Fairness for the Self-Employed Act  Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to speak today on a bill that provides improvements to the employment insurance program which would, if passed into law, set up a system to allow self-employed Canadians to collect EI special benefits for the very first time. This will mean that o

Fairness for the Self-Employed Act  Mr. Speaker, before question period and before the great tributes to our veterans by all parties, I talked about a promise our Conservative government made to self-employed Canadians to set up a system to allow self-employed Canadians to collect EI special benefits for the very f

Fairness for the Self-Employed Act  Mr. Speaker, the fact is it is optional for the self-employed to buy into this program. We have about 2.6 million self-employed Canadians. Overwhelmingly, when polled, they wanted this program. They have interest in it: 86% are interested in sickness, 85% in compassionate care,

Fairness for the Self-Employed Act  Mr. Speaker, what is clear is the number of self-employed Canadians who actually need the bill and it is the reason we brought the bill forward. It was a commitment by the government, a commitment by the Prime Minister and a promise made to self-employed Canadians, because we bel

Fairness for the Self-Employed Act  Mr. Speaker, the hon. member said that the Liberals say one thing and then vote in a totally different direction and really let Canadians down. Canadians are lucky to have a government that is supporting them, especially the long-tenured workers. So many Canadians have asked for

Fairness for the Self-Employed Act  Mr. Speaker, I think Canadians want to know the truth about where all those EI premiums went to during the Liberal tenure, when they were in government for so many years. For 13 years when the Liberals were in government, self-employed Canadians had asked for this bill, asked f

Fairness for the Self-Employed Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question, her comments, and hopefully for her and her party's support for this bill. I was speaking in my riding to members of the Sherwood Park and District Chamber of Commerce and they were saying how much they appreciate this, especiall

National Holocaust Monument Act  moved that Bill C-442, An Act to establish a National Holocaust Monument, be read the second time and referred to a committee. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce my private member's bill, Bill C-442, An Act to establish a National Holocaust Monument. As a student growing u

National Holocaust Monument Act  Mr. Speaker, the member is right, the bill lays out a framework and some timeline of how this monument will move its way through government. The bill also asks the minister responsible to put together a council of no more than five members from the community. Canadians at large

National Holocaust Monument Act  Mr. Speaker, this monument is obviously a monument for the Holocaust but it is so much more. It is a monument to those who fought in World War II, for the many who went over and were killed in that war, the families of the victims of that war. It honours the men and women in unif

National Holocaust Monument Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his comments. He was one of the first people who seconded this bill and I appreciate that. The bill definitely transcends all party lines. We have spoken to most parties and I believe we will receive support from all parties. It is important th

National Holocaust Monument Act  Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I think if you were to seek it you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That the motion for second reading of Bill C-442, An Act to establish a National Holocaust Monument, be amended by replacing the words

National Holocaust Monument Act  Mr. Speaker, much has already been said about how horrible the Holocaust was for its victims and survivors, and the reasons we need a memorial in our national capital. Further to that, I would like to thank all the speakers from all the parties for their support and I look forwa

The Budget  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to follow my colleague, who is no doubt one of the hardest working members of Parliament and an advocate for his constituents. A number of important points about this budget have been brought forward already. I would like to highlight two of the mains

The Budget  Madam Speaker, it is very important to invest in science and technology and the environment, and the government is doing that. In my province and in Edmonton we are investing in the National Research Council's regional innovation structures on nanotechnology. We are investing in