Ralph Goodale

[Business of the House, June 21st, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, in that propitious 15 minute spot between 3 p.m and 3:15 p.m., do I take it from the House leader of the government that we would be able to take up in that small window the usual Thursday question and he would be in a position to outline for us the government's agenda for Monday, September 18?

[Justice, June 16th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, reference was made in question period earlier today to last year's Liberal bill on mandatory minimum sentences, based on evidence and expert advice and based on science and principle. It was in fact infinitely better than the Conservative Bill C-10.

Since the government has raised the issue, and those members did raise it, favourably referring to the Liberal precedent from last year, will the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice agree now to substitute our Liberal bill for Bill C-10? We will pass it immediately.

[National Defence, June 16th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that, in the presence of the Minister of National Defence, the parliamentary secretary intervenes to block the flow of information and conversation.

The former government put $13 billion into the Canadian military, the biggest increase in 20 years, bigger than anything the former Conservatives had done and 13 times bigger than the present government has done.

We have no guarantee of military priorities, no guarantee of sovereign control and no guarantee of Canadian jobs.

Could the government at least assure us that the process will be transparent, with open competitive bidding?

[National Defence, June 16th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is fond of deprecating the record of the previous government but I would like to inform him that I am proud to have been the minister who provided our Canadian armed forces with its biggest budget increase in 20 years, bigger than anything done by the previous Mulroney Conservative government and 13 times bigger than anything done by the present government.

Will the minister guarantee that any new Canadian airplanes will be based here in Canada, maintained and repaired in a manner that maximizes Canadian investment technology and jobs, controlled by Canadian decision makers and not subject to a foreign veto.

Will the minister offer that guarantee?

[National Defence, June 16th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, with respect to new airlift capacity for the Canadian armed forces, the defence minister says that no deals have yet been made but the industry minister was out shopping yesterday in Washington.

Let me ask the defence minister about the principles that he will follow in pursuing this proposed purchase of airlift capacity.

Would the minister guarantee that any new airplanes will, first and foremost, meet the requirements of the Canadian military, in the order of priority as recommended by the military and undistorted by the political preferences of the minister?

[Business of the House, June 15th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, with respect to the procedures of the House, I wonder if the government House leader could indicate the order in which he expects to call business tomorrow and for all of the days of next week. I would like to receive from him, if he could, an indication of what he intends with respect to Friday, June 23, whether the House will be meeting and working on that day. Also, which day next week will he formally designate as an opposition day?

I wonder if he could also explain, with respect to Saint John harbour, why the government promised $40 million and delivered $2 million.

[Decorum, June 15th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I would note that the Minister of Health closed more hospitals in Ontario than his margin of victory in the last election.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, during committee proceedings on Bill C-2, used the most obscene language. His vulgarity was caught on tape. He denied it until he was caught. He has apologized only for his hand gestures, not for his foul language in the committee.

The House needs a complete apology and the Prime Minister needs to give this clearly immature individual some time off to mellow. Will he do so?

[Decorum, June 15th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, matters of basic decency in the House need to be dealt with firmly so unacceptable behaviour is not condoned.

The House received a semblance of an apology from two parliamentary secretaries for their crude gestures during Tuesday's vote. However, as the video tapes show, there were perhaps eight, ten or more other Conservative MPs making exactly the same gestures. It was an epidemic.

Will the Prime Minister, with respect to all of the offenders, unequivocally reject their gross behaviour and apologize to Canadians for the insult?

[Petitions, June 15th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present today a petition signed by a number of people from Saskatchewan, noting the agreements entered into in April of 2005 between the Government of Canada and the province of Saskatchewan, together with other provinces, with respect to early learning and child care.

The individuals, who have signed the petition, obviously support those agreements. They support a national system that increases child care spaces.

They call upon the Government of Canada to honour the agreements that were in place in 2005 and to provide, therefore, the full funding.

[Criminal Code, June 14th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I have not had an opportunity to see this item yet. The opposition is not prepared to consent to something it has not seen.