Scott Reid

[Infrastructure, May 2nd, 2005]

Madam Speaker, three months ago concerned citizens sent the Minister of Transport a portfolio with over 60 photographs documenting the deterioration of the 140-year-old stone and concrete CN railway bridge in downtown Napanee. Also included were resolutions of the town and county councils requesting that the minister dispatch someone to take note of the structural deficiencies of the bridge. So far, the minister has failed to even acknowledge receipt of the portfolio.

The condition of the bridge is a serious matter. The bridge crosses a busy street and is located beside a public park. Chunks of stone and concrete have been falling from the parapet of the bridge and from its support piers. I took several of these home and weighed them. The heaviest is over seven pounds and would have killed or injured any person unfortunate enough to be sitting or standing underneath when it broke loose.

Railways and therefore railway bridges fall under federal jurisdiction. The minister therefore has no excuse to ignore the potentially dangerous state of this bridge. I encourage him to turn his attention to this matter as soon as possible.

[Petitions, April 15th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I have nine petitions all on the same subject and which were circulated among churches in my constituency, for example, the Church of The Annunciation in Enterprise, the Evangel Temple in Napanee, and other churches in Smiths Falls, Carleton Place and Lanark Highlands.

In each petition the petitioners pray that Parliament retain the traditional definition of marriage as between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others. The petitioners point out that marriage is the best foundation for raising families and children. They point out that this is the point of view of most Canadians.

[Points of Order, April 15th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, during question period the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice seemed not to believe the truth of my statement that I had Beryl Wajsman's business card stating that he was special counsel to the Minister of Justice in the minister's capacity as a member of Parliament. That of course was why I had to give reference to the minister by name.

I would be happy to table that business card if there is the unanimous consent of the House, and also to table the public press release in which Mr. Wajsman makes reference to the fact that he was trying to fight against the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party's habit of treating members of ethnic communities as campaign slaves and ticket buyers.

I will post these on the website anyway at www.scottreid.com, but I would be happy to do this--

[Liberal Party of Canada, April 15th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, today Mr. Wajsman issued a press release in which he states that he personally had been trying to set right a longstanding injustice within the Liberal Party. Mr. Wajsman said in his press release, “I faced resistance within the Liberal Party in Quebec to giving cultural community representatives responsible positions other than as campaign slaves and ticket buyers”.

My question, therefore, is for the former political minister for Quebec, who is now the Prime Minister. Why does the Liberal Party treat ethnic minorities with such astonishing disrespect?

[Liberal Party of Canada, April 15th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in question period the Minister of Justice stated regarding Beryl Wajsman, “He is not a special counsel to the Minister of Justice”. I have with me a photocopy of Mr. Wajsman's business card and it says in English on one side and French on the other, “Special Counsel to Irving Cotler, MP, Mount Royal”. Does this not mean that it is legitimate to ask the Minister of Justice for his response to Mr. Wajsman's statement that in the Liberal Party, cultural communities are treated as “campaign slaves and ticket buyers”?

[Zimbabwe, April 15th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, leading up to the recent rigged elections, Zimbabwe was the international community's cause du jour. Now that the elections are over, Robert Mugabe has manufactured himself an increased majority and the international community is doing what the international community does best, turning its attention elsewhere precisely when Zimbabwe needs it the most.

Bolstered by his increased majority, Mr. Mugabe is preparing to amend the constitution to entrench his party permanently and has started arresting opposition members of parliament. Nelson Chamisa, the courageous MP and opposition youth leader who is my parliamentary twin, was arrested for distributing pamphlets. Others have been detained on similar pretexts.

Meanwhile, in a country where food is in desperately short supply, Zimbabweans who are known opposition supporters have been ordered to leave the food lines where corn is being distributed. Only the worst monsters in human history have employed hunger as a weapon. International pressure could stop the use of this weapon in Zimbabwe.

Now of all times is the moment when the world must not forget the suffering people of Zimbabwe.

[Points of Order, April 12th, 2005]

You're a bigot, Joe.

[Petitions, April 12th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the petition I present today is one of many that I have received on the subject of marriage.

The petitioners draw to the attention of the House the fact that marriage is the best foundation for families and the raising of children, that the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman is being challenged and therefore ask Parliament to pass legislation to recognize the institution of marriage in federal law as being the lifelong union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.

I note, in conclusion, that this petition is entirely consistent with Conservative Party policy.

[Question No. 69, March 21st, 2005]

With regard to the motion adopted unanimously by the House of Commons on October 24, 2002, which requested that the Prime Minister raise with President Jiang Zemin of China the issue of the imprisonment in China of 13 Falun Gong practitioners who have close family ties to Canada, since that time, what concrete measures have been taken by the Prime Minister, by Canadian officials at Canada's embassies and consulates in China, and by officials at Immigration Canada to ensure compliance with this motion, and in particular to ensure that all 13 of the individuals named in this resolution be granted visas to enter Canada if they so requested?

(Return tabled)

[Food and Drugs Act, March 9th, 2005]

For shame. You should hang your head in shame.