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June 09, 2009

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MP worthy of praise

May 05, 2008

Marianne Fitzgerald

Re: Half-masting Parliament's flag

I would like to publicly thank Kitchener Waterloo MP Andrew Telegdi for clearing up the misconceptions put forth in a letter to the editor from Conservative MP Jason Kenney. As usual, Telegdi has shown himself to be a true champion of the underdog when he acknowledges the ultimate sacrifice made by a fallen soldier as being greater than someone sitting in Privy Council.

SO31 - National Day of Mourning for Persons Killed or Injured in the Workplace

April 28, 2008: Hon, Andrew Telegdi ,P.C., M.P.

Today is the National day of Mourning for Persons Killed or Injured in the Workplace.

Last year in Ontario, 378 workers died and over 333,000 claimed compensation for work-related injuries.

To mark this occasion, the Canadian flag is being flown at half-mast on the Peace Tower in Ottawa and on all Government of Canada buildings across Canada.

It is a shame that the secretly commissioned report by this minority Conservative Government would abolish the half-masting of the flag on this “special day”.

The half-masting of the national flag is an honour and expresses a collective sense of sorrow shared by all Canadians.

We all need a reminder to work harder to prevent these deaths and injuries and keep our workers safe.

There is no greater symbol of this than the half-masting of our flag.

The National day of Mourning for Persons Killed or Injured in the Workplace deserves this recognition.

The Canadian Nixon
Dimitry Anastakis and Jeet Heer

April 24, 2008 9:00 PM

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/dimitry_anastakis_and_jeet_heer/2008/04/
the_canadian_nixon.html

For your information, below is a blog post that appeared on the Guardian's website (London).

Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper is in trouble with Elections Canada, the government body that runs the vote in Canada. They've accused him of overspending in the last election and have even gotten the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to raid the Conservative party's headquarters to find incriminating evidence. In response Harper and his followers have lashed out against Elections Canada, accusing it of a partisan witch hunt.

Bill C-50 - Click link to watch CTV(CKCO) Video

Updated Sat. Apr. 26 2008 8:19 PM ET

Andrew Telegdi's message? He doesn't like the Harper government meddling with who gets into Canada ... and who doesn't.

Speaking today to this forum in Kitchener, Telegdi and others, slammed Bill C-50 as 'draconian'.

Among those most vocal, noted immigration lawyer Barbara Jackman... "when Canada changed it's immigration policy in the 60's and 70's... it went on the premise that we have to be fair to all people... this brings the old system that we had years ago back into law"

The proposed changes give the Immigration Minister's office the power to expedite certain applications and delay others. more...

The Hill Times, April 14th, 2008
LETTERS

Tories can't stop minute of silence in Commons: Telegdi

The House of Commons voted 142 to 115 in favour of my motion to lower the flag on the Peace Tower to half-mast and hold one minute of silence when a Canadian soldier dies in combat. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Stephen Harper will not lower the flag.

The Harper government commissioned a secret report on my private member's motion. This is gross interference. To not make the report available before the vote on the motion is also contemptuous of Parliament. Canadians affected by a decision to half-mast the flag were not consulted.

This mindset of secrecy in decision-making is neither transparent nor accountable. The democratic process requires transparency and inclusion.

Half-masting the flag to honour a fallen soldier is important to the grieving families, friends, comrades and many Canadians. Lowering the flag does not take away from Remembrance Day. Indeed, it adds to it.

A recent poll shows that young people are even more supportive than older people to lowering the flag. Young people find it easier to identify with soldiers who died in Afghanistan than with the heroes who were killed in the First World War, the Second World War, and the Korean War. By honouring Afghan's war dead, young people can better honour past war dead and strengthen their feelings toward Remembrance Day.

On April 7, a minute of silence was observed by Parliamentarians to honour private Terry Street, the latest soldier killed in Afghanistan on April 4, 2008. Parliament did the right thing in unanimously commemorating this ultimate sacrifice.

Liberal MP Andrew Telegdi

Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont.

Bill to give citizenship to Lost Canadians passes

Thursday, April 17, 2008 -- CBC News

Thousands of so-called "Lost Canadians" are another step closer to gaining citizenship they lost or never had due to little-known quirks in the
Citizenship Act.

