Veterans Affairs  Mr. Speaker, my question is not to the minister but to the chair of the veterans affairs committee. Public hearings about the cuts at the Veterans Affairs department were terminated today, cancelled without hearing from one veteran, the ombudsman, or even the Royal Canadian Legi

Points of Order  On the same point, Mr. Speaker, the committee will meet again tomorrow. Then, presumably, I will get my answer, live and in colour. If the same question is posed tomorrow, will it be the chair of the committee or the minister who will answer that question?

Veterans Affairs  Mr. Speaker, my question is for the chair of the veterans affairs committee. Tomorrow he has scheduled a secret meeting, but we are supposed to be hearing from witnesses in public. Liberals submitted a list of witnesses concerned about the cuts, people and organizations like the

House debate  Mr. Speaker, this is actually the second consecutive night that I have had the opportunity to participate in the adjournment proceedings. I am pleased to see my colleague from the veterans affairs committee, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs, here fo

House debate  Mr. Speaker, I believe perhaps the parliamentary secretary has misunderstood my question. My question was whether she intends to vote on Thursday at committee to kill the public hearings on the budget cuts at Veterans Affairs. I understand her position. I understand the party li

House debate  Mr. Speaker, that was an excellent speech outlining the programs that the government has set out but there is still no answer to my question. It is a fairly simple question. Will the government equalize the amount that is afforded for funerals of veterans with Canadian Forces me

House debate  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs for being here this evening for what will no doubt be a completely non-partisan and transparent response to my question. The issue brought to the House this evening for debate relates t

Veterans  Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are shortchanging our brave veterans by cutting more than $200 million from their budget. Today at committee the Liberals fought back and won a small victory for the vets. Our motion to study these massive cuts passed because Conservative members d

Justice  Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government's crime bill adds longer sentences for drug offences, increases mandatory minimums and cuts conditional sentences.

Justice  Mr. Speaker, however, even the toughest anti-crime advocates in America say that this strategy is just plain wrong. Even the staunchest Conservative Republicans in Texas are repealing mandatory minimums and increasing drug treatment programs because they slash crimes at a tenth o

Veterans Affairs  Mr. Speaker, the minister is about to defend the gutting of $200 million from Veterans Affairs. I can see that he has his PMO script all ready to go. Why did Veterans Affairs spend $3 million on backdrops--

Veterans Affairs  Why did Veterans Affairs spend almost $3 million on photo ops while gutting the department by $200 million? Why are there millions for PR stunts but nothing but cutbacks for the people who really matter, our veterans?

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, my question for the hon. member relates to the effectiveness of the programs in place. I appreciate his listing the services that are available, but in an environment where there have been 696 suicides by members of the armed forces who have served between 1972 and 2

Veterans Affairs  Mr. Speaker, there is a great need to enhance suicide prevention programs in Canada. With respect to our veterans, the data is alarming. The suicide rate in the armed services is nearly three times that of the general population. According to a departmental study of all males w

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I am entirely in agreement with the hon. member. In fact, that is precisely what the motion calls for: We need to have a suicide prevention strategy. I take it from the question that she is also in support and I would urge her and members of her party to vote in fav