Ryan Leef

[Flooding in Yukon, June 15th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the Yukon has been through some tough times this week. Floods and mudslides around the territory made many roads and highways impassable. The damage has forced road closures and kept stores all over the Yukon with empty shelves.

Eleven homes in Upper Liard were evacuated after being flooded when the dike protecting the community from rising water levels gave way.

As usual, Yukoners have rallied, repairing damage and getting on with business. The territorial government stepped up quickly and purposefully.

I commend all Yukoners. Their perseverance and industry make me proud to be a Yukoner. My thoughts are with those affected during this very difficult time.

[Copyright Modernization Act, June 15th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, now the member is carrying on about a point of order and is not talking about debate. In that point of order, or in the last parts of his conversation during debate, he has talked about things the member said during his own point of order which are completely inaccurate. The member is trying to distract the House from the topic of the debate. I think all hon. members would like to hear him debate the topic and not carry on as he is doing.

[Tourism Industry, May 17th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, this government is getting things done. This morning we made an announcement that will simplify business travel and personal tourism to Canada.

Could the Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism please inform the House on the steps that we have taken to ensure that business travel and tourists will easily be able to access places like the Yukon territory from states like Alaska?

[Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act, May 17th, 2012]

Madam Speaker, it was not perfectly clear to me if the member intends to support the legislation. I ask that with all sincerity. Is it the position of the Liberals that because it is not enough, they will not support the bill, or can he recognize, as he did toward the end of his comments, that it is a step and a tool that is moving forward? If the Liberals look at it from that perspective, would they support it and then continue to work with parliamentarians to find additional solutions to improve the chances of Canadians for long-term prosperity?

[Food Shortages, May 16th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, today the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food held a press conference that clearly showed his lack of understanding for our society and our country.

As a proud northerner, I was very insulted that the foreign academic did not visit a single northern community in Canada during his two week vacation here. It is too bad he was not able to see how uninformed international attacks on the seal hunt have made it harder for aboriginal hunters to earn a livelihood. Our government is surprised that the organization is focused on what appears to be a political agenda rather than on addressing food shortages in the developing world.

By the United Nations' own measure, Canada ranks sixth best of all the world's countries on their human development index. Canadians donate significant funding to address poverty and hunger around the world. We find it unacceptable that these resources are not being used to address food shortages in the countries they are needed the most.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 14th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, once again, our government is demonstrating its commitment to the north by increasing the borrowing limits for the territories. This important action will help governments invest in needed infrastructure projects, bringing increased jobs and long-term prosperity to northern communities.

Surprisingly, the NDP member from the Northwest Territories has been quoted as opposing improved measures that will support northern economies, despite the strong support from the territorial governments.

Could the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development explain to the House, and the out of touch NDP critic, why these measures and this legislation are so important?

[New Democratic Party of Canada, May 10th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the leader of the NDP described measures to hold offenders accountable for their actions and to show respect to taxpayers as “stupid gestures”.

In the NDP's world, convicted murderers and rapists should have their own personal shoppers sent out to collect personal effects from the outside world, all at taxpayers' expense. We find that position absolutely ludicrous and offensive to law-abiding Canadians.

Our Conservative government will continue to take action to make offenders more accountable and to put victims first. I call on the NDP to finally start putting the rights of victims ahead of the rights of offenders.

[Business of Supply, April 26th, 2012]

Madam Speaker, I do not doubt that the member is getting calls and contacts from people about this concern. We hear again that we are talking about seniors. In fact, we are not talking about seniors today, but about future generations. Do members not see that it is our responsibility to encourage them and help them understand that we are planning for their future? This is not ideological; it is protecting their future.

[Citizen's Arrest and Self-defence Act, April 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from Newton—North Delta on her speech. I thought it was great. Her focus on education and prevention was fantastic. I am also impressed and intrigued by the fact that she has a black belt in judo and would like to invite her to join me in the mixed martial arts caucus, which has a fundamental focus on education, youth communication, self-esteem development and positive relationships.

From that point of view, she called upon the government to do a little more on this legislation in terms of education, and I agree that is a step we could take. However, I am wondering if she could comment on her feelings—because I know what mine are—in terms of the role we need to play as members of Parliament when we speak to the media about this kind of legislation and when we address the concerns we have and how we could deal with it appropriately with our communities. I would see this legislation as expanded protection for Canadians versus expanded authority. If we message it like that, in my opinion we will move away from any fear of the vigilantism that has been raised as an issue.

Could she comment on the role we can play when we talk to the media of what we can do in our own communities? In her speech she talked about roles that need to be played in educating people in communities. In a vast and rural riding like the Yukon, one thing I do as a member of Parliament is promote positive relationships and the kind of education vein that she was going down, which I congratulate her for.

[Citizen's Arrest and Self-defence Act, April 24th, 2012]

Madam Speaker, my colleague raises some excellent points, and we heard this in previous debate, about Canadian corporations and people working in the security industries, perhaps wanting to take advantage of what they might view as expanded authority under this legislation and ending up with some unintended consequences or doing things that we as legislators do not want them to do.

Would my colleague comment on whether she sees it as our role, as members of Parliament and the people who create legislation, to send the message to Canadians that this is expanded protection instead of expanded authority and that we differentiate between the two so we do not have the concerns that she highlighted in her speech?