Bill C-37, an amendment to the Citizenship Act, received Royal Assent on Thursday afternoon, the final stage of coming into law.

Citizenship and Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the bill will resolve over 95 per cent of the cases of Lost Canadians. ...read more

Comments attached to the article:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/04/17/lost-canadians.html

Joe Taylor B.C. wrote:Posted 2008/04/19 at 3:16 AM ET

Great news for all the many Canadians who have had their citizenship stripped from them - until January 24th this year I knew only too well what that was like despite the fact that I am the son of a Canadian soldier who fought on Juno beach on D-Day for his country and the free World. Thanks are due to the Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Minister of Citizenship Diane Finley for taking this action.
In my opinion even more thanks is due to the Parliamentary standing committee on Citizenship and Immigration & in particular its former chairman Andrew Telegdi the M. P. for Kitchener Waterloo. His tireless dedication to righting this terrible injustice has restored my faith in the political system.

sheila walshe wrote:Posted 2008/04/20 at 9:06 PM ET

Thank you Don Chapman !!
Without this man, not a one of us would be recognized as Canadians today.
Wether we were War babes, born in the UK, or one of the many other groups that the flawed Citizenship Act affected.
Surely, not a single Canadian, freshly welcomed by Canada, can, in all honesty, not mention Don Chapman, their champion against overwhelming odds, who pressed on...and on...and on, until he reached his, and our, goal.
Every one of us owes him a massive vote of thanks. Every single one of us.
I am just one of thousands, filled with joy and appreciation to Don for all his hard work. Andrew Telegdi, and many others, also worked tirelessly toward this result, thanks to them, also.
Sheila Walshe, a Canadian War babe.

Majority wants flag lowered: poll; More women back honour for fallen soldiers

Calgary Herald Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Byline: Norma Greenaway, with files from Stephane Massinon, Calgary Herald

A strong majority of Canadians -- two out of three -- say they want the Canadian flag atop the Peace Tower to fly at half-mast every time a soldier dies overseas, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll that shows the Conservative government's policy of refusing to lower the flag is unpopular with women in particular.

The survey, conducted for Canwest News Service and Global National, said 66 per cent of Canadians want the flag lowered to mark individual deaths, as well as on Nov. 11, the day set aside to collectively honour all fallen soldiers.

The poll says women are significantly more likely than men to think the flag should be lowered each time a soldier is killed. The split was 72 per cent to 60 per cent. ......more

Immigration panel hears plea for Iraqi refugees - KW Record

Iraqi feminist Yanar Mohammed has heard gruesome stories of violence against women in her country.

A story last week chilled her. She was told militia members in Baghdad's Sadr City dragged a woman out of her car, stripped her naked and then paraded her through the streets.

The woman's crime? She was alone with a man who was not her husband.

Mohammed, president of Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq, says her colleagues are still looking for the woman to ensure her safety. She fears the woman's family will kill her or she'll kill herself.

It's for thousands of women like her that Mohammed made an impassioned plea in Waterloo yesterday at a public hearing of the parliamentary committee on citizenship and immigration. Mohammed wants Canada in allow more Iraqi women into the country as refugees.

"Women's status has changed drastically since the occupation," she said. "We are asking that there be a quota for women refugees from Iraq."

The committee, headed by Kitchener-Waterloo MP Andrew Telegdi, is hearing people's concerns about Iraqi refugees, undocumented workers and temporary foreign workers. ....more

Press Release: Committee on Citizenship & Immigration will hold Public Hearings in Waterloo on April 7th, 2008

Nearly 3 years to the day that a Commons Standing Committee held a historic first meeting in Waterloo, the Committee is once again returning to the region as part of its hearings across Canada. The Committee is consulting with Canadians and hearing their concerns regarding Iraqi refugee issues, undocumented workers and temporary foreign workers and Immigration Consultants.

