Questions Asked During Question Period by Rob Oliphant, M.P.
Rob Oliphant asks a question of the Minister of Veterans Affairs on questions regarding Canadian Veterans
June 10, 2010
Question 1
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government talks big on defence, but refuses to support the people who have actually defended us. This minister, the first part-time veterans minister in half a century, has not offered a single new program, benefit or idea since taking this job.
Now, even his own senior adviser, the Veterans Ombudsman, is heaping criticism on the half-time minister. Should Colonel Stogran be worried about keeping his own job, like everyone else who has been critical of this government?
Question 2
Mr. Speaker, every new dollar that has been spent on Veterans Affairs has been legislated and has been required. Nothing is new. Colonel Stogran has been travelling the country listening to veterans. He knows that despite the rhetoric, this Conservative government is neither willing nor able to effectively help our soldiers when they come home.
Programs, care, and treatment are denied the very people who put their lives on the line for us. When will this part-time Minister of Veterans Affairs take the advice of his own ombudsman?
Rob Oliphant asks a question of the Minister of Veterans Affairs about the availability of long-term care beds for veterans
April 29, 2010
Mr. Speaker, last week, Dennis Vialls, an allied veteran and Canadian citizen for 43 years, died after being denied access to Ste. Anne's veterans hospital in Montreal, despite there being 34 empty beds. Now we learn that London's Parkwood Hospital is going to close 72 beds reserved for veterans.
Our veterans are lining up. Allied veterans, cold war vets and peacekeepers are waiting to be allowed in. When will the government make the changes to allow these veterans to get the care they have earned and deserve?
Rob Oliphant questions Minister of Veterans Affairs on issues important to Canadian veterans
April 19, 2010 - Question 1
Mr. Speaker, this afternoon I listened to the President of the Treasury Board equivocate, the Minister of Veterans Affairs regurgitate and the Minister of National Defence obfuscate.
When it comes to veterans, the government is long on words and short on actions. Widows and widowers of fallen soldiers have been promised public service jobs. Why has it taken so long for the government to act?
April 19, 2010 - Question 2
Mr. Speaker, I will use simpler words this time. In Conservative rich Alberta, veterans line up at the Calgary poppy fund food bank to get $500 worth of food every month. As many as 20 to 30 homeless veterans sleep in the Calgary drop-in every night. They suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and they are not being compensated when they are injured. Now their spouses cannot get access to public service jobs.
What are the Conservatives doing for Canadian veterans?
Rob Oliphant questions Minister of Veterans Affairs regarding treatment and care for New Veterans
March 29, 2010 - Question 1
Mr. Speaker, on April 9, we will mark the end of an era, remembering the passing of John Babcock and paying tribute to his comrades who gave their lives in World War I. Veterans who came home in 1918 were welcomed back as heroes. They built the Canada we know today.
Modern veterans face huge and new challenges. They want a part in building tomorrow's Canada, but the Conservatives are failing them.
When will the government commit to the care and benefits these soldiers deserve and are calling for themselves?
March 29, 2010 - Question 2
Mr. Speaker, I will give the minister another chance.
[Translation]
Men and women are returning from Afghanistan with serious injuries and this government offers platitudes and hollow symbols.
The throne speech and the budget are not rooted in reality. These veterans are asking for changes to lump-sum disability payments.
Does this government have a single new initiative for these brave persons?
Rob Oliphant questions Minister of Defence regarding disclosure of wounded soldiers in Afghanistan
March 25, 2010 - Question 1
Mr. Speaker, last week Corporal Darren Fitzpatrick died as a result of injuries sustained in Afghanistan. We have offered our condolences to his loved ones.
This death took us by surprise. Since 2007, the government reports on wounded soldiers only once a year, citing operational risks.
No one wants to put our troops in danger, but would monthly reports not allow us to give more help to the wounded when they return home?
March 25, 2010 - Question 2
Mr. Speaker, this is the same government that wanted to shut out the media and the public from military repatriation ceremonies. The families of fallen soldiers spoke loudly. They wanted to allow Canadians to share their grief. The government always wants to manipulate the news. Wounded soldiers and their families have the right to be supported by Canadians. To support them and respect them, we need to know about them.
When will the government put care for wounded soldiers over concealing the numbers?
Rob Oliphant questions the Government regarding the Minister of Veterans Affairs abuse of Airport Security Personnel
March 19, 2010 - Question 1
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Veterans Affairs knows about airport security. Just last year, on May 5, he joined the Minister of State for Transport at Pearson International Airport to announce new airport security measures. The veterans affairs minister said, “The government...is committed to strengthening aviation security on all fronts”. The plan clearly detailed the threat posed by liquids. Perhaps he should have read it.
