Dear Friends;

Let me first take this opportunity to wish all of you a very healthy, happy and prosperous 2007.

The Liberal Party of Canada has a new leader in Stephane Dion. My colleagues and I are assisting Mr. Dion, in his capacity as the Official Opposition Leader, to hold the Conservative Government to account for their policies, programs and legislation. I look forward to a fiscally responsible budget this spring - one that keeps us out of deficit and addresses many of the challenges and opportunities facing Canadians. We need a comprehensive and balanced response to the reality of climate change; to the needs of aboriginal people; and to the feeling of hopelessness and despair of the poor and needy. At the same time, we must ensure that Canada remains globally competitive so that we are able to attract the investment needed to create and maintain jobs in Canada.

I am committed to making this Parliament work for all Canadians. A federal election at this time is not needed, but the governing party needs to respect the fact that they are a minority government. They must listen, and be responsive, to the priorities of the other parties in the House of Commons.

I believe we need a public debate in Canada on the question of foreign takeovers of Canadian companies. That is why I have tabled Bill C-386 in the House of Commons. This Bill, if passed, would require the Government of Canada to reject any takeovers that are not in our national interest.

As the newly elected Vice-Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, I will continue to fight for safer communities, and for a national security agenda that protects Canadians and respects our rights and privacy.

I hope you enjoy the array of photographs in this newsletter and agree with the adage that 'a picture is worth a thousand words'!

Yours sincerely,

Hon. Roy Cullen, P.C., M.P.

Stephane Dion Wins Liberal Leadership

(Photo by Jean-Marc Carisse)
Liberal leader, the Honourable Stephane Dion, with the Honourable Roy Cullen

December 2, 2006

Former federal Environment Minister Stephane Dion was elected today as the 11th leader of the Liberal Party of Canada on the fourth ballot of one of the most exciting Liberal leadership conventions in Party history.

"It is with deep respect for the Liberal legacy and with a clear eye to the future of this party and of this country, that I humbly accept the leadership of our great party," Mr. Dion told the cheering crowd. "And I am confident I have the experience, the policies, the plan. But most importantly with the support of a united Liberal family, that we will offer Canadians the choice and the vision they are looking for: a prosperous economy, a society that is socially just, and a sustainable environment for our children to inherit."

Mr. Dion captured the leadership with 54.7 percent of the vote, edging Michael Ignatieff, who garnered 45.3 percent of the vote. Mr. Dion and Mr. Ignatieff faced off on the fourth and final ballot after Bob Rae was eliminated on the third ballot.

Mr. Dion delivered a passionate address before a packed convention floor, thanking delegates for their support and issuing a rallying cry for the party to continue working together to strengthen the Liberal Party and help him send the Harper government back to opposition.

"I am immensely grateful to my entire campaign team and each of the leadership candidates who ran excellent campaigns and for the passion and vision they demonstrated throughout this country," he said.
The foundation of Mr. Dion's leadership will be based on his three pillar approach of integrating economic prosperity, social justice and environmental sustainability.

"I am convinced that to beat Harper in the next election, it will not be enough to capitalize on his mistakes," he said in his address last night. "It will not be enough to be a government in waiting. To win, we must offer our own project to Canadians, a generous and ambitious vision that is in stark contrast to Mr. Harper's selfish and narrow idea of Canada."

Mr. Dion was joined on stage by his seven fellow leadership candidates as well as interim leader Bill Graham and former prime ministers Paul Martin, Jean Chretien and John Turner. Mr. Chretien and Mr. Turner both addressed the convention floor to reflect on the Party's proud history and appeal for unity as Liberals begin the next chapter in the Party's history.

Under the leadership of Stephane Dion the Liberal Party's strong, re-energized base is ready to take on Stephen Harper and create a more prosperous, just, and green Canada.


Honourable Roy Cullen speaking on October 21st, 2006 at the National Association of State Budget Officers in Washington D.C. His presentation contrasted the health care systems in Canada with those in the United States of America.	Honourable Roy Cullen, P.C., M.P. at the 2nd Annual Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) Global Conference in Arusha Tanzania, September 20th-23rd, 2006. Mr. Cullen co-chaired, with representatives from the World Bank, a workshop focused on the fight against money laundering.

Roy Cullen letter to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on Income Trusts

Dear Minister:

I am writing to you on behalf of my many constituents who are very disappointed with the decision made by your government to introduce a tax on income trusts.

