Tom Lukiwski
Encyclopedia
Tom Lukiwski is a Canadian
politician. He is the current Conservative
Member of Parliament
for the Saskatchewan
riding of Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre
. Born in Esterhazy, Saskatchewan
, he was a businessman and political administrator.
, winning by 122 votes over Liberal
Gary J. Anderson. His predecessor, Larry Spencer
, was denied the opportunity to run as a Conservative
, despite having served as a member of the Canadian Alliance
, due to inflammatory comments he made regarding homosexuality. At the time, Lukiwski criticized Spencer for making the remarks and approved of revoking Spencer's party membership.
Lukiwski was re-elected in the 2006
and 2008 general elections
. He currently serves as the Parliamentary Secretary
to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
, the Hon.
John Baird
.
for his ability to stall Parliamentary Committee
business by "filibuster
ing". An example of this ability includes speaking for almost 120 minutes to prevent the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development
from studying a private member's bill
to implement the Kyoto Accord on October 26, 2006. Lukiwski admitted later that he deliberately stalled the proceedings. Further examples include the February 5, 2008 and February 7, 2008 Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs
meetings, in which Lukiwski blocked any inquiry into allegations that the Conservative Party spent over the maximum allowable campaign limits during the 2006 election
.
MP, Lukiwski argued that non-renewable natural resource revenues, such as revenues from oil and gas, should be excluded from the calculations of the equalization formula
. Despite acknowledging that Saskatchewan was no longer a "have-not" province
, Lukiwski estimated that Saskatchewan would be between $800 million to $1.5 billion wealthier each year if non-renewable resource
s were removed from the equalization formula.
On March 22, 2005, Lukiwski introduced a motion into the House of Commons
calling for changes to the equalization formula. During his speech introducing the motion, Lukiwski stated that "[w]hat we are asking today in this motion is that the non-renewable natural resources should be removed from the equalization formula."
Lukiwski, along with the Conservatives, promised during the 2006 federal election that a Conservative government would remove non-renewable natural resource revenue from the equalization formula. On January 19, 2006, only days before the 2006 election, Lukiwski stated that Saskatchewan would be "$2 to 2.5 billion wealthier each and every year" as a result of the changes.
However, once elected, the Conservatives began to indicate that any future equalization program changes would not necessarily be what was promised.
In the federal budget
introduced on March 19, 2007, the Conservatives introduced changes to the equalization system which imposed caps on payments. This resulted in Saskatchewan not being able to retain 100% of its non-renewable resource revenue.
Lukiwski acknowledged that the Conservative changes did not exactly fulfill the Conservative's promise with the changes, stating "If you want to say we didn't fulfil the commitment or keep our promise, fair enough."
The 2007 federal budget passed with the support of the Bloc Québécois
.
showing Lukiwski, then 40 years old, making homophobic remarks in 1991. At the time the videotape was made, Lukiwski was the general manager of the Grant Devine
Progressive Conservative Party
. In the video, he says:
The release of the tape provoked immediate controversy, including calls for Lukiwski's resignation or removal as a Parliamentary Secretary.
Lukiwski apologized for the comments, saying "If I could take those comments back I would... They do not reflect the type of person that I am."
Lukiwski subsequently promised that "I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, and all of my colleagues in this House that I will spend the rest of my career and my life trying to make up for those shameful comments."
However, he failed to attend a May 31, 2008 Regina gay pride
parade to which he was invited. Gay groups said they were disappointed that Lukiwski failed to respond at all to the invitation. "Mr. Lukiwski stated in his public apology... that he would spend the rest of his life making amends," said gay pride spokesman Nathan Markwart. "Well, when exactly does that kick in? "It is clear that his apology is less than sincere and is, in fact, hollow as it has not been followed up with any concerted effort to join our celebrations as an elected official who represents gays and lesbians in Regina and surrounding area." Markwart noted that the disappointment was heightened by their understanding that Lukiwski was in the Regina area on the date of the parade.
MP Reg Alcock
for wrongly claiming Alcock had given his campaign manager a job with the Canadian Wheat Board
. Lukiwski stated that the matter was settled out of court in 2007 in Alcock's favour, with Lukiwski apologizing to Alcock in a statement.
