Royal Galipeau

[Canadian Flag, February 4th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, in 11 days we will celebrate an important milestone in our history, the 50th anniversary of Canada's distinctive flag.

Getting a flag approved by Parliament was no mean feat. The search for a new flag began in 1925, following a Privy Council initiative.

In 1946, the search was renewed with the creation of a select parliamentary committee.

In 1964, a joint committee of the Senate and House of Commons was established, and it approved the proposal brought forward by Canadian historian Colonel George Stanley and parliamentarian and jurist John Matheson.

The Canadian flag was raised by Governor General Georges Vanier on February 15, 1965, under the watchful eye of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.

The blood of our troops was spilled in order to keep this flag flying high, this symbol of our values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Let us celebrate it.

[Business of Supply, January 29th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I listened closely to the remarks of my esteemed opposition colleague. I would like to reassure him. He is lamenting the fact that there was not enough contact between the Prime Minister of Canada and the former premier of New Brunswick.

As far as the new premier of that province is concerned, the Prime Minister was honoured to meet with him. In fact, he stopped in New Brunswick to visit Premier Gallant on his return from the Sommet de la Francophonie at the end of November.

The premiers can meet, they can enjoy meeting, and they can enjoy drafting lists of things they want the taxpayers of Canada to pay for. That is fine. However, at one point we will run out of other people's money. That is probably why they want a shopping list for us to pay for, not for them to pay for.

Former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, a friend of this hon. member, warned us about not being the head waiter to the provinces. Frankly, it is all here in the Memoirs by Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

[Points of Order, January 29th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Ottawa South for being so forthright. I congratulate him.

[Points of Order, January 29th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, in response to your query, he was using it either as FaceTime or Skype or some other means. It was definitely in contravention of Speaker Milliken's ruling.

Actually, the member was in the House when Speaker Milliken gave that ruling.

[Points of Order, January 29th, 2015]

Just in case it is not clear, the member who did this during 50 minutes was the hon. member for Ottawa South.

[Points of Order, January 29th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I wonder if I would be allowed to make my point of order, and other members, if they wish to respond, could respond after.

I will give you the reference, Mr. Speaker.

In response to a point of order raised on September 28, 2005, by the late MP Michel Guimond regarding the Hon. Joe Volpe's use of a cellphone in the House, the distinguished and certainly honourable Karen Redman, who was the chief whip for the Liberal government of the day and whom the member for Ottawa South supported, said:

Mr. Speaker, collectively we know the rule is that no cell phones are to be used in the House and we take this rule very seriously...I certainly take this criticism very seriously and I will endeavour to make sure the members of the government adhere to the rule of no cell phones in the House.

This is how Speaker Milliken dealt with this:

The use of cell phones is not supposed to happen on the floor and that does include behind the curtains. I have had occasion to chastise hon. members for making this error even behind curtains. They are supposed to go to the lobby to use these things. I would urge all hon. members to cooperate.

We can find this ruling on page 8151 of the House of Commons Debates.

The ruling by Speaker Milliken is serious. There are two issues. One is the disturbance telephone calls or using iPads or whatever can cause in the House. Second, the risk that members of Parliament can become subject to outside instructions during votes is serious. It does not matter how gentle is Charlie McCarthy. We have to worry about who really is Edgar Bergen.

[Points of Order, January 29th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

Yesterday after votes I would have liked to rise on this point of order regarding the use of telephones in the House. However, I was aware that as you had been interrupted by members of marginal parties, Mr. Speaker, and that you also had an appointment with a dead Scottish poet, I thought I would hold off until this morning.

In chapter 13 of O'Brien and Bosc, House of Commons Procedure and Practice, page 638, on rules of order and decorum, it is clearly stated that the use of cellular telephones is not permitted in the Chamber. Yesterday we voted for about 50 minutes. It took seven pages in yesterday's Hansard. During the whole time, there was a member of the House stuck in the corner over there who was animated, talking, using his iPad.

[Pipeline Safety Act, January 26th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I would like to wish you and all members of the House a very happy new year.

I listened carefully to the comments delivered by the hon. member. As of today, she has been a thoughtful and considerate representative for her district for 3,291 days, and I congratulate her.

The gist of the message I heard today is that the member is basically against pipelines, but she is for manufacturing, and in her district they manufacture pipelines. I would like the member to make an equalization between those two arguments.

[Veterans Affairs, December 12th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, while the opposition has been playing politics at the expense of our veterans, the government has been working hard.

Through eight budgets, our government has earmarked over $5 billion in new funding to improve the benefits and services for veterans and their families.

Our 2014 economic action plan allocated $2.1 billion to veterans and their families.

The veterans affairs committee introduced the enhanced new veterans charter act moving forward, which was unanimously adopted.

Thanks to a partnership with Service Canada, our veterans have access to more than 600 points of service across the country.

We invested $65 million to enhance the funeral and burial program by simplifying the program for veterans' estates, and by more than doubling the current funeral services rate from $3,600 to $7,400.

I would like to wish a very merry Christmas to all our Canadian Forces members and veterans and to all the wise people of Orléans.

Please join us for breakfast tomorrow morning at the Royal Canadian Legion, the friendliest Legion in the region.

[Rouge National Urban Park Act, December 12th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the hon. member for Prince George—Peace River for his passion for national parks generally, and particularly for his understanding of the importance of the urban forest cover.

I will not try to score cheap political points here, but I will ask him a question. Does he think that the new act would provide better protection than what is in place for the existing park?