Employees' Voting Rights Act  Speaker, I would like to wish you and all of our colleagues in this House a very happy and prosperous new year. Second, I would like to thank all of my constituents in the great riding of Medicine Hat for their support over this last year. I am very pleased to rise in the House today to speak in support of the employees' voting rights act, which intends to modify the Canada Labour Code, the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act, and the Public Service Labour Relations Act.

Jobs and Growth Act, 2012  I would like to talk a little about these, because they are a way for the people of my Medicine Hat riding and all Canadians to save money for retirement. The whole idea behind the PRPP was to provide a way for those who do not necessarily have access to other plans but want to put aside a little nest egg for their retirement anyway.

Agriculture committee  Thank you, Chair, and thank you, witnesses, for coming. I understand Mr. Otto is now going to be in the new riding of Medicine Hat, so welcome. I was interested in some of your comments. It has been said that 80% of the barley goes into feed for cattle and pork, and the other 20% is going...is it going into malt, or what's happening there?

City of Brooks  Speaker, Communities in Bloom is a Canadian non-profit organization committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community involvement and the challenge of a national program with a focus on the enhancement of green spaces and communities. I would like to congratulate the city of Brooks in my riding of Medicine Hat for having won this prestigious award in the 10,000 to 35,000 people category for 2013. I have had the honour of representing the great people of Brooks since first being elected some five years ago.

Public Safety committee  One of the things I've noticed in my local community that has been reported many times is that the Medicine Hat city police are the second-highest paid in the country, which I find quite outstanding, actually. That obviously relates to a number of questions that we've seen. You've talked a bit about those, that when you talk to these officers they say they get really frustrated at having to go to court and then it's remanded for whatever reason, and they're going back two or three times.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  We recognize that because of the size of the Medicine Hat riding, 121,000, you'd obviously lose some communities. Obviously, it would have been nicer to be able to keep all those, but I recognize that we'll need to have some adjustments.

Public Safety committee  In Alberta we have a combination of municipal as well as RCMP services, particularly in my riding of Medicine Hat. I can think of a couple of communities. The City of Brooks, for example, uses RCMP, and the Town of Taber has its own municipal police force, as well as Medicine Hat. Deputy Commissioner, in terms of the provinces and the agreement with the federal government on the RCMP services, could you give me some clarification on who's paying what costs, in particular when we get down into the City of Brooks, which has the forces there, as well as the small Town of Redcliff?

Last Post Fund  I want to thank all of the Veterans Affairs staff and the Canadian Legion across the great riding of Medicine Hat, for they have supported our veterans. They are working for veterans and helping us to deliver what those veterans need.

Public Safety committee  I was interested to learn that my chief of police, Andy McGrogan, is on your committee. I know that there's a lot of training that goes on, and in particular the Medicine Hat Police Service will quite often take recruits from the Lethbridge community college. So I'm just curious as to what kind of interface you would have with the college. You did talk about bums in chairs versus online training, and I know that the college obviously puts these individuals through their training program at the college and there obviously must be bums in chairs.

Privilege  Speaker, it is with great honour to rise today in this place as the democratically elected member of Parliament for Medicine Hat. I rise to speak on the question of privilege raised by my colleague, the hon. member for Langley. Our Westminster parliamentary system is without a doubt the best in the world, as we all know.

Petitions  Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present another petition on behalf of the citizens of the Medicine Hat constituency urging that the House of Commons and all members of Parliament condemn sex selection gendercide.

Keeping Canada's Economy and Jobs Growing Act  Those are just a few examples of what has happened under Canada's economic action plan. The people of the Medicine Hat constituency live in a more prosperous and productive economic environment. Our government has continued to support the communities in the riding of Medicine Hat and other communities right across this country.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Medicine Hat is about 62,000.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Honestly, Tom, I don't know that answer. However, I can tell you that the population of Medicine Hat increased by 87 over the last three years. That's not very much, 87 people.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I never appeared before the commission. There were people in the riding who made presentations on behalf of the Medicine Hat constituency.