Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I indicated in my earlier question that Prince Edward Island primarily has a seasonal economy. There are some good-paying, permanent jobs that some people are fortunate enough to have. Some of them are at the national headquarters of the Department of Veterans Affair

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I am quite interested in the hon. member's suggestion that this is good policy for Atlantic Canada. I am sure that the voters in his riding would be very impressed by his spirited defence of the EI reforms. People are not so pleased about them in Prince Edward Island

Frank Zakem  Mr. Speaker, last week, Frank Zakem passed away at the age of 82. He was revered by Prince Edward Islanders. Frank was fond of saying that there were three types of people: those who made things happen; those who watched things happen; and those who did not know what happened.

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns  With respect to funding announcements regarding veterans: (a) how much of the $300,000 announced on August 7, 2006, for renovations to the Robert L. Knowles Veterans’ Unit at the Villa Chaleur Nursing Home in Bathurst, New Brunswick, was spent, and what was the breakdown of that

Technical Tax Amendments Act, 2012  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Kings—Hants for his reference to my riding. Prince Edward Island is the only province in Canada where a taxpayer cannot get in-person assistance with income tax issues. That is also the case for immigrants in Prince Edward Island, people l

Employment Insurance  Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' financial incompetence has increased our national debt to over $600 billion, and now the Conservatives are making cuts to employment insurance. Workers are being backed into a corner, and the seasonal economy is in crisis. As a result, Canadians ar

Government Services  Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development plans to eliminate 46% of jobs in Service Canada offices in Prince Edward Island. The Minister of Veterans Affairs plans to close our only district office and eliminate 800 jobs. The Minister of Citizenship, I

Intergovernmental Affairs  Mr. Speaker, apparently size matters. Size matters to Senators Duffy, Wallace and Greene, who want to erase Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick off the Canadian map. We are a proud people back home and, yes, we have challenges. If the Conservatives really want to

Points of Order  Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order arising from an order paper question that I submitted. The question that I posed was quite simple and, for the record, I will read the question and the answer provided in their original parliamentary form. The question reads: With regard

Veterans Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Minister of Finance for increasing the federal debt to $600 billion. Great job. Now, to reduce the debt, Conservatives are cutting nine district offices that serve veterans. They claim that local Service Canada outlets will pick up the sla

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns  With regard to torture: (a) what is the government’s policy on art. 1(1) of the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; (b) is it the policy of the government and its agencies that Canada is opposed to any violation

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of several residents of Prince Edward Island to present a petition for the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development against proposed changes to the Employment Insurance Act. These citizens are concerned that the government did not consult

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, last week the Conservative chair of the Standing Committee on National Defence ejected a decorated veteran from a committee meeting. Now he is defending himself by calling it a simple misunderstanding. My question for the chair of the Standing Committee on National

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, regardless of the nature of the so-called miscommunication, the whole idea of ejecting a veteran is just wrong. The House of Commons belongs to them if it belongs to anyone. The abuse of power that has infested the government is so pervasive that ordinary Canadians w

Income Tax Act  Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to rise today in the House of Commons to speak to the subject of volunteerism. Every member of Parliament is obviously proud of their own community and the people they represent. This certainly holds true for me. I am proud to repre