In November 2009, Lukiwski apologized in the House of Commons for mailing out Parliamentary flyers to the riding
of Liberal MP Larry Bagnell
which wrongly stated how Bagnall had voted on a private member's bill
on the long-gun registry.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician. He is the current Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
Member of Parliament
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
for the Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
riding of Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre
Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre
Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre is a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-Geography:...
. Born in Esterhazy, Saskatchewan
Esterhazy, Saskatchewan
Esterhazy is a town in the southeastern portion of the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, located 83 km southeast of Yorkton along Highways 22 and 80. The town is located within the rural municipality of Fertile Belt No...
, he was a businessman and political administrator.
Political career
Lukiwski was first elected in 2004Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, winning by 122 votes over Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Gary J. Anderson. His predecessor, Larry Spencer
Larry Spencer
Larry Spencer is a Baptist pastor in Canada, and former Member of Parliament for the Saskatchewan riding of Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre. He is currently serving as interim national president of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada....
, was denied the opportunity to run as a Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
, despite having served as a member of the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
, due to inflammatory comments he made regarding homosexuality. At the time, Lukiwski criticized Spencer for making the remarks and approved of revoking Spencer's party membership.
Lukiwski was re-elected in the 2006
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
and 2008 general elections
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
. He currently serves as the Parliamentary Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Canada)
The Leader of the government in the House of Commons , more commonly known as the Government House Leader, is the Cabinet minister responsible for planning and managing the government's legislative program in the Canadian House of Commons...
, the Hon.
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
John Baird
John Baird (Canadian politician)
John Russell Baird, PC, MP is a Canadian politician currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper....
.
Filibustering
Lukiwski is well known on Parliament HillParliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
for his ability to stall Parliamentary Committee
Standing committee (Canada)
In Canada, a standing committee is a permanent committee established by Standing Orders of the House of Commons. It may study matters referred to it by special order or, within its area of responsibility in the Standing Orders, may undertake studies on its own initiative...
business by "filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
ing". An example of this ability includes speaking for almost 120 minutes to prevent the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development
Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development
The Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development is a standing committee in the Canadian House of Commons.- Membership :Clerk of the Committee: Guyanne L. DesforgesDepartments under the committee's scrutiny:...
from studying a private member's bill
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
to implement the Kyoto Accord on October 26, 2006. Lukiwski admitted later that he deliberately stalled the proceedings. Further examples include the February 5, 2008 and February 7, 2008 Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs
Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs
The Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs is a standing committee composed of the four political parties of the Government of Canada that is responsible for the procedural and administrative matters relating to the Canadian House of Commons. It has 12 members,...
meetings, in which Lukiwski blocked any inquiry into allegations that the Conservative Party spent over the maximum allowable campaign limits during the 2006 election
In and Out scandal
The "In and Out" scandal is an ongoing Canadian political scandal involving allegations of improper election spending on the part of the Conservative Party of Canada during the closely contested 2006 federal election. Parliamentary hearings into the issue led to a deadlocking of various committees,...
.
Equalization
As an OppositionOfficial Opposition (Canada)
In Canada, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition , commonly known as the Official Opposition, is usually the largest parliamentary opposition party in the House of Commons or a provincial legislative assembly that is not in government, either on its own or as part of a governing coalition...
MP, Lukiwski argued that non-renewable natural resource revenues, such as revenues from oil and gas, should be excluded from the calculations of the equalization formula
Equalization payments in Canada
In Canada, the federal government makes equalization payments to less wealthy Canadian provinces to equalize the provinces' "fiscal capacity" — their ability to generate tax revenues. A province that does not receive equalization payments is often referred to as "have province", while those...
. Despite acknowledging that Saskatchewan was no longer a "have-not" province
Equalization payments in Canada
In Canada, the federal government makes equalization payments to less wealthy Canadian provinces to equalize the provinces' "fiscal capacity" — their ability to generate tax revenues. A province that does not receive equalization payments is often referred to as "have province", while those...
, Lukiwski estimated that Saskatchewan would be between $800 million to $1.5 billion wealthier each year if non-renewable resource
Non-renewable resource
A non-renewable resource is a natural resource which cannot be produced, grown, generated, or used on a scale which can sustain its consumption rate, once depleted there is no more available for future needs. Also considered non-renewable are resources that are consumed much faster than nature...
s were removed from the equalization formula.
