Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition signed by several citizens of British Columbia concerned over the cuts to the budget at Veterans Affairs and over the impending job losses. These citizens call upon the government to restore funding to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Ending the Long-Gun Registry Act  Mr. Speaker, I was interested in my colleague's constitutional analysis and his analysis of the division of powers. In particular he stated that the purpose of the registry seemed to conflict with the exclusive jurisdiction of the provinces in that it infringed on property right

Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act  Mr. Speaker, I appreciated my colleague's comments and the passion with which she spoke about people in poverty. During this debate, we have heard members opposite say that 60% of Canadians have no plan. The day after this bill is passed, what is in it that will make it more aff

Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act  Mr. Speaker, I listened to my colleague from Crowfoot talk about support from the finance ministers across the country. I talked to one of the finance ministers in this country this morning. What the member for Crowfoot did not say was that this option was not the first choice of

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns  With respect to additional fees or expenses of Deputy Ministers (DM) of government departments, what is the amount of all additional fees or expenses paid on behalf of DMs or for which DMs are reimbursed, including but not limited to (i) memberships or membership discounts for pr

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns  With respect to the new federal regulations on water treatment systems, issued by Environment Canada, to be implemented in November 2011: (a) what is the estimated cost, separately, for each municipality and province affected by the need to upgrade infrastructure to meet the new

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns  With respect to the new federal regulations on tolerance of fecal matter in areas where shellfish are, as issued by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans: (a) what is the estimated cost, separately, for each municipality and province affected by the need to upgrade infrastructur

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns  With regard to the Last Post Fund and the agreements in place with Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) related to funeral expenses: (a) why does VAC not directly take care of the funeral expenses related to the death of veterans; (b) what restrictions exist that prevent a veteran or a

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition signed by people in Chilliwack and Abbotsford, B.C. who are concerned about the cuts to Veterans Affairs and their impact on veterans. They specifically point out that $226 million in cuts have already been announced, that there will be f

Senate Reform Act  Madam Speaker, the Liberal Party certainly shares some of the concerns with respect to the constitutionality of this legislation. I found it very interesting that the member laid it out as a bit of ruse in saying that the Conservatives probably expect this legislation will never

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of several residents of British Columbia concerned about the announced and anticipated cuts in the Department of Veterans Affairs. The petitioners raise the issues of the $226 million cuts to Veterans Affairs, which have

Veterans Affairs  Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Veterans Ombudsman made the case that veterans should receive the same amount for funeral costs as serving Canadian Forces members. However, today we learned that the Conservatives will cut $4 million from the last post fund. Page 30 of the Conservati

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns  With respect to Conditional Sentencing in Canada: (a) what is the number of conditional sentences issued since 2002 to present and for what offences under the criminal code; (b) what is the expected financial impact of the increased prison population, and longer prison terms expe

Status of Women  Mr. Speaker, next week we will recognize one of the most tragic events in Canadian history. On December 6, 1989, out of the blue, while ordinary women were going about their day at École Polytechnique, 14 lives were tragically ended. One can only imagine what these young women wo

Corrections and Conditional Release Act  Mr. Speaker, I only wish that the government had the same zeal to combat poverty and other social inequities. I have read the bill and I want to say to the member directly that any attempt to withhold any constitutional protections to any Canadians will be met with great opposit