T H E  R O Y  C U L L E N

R E P O R T

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M  e  m  b  e  r    o  f    P  a  r  l  i  a  m  e  n  t    E  t  o  b  i  c  o  k  e  -  N  o  r  t  h

Dear Friends,

Each year many look forward to February 2nd, Groundhog Day, to give us some idea of how much longer we need to wait until we are blessed with Spring. In Ottawa we have a slightly different means of sensing whether or not Spring is in the air, and that is the annual tabling of the Federal Budget. Unfortunately, this year's 'stay the course' budget moves us closer to a deficit position-as a result of the huge spending binge by the Conservative Government.

On the positive side the budget implements some of the measures that our Liberal Party have championed, including making the Gas Tax Transfer to municipalities permanent, providing direct support to the auto sector, creating jobs and improving public transit through additional investments in infrastructure, providing funding to hire more police, and modernizing the Canada Student Loans program. I also like the tax free savings account and the money for carbon capture/sequestration. Sadly, many of the proposals do not go far enough.

Specifically I would have liked to have seen more emphasis on infrastructure investment, and I believe there should have been more support for our struggling manufacturing sector.

Finally, I have announced that I will not be running in the next federal election. Until that time, I remain your representative in Ottawa and will continue to work hard on behalf of our community. It has been an honour and a privilege to represent the citizens of Etobicoke North for the past twelve years, and I thank you for the confidence you placed in me in five federal elections.

Yours sincerely,

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

Etobicoke North


The Honourable Roy Cullen, M.P. for Etobicoke North,
Will not seek Re-election

Etobicoke - The Honourable Roy Cullen, Member of Parliament for Etobicoke North, announced today that he will not seek re-election in the next federal general election.

"Upon much reflection, and consultation with my family, I have decided it is time to start a new chapter in my life. It has not been an easy decision, as the last twelve years have been amongst the most rewarding and interesting of my life. That being said, I feel it is time for new challenges, for me and my family, and for someone else to carry on the great Liberal tradition in Etobicoke North."

Mr. Cullen did confirm however, that he would continue to serve until the next election, "The voters of Etobicoke North gave me a job to do, and I feel it is my duty to continue to serve them until the end of this current Parliament," said Cullen.

Mr. Cullen was initially elected to the House of Commons in a closely contested by-election in 1996. He went on, however, to landslide wins in the 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2006 General Elections as the Member of Parliament for Etobicoke North.
Over the years, Mr. Cullen has served in a variety of important and notable positions, including the
following -

  • From 1999-2001 Mr. Cullen served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, the Rt. Honourable Paul Martin;
  • In February of 2004, he was elected Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance;
  • On July 20th, 2004, Mr. Cullen was sworn in as a member of the Privy Council of Canada (P.C.) and appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister, and the Minister for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness;
  • From February 22, 2006, until January 17, 2007, Mr. Cullen was the Natural Resources critic for the Official Opposition; and,
  • On February 1, 2007 Mr. Cullen was elected Vice Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security.

"One of my proudest moments has been the passage of my private members' bill, An Act respecting user fees. This bill, which received Royal Assent on March 31, 2004, provides greater oversight by the Parliament of Canada and demands more accountability from the federal government over the more than $6 billion annually charged in user fees - from the issuance of passports to Canadians, to the review and approval of new prescription drugs for Canadians."

"Helping constituents in Etobicoke North solve problems they have encountered with the federal government - be they immigration, employment insurance, pension issues or others, has been a very rewarding experience."

Mr. Cullen has also been very active with the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) in the international fight against corruption and money laundering.

"It has been my privilege and honour to serve Canadians in the Parliament of Canada for the last twelve years and to be the voice of Etobicoke North in the House of Commons in Ottawa. I thank the voters of Rexdale for the confidence they have placed in me in five federal elections."



Town Hall


On November 28th, 2007 a town hall meeting was held at the Thistletown Community Centre on the topic of: PANDEMIC FLU: ARE YOU READY? IS CANADA READY? The Honourable Roy Cullen organized this meeting to give the citizens of Etobicoke North the opportunity to hear Dr. Kirsty Duncan discuss this very important issue. She discussed how the 1918 Spanish Flu impacted society and then explained what the predicted impacts would be if a similar pandemic flu were to strike today.

