Vietnamese Canadian Community Scholarship Fund  Mr. Speaker, today I want to acknowledge the efforts of the Vietnamese Canadian Community Scholarship Fund. This grassroots organization awards hard-working Vietnamese Canadian students with scholarships in order to assist them in pursuing a higher level of education. Last month, I had the privilege of attending its award ceremony where I presented 11 outstanding students with their scholarship awards.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I would like to present the following petition to the House. The petition was organized by grade 5 students at Homestead Public School in Brampton who worked relentlessly to get over 500 signatures for their cause. The students are concerned with the growing gun violence in our communities.

Boys and Girls Clubs  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the important work of the Boys and Girls Club of Peel. Their after school program enhances the skills and knowledge that children receive in a formal classroom setting. I believe that after school programs in my riding of Mississauga—Brampton South and across Canada have a positive impact on our children's study habits, self-esteem and the ability to work with each other.

Peel Environmental Youth Alliance  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the hard work of PEYA, the Peel Environmental Youth Alliance. PEYA is a network of youth from across the region of Peel determined to make a difference by improving our environment. They have worked in our schools and in our communities to show us that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is possible.

Challenger Jet Use  Mr. Speaker, the minority Conservative government's obsession with secrecy and silencing public servants has spread to National Defence. When asked by journalists to provide information on the Prime Minister's partisan political use of Canadian government jets, defence department officials were ordered by the powers to be to hide the true cost of the trip.

Challenger Jet Use  Mr. Speaker, information previously available through access to information is now regularly blacked out, just like the names on these flights. Derek Burney's name was scrubbed from the Stealth flight to Washington. The names of the Conservatives who took joyrides to Halifax and went to hockey games with the Prime Minister are gone.

Government Programs  Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board with his cabinet colleagues from Human Resources and Public Works have been caught muzzling public officials and acting in contempt of Parliament. The minister's answers at committee could only be described as evasive, argumentative and, imagine this, hotly partisan.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, yes, the minister was accompanied by officials, but he forgot to mention that they were gagged. When the President of the Treasury Board testified, he stated that the issue of LRT funding for Ottawa did not arrive on his desk until September 28. Here are some of the facts: The LRT contract was signed September 15; the memorandum of understanding was signed over a year ago; and the minister was aware of the council's final vote on the issue in July.

Government Programs  Mr. Speaker, late yesterday, officials from Human Resources, Public Works and Treasury Board were ordered by government officials not to appear before the government operations committee. These public servants had been scheduled to testify about the meanspirited budget cuts of the minority Conservative government.

Government Programs  Mr. Speaker, that is just pathetic. Those members are proud of government cuts. First the Conservatives muzzle cabinet ministers, then they muzzle their own caucus, and now they are muzzling public servants. It gets worse, as my colleague mentioned. The Minister of Public Works, who cannot answer questions in the House of Commons, is not allowing government officials to answer questions in committee.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board did nothing until he realized he could interfere in a municipal election. It gets worse. The minister's political staff have confirmed that they leaked confidential documents in order to justify the minister's irresponsible and unprecedented actions.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, last week the Treasury Board president improperly inserted himself into a municipal election by withholding $200 million in previously committed funding for Ottawa's light rail project. The minister could have taken action on the file, but instead he waited weeks after the contract was signed to announce, through the media, that the government was withholding funds.

Situation in Sudan  Mr. Chair, the issue of the UN embargo, the International Criminal Court, are definitely issues that I have identified. However, the underlying principle, which I wanted to highlight in my remarks, is the responsibility to protect. The reason for that is very simple. We saw it in Rwanda.

Situation in Sudan  Mr. Chair, I will be splitting my time with the member for Davenport. I am rising in the House tonight to address the very serious humanitarian crisis that is taking place in Darfur. Since 2003, there has been an escalation of violence taking place in the western region of Sudan.

Political Financing  Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister must answer to Canadians for his own behaviour when it comes to Canada's election laws. The Prime Minister has personally violated the Canada Elections Act by donating more than the $5,100 limit an individual can donate to a political party. How does the Prime Minister expect Canadians to believe that he will abide by the $1,000 limit in his own accountability act when he cannot even respect the existing laws?