November 2009 Parliamentary Report
JUSTICE COMMITTEE WORK
In Ottawa I serve you by diligent Committee work. In addition to the review of several House of Commons Bills the Justice and Human Rights Committee is doing a study of organized crime in Canada. Recently the Committee travelled to Montreal and Halifax where we met with a wide range of witnesses. These included city police officers, investigative journalists, sociologists, criminologists and members of Canada Border Services, CSIS, and the R.C.M.P. We heard from a total of 22 witnesses in two days and learned a great deal about organized crime in Quebec and Nova Scotia.
The Justice Committee is also studying Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act.
BILL S-216
On May 14 I had the honour of sponsoring Senate Bill 216 in the House of Commons. This enactment amends the Federal Sustainable Development Act and the Auditor General Act to ensure the full participation of each House of Parliament. The Bill came up for 2nd reading on October 26, 2009. At that time I had the opportunity to address the Chamber and to thank Liberal Senator Tommy Banks, the author of the Bill, for his assistance and support. I noted that the Government supports this Bill. My sponsorship of a Liberal Senator's Bill should serve as an example of bipartisan cooperation and encouraged all Parliamentarians to search out such opportunities for cooperation and consensus wherever possible.
OUR DUTY TO REMEMBER
On November 11th, we remember the generations of Canada's best and brightest who have answered the call of duty and served our country. From World War I, when Canada first proved our strength and determination as a young nation, to our work in Kandahar and around the globe today, the courage and sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform has been a constant feature.
The rest of us, whose freedom is rooted in the sacrifice of both the past and present generations, have a duty to remember. That's why, on Remembrance Day in communities across Canada, thousands of families will stand before memorials to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of Canada.
The grandparents and great-grandparents who crossed oceans to fight on the front lines of Europe to break the grip of tyranny. The sons and daughters who stood between an unsteady peace and the renewed spark of conflict. Those here at home who made their own sacrifice as they supported family members deployed across the country and around the world.
On November 11th we remember these Canadians, past and present, for their courage, their sacrifice and their defence of Canadian values.
Please join me on November 11th at the Kitchener Cenotaph. It is an opportunity to pay respect and thank those who have served in the past and those who continue to serve today.
Lest we forget.