House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2015, with 38% of the vote.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation December 12th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, as Hubert Lacroix said, there are “challenges of a rapidly changing media environment to which no conventional broadcaster is immune”. Changes at the CBC are the result of declining viewership in certain demographics and lower than expected advertising revenues.
The CBC is responsible for its own operations. We on this side believe that. I wish the opposition would agree.
CBC/Radio-Canada December 11th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, that is simply not the case. The CBC is solely responsible for its day-to-day operations, including decisions with respect to programming and with respect to human resource management.
Our government respects the CBC's independence as an arm's-length crown corporation. It would be nice to hear, before Christmas, the NDP agree with us on that point.
Taxation December 8th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know they can count on our government to stand up for the middle class. Even the Secretary of Labor in the U.S., Thomas Perez, said that Canada's middle class is the one other countries must aspire to.
By giving an average of $1,100 in new money to every Canadian family with children, our government would do just that. The new family tax cut would give the majority of benefits to low- and middle-income families. A single mother with two kids, earning $30,000, would benefit by almost $1,500 per year.
We want families like the Mays and the Leslies in my riding of St. Catharines to be more prosperous and spend their hard-earned money as they see fit. Our plan helps 100% of families with children. Meanwhile, the NDP plan would only help 10%. Our government is on track to balance Canada's budget, and now we are helping Canadian families balance theirs.
CBC/Radio-Canada November 28th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, those allegations are completely untrue. The CBC ombudsman was very clear on this matter. With respect to this documentary, the ombudsman found that the rules of journalistic standards and practices had not been correctly applied. We respect the ombudsman's finding, and so should the member.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats November 28th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I am sure we will all be watching and cheering in celebration of the 102nd Grey Cup, hosted at B.C. Place, where the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will satisfy their fans and forever mark their spots in Canadian football history by capping off a Cinderellaesque year with a victory against the Calgary Stampeders.
Despite pundits writing off the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, including the member for Calgary East, there is no denying that history will, as it always does, repeat itself. The last Ticats Grey Cup victory was against the Stampeders at B.C. Place in a comparable underdog manner.
Regardless of any personal bias, I am sure we can all look forward to an epic battle between two great teams. If nothing else, the 102nd Grey Cup will test the timely football law of offence sells seats, defence wins championships, as Calgary's top offence will try their luck and fail against Hamilton's top defence
Oskee Wee Wee, Oskee 102!
Library and Archives Canada November 27th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, Library and Archives Canada plays an important role in preserving the documentation and heritage of our country.
The issues identified in the report did occur under the previous leadership at Library and Archives. Our government has put new leadership in place. Mr. Guy Berthiaume and LAC is now developing a more robust digital strategy for implementation, which begins in the spring of 2015.
CBC/Radio-Canada November 27th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if the member actually heard the response to the question. There is a lot of smoke and mirrors there, a lot of accusations, but we will take the word of the ombudsman on this matter. He ruled on this and indicated that in terms of the rule on presentation of opinion documentaries, it had not been correctly applied in the airing.
Do not listen to anyone else; listen to the ombudsman. He made the ruling and said it was incorrect.
CBC/Radio-Canada November 27th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, the CBC ombudsman is charged with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints such as the one referred to by the member. In this particular case, the ombudsman said the rules of journalistic standards and practices for the presentation of opinion documentaries had not been correctly applied in the airing of La droite religieuse au Canada.
CBC/Radio-Canada November 24th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, this government's appointments come after a rigorous, transparent, and merit-based selection process. Our goal is to appoint candidates who are the most competent into each one of those positions. Our government does not interfere with the democratic process and the democratic rights of board members to vote for or donate to any other parties.
I will say it again: the CBC acts independently.
CBC/Radio-Canada November 21st, 2014
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to hear the opposition members say that we should not interfere and then ask us to interfere. I think before they get to the end of a question, they should determine which and what it is they want.
Any suggestion of political interference is completely untrue. The CBC is solely responsible for its day-to-day operations, including decisions with respect to programming, with respect to human resource management, and with respect to the actual work it does on a daily basis on behalf of the country.