Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2009-04-27 16:35:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Jeff Watson (Essex, CPC)",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"1424717\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the interesting rant from the Liberal member opposite. He must remember his own sordid Liberal past when it comes to the relationship with the United States. This madness, as he calls it, originated because his government, when in power, was asleep at the switch when the legislation slipped through on real ID. It called for this type of requirement for our passport and ID to get into the United States. Where were the Liberals? Not only that, but when they had the chance, they had a very weak response to the issue.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1424718\" data-originallang=\"en\">Our government, led by the <a data-HoCid=\"78738\" href=\"/politicians/stephen-harper/\" title=\"Stephen Harper\">Prime Minister</a> and the current <a data-HoCid=\"128690\" href=\"/politicians/stockwell-day/\" title=\"Stockwell Day\">Minister of Trade</a> when he was the public safety minister, in conjunction with his U.S. colleagues on the other side, won the delay in the implementation of the western hemisphere travel initiative and the requirement as well that enhanced drivers' licences could be a viable option for Canadians, or for Americans, jurisdictions that wanted to take this up with respect to complying with the western hemisphere travel initiative. The Liberals were asleep at the switch on that.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1424719\" data-originallang=\"en\"> I could go further. There are a number of areas. The Liberals were calling Americans idiots, stomping on the George Bush doll. That was his colleague. I could go on and on about how they damaged the relationship with the United States. We are the ones who are acting in the interests of Canadians.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"1424717\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, j'appr\u00e9cie l'int\u00e9ressante diatribe du d\u00e9put\u00e9 lib\u00e9ral d'en face. J'aimerais toutefois lui rappeler le sordide r\u00f4le qu'a jou\u00e9 son parti en ce qui a trait aux relations avec les \u00c9tats-Unis. Cette folie, comme il le dit, est due au fait que lorsque son gouvernement \u00e9tait au pouvoir, il dormait aux commandes au moment o\u00f9 la mesure l\u00e9gislative sur les documents d'identit\u00e9 a \u00e9t\u00e9 subrepticement adopt\u00e9e. Cette mesure pr\u00e9voyait l'obligation de pr\u00e9senter un passeport et une pi\u00e8ce d'identit\u00e9 pour entrer aux \u00c9tats-Unis. O\u00f9 \u00e9taient les lib\u00e9raux alors? Et ce n'est pas tout. Par la suite, lorsqu'ils ont eu la chance d'intervenir, ils se sont montr\u00e9s tr\u00e8s faibles. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1424718\" data-originallang=\"en\">Sous la direction du <a data-HoCid=\"78738\" href=\"/politicians/stephen-harper/\" title=\"Stephen Harper\">premier ministre</a> et de l'actuel <a data-HoCid=\"128690\" href=\"/politicians/stockwell-day/\" title=\"Stockwell Day\">ministre du Commerce international</a> au moment o\u00f9 il \u00e9tait ministre de la S\u00e9curit\u00e9 publique, en collaboration avec ses homologues de l'autre c\u00f4t\u00e9 de la fronti\u00e8re, notre gouvernement a obtenu un d\u00e9lai pour la mise en oeuvre de l'initiative relative aux voyages dans l'h\u00e9misph\u00e8re occidental ainsi que la possibilit\u00e9 qu'un permis de conduire am\u00e9lior\u00e9 puisse \u00eatre une option envisageable pour les Canadiens, ou pour les Am\u00e9ricains, qui voudraient les accepter pour r\u00e9pondre aux exigences de l'initiative relative aux voyages dans l'h\u00e9misph\u00e8re occidental. Les lib\u00e9raux dormaient alors aux commandes. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1424719\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je pourrais aller plus loin et soulever plusieurs autres points. Les lib\u00e9raux traitaient les Am\u00e9ricains d'idiots, pi\u00e9tinant une poup\u00e9e \u00e0 l'effigie de George Bush. C'\u00e9tait son coll\u00e8gue. Je pourrais continuer sur cette voie et souligner combien ils ont nuit aux relations avec les \u00c9tats-Unis. C'est nous qui agissons pour d\u00e9fendre les int\u00e9r\u00eats des Canadiens. </p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2009/4/27/jeff-watson-2/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/jeff-watson/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/1363/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "2719921",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Government Orders",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Business of Supply",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h3": {
        "en": "Opposition Motion--Canada-United States Border",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2009/4/27/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2009%2F4%2F27%2F"
    }
}