House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 42% of the vote.
National Defence October 30th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, our government has made significant investments in the whole area of mental health and reaching out to the men and women in uniform who are suffering from PTSD and other problems. This is why we have approximately 415 full-time medical health care workers. We have one of the highest ratios of mental health professionals to soldiers in NATO. We want to work with the men and women in uniform to make sure they get all the possible care that they need.
National Defence October 27th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, the military is taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our men and women in uniform. The hon. member may be aware that the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Lawson, has ordered a temporary measure with respect to where and when our armed forces should wear their uniforms. I accept his judgment, because, as always, the safety and security of our men and women in uniform has to be our primary concern.
National Defence October 23rd, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I want to make it very clear that Operation Impact is on schedule and going ahead as planned. Today, 6 CF-18 fighter jets and 1 Polaris refuelling aircraft departed from CFB Bagotville, and a further 120 Canadian Armed Forces members departed from CFB Trenton, and they will be based in Kuwait.
Public Safety October 23rd, 2014
Mr. Speaker, we will continue to take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our men and women in uniform and the bases.
The Chief of Defence Staff is actively looking into this and taking steps, but make no mistake, we will remain vigilant against those at home and abroad who wish to harm us.
National Defence October 20th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, we have been taking action since we took office. This is why we have approximately 415 full-time mental health workers. This is why we have doubled the budget in this area. We want to make sure that the men and women in uniform have the support they need, and they will get that from this government and these armed forces.
National Defence October 20th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, we have one of the highest ratios of mental health workers for soldiers in all of NATO, and we can all be very proud of that. We can be proud of the fact, again, that the government has invested considerable money, resources, and talent into this. We have doubled the number of health care workers in this area. We want to reach out to those men and women in the armed forces because it is the right thing to do.
National Defence October 9th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, that is the opposite of what her colleague just said about our operational readiness.
We are moving forward. We have been very clear. What we did was get Parliament's support. I think that is something different, something that we never saw before. I think it was very important to do that.
Yes, we will work with our allies to degrade the capabilities of ISIL. It is the right thing to do.
National Defence October 9th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear, and in the motion before Parliament we have set out the timelines, we have set out the focus, and we have set out the mission.
If they were serious about this, they would have got on side with us this week and supported this measure. It was the right thing to do, and they did not do it.
National Defence October 9th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I am sure if the debate lasted 30 years it still would not get the support of the NDP. That being said, I can confirm for the House that just this morning we received approval from Kuwait to launch our planes from there, and I want to thank the Kuwaitis for their co-operation. This is just further evidence that the fight against ISIL is an international matter, and Canada, of course, will do its part.
National Defence October 8th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, of course, anything from the private sector would be offending to the NDP.
That being said, nobody has had a better record of supplying, refurbishing, and modernizing the Royal Canadian Navy, and that would include the Halifax-class frigate modernization program, the Globemaster strategic airlift, and the Arctic offshore patrol ships.
We will continue to work. We will supply the Royal Canadian Navy with what it needs. That is what we are committed to.