Randy Kamp

[Atlantic Lobster Fishery, April 24th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for bringing up this issue. We work together on the fisheries committee and in fact have done some travelling to look at the lobster fishery from this perspective and others. Later on in this debate I will have an opportunity to comment on the initiative that he has brought forward, as will one of my other colleagues.

I have a question of clarification. He used the word “fleet”. I wonder if he could define that for us. It is somewhat confusing. We have had some discussions on our side about what he might mean by that. For example, the Oxford dictionary defines it as a group of ships sailing together or under the same ownership. I am wondering if he means that or if he is just referring to an individual enterprise, which I think is the term we more commonly use.

[Petitions, April 22nd, 2009]

Madam Speaker, I present a petition in which the petitioners, who are residents of British Columbia. They point out that there is a Canadian Volunteer Service Medal for those who served their country from 1939 to March 1947, and there is also a Canadian Volunteer Service Medal for Korea for those who served from 1950-54.

The petitioners call upon the government to recognize, by means of the issuance of a new Canadian volunteer service medal to be designated the “Governor General's Volunteer Service Medal”, for volunteer service by Canadians in the regular and reserve military forces and cadet corps support staff who are not eligible for the other medals and who have completed 365 days of uninterrupted duty in the service of their country since March 1947.

[Justice, March 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, while we are all anxiously waiting to learn the details of the justice minister's bill to limit pre-sentencing credit, provincial attorneys general, particularly those from western Canada, are already overwhelmingly stating their support for this legislative change.

Saskatchewan Attorney General Don Morgan is quoted as saying that getting rid of the two for one credit will help the public's perception of the justice system.

Alberta Attorney General Alison Redford has said, “What this will do is allow us to correctly move these cases more effectively through the courts”.

With this kind of support, the opposition should have no trouble in assisting us in getting the bill, which will be tabled tomorrow, quickly through this House and the Senate. However, we are concerned the NDP will not co-operate as that party's justice critic is more concerned about ensuring that inmates “get credit for suffering”.

While the NDP is preoccupied with the suffering of violent and dangerous offenders, our government is standing up for the victims of crime.

[CP Rail Overpass Cleanup, March 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, March 21, a group of Pitt Meadows residents joined me and my office staff to clean up an area around a pedestrian overpass in Pitt Meadows.

Derelict shopping carts, rusty bike frames and other unsightly debris had littered the area underneath the overpass for more than two years. Rick Poznikoff and Mike LoVecchio led a CP Rail team that trained us in safety procedures and stopped the trains so that we were able to pull out more than 400 kilograms of garbage and recyclables.

Our efforts this past Saturday have encouraged the city of Pitt Meadows to consider making some permanent changes to the overpass that would prevent individuals from dropping trash into the area again.

I would like this House to join me in thanking volunteers Darlene and Jeff Mercer, Deb and Len Walters, Ken Harper and Bernie McCarthy, and the CP Rail crew, all of whom generously gave up a Saturday morning to make the city of Pitt Meadows a great place in which to live.

[Aboriginal Affairs, March 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, this government has done a lot since coming to office on water on reserve. We inherited a difficult situation. We admit that. However, we have reduced the number of dirty water systems by over half. Additionally, we launched a water and wastewater initiative that further builds on this by better addressing water infrastructure issues and water systems in all first nations communities. We are working with first nations on a legislative framework. We are getting the job done.

[Business of Supply, March 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to the rhetoric from the member for Acadie—Bathurst and the member for Hamilton Mountain before him. I want to revisit the issue of the waiting period. I actually have some real questions for him, questions of clarification.

It seems to me that if an individual becomes unemployed during this recession, it is at the micro level for that individual and his or her family. It is not really very much different from the person who became unemployed prior to the recession. They are both feeling the same effects. I do not recall the NDP proposing prior to this economic downturn that the waiting period should be done away with.

Why did members of the NDP not propose it before this if they thought it was such a difficult thing for unemployed people? Are they proposing that this be a permanent measure or is this just a temporary measure?

Second, because the EI program is largely funded by the users of the program, are they in favour of the premiums going up for those who are employed--

[Petitions, March 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am pleased to present a petition from my constituents, largely those from the district of Mission in British Columbia. They draw the attention of the House of Commons to the fact that the CRTC has approved another Canadian pay television pornographic channel called Northern Peaks, which they believe will lead to the creation of a pornography industry in Canada.

They point out that pornography is not a victimless activity. It is addictive, leads to changes in behaviour and causes harmful acts that hurt and undermine women, children and society as a whole. Therefore, they call upon Parliament to review the approval of this type of channel and the approval policies of the CRTC.

[Questions on the Order Paper, February 6th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2008, June 4th, 2008]

It would be the first time.

[Maple Ridge Citizen of the Year, May 16th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend and Maple Ridge citizen of the year, Margaret Kury. Margaret received the honour on May 1 at a gala event organized by the Maple Ridge Community Foundation.

Margaret is a very active member of Branch 88 of the Royal Canadian Legion. She is a winner of the legion's Meritorious Service Medal for her tireless dedication to the community through this organization, having served several terms on the board of directors, many of them as president, and all of them as an active fundraiser and supporter of the legion's various charitable activities.

As I can attest, when Margaret is asked to volunteer for a task, everyone knows the job will be done with enthusiasm, efficiency and excellence. And I can state from personal experience that when Margaret comes to anyone's door to raise funds for various charities, people cannot say no.

I ask all members of the House to join with me in congratulating Margaret Kury, Maple Ridge's 2008 citizen of the year.