Rick Casson

[Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, February 4th, 2004]

Mr. Chair, I will make it very quick. I have two specific questions. One, will the minister include BSE in the definition of natural disaster so that the return on the reference margins will be higher? I think that would be a great move by the government. Also, the other issue is the recognition of the U.S. herd and the health of that herd. Producers heard last week down at the NCBA conference in Phoenix, Arizona that if this government does not allow year round importation of U.S. feeder cattle into Canada, the NCBA will drag its feet and hold up the opening of the border.

[Veterans Affairs, February 4th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, we have widows' pension issues, we have mustard gas victims, we have pension review appeals piling up, and these are just a few of the issues facing our veterans.

How can the Prime Minister justify three parliamentary secretaries to carry his coat around and not give one to Veterans Affairs?

[Veterans Affairs, February 4th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, when he appointed his cabinet, the Prime Minister eliminated the position of parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs. Canadians expect their government to take care of the people who go out and lay their lives down for this country.

With all the issues facing Veterans Affairs, how can the Prime Minister justify this callous slap in the face?

[Petitions, November 5th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present, all of which deal with the same issue. One of them has 48 signatures, another has 150 signatures and the other has 443 signatures. All of them come from the good citizens of southern Alberta.

They petition Parliament to immediately hold a renewed debate on the definition of marriage and to reaffirm as it did in 1999 its commitment to take all necessary steps to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.

[Agriculture, November 3rd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, if the minister were to talk to producers he would find out that their margins are gone, their equity is gone and their money is gone. They do not have that money.

The agriculture minister has been trying to sell his agriculture policy framework as the answer to everything for the past two years. He knows full well that there are components of the APF that producers find absolutely less than useless. Provinces have not signed on and the program is in now in limbo.

Has the minister consulted the soon to be Liberal leader to see if he supports the APF or will this be one of the programs that he scraps?

[Agriculture, November 3rd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the much touted fiscal update delivered today leaves some alarming questions for Canada's agricultural producers.

In his comments, the minister used the BSE crisis as a crutch and an excuse for missing the mark on his budget projections. The only response to the BSE issue from the government was a flawed program that left producers wondering who got the money because they sure did not.

What guarantee can the minister give that the money from the newly proposed program will go directly to producers?

[Ray Speaker, October 22nd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, October 18 the best university in Canada, the University of Lethbridge, honoured one of our own, bestowing an honorary doctor of laws degree on Ray Speaker.

Born in Enchant, Alberta and raised on the family farm, Ray began his public service career when he was elected to the Alberta legislature for the first time in 1963. In total he was elected as a member of the legislative assembly eight times.

He was elected as a reformer to the House of Commons in 1993, serving as the member of Parliament for Lethbridge until 1997.

In 1999 he was appointed a member of the Privy Council and placed on the Security Intelligence Review Committee. In 2001 he received the Order of Canada.

While enjoying time with his lovely wife Ingrid, their children and grandchildren, Ray continues to work for a better Canada, as we have witnessed in the recent agreement to bring conservatives in Canada together.

So colleagues, next time you see former member of Parliament Ray Speaker, remember that from now on it is Dr. Speaker.

[Agriculture, October 20th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the cattle industry and Canadians have been kept in the dark by the government on the issue of BSE and the resulting border closure.

It was confirmed today by the U.S., while we were told a week ago by the U.S. consulate, that in the next few days the U.S. government will publish the rule change that will allow the importation of live cattle under 30 months of age.

Why do the Canadian cattle industry and Canadians continually have to get this critical information from the United States instead of its own government?

[Agriculture, October 7th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the risk assessments have been done over and over again. The industry says the risk is manageable. It is willing to take the risk. It is this minister who is standing in the way of that open border.

The government has a clear choice to make. It can do the right thing, and remove the barriers, harmonize the health in cattle and get the border open, or it could keep the border closed and be the grim reaper when it comes to the cattle industry in Canada.

[Agriculture, October 7th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Cattlemen's Association and the U.S. beef association are both calling for the harmonization of health standards in cattle. Industry on both sides of the border is in agreement. Harmonized health standards are essential to an open border and normal trade.

Why will the government not listen to industry, accept the science, remove the barriers and get the border open?