| Our riding is 300 kilometres long and 200 kilometres wide. It is larger than the size of the country of Ireland and contains 5 provincial ridings, 63 municipal governments, 15 Northern Affairs Communities and 13 Indian Reserves. We have hundreds of towns, villages and hamlets to service over 77, 000 people separated by the Riding Mountains and two provincial parks. Our neighbouring ridings of Brandon-Souris and Portage-Lisgar could fit inside its boundaries with room to spare.
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Accessibility
- With 11 office locations, most constituents have access to personal service within a one-half hour drive of their home. No other MP in Canada provides this high level of service.
- Last year over 86, 000 constituent inquiries, telephone calls, emails, and letters were dealt with. Averaging 7, 168 contacts per month; 1, 654 contacts per week, or 366 contacts daily (for each of the year's 251 available working days).
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Federal Funding
- According to figures available from the Canada-Manitoba Infrastructure Program (CMIP) and the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF) 22.8% or 48 of the 210 approved projects from both programs in Manitoba’s 14 federal ridings were in Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette. This represents a total of $30.3 million in funding since 2000.
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Legislation
- Introduced groundbreaking Private Member's initiatives: C-222 - The Hunting and Fishing Heritage Protection Act.
- Introduced C-354 to recognize Remembrance Day as a legal holiday to honour the men and women who died serving Canada in wars and in peacekeeping efforts.
- Introduced and succeeded in passing C-331, the Internment of Persons of Ukrainian Origin Recognition Act - legislation to recognize injustices done to Ukrainian immigrants.
- Canada’s Ukrainian community refers to Inky as, "The best friend Ukrainian Canadians have in the House of Commons."
- Conservative Party Leader, Stephen Harper, describes Inky’s leadership as, “critical in working to finally close this painful chapter of Canadian history for the descendents of those Canadians who were unjustly interned several decades ago.”
- Succeeded in changing the name of the federal electoral district to Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette.
- Introduced on March 27, 2007 an Act to establish a Memorial Wall for Canada's fallen soldiers and peacekeepers.
- Succeeded in guiding C-333, the Chinese Canadian Recognition and Redress Act trhough 1st and 2nd reading and debate in the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.
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Ethical Issues
- Supported maintaining the traditional definition of marriage.
- Voted against Svend Robinson’s Bill C-250 which could criminalize passages from religious texts that refer to the moral disapproval of homosexuality.
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Gun Control & Parks
- Opposes both Bill C-68 and funds for the failed registry.
- Supported National Park wardens in their attempt to acquire side-arms for use while on duty.
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Accountability
- Following constituent wishes, did not vote in favour of granting Quebec special status within Canada.
- Maintains regular contact with municipal governments, community councils under the jurisdiction of Manitoba Northern Affairs and First Nations to ensure their awareness of federal programs and rural issues.
- Pressed debate on unlimited net fishing, gun control, same-sex marriage, agriculture, BSE, health, water and assisted suicide.
- Vocal advocate of local issues identified through frequent public surveys and personal contact.
- Over the course of 11 years in office, Inky has presented thousands of signatures on petitions representing issues such as same sex marriage, aid to farmers, Senate reform, better health care services, Ukrainian-Canadian Recognition and Restitution Act, opposing mandatory firearm registration (Bill C-68), unlimited net fishing, and tax reform.
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Constituent Recognition
- Volunteers: Issues thousands of congratulatory certificates to individuals and community organizations annually.
- Veterans: The only MP to create a booklet honouring the riding’s fallen – sent to all households for Remembrance Day.
-Succeeded in having Lt. Col. Billy Barker V.C., Canada’s most decorated war hero of the First World War, recognized as a person of national historic significance.
-Provided veterans with special certificates commemorating National Year of the Veteran in 2005 and in 2007 struck a commemorative medal to honour them "Veterans Service to Canada".
- Elected Municipal Officials: On the 120th anniversary of Manitoba's first Municipal Act, took the steps to honour and thank municipal officials, past and present, with a specially designed commemorative medal.
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Recognition for Parliamentary Work
- Elected 6 times to a Vice-Chair position of a Government Standing Committee by Members of Parliament representing all Parties in the House of Commons.
- Honoured in Calgary by the Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Association with a Special “Lifetime Achievement Award” for his work on C-331, the Canadian Ukrainian Recognition and Restitution Act.
- In 2005 received one of three nominations for the Canadians for a Genocide Museum’s annual Educator’s Award that recognizes individuals who promote education on genocide.
- Honoured in Toronto by Canada’s national Ukrainian and Chinese communities with a recognition night and presentation of a specially made bronze plaque (for Inky’s work educating Canadians regarding the Ukrainian Internment and the Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act).
- Elected Treasurer for the Canada-Ukraine Friendship Group and Vice-Chair of the Canada-China Legislative Association by Members of Parliament and the Senate representing all Parliamentary parties. These groups were formed to promote Canada-Ukraine and Canada-China relations.
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Natural Resources
- Organized the founding of the Manitoba Resource Management Group, a group dedicated to protection of the social and economic interests of all Manitobans in the provinces lakes and rivers.
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Agriculture
- Supported farmers to maintain the Canadian Wheat Board.
- Attended farm rally on Parliament Hill.
- Lobbied for more BSE funding for farmers.
- Participant in Standing Committee on Agriculture hearings:
- regarding the ag crisis in Canada and long term safety nets.
- Dauphin Bovine TB Hearings
- Continues to monitor RMNP's Bovine TB eradication program.
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