“Hot Topics” Generating
Debate this Summer
July 12, 2006
In this week’s MP Report, I would like to follow-up
on a handful of the topics I’ve been discussing
with constituents as I travel around the riding this summer.
Corporal Boneca
We mourn the death this week of Corporal Anthony Joseph
Boneca during an intense battle with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Responding to media reports that his son wasn’t
happy with his mission, Cpl. Boneca’s father declared
his son “knew what he was getting into”.
Antonio Boneca also said, “My son volunteered to
go to Afghanistan. In all my conversations with my son,
there was never any mention of him not being well enough
or fit enough to carry out his military duties. Anthony
knew he was part of a group that stuck together to do
what they were sent to do. He said it was difficult to
cope with the weather, the sand and the situation the
young children (in Afghanistan) endured. He was proud
to make a difference in their lives.”
Tumbler Ridge
I would like to congratulate the residents of Tumbler
Ridge, as well as the district’s mayor, council,
administration and fire officials. It’s incredible
that the evacuation of 3,500 residents last week was conducted
so smoothly, as was their return home when the forest
fire threat subsided. Many thanks to the firefighters
- and to Mother Nature, for cooler temperatures and a
little rain!
Public Service School
It was revealed last week that the former Liberal cabinet
approved a program to send all new federal employees to
Ottawa on an all-expenses-paid, two-day “orientation”
trip.
As the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister,
MP Jason Kenney stated, “We’ve inherited a
lot of programs like this that were decisions made by
the Liberals that we’re only finding out about …
this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of wasteful
programs dreamed up by the Liberals.”
The Conservative government is reviewing and scrutinizing
all programs in each federal department to determine whether
they’re a valid use of taxpayers’ money.
Robbing the Kiddies?
Apparently some daycare centres across the country are
exploiting the new Child Care Benefit by increasing their
rates to cancel out any gains to parents. The Conservative
government created this benefit to help parents with the
cost of caring for their children. Fortunately, this is
not representative of the actions of the majority of daycare
centres. The federal government cannot dictate daycare
rates but it is my fervent hope that these few exploitive
daycare providers end up answering to parents and to the
disgust of Canadians.
War Memorial Update
Ottawa Police have identified the three men photographed
urinating on our National War Memorial on Canada Day.
A 23-year-old Montreal man, Stephen Fernandes, has been
charged with the Criminal Code offence of mischief but
the two others cannot be identified or similarly charged
because they fall under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
All three have apologized to Canada’s vets.
I’m glad Mr. Fernandes will face his day in court.
Ultimately however, I defer to Canada’s veterans
and their level of satisfaction with the sincerity of
the apologies.
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