, 2006
The silence speaks volumes, Mr. Speaker.
I have a second point arising from question period. There was from the government, toward the end of question period, a specific question dealing with the issue of street racing. I would simply point out that this is an item that is covered by the bill that is presently being debated before the House. Accordingly, I would think that this question would be out of order.
Points of Order October 2nd, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I have two points arising from question period. First of all, I believe that on at least four separate occasions the Minister of Justice, in response to questions with respect to judicial matters, referred to certain lists from which judges were appointed. I wonder if the Minister of Justice would be kind enough to table those lists in the House of Commons.
Afghanistan September 29th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, the government has clearly failed to maintain the original principles of the Afghan mission. Personnel have been secretly shifted away from development and reconstruction. Progress on these fronts has all but disappeared in the Kandahar region.
Parliament and Canadians have not been kept informed. The required rotational support, except for two or three NATO countries, has not been forthcoming.
The President of Pakistan trivializes the loss of Canadian lives and the government remains silent.
When will we get a concrete remedial plan to get this mission back on track?
Afghanistan September 29th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, Afghan officials in Kandahar have a different view of the situation. They say that the pace of reconstruction work in the Kandahar region has been “very slow” since Canadians took over from Americans about a year ago.
Our military officers are now saying that the pace will accelerate because they acknowledge that nothing much has happened over the course of the last year. In fact, personnel have been shifted away from the reconstruction work.
Specifically, what is the plan for developmental work in the Kandahar region and what specific goals--
Afghanistan September 29th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, President Karzai says that no “success” is possible in Afghanistan if the NATO mission is exclusively military. Diplomacy, development and reconstruction are essential “to winning the hearts and minds” of the Afghan people.
Yesterday, a senior Canadian officer in Kandahar, Lieutenant Colonel Hetherington, confirmed that nothing much has been accomplished and Canadian forces have been shifted away from reconstruction into military operations.
When was the decision made to change the original nature of this mission?
Business of the House September 28th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, the issue just discussed, having to do with technology in the House, is perhaps one that deserves some attention. In bygone eras everybody dealt with physical pieces of paper and notes written on those pieces of paper.
We are in a much different age and era now with electronic communications devices. When they are used for quotations in the House, it may be a case that our rules are a little behind the times. I very strongly recommend that the matter be taken up because this may become a more frequent occurrence.
Specifically on the business of the House, could the government House leader indicate to us what his priorities will be for the rest of this week and next? Also, it would be appreciated if he could give us some indication of how the government intends to at least begin the week following the Thanksgiving recess.
Second, I would ask him if he would be in a position today to specifically designate a date for the take note debate, which has been requested on Darfur. We have made that request in all good faith, and I know the government House leader has had it under consideration. I would appreciate his confirmation of when he intends to proceed.
Third, could give us, again, some indication of what specific evenings he would intend to designate for the special examination in the House of the estimates of two departments, which are part of the estimates process? We will need to deal with that in the weeks immediately ahead, and one of those weeks is occupied by the Thanksgiving break. The sooner we could know those dates the better.
Finally, as I have mentioned in the House before, it would be appreciated if the government House leader could indicate the government's plan and timing with respect to any motions pertaining to same sex marriage.
Points of Order September 22nd, 2006
Mr. Speaker, there were references in the House both yesterday and today to certain materials produced or provided by the Privy Council Office in respect of the access to information procedure. We have asked for that material to be tabled, both yesterday and again today. We have not seen it, but apparently the media have.
The parliamentary secretary characterizes that PCO information in a particular way, but the media, who have seen the material, say that the parliamentary secretary is exactly wrong, that he has misrepresented the material and may have misled the House.
As a first step in getting to the bottom of this, it is important that the parliamentary secretary do now what he said earlier in question period he would do, and that is to table that PCO document.
Member for Charlesbourg--Haute-Saint-Charles September 22nd, 2006
Mr. Speaker, this situation does not need pontification. It needs rectification. We do not need to hear any more blather from the parliamentary secretary from Alberta.
We need to hear specifically from the Prime Minister's senior minister from Quebec, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. He is equally authorized to answer questions in the House.
Is he not scandalized by his Conservative recruit from Charlesbourg? Has he not asked the Prime Minister to remove that member both from the Conservative caucus and the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights?
Member for Charlesbourg--Haute-Saint-Charles September 22nd, 2006
Mr. Speaker, diversity, tolerance, accommodation of differences, and the will to live together in peace and respect, these Canadian values are ones that President Karzai wants to engender in Afghanistan.
However, they have been contradicted right here in Canada by a member of the Prime Minister's caucus. The Conservative MP for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles has expressed beliefs that are clearly racist and intolerant. These insults demand the Prime Minister's strong, personal intervention.
When will he expel this member from Canada's new Conservative government?
Points of Order September 21st, 2006
Mr. Speaker, if I could direct my point to you, sir, and then through you to the government House leader.
During the course of question period today, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister made reference to certain policies of the Privy Council Office with respect to the procedures that apply to the access to information process. The parliamentary secretary indicated that the procedures had existed under the previous government and they continued under the current government.
The issue is whether those procedures include or do not include the disclosure of the names of the applicants for information under the access to information process.
It is our contention that whatever the procedure may be, it does not include the disclosure of the names. I think it would be useful to the House if the parliamentary secretary could table that policy, so that all members could see whether or not it includes the disclosure of names.