Does the minister think he is above the law, or does he just not understand it?
March 19, 2010 - Question 2
Mr. Speaker, I have listened to the news and I have not heard the apology. The honest men and women who work hard to make our airports and air space safe deserve an explanation. They deserve an apology.
Through his actions the minister insinuated that they would confiscate his precious tequila and drink it. That is insulting. It is disrespectful.
If the Minister of Veterans Affairs does not respect those dedicated people in uniform, how do we know he respects the men and women who wear Canadian Forces uniforms?
Rob Oliphant questions Minister Kenney on the removal of gay rights section in the new Citizenship Guide
March 5, 2010
Mr. Speaker, documents obtained under access to information clearly reveal that the Minister of Citizenship made a decision to explicitly exclude gay and lesbian people and our history from the new citizenship guide. However, he told a respected human rights group that it was merely an oversight.
Both this decision and duplicity about it go to the character of the government. Is the minister proud of either of these actions?
Rob Oliphant asks two questions regarding Veterans Affairs
November 6, 2009 - Question 1
Mr. Speaker, the New Veterans Charter was adopted unanimously in 2005. It renewed this country's commitment to Canadian Forces members, veterans, and their families.
The government has had four years to implement the charter, yet last week the Royal Canadian Legion said:
| "It is...becoming evident that critically...wounded veterans may not be provided adequate financial security under the New Veterans Charter." |
November 6, 2009 - Question 2
Mr. Speaker, this week, the Veterans Ombudsman said that this charter would create a great deal of confusion and discontent, particularly among those suffering from operational stress injury. More and more people are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
What is the minister doing to ensure that modern care is being provided to armed forces personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder?
Rob Oliphant asks two questions of John Baird, Minister of Transport, regarding his profane comments towards Toronto, and potential urban transit infrastructure
June 9, 2009 - Question 1
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transport claims to support urban transit. So, Toronto made but one request for infrastructure spending: new streetcars.
The minister's response? Profanity. He told Torontonians, in a word or two, where we could go.
Is this what we can expect from a minister of the Crown?
When will he apologize to the mayor, the council and, most important, the people of Toronto?
June 9, 2009 - Question 2
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we know about frustration. Especially today.
A vulgar attack on the people of Toronto is unacceptable, in public or in private, by a minister of the Crown. We are once again hearing the true feelings that the government has for Toronto. However, Torontonians are thick-skinned. All we want is our fair share, and that fair share will help the rest of Ontario and Canada. Spending on transit in Toronto creates jobs in this country.
When will the minister stop attacking and start working with the people of Toronto?
Rob Oliphant questions the Government about a ceasefire in Sri Lanka
May 11, 2009
Mr. Speaker, violence continues in Sri Lanka today while Tamil Canadians mourn death after death. Civilians are being massacred and Canada has failed to step up to the international plate. Yesterday the UN called this conflict a “bloodbath”, but the UN is still not allowed a role in securing safety for civilians.
Specifically, what instructions has the government given to our UN ambassador and our high commissioner to aggressively pursue a ceasefire and to ensure an international humanitarian presence?
Rob Oliphant asks about Canadian aid to Sri Lanka
April 20, 2009
Mr. Speaker, has the government taken the necessary steps to increase aid? The government has pledged just $3 million in aid to Sri Lanka while Australia, with two-thirds our population, has tripled that amount. We are providing 10¢ per Canadian. Canada is becoming an embarrassment.
Will the government increase the foreign aid for humanitarian help to a reasonable level and ensure that help is getting to the people who need it?
Rob Oliphant asks about the Government's plans to reform Employment Insurance
March 31, 2009
Mr. Speaker, since October the number of unemployed Canadians has risen by 295,000. According to the OECD, it will continue to rise.
A young mother in my riding took on an internship to get Canadian experience. Her employer has just cut the program, leaving her on the street. She has 724 hours, but because she lives in Ontario, she does not qualify for EI.
What plans does the government have to bring EI into the 21st century?
Rob Oliphant asks what the Government is doing to help new immigrants struggling with the economic downturn
February 11, 2009
Mr. Speaker, new Canadians in Toronto are particularly hard hit by this recession. On Friday, I am meeting with Mr. Alamgir Hossain, a Canadian citizen who emigrated from Bangladesh. He is a professional engineer who lost his job when his company downsized in December.
What specific plans does the government have to help new Canadians like Mr. Hossain find a job, pay his rent, and keep his two young children fed while waiting for a Conservative stimulus?
