Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I am quite pleased to say that I have no idea. That is a question that should be addressed to that side of the House. However, it is a great opportunity to remember that the previous member, Mr. Alcock, should be returning here soon and we will be delighted when he i

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to follow my hon. colleague from Eglinton—Lawrence. It is also a little daunting to follow someone whose words flow out so quickly and so easily. It is a great pleasure today to speak to the motion from the member for Ajax—Pickering. The moti

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his statements and his discussion which I think is adding to our motion today. However, not only are there physical border cities but increasingly we recognize that every city in Canada with an international airport is also a border city and th

Questions on the Order Paper  With respect to the official provider of uniforms and clothing for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games: (a) what was the selection process; (b) which companies submitted bids to provide these products to Canadian athletes and the Canadian public; (c) how was the decision made to sele

Questions on the Order Paper  With respect to government television commercials which promote Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSA): (a) why are financial advisors not included in the list of possible ways to open an TFSAs; (b) how much did it cost to produce these commercials and to air them; (c) how often are th

Sri Lanka  Mr. Speaker, has the government taken the necessary steps to increase aid? The government has pledged just $3 million in aid to Sri Lanka while Australia, with two-thirds our population, has tripled that amount. We are providing 10¢ per Canadian. Canada is becoming an embarrassme

Employment Insurance  Mr. Speaker, since October the number of unemployed Canadians has risen by 295,000. According to the OECD, it will continue to rise. A young mother in my riding took on an internship to get Canadian experience. Her employer has just cut the program, leaving her on the street. S

Controlled Drugs and Substances Act  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member's understanding of this complex issue and his reluctance to take on the simplistic answers that I am hearing from the other side. Of course we on this side of the House are supporting issues that would make our communities safer. However, he

Foreign Credentials  Mr. Speaker, new Canadians in Toronto are particularly hard hit by this recession. On Friday, I am meeting with Mr. Alamgir Hossain, a Canadian citizen who emigrated from Bangladesh. He is a professional engineer who lost his job when his company downsized in December. What spec

Sultans of Science Exhibit  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to draw attention today to an incredible exhibit that opened at the Ontario Science Centre in Don Valley West this past week. Sultans of Science celebrates 1,000 years of scientific creativity, imagination and scholarship coming from the Islamic world.

Situation in Sri Lanka  Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege and an honour to be here tonight. I come with a heavy heart. I am very aware of the gallery being filled tonight. I am aware that people have come here with hopes and dreams, with pain and with challenges, and I am very pleased to see them. I am a

Situation in Sri Lanka  Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for her actions today, for announcing humanitarian aid and for other calls for a ceasefire from the government. In that same spirit of co-operation, as an individual member of Parliament, I want to work with her on this. I do have a concern ab

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition today from residents of Don Valley West, expressing concern about current hostilities in Sri Lanka. The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to put pressure on the government of Sri Lanka to provide the Tamil population w

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, it is totally interesting to be on this side of the House. This is not a Liberal budget. In every way the budget shines as not being a Liberal budget, so of course we are critical of it. Once we had read it, once we had a look at it, once we examined it, we saw both

The Budget  Those are that member's words, Mr. Speaker. I would say that my job as the member of Parliament for Don Valley West is watching where the government spends this money, how it creates jobs and what gets done. The hon. member will see me at Union Station, downtown Toronto, making s