House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2011, with 35% of the vote.
Justice March 12th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians deserve in Canada is clear answers from the minister who is responsible for this file.
The fact is that he appeared before the justice committee on Monday last, and he actually refused to say whether or not he supports British Columbia's requests.
I want to know why he does not support British Columbia's requests. British Columbians actually want to know why he would not tell us what his position is on this issue.
Justice March 12th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I want to tell the Minister of Justice that the gang killings in British Columbia continue.
The Attorney General of British Columbia and the Solicitor General of British Columbia came to Ottawa two weeks ago. They talked to the government. They talked to the opposition. They wanted two amendments, one on the two-for-one remand credit and the other on modernizing investigative techniques. The Liberal Party of Canada agreed with those amendments.
I want to know the position of the government on B.C.'s request for amending the Criminal Code so that gang problems can be dealt with more satisfactorily in British Columbia.
Justice February 25th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, on the Conservative government's watch, Vancouver has had 18 murders in the last 30 days. The government has not provided the police officers or the prosecutors that it promised, nor has it paid much attention to planned prevention.
Canadians feel less safe today than they did three years ago. Canadians are legitimately angry at the government for not providing them with protection and for not making Canada safer. Why should they not be angry?
Public Safety February 24th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, the minister is engaging in phony propaganda again.
In 2006, those sheriffs rode into town slinging rhetoric and pretending to have a silver bullet for every criminal offence. However, on their watch the main streets of Toronto, Vancouver, Surrey and other cities have turned into war zones.
Canadians want those bumbling sheriffs to wake up and smell the gun smoke from the streets of Vancouver to the buses in Toronto. Why will they not?
Public Safety February 24th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, on the government's watch the streets of Vancouver and Surrey have become more like shooting ranges. The minister has blamed the opposition for the government's failure to act. Ninety per cent of the Conservatives' legislation on public safety has been supported by the opposition parties; the Conservatives killed the other 10%, either by calling an election or by proroguing Parliament to save their own political skins.
Why is the government misleading Canadians and then in fact failing Canadians?
The Economy February 10th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, the recession is devastating British Columbia. There have been 68,000 full-time jobs lost, bankruptcies are soaring, and home sales are crashing. There is damage in every sector: construction, mining, forestry, financial services and tourism. Men and women are losing their livelihoods. They are losing their businesses. They are losing their homes.
Why is the Prime Minister so utterly incapable of giving them any hope?
The Economy February 9th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, it is not my riding; it is my province and my country.
There is a real cost and real suffering. Tembec's sawmill in Chetwynd shut down a week ago. Canfor just announced a temporary closure of several mills.
It is beyond numbers, it is beyond statistics, it is beyond words. It is about the men and women and their families who have lost their jobs and are in danger of losing whatever they have earned all of their lives.
I ask the Prime Minister to stand in his place and say what is he doing for them.
The Economy February 9th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, my home province of B.C. lost 68,000 full time jobs last month, the worse drop in 30 years and proportionately higher than anywhere else in Canada: Tembec, 1,000 jobs gone; Teck Cominco, 400 jobs gone; Western Canadian Coal Corporation, hundreds of jobs gone.
Thousands of men, women and their families have lost their jobs and are in danger of losing their homes and their life savings.
I ask the Prime Minister to stand in his place, look Canadians in the eye and tell them what he is doing for them.
Senior Citizens February 4th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to you on behalf of the senior citizens of Vancouver South, southeast Vancouver in particular, and on behalf of the Southeast Vancouver Seniors' Arts and Cultural Society and the president, Lorna Gibbs. There is a dire need for a seniors centre in this area of Vancouver. The census indicates that there are 25,000 seniors living in the southeast quadrant of my riding. That is almost a third of the senior citizens living in Vancouver.
There are nine seniors centres in the city of Vancouver, eight of them west of Main, only one east of Main, and none in this area, so there is a significant need.
I can tell you that Vancouver City Council and the Province of British Columbia are trying to find ways of making this a reality for senior citizens. I would urge the federal government to work with the provincial government and the City of Vancouver to make this a reality for the senior citizens of Vancouver, senior citizens who have actually built this country into what it is today.
Equalization Payments February 2nd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, the minister utters absolute nonsense.
The fact is no amount of evasion can change the fact that the federal government has a responsibility to make this federation work properly. The government is one big wrecking crew when it comes to federal-provincial relations.
How can the Prime Minister assure the House that the budget implementation legislation will not be used to settle political scores with any premier or any province?