Breast Cancer  Mr. Speaker, this past Sunday I joined 160,000 fellow Canadians participating in the largest single day fundraiser in Canada dedicated to eradicating breast cancer. Cancer is one of Canada's worst killers, and when breast cancer strikes a woman, this killer strikes at an organ w

Ukraine  Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Ukrainian officials recently summoned Canada's ambassador to Ukraine for publicly raising alarms about the possibility of an undemocratic election in the country's upcoming presidential election. As well, there has

Canada Shipping Act  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate you on your appointment. I am pleased to rise today to address the House about the importance of Bill C-3, an act to amend the Canada Shipping Act, the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act and the Oceans Act, th

Citizenship  Madam Speaker, two generations ago my grandparents arrived in Canada as refugees. What they found was a land of opportunity and freedom where they could lay down roots and prosper. In time, they started a small business and named it “Future” because they could look forward to the

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Prime Minister on the Speech from the Throne. In its broad outlines were our government's three major priorities. However, this throne speech is just the latest marker along a path toward a greater vision. It is a vision that entails

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for referring to me as an optimist. Yes, I am optimistic, and that is one of the reasons that I ran for election, unlike some of the members on the opposing benches who are quite pessimistic about our future. One of the reasons we can be optimistic

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  In fact, Mr. Speaker, I used slightly different terminology. I did not just say housing; I said “shelter” because I see housing as just a component of shelter. Yes, as both members mentioned, we need to address the issue of housing. We need to address it in a much better way than

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, the late Pierre Elliott Trudeau had a vision for our country that every citizen would be treated equally. At a young age, it was the idealism of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms that encouraged me along the path that has brought me here to the House. Could the mem

Resumption of debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I was quite happy to hear the member mention entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship. It is something I know a little about having spent some 22 years as a small business entrepreneur. What was devastating for entrepreneurship was the progressively increasing interest ra

Resumption of debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, one of the reasons that small businesses are able to pay taxes is because during the present regime they have been able to generate profits. My business is a perfect example of that situation. We went through a very difficult period and because of the fiscal respons

Etobicoke Rotary Club  Mr. Speaker, this week the Etobicoke Rotary Club was recognized by the Trillium Health Centre for its 50 years of continuous support of the hospital. The Etobicoke Rotary Club was established in 1930 and has accomplished an exemplary amount of community service, including raisin

Ukraine Elections  Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Having held consultations with all the parties, if you were to seek it, I believe that you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That, in the opinion of this House, the government should impress upon the Governmen

Ukraine  Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This past Sunday, the first round of the presidential election in Ukraine took place. Canadian observers alone have documented over 500 cases of state intimidation, disruption of opposition campaigns, the use of st

Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Act  Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Ahuntsic. I rise to speak in support of Bill C-6, which establishes the new Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. The legislation is essential to ensuring the safety of Canadians and our communities. It

Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Act  Madam Speaker, I was quite young at the time of the events in Quebec that the member mentioned and, yes, there are fundamental changes that have occurred since that time. The previous member from the Bloc has said he respects change that takes place in a democratic way. There we