House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 74% of the vote.
Canada-Jordan Economic Growth and Prosperity Act March 1st, 2012
Mr. Speaker, my apologies. In our agreement together, I assure you that I will address the Chair.
What is one deal that the NDP came close to signing, only for one aspect of it? Could the member name one free trade deal that it came close to signing?
Canada-Jordan Economic Growth and Prosperity Act March 1st, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I certainly never pretend to be a trade expert, but trade and this particular deal have been referred to as a marriage. Having been married for 27 years, I can speak a little about that. I know that in the deal I signed on my wedding day there was a caveat, “for better or for worse”. I know that my wife had hoped for a little less worse and maybe a lot more better, but she still hangs tough and honours her part of the agreement, and I do the best with mine.
For the benefit of the House, I am sure the government and we here on the Liberal side would want to know the answer to the following question. One thing the member for Burnaby—New Westminster cannot dispute is that your party has never supported a trade deal that has come through this House. That is on the record. You know that, so let me ask this question. I am sure the new members of the NDP would like to know this, because you have experience in the party and are a mentor.
Canada-Jordan Economic Growth and Prosperity Act March 1st, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the one thing I think my colleague and I can agree on is that, although sometimes trade agreements are not perfect, they do help both our country and the country with which we enter into an agreement.
We have seen the changes and the emergence of China over the last two decades. We are very familiar with the human right violations that were very apparent 20 years ago. We have also seen how the situation in China, because it has been exposed to other democracies around the world through trade, has certainly improved. I do not think it is where we are as a country but it has improved over the years.
When we had an opportunity to meet with delegations from Africa in the past, they did not talk about increases to aid. They talked about access to markets. They know that through access to markets, their situation will improve as well.
When New Democrats speak about trade agreements, they do not support free and open trade. They say that they want fair trade, which I think is what we all want, but in the absence of a perfect deal, I do not think we can impart our values on another country.
Is it not best that we enter into an agreement that we think we can have an impact both at home and with the country with which we sign the deal?
Business of Supply February 28th, 2012
Madam Speaker, we support the principle of the bill, but the devil is in the details. We hope that those concerns will be brought forward at the committee hearings.
Members of the Conservative Party have raised concerns about the bill. I have not seen the members who raised those concerns engaged in the debate today. Maybe they are not allowed to raise those concerns in the House.
Some good amendments were put forward by our colleague from Mount Royal on Bill C-10 and they were dismissed totally by the government--
Business of Supply February 28th, 2012
Madam Speaker, two years ago the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police was asked to give concrete evidence where investigations had been held back because law enforcement officials had not been able to get access under the current legislation. There was no response. A year later the association was asked again to provide information as to where its officials had been handcuffed in those types of investigations. Still nothing has been forthcoming. The association will have an opportunity to present that at committee.
We saw what took place with Bill C-10, where nine excellent, well-reasoned amendments proposed by the member for Mount Royal were dismissed by the government. Does my colleague from York West see any chance that the government might listen in terms of this legislation coming forward? Does she think it may take some--
Business of Supply February 28th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about moving targets and go back to the gun registry. The Conservatives are saying that the police are calling for this. I know that the police called for the maintenance of the gun registry and the Conservatives totally disregarded that information. What makes this case different?
Business of Supply February 28th, 2012
Madam Speaker, on the last question from the government side about fear-mongering, the opposition parties are only pikers compared to what the Conservatives did with the gun registry. They told all gun owners that the Liberals would come and take their guns. We are only pikers at this stuff.
In sitting through the gun registry testimonies, I listened to the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the police boards of Canada and witness after witness who said that they wanted to maintain the gun registry but all that testimony was dismissed by the government. The law enforcement people said that it was a useful tool but that was dismissed by the government.
I would ask my colleague if he thinks there is any indication, on the testimony coming through the committee on this particular piece of legislation, that the government will be more receptive to listening to changes by Canadians who have concerns about the bill.
Financial System Review Act February 14th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments offered by my colleague from Windsor West. He was not far off in regard to the merger being supported by some members of the government at the time. John Manley was a big advocate. However, to say the NDP stopped the merger, it is a little far off. The NDP had 19 members in the chamber at the time and the Liberals had 161.
Could the member reach back into the NDP playbook to find out what those 19 members did to stop the mergers and perhaps get some advice from them as to how we can stop the government proceeding with things like time allocation?
Financial System Review Act February 14th, 2012
Madam Speaker, my friend from Calgary is right with regard to the government seeing the global economic downturn coming in 2008, but the government saw it in the rear view mirror. It certainly did not see it out the windshield. While every economist was telling the Conservatives that it was coming, that it was inevitable, they did not see a problem. They said things were going to be wonderful. At that time the government had a surplus budget and a balanced budget, and we know what happened. Forgive Canadians if they do not have a great deal of confidence in the government's ability.
I will ask my colleague to use some foresight. What does my colleague see as the next big issue the government will fail to recognize?
Financial System Review Act February 14th, 2012
Madam Speaker, I always appreciate the interventions by my colleague from Winnipeg. I also appreciate the history lesson. I do not disagree with the fact that maybe John Manley and Paul Martin were leaning toward a merger at the time. That had been discussed. I know we had an admission from my colleague, a former economist himself and a supporter of deregulation at the time, who saw the light.
However, I thought maybe Jean Chrétien and the 161 Liberals who were in the House at the time had something to do with that. I did not realize that the NDP had punched so far over its weight with the 19 members that it had, so I appreciate the history lesson from my colleague.
After the current government took power, it came forward with two changes, one being the extension of mortgages to 40 years and the other being the zero down payment, both of which led to the devastation of the banking industry in the United States. This was the road that the government began to take this country down.
With the implosion of the economy in the United States, does the member believe that maybe this was the first indicator? Those guys were sort of bailed out by the implosion that took place south of the border and perhaps, with further endeavours by the government, we would be in a similar situation as the United States now had the time period they had at the controls been a little bit longer. I ask my colleague for his comments on that.