House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 71% of the vote.
Automobile Industry February 15th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, the former industry minister accurately predicted that “the auto industry would collapse under a Conservative government”.
He also went further. He said that “if the Conservatives were in government today, there would not be $5 billion of investments in the automotive sector in Ontario”.
Why did the Minister of Industry kill that program on December 31 just when auto workers needed it most? Why is he allowing his right-wing ideology to kill real Canadian jobs?
Automobile Industry February 15th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, the industry minister's think tank calls government investment in the auto sector an “ineffective subsidy program”.
The last industry minister, now the trade minister, knew how to help out the auto sector. He was part of a Liberal government that invested over $400 million in the auto sector because that was a Liberal government with a plan to help the auto sector. That plan was killed by the new Minister of Industry just as he is killing the auto sector in Canada.
Obviously the new industry minister does not know how to help the auto sector. Why does he not simply walk over and talk to the old industry minister?
Manufacturing Sector February 14th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, Canada's new opposition has some information for Canada's new government.
The fact is that those programs were in place under the previous Liberal government. The only program to make direct investments in the auto sector was the technology partnerships program, and that program was killed by that minister on December 31.
That minister does not know what is going on in his own department. That minister is drowning in his own right-wing think tank. While he is drowning in his right-wing think tank, thousands of Canadians are losing their jobs in the manufacturing sector.
When will he act? When will he develop a plan? When will he stand up for Canadian workers?
Manufacturing Sector February 14th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, the manufacturing sector is getting hammered and the Conservative government has no plan.
The industry minister was on the board of the Montreal Economic Institute, the same institute that called government investments in the auto sector “ineffective subsidy programs”.
When will the minister stop pontificating about Adam Smith? When will he start developing a plan to help Canada's auto sector and the thousands of Canadians who are losing their jobs right now?
Automobile Industry February 8th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, we have a minister who is laissez-faire and a Prime Minister who does not care.
The Liberal government partnered with the auto industry to create thousands of new jobs. Canada's neo-Conservative government has done almost nothing and we are losing thousands of auto workers jobs.
Will the Prime Minister meet with the head of the CAW, take action, and reintroduce the previous government's auto strategy that was working and creating jobs here in Canada?
Automobile Industry February 8th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, with massive layoffs pending at Chrysler, why has the government cancelled labour market partnership agreements that could have helped many of the 2,000 Chrysler workers and why is this Prime Minister, the first in 40 years, refusing to meet with the head of the CAW?
Aeronautics Industry February 1st, 2007
Mr. Speaker, reports indicate that Boeing will in fact not be required to invest 100% of its $3.4 billion contract value into direct industrial benefits here in Canada.
Why is the minister allowing Boeing to rewrite Canada's industrial and aerospace policies? Why is the Canadian Minister of Industry failing to fight for Canadian industry by ensuring that 100% of the benefits will be direct benefits here in Canada?
Aeronautics Industry February 1st, 2007
Mr. Speaker, over the years, governments have all ensured that for every dollar spent to purchase military equipment there would be a dollar of economic benefits for Canada.
For the C-17 purchase, can the Minister of Industry assure us that the spinoffs for Canada will be 100% of the value of the contract?
The Environment January 31st, 2007
Mr. Speaker, Climate Action Now, spearheaded by Anna-Maria Galante, is a group of concerned citizens in my riding of Kings—Hants that is seeking to raise awareness of global warming.
This group launched a green ribbon campaign last fall to draw attention to the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In November, they walked and biked 100 kilometres to Halifax to present ribbons to MLAs in the provincial House, demonstrating the power of individual action when mobilized. These ribbons allow individuals to show publicly that they acknowledge climate change is an important issue.
I commend the members of Climate Change Now for showing what a small group of concerned local citizens can do. They have shown that with climate change it is important to think globally and act locally. Their message to the government is to act nationally and lead internationally.
Government Programs December 13th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, the community action program for children and the Canada prenatal nutrition program provide essential services to low income and single parent Canadian families.
Will the government today commit to low income families in hundreds of Canadian communities, children who need these programs, that they will not be left out in the cold by more heartless, neo-conservative cuts?