They are especially disappointed that your Conservative government would break your promise to Canadians made during the last election that "only the Conservatives will give seniors security by pledging to levy no new taxes on income trusts." (Conservative Party of Canada PC Issue Backgrounder, Security for Seniors, 9 December 2005). Many Canadians invested their hard-earned money based on this promise and now are paying the price for this misplaced trust.

It would seem to me that a fairer approach would have been to grandfather all existing trusts for at least ten years before taxing them; or to exempt and cap existing income trusts forever. This would protect those who were invested in these income trusts at the time of your announcement, and at the same time protect the federal income tax base into the future.

Attempting to appease seniors with pension income splitting will not work. While it may have a marginal impact on the lives of some couples, hundreds of thousands of single seniors - the majority of them women - will not see any benefit from this policy.

I sincerely hope that you will reconsider this decision.

Yours sincerely,

Hon. Roy Cullen, P.C., M.P.
Etobicoke North

On October 5, 2006, Roy Cullen attended the opening of the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association Local 285 Training Centre. with Hon. Chris Bentley, Ont. Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities, and Hon. Steve Peters, Ont. Minister of Labour. Roy Cullen helped the Training Centre access $145,000 from the Training Centre Infrastructure Fund for needed equipment. Regrettably, the Conservative government has cut funding to this important program.

As a union and employer partnership, union training centres educate workers with the necessary information to continually improve their skills and remain at the top of their field. They not only improve the vocational and safety skills of the industry, but also enhance the employability of the students, and meet market demand.

This training centre provides training for their members with innovative technology and equipment, giving them an advantage in a competitive field. The union also has plans to create an apprenticeship program to encourage local youth to enter the trade.

Roy Cullen Tables Bill C-386 to Guard Against Foreign Takeovers Seen as Contrary to our National Interest

Ottawa - The Honourable Roy Cullen, Official Opposition Critic for Natural Resources, and Member of Parliament for Etobicoke North, today tabled a bill in the House of Commons which would protect Canadian industry from foreign takeovers which would not be in our national interest.

"This bill will give the government the power, over and above the current economic test that Industry Canada uses, to veto any transaction involving the takeover of a Canadian company, if the government determines that this is not in our national interest," said Cullen.

The proposed legislation would amend the current Investment Canada Act creating new criteria for foreign companies wishing to acquire Canadian companies. In addition to strengthening provisions in the current act, it would call for a new 'national interest' test, and require a mandatory cabinet decision on any transaction valued at one billion Canadian dollars or more. Further, this new regime would also be in place, at the discretion of Minister of Industry, for any takeover of any Canadian company.

Earlier this year Falconbridge Ltd. and Inco Ltd., two of Canada's premiere metals companies, were the targets of vicious takeover battles by foreign multinationals. Both Canadian companies were ultimately gobbled up by foreign interests.

"I believe that Canada needs to consciously decide whether our home-grown industries, especially our natural resource companies, should be in the hands of non-Canadians. We should have a debate in this country, and we shouldn't allow it to happen by default - which is what is happening now," stated Cullen.

Honourable Roy Cullen with Mr Isse Musse and Mr Aden Esse meet with Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay to discuss the situation in Somalia..	Right Honourable Paul Martin, Honourable Roy Cullen, and Honourable Bill Graham at Stornaway (Official Opposition Leader's residence).
On September 28, 2006 Roy Cullen presented the first annual Nidhan Singh Banwait Award to Mr. Gurdial Singh Mangat (from the South Asian Seniors Club.)	On Oct. 12, 2006, Roy attended a Citizenship Week event at the School of Experiential Education hosted by the Dominion Institute's Passages to Canada program. At the event, Roy spoke to students about the importance of Citizenship Week and the meaning of being a Canadian citizen. The event also included guest speakers from the Institute's Speakers' Bureau who shared their experiences of immigrating to Canada.
Roy Cullen with members of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources in Fort MacMurray to survey the oilsands.	On Oct. 24, 2006, Roy presented The Honourable Roy Cullen, P.C.-Labatt Breweries of Canada Community of Etobicoke Scholarship to Mauricio Alfaro, a second year hotel and restaurant management student at Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. The Honourable Roy Cullen, P.C.-Labatt Breweries of Canada Community of Etobicoke Scholarship was created in 2005 to honour Roy Cullen's service to the community. This annual scholarship provides a full one year tuition to Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning to one student from a secondary school in Etobicoke who demonstrates a commitment to the community, as well as financial need, and academic performance.