Bruce Grey Child and Family Services Foundation  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity today to congratulate the Bruce Grey Child and Family Services Foundation on a very successful fundraising event in my riding of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound. This past Friday night, Bruce Grey Child and Family Services, with the generous support of Bruce Power, was able to bring former Maple Leaf captain, Wendel Clark, to the riding to speak at the event.

Transboundary Waters Protection Act  Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to finally get to second reading on my private member's bill. My riding of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, like yours, borders on beautiful Georgian Bay as well as Lake Huron on the west. Therefore, this is very important to me and a lot of other members in the House, including you.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions from my riding of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound. The petitioners urge all members to support Motion No. 312.

John Diefenbaker  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Right Honourable John Diefenbaker. It was on this day in 1895 that Mr. Diefenbaker was born. I am very proud to say that Mr. Diefenbaker was born in the beautiful town of Neustadt, Ontario, in my riding of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound. Canadians of all political viewpoints continue to celebrate and recognize his legacy: his cherished bill of rights; the battles within the Commonwealth that he led against apartheid in South Africa; his devotion to Canadian citizens wherever they came from, unhyphenated Canadians as he called them; his love of Parliament and the cut and thrust of debate that he enjoyed in this chamber; and, of course, Mr.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to present a petition from approximately 50 of my constituents who have asked that the Criminal Code in section 223 be amended to recognize human beings.

Owen Sound Attack  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to congratulate the Los Angeles Kings on their recent Stanley Cup victory and also to recognize the Kings connection to Owen Sound. Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound is home to the Owen Sound Attack and I am proud to say that three Attack alumni were a part of the LA Kings cup run this season.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from my good friend and colleague from Wainwright. I would never call anybody a hypocrite in this place, but certainly some actions are hypocritical, and the member touched on that. In government we hear comments like the one from the member for Malpeque, who talked about fiscal management.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, to my hon. colleague's first comment, which I will not get back into, my mom used to say when I was a kid that every little boy should have a dream. However, in terms of the question about who is going to pay for this, the member talked about the age of 67. It is always the NDP way to fearmonger and present 67 as that terrible age.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate the member for Malpeque's support of my comments on the UN, so I thank him for that. To get back to OAS, it is obvious that the NDP members do not have a monopoly on fearmongering. We just heard a classic example there. However, we are fixing this OAS so that when he leaves this place in three years, he will be able to draw on it too.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today in support of Bill C-38 and to explain the necessary changes to the old age security program. I appreciate as well the opportunity to stand in the House against the NDP and the opposition's tired tactics of delaying, which only serve to threaten Canadian jobs, growth and long-term prosperity.

Transboundary Waters Protection Act  Mr. Speaker, the member is exactly right. I agree with him that water is a resource. However, like oil, timber or gold, it is not a commodity and should not be treated as such. The Prime Minister has been very clear on that in the last five or six years. That is a question that I could have written myself.

Transboundary Waters Protection Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Mississauga South for her work in support of the bill. She is absolutely right in pointing out that there might be different meanings to our freshwater from rural to urban, but urban ridings and communities like her own probably in some ways have more to gain from that.

Transboundary Waters Protection Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question and for his positive comments on the bill. As for his comments about a minister's comments on ballast water, I am not familiar with the comments he is referring to. However, I can tell the member that his wording of “loosening” certainly would not be a true statement because we have tightened the ballast laws on incoming foreign ships into the Great Lakes system and other lakes and rivers in Canada, not loosened them.

Transboundary Waters Protection Act  moved that Bill C-383, An Act to amend the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act and the International River Improvements Act, be read the second time and referred to a committee. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to begin second reading debate on Bill C-383, An Act to amend the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act and the International River Improvements Act.

Act to Provide for the Continuation and Resumption of Rail Service Operations  Mr. Speaker, I was listening to the previous speaker's comments and to his colleague from Newton—North Delta before that. I have had different people in my riding ask me from time to time, after listening to the craziness that happens in the House and some of the bizarre comments, why I listen to that and what keeps me around.