I spoke to gay Liberal MP Rob Oliphant for a few mintues after Question Period today. The first-time MP from Don Valley West is currently sitting on the Commons committee for Public Safety and National Security, so I thought I’d ask him what was his agenda for this session.
Q: You’re on the committee for Public Safety this term, so give me a quick run-down of what you’re looking to do with that?
A: Well the big issue right now, the issue that I brought to the table this week for the agenda was the police use of Tasers, the RCMP, and looking for some new protocols. The committee last session, which I wasn’t on, had suggested some new protocols for police use of Tasers, and they have not reported back. They were supposed to either have reported or stop using them. That was my first issue. Second issue that I want to bring up to the committee has to do with correctional services and the conditions of jails, and whether we have a rehabilitation programme or whether we’re just fuelling crime. I want to see how the Conservative cutbacks – the two things they’re doing is they’re squeezing jails financially and they’re also, with mandatory minimum sentences, they’re actually going to put more people in jail but not provide more resources, so that’ll create a problem. Those are a couple of the issues at that committee that I’m interested in.
Q: What are you looking to bring forward for your Private Members’ Bills this session?
A: The one that I was working on, but they’ve ruled it probably not a Private Member’s Bill has to do with Omar Khadr. But I’m working on a Private Bill with Omar Khadr’s lawyer, to require the government to actually bring him home, so it’ll be a bill that I will present based on Omar Khadr petitioning the House for a bill. So that’s one thing I’m working on right now.
Q: And where are you on the order this year?
A: Oh, 137 or something. So I’ll see it in 2012 [laughs].
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