Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games  Mr. Speaker, as the member for Richmond, I would like to thank all the Olympic volunteers who guided us through the games. Whether at the Richmond Oval, the Canada Line stations or in the O Zone, their role contributed enormously to the success of these Olympic winter games. The

Toronto's Chinatown  Mr. Speaker, shoplifters, vandals and other criminals are terrorizing small businesses in Toronto's Chinatown. The victims of crime are often recent immigrants who own and operate their own small businesses. Every dollar's worth of merchandise that is stolen is a dollar less a s

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act  Madam Speaker, this country has a long history of offering protection to those most in need. There are an estimated 10.5 million refugees in the world today who live in desperate conditions, many in refugee camps, often forgotten by the world at large. Their plight is real and th

Ray Leitch  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the passing of Ray Leitch, a long-time Conservative activist and volunteer. Sadly, Ray passed away in Vancouver on Monday night. Ray was a great example of what it means to be Canadian. He took pride in Canada's democratic process and devoted th

Teaching Excellence  Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, the Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence were announced and one award went to my constituent, Rainer Mehl. Mr. Mehl is a teacher of animation, photography and graphic arts at Kitsilano Secondary School. His passion for photography bega

Retribution on Behalf of Victims of White Collar Crime Act  Madam Speaker, I think that the best response right now is to pass the bill first and then look at the mechanism. It is wrong to put the cart before the horse. The horse has to come first. This is exactly what we are asking. Pass the bill and then let us work on it together.

Retribution on Behalf of Victims of White Collar Crime Act  Madam Speaker, we have a very unique situation here where for too long we have been protecting criminals. When we talk about prisons, in other words, we could just look at the costs without realizing that we have to look at the victims. There are the social costs to the victims

Retribution on Behalf of Victims of White Collar Crime Act  Madam Speaker, I find it very disturbing for the member opposite to compare the private pension to fraud. Is he suggesting that it is the company's desire to cheat its employees right from the beginning? I find that very disturbing. However, let us get back to the bill. The bill

Retribution on Behalf of Victims of White Collar Crime Act  Madam Speaker, I have said quite clearly that the bill does provide the judicial system and the judge, the court, with the ability to do so, because when they do the sentencing, they have to look at that possibility and also provide the victim with the possibility to apply for re

Retribution on Behalf of Victims of White Collar Crime Act  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on the subject of Bill C-52, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sentencing for fraud). The bill contains a number--

Retribution on Behalf of Victims of White Collar Crime Act  Madam Speaker, the bill contains a number of provisions that are designed to ensure that people who devise serious fraud offences receive tougher sentences. The objective of the bill is clear and simple. It would amend the Criminal Code to improve the justice system's response to

China  Mr. Speaker, today marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the People's Republic of China. In Canada, there are many individuals and families of Chinese heritage who proudly call Canada their home. Chinese Canadians have played a significant role in shaping Canada int

Employment Insurance Act  Madam Speaker, it is ridiculous to hear the word “united”. The Bloc and opposition are suggesting that they need to reunite again to take the government down in an unnecessary election, which is exactly what a lot of Canadians are thinking. I am glad the NDP is looking very serio

Employment Insurance Act  Madam Speaker, we have stated clearly that the five week extension would apply to all Canadians who are unemployed and qualify. This extension of five weeks to twenty weeks would actually apply to long-tenured workers who have paid premiums their whole life. They deserve these fi

Employment Insurance Act  Madam Speaker, the financing board will be fully responsible for handling EI premiums and how they will be used. Money collected from people who pay their premiums will be kept by the board in a separate pot and be managed by the board independently.