Attendees heard that a potential pandemic would have grave consequences, including widespread illness, and social and economic disruption. In order to deal with this, countries must do more to prepare.

The average Canadian can do the following to protect themselves: store food and water, stock medicines, non-prescription drugs, and other health supplies, review public health measures to reduce the risk of contracting or spreading influenza, and record health information for each family member in case of emergency.

 

Dr. Kirsty Duncan


Dr. Kirsty Duncan is an Associate Professor, Health Studies, at the University of Toronto, and the former Research Director, AIC Institute of Corporate Citizenship, Rotman School of Management; she is also an Adjunct Professor at Royal Roads University [and formerly an Associate Professor at the University of Windsor (1993-December 31st, 2000)]. She is an international speaker, who has lectured for such organizations as National Geographic (United States of America), the Japanese Government, and the Young Presidents Organization (Portugal).

Dr. Duncan led the expedition to discover the causal agent of the 1918 Spanish influenza virus. Her book, 'Hunting the 1918 Flu: One Scientist's Search for a Killer Virus', details the ten-year history of the search, and was published by the University of Toronto Press in 2003. The book was short-listed for the 2004 Canadian Science Writers' Association awards.

Dr. Duncan's second academic book, 'Environment and Health: Corporate Contributions to Our Common Future' will be published in the United Kingdom later this year. She has completed work, regarding climate change and human health for North America, for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a joint venture of the United Nations Environmental Programme and the World Meteorological Organization.

She was awarded the Arnold G. Wedum Memorial Lectureship for 1999 at the 42nd Biological Safety Conference for 'outstanding contributions to biological safety'. Dr. Duncan was nominated for Canada's Top 40 Under 40 in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001.

She currently sits on the Advisory Board for Pandemic Flu for the Conference Board of Canada, the University of Toronto, and is also helping organizations prepare for pandemics throughout the United States.

She also sits on the Boards of Give Girls A Chance, the Indigenous Cooperative on the Environment, the Scottish Studies Foundation, the St. Andrew's Society of Toronto, and the Toronto Foundation for School Success-she Co-Chaired the 2006 Fraser Mustard Awards Gala; in 2007, she Chaired 'Feeding Toronto's Hungry Students Week'.

Dr. Duncan will run for the Liberal Party of Canada in the next federal election in Etobicoke North.

 

Roy Cullen MP, Continues
Fight against Corruption

Continuing his work in the fight against global corruption and money laundering, The Honourable Roy Cullen, Member of Parliament for Etobicoke North, has completed a book, The Poverty of Corrupt Nations.

In discussing his work Cullen said "Corrupt countries are generally poor and the fight against poverty in these countries is hindered because of the negative effects of bribery and corruption on investment, both private and public." Roy Cullen's commitment to the fight against corruption and money laundering is based on the premise that the levels of bribery and corruption in some countries are morally and economically indefensible.

Mr. Cullen has been very active with the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) in the international fight against corruption and money laundering. He has spoken out on the scourge of corruption and money laundering, and has played a leadership role at a number of international anti-corruption and anti-money laundering workshops and conferences. The book examines how money laundering is closely linked to corrupt leaders. During his tenure as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Cullen was actively involved in designing and implementing Canada's anti-money laundering regime.

With this book Mr. Cullen hopes to increase the awareness of the general public, elected officials and policy makers of the enormity of the problem. His Twenty Point Plan, which is outlined in the book, points the way to possible solutions to the vexing challenges of corruption and money laundering.



On November12th, 2008, the Honourable Roy Cullen presented The Honourable Roy Cullen, P.C. / Labatt Breweries of Canada Community of Etobicoke Scholarship to Kevin Bharrien. The scholarship will provide a full one year tuition to the Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning to a student from a secondary school in Etobicoke who demonstrates a commitment to the community, financial need, and academic excellence.


On February 3rd, 2008, the Honourable Roy Cullen, M.P., attended the Republic of India Celebration at the Pearson Convention Centre. This event helped honour the 59th anniversary of the day that the constitution of India came into force and India became a sovereign state.

Constituency Office: 815 Albion Rd, Etobicoke, ON M9V 1A3 Phone: 416-747-6003 Fax: 416-747-8295