On March 22, 2005, Lukiwski introduced a motion into the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
calling for changes to the equalization formula. During his speech introducing the motion, Lukiwski stated that "[w]hat we are asking today in this motion is that the non-renewable natural resources should be removed from the equalization formula."
Lukiwski, along with the Conservatives, promised during the 2006 federal election that a Conservative government would remove non-renewable natural resource revenue from the equalization formula. On January 19, 2006, only days before the 2006 election, Lukiwski stated that Saskatchewan would be "$2 to 2.5 billion wealthier each and every year" as a result of the changes.
However, once elected, the Conservatives began to indicate that any future equalization program changes would not necessarily be what was promised.
In the federal budget
2007 Canadian federal budget
The Canadian federal budget for the 2007-2008 fiscal year was presented to the Canadian House of Commons by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on March 19, 2007. The federal budget included $14 billion in new spending and $5.7 billion in tax cuts...
introduced on March 19, 2007, the Conservatives introduced changes to the equalization system which imposed caps on payments. This resulted in Saskatchewan not being able to retain 100% of its non-renewable resource revenue.
Lukiwski acknowledged that the Conservative changes did not exactly fulfill the Conservative's promise with the changes, stating "If you want to say we didn't fulfil the commitment or keep our promise, fair enough."
The 2007 federal budget passed with the support of the Bloc Québécois
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
.
Videotape controversy
On April 3, 2008, the New Democratic Party of Saskatchewan released a videotapeVideotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
showing Lukiwski, then 40 years old, making homophobic remarks in 1991. At the time the videotape was made, Lukiwski was the general manager of the Grant Devine
Grant Devine
Donald Grant Devine was the 11th Premier of Saskatchewan from May 8, 1982 to November 1, 1991.- Early life :Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, he received a B.Sc. in Agriculture degree specializing in Agricultural Economics in 1967 from the University of Saskatchewan, an M.Sc. specializing in...
Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan is a right-of-centre political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Prior to 1942, it was known as the Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. Members are commonly known as Tories....
. In the video, he says:
- "There's A's and there's B's. The A's are guys like me, the B's are homosexual faggots with dirt under their fingernails that transmit diseases."
The release of the tape provoked immediate controversy, including calls for Lukiwski's resignation or removal as a Parliamentary Secretary.
Lukiwski apologized for the comments, saying "If I could take those comments back I would... They do not reflect the type of person that I am."
Lukiwski subsequently promised that "I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, and all of my colleagues in this House that I will spend the rest of my career and my life trying to make up for those shameful comments."
However, he failed to attend a May 31, 2008 Regina gay pride
Gay pride
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
parade to which he was invited. Gay groups said they were disappointed that Lukiwski failed to respond at all to the invitation. "Mr. Lukiwski stated in his public apology... that he would spend the rest of his life making amends," said gay pride spokesman Nathan Markwart. "Well, when exactly does that kick in? "It is clear that his apology is less than sincere and is, in fact, hollow as it has not been followed up with any concerted effort to join our celebrations as an elected official who represents gays and lesbians in Regina and surrounding area." Markwart noted that the disappointment was heightened by their understanding that Lukiwski was in the Regina area on the date of the parade.
Other apologies
In 2005, Lukiwski was sued for libel by former LiberalLiberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
MP Reg Alcock
Reg Alcock
Reginald B. Alcock, PC was a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Winnipeg South in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2006 and was a cabinet minister in the government of Prime Minister Paul Martin. Alcock was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Early life and...
for wrongly claiming Alcock had given his campaign manager a job with the Canadian Wheat Board
Canadian Wheat Board
The Canadian Wheat Board was established by the Parliament of Canada on 5 July 1935 as a mandatory producer marketing system for wheat and barley in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and a small part of British Columbia...
. Lukiwski stated that the matter was settled out of court in 2007 in Alcock's favour, with Lukiwski apologizing to Alcock in a statement.
In November 2009, Lukiwski apologized in the House of Commons for mailing out Parliamentary flyers to the riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Liberal MP Larry Bagnell
Larry Bagnell
Lawrence "Larry" Bagnell, PC, MP is a former Canadian politician. He served as a Member of the Canadian House of Commons from 2000 until 2011 sitting with the Liberal caucus in both government and opposition.-Politicial career:...
which wrongly stated how Bagnall had voted on a private member's bill
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
on the long-gun registry.