The testimony of witnesses and written submissions from individual Canadians, ethnic and cultural communities, legal and civil rights organizations and interested stakeholders will form the basis of the Committee’s report to Parliament and recommendations to the Minister of Citizenship & Immigration

Location: City of Waterloo Council Chambers,

100 Regina Street South, Waterloo

Tel: (519) 747-8700 Fax: (519) 747-8500

Press Release: Parliament votes in favour of recognizing the ultimate sacrifice of our Canadian Forces and Government personnel serving abroad

OTTAWA–Andrew Telegdi, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Waterloo, regrets the minority Conservative government’s position not to honour the majority vote of Parliament to lower the flag on Parliament Hill to half-mast and to hold a moment of silence if the House is in session after the demise of a member of the Canadian Forces or Canadian Government personnel serving overseas in a peacekeeping, peacemaking or humanitarian mission. “The question on holding a minute of silence is a call of Parliament and not the call of a minority government. The question of half-masting the flag on top of Parliament is a question that is open to debate. I call on this government to respect the will of Parliament”, said Telegdi.

Telegdi stated that the motivation for the motion was to demonstrate unity for our troops and service people regardless of where one stood on the political front: “While Canada’s role in the world is a cause of legitimate and necessary debate, Conservative Members of Parliament could have joined in a non-partisan effort to show that all MPs are unanimous in their gratitude and admiration of our men and women serving Canada… Tonight demonstrated that we should have a consistent non-political procedure that honours the sacrifices of our Canadian Forces and Government personnel serving abroad. The flag on the Peace Tower is a symbol for all Canadians-not the government of the day.”

more....

Motion M-310 - Update - Motion Carried 142-115

Telegdi’s bill to salute fallen soldiers slams up against Tory policy

KW Record - March 31st, 2008

Ottawa panel wants to stop lowering flag for Vimy Ridge, police, women and workers

Globe and Mail - April 1st, 2008

Should flag be lowered every time?; Proposal would limit war dead honour

Canadian Press - April 1st, 2008

Ottawa advises not to lower flag for dead soldiers

Toronto Star - April 1st, 2008

Editorials

THE FLAG AT HALF-MAST Less is more

Globe and Mail - April 1st, 2008

from the editorial....."A debate has been simmering over Liberal MP Andrew Telegdi's motion to declare that the Peace Tower flag should be lowered to honour "Canadian Forces and other Canadian government personnel who were killed while serving in overseas peacekeeping, peacemaking or humanitarian missions.''

Lawyers vow to fight law giving minister dramatically increased powers

Globe and Mail - March 26th, 2008

from the article......

Andrew Telegdi, a Liberal MP from Kitchener, Ont., said, "It shouldn't be passed into law," with respect to the proposals that Immigration Minister Diane Finley describes as necessary to attract the types of immigrants that are being demanded by Canadian employers.

"Immigration will continue to be the lifeblood of this country," Mr. Telegdi said. "If we have this kind of legislation, it's going to give those people who want to apply to ... Canada a chill."

The Liberal Party will have to make this issue a line in the sand, he said, "or we have to campaign on changing it as soon as we get in. One of
the two." more....

ECONOMY DOCUMENT - Hon. John McCallum, P.C., M.P.

When the Conservatives came to power two years ago, they inherited the strongest fiscal position and the strongest employment growth in the G7. With all of its inherited surpluses, the government had an opportunity to make smart investments and wise tax cuts that would have strengthened Canada’s productivity and better prepared the country for the uncertain economic times that confront us today.

more.....

Bill C-37 updated status

Bill C-37 has passed the House of Commons third reading. For further updates on the status of this legislation click here.

View a letter of support that Andrew has received. Also please read the speeches and testimonies that were given to committees.

Bill Janzen's Testimony

Melynda Jarratt's Testimony

Bill C-37 Standing Committee invitees: Lost Canadians

Representatives from the Lost Canadians, War Brides and Mennonites to appear before the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration on Bill C-37

Motion M-310 introduced

Telegdi calls on Government to recognize ultimate sacrifice of our Canadian Forces and Government Personnel serving abroad

The Honourable Andrew Telegdi, Member of Parliament for the Federal Riding of Kitchener-Waterloo, today called on the Federal Government of Canada to lower the flag on Parliament Hill to half-mast and to hold a moment of silence if the House is sitting the day after the demise of a member of the Canadian Forces or Canadian Government personnel serving overseas in a peacekeeping, peacemaking or humanitarian mission.