He is not a kid; he is a member.
Lost his last election, in 2006, with 38% of the vote.
Budget Implementation Act, 1996 April 25th, 1996
He is not a kid; he is a member.
Budget Implementation Act, 1996 April 25th, 1996
Well now, I would just like to reassure my fellow Quebecers on the adjustment formula and to explain to them most clearly that their acceptance of harmonization of the tax in 1990 was extremely fortunate for the Quebec economy. We were extremely happy to have that harmonization, and the adjustment formula implemented by the Minister of Finance does not penalize Quebec in any way. It does not penalize Quebec in any way because only provinces losing 5 per cent of their tax revenues are affected by that measure. We in Quebec, on the contrary, had additional revenues after we had harmonized the tax in 1990. The formula does not, therefore, penalize Quebec in the least, the opposite in fact. Whether it was done in 1990 or in 1996, Quebec has benefited from being the first to harmonize the taxes.
On the other hand, I wonder if my hon. colleague is aware that yesterday the Quebec Minister of Finance, Bernard Landry, said the following about the GST: "Strictly from the taxation point of view, this is good news, for more provinces will have a VAT from now on". Mr. Landry, the Quebec finance minister, thinks this is a very good thing, and I quote him again word for word: "This is a very good thing, having a VAT in the other provinces around us, for the fact that ours in Quebec is lower will be to our advantage. It places us in a competitive position; this is good for trade and harmonizes our economic space". That was the position of the Quebec Minister of Finance. I can tell you that I am most pleased that the Quebec finance minister is supporting our efforts toward an economy that is more competitive, more open to the world.
Budget Implementation Act, 1996 April 25th, 1996
Absolutely.
Budget Implementation Act, 1996 April 25th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by thanking my hon. colleague for acknowledging my intellectual capacities that are recognized all over Quebec. These are very necessary for understanding issues in depth, and yet they have not prevented me from spending the past twelve years in the business world, creating jobs on the international level for Canadian companies that are open to the world.
I would also like to say that I am extremely proud to have been elected to the Liberal team this past March 25, although I am being told I ought to be ashamed of it. I would like to point out to him that I won with 60 per cent of the total vote, whereas in 1993 we got 52 per cent. That means that, even without talking about the GST, we have improved our performance at the polls, while the Bloc has dropped from 39 per cent to 34. I would therefore ask the hon. member to be a little more restrained in his statements.
Middle East April 23rd, 1996
Canada has asked for a ceasefire in the Middle East and we will continue to closely monitor the situation and to support all the negotiations currently going on at the diplomatic level.
We hope that the parties will reach an agreement soon. In fact, the Government of Canada is ready to support these efforts. We also made our views known to the Security Council, on April 18. We supported the resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East. We have asked other states to support this resolution and the ongoing diplomatic negotiations and to respect the territorial integrity of the Lebanese Republic.
Canada considers all these attacks on the civilian population and United Nations personnel totally unacceptable. Canada is particularly-
Middle East April 23rd, 1996
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his question, as this will be the first answer I give in the House.
The Budget April 16th, 1996
That is true. However, I am talking about the linguistic distinction in Quebec which is a major asset. In business, when one deals with foreign markets, the fact that we have a bilingual country is an extraordinary asset. It gives us a special voice in world affairs. We are all very attached to it. We need to make sure we protect that voice in our country.
I am delighted to now turn to finances. I come from the business community, which I do not miss, but I am delighted to talk to members about finances. I am extremely pleased to explain to my colleague that 6 per cent of the gross national product was the deficit when we arrived in 1993. We are moving to 2 per cent. We have gone from 6 per cent to 2 per cent for the first time in our history. This is extraordinary. We are now-
The Budget April 16th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, first allow me to thank my colleague from the opposition for his offer of collaboration to recognize this great country we have and to do everything we can to accommodate every major partner of it. It will be essential and important that we all work together.
Members will know that there is an important majority of Quebecers who want us to adapt federalism to the new needs they have and to the needs of the 21st century. I can say that there is a great majority of Quebecers who would be very happy to see what develops in the next few months.
It is true that all major partners of this federation need to feel more comfortable in this country. We have to respect each major party of the federation for the contributions each makes to the federation. That is true for the regions as well.
Quebec has a special mission in the country. It contributes some elements that are unique to the personality of the country and to the identity of the country.
The Budget April 16th, 1996
The Liberal Party's performance also improved in Lac-Saint-Jean where it received 8 per cent more votes. We were very proud of that fact.
I want to speak about what happened last weekend. It takes real intellectual dishonesty not to recognize, in the resolution adopted by the party at that meeting, that the objective of the Liberal Party of Canada is to have the resolution defining the principles of the distinct society enshrined in the Constitution. That is what the resolution that was voted on said.
In fact, I cannot understand this sudden attachment to the words "distinct society", which our friends across the way have always despised. As a Quebecer, I can tell you that I am perfectly prepared to work with you toward enshrining distinct society in the Canadian Constitution. But do you really believe that the words "distinct society" truly reflect the reality, when, just a while ago, you were telling me that it was an empty shell?
Enough is enough; such hypocrisy has to stop. It is no use crying over something you have already rejected. Do not interfere with our work and, hopefully, we will find better words, if those ones do not adequately reflect what the rest of Canada thinks. What I want is for Quebec and the special, unique, particular and distinct role it plays in Canada and North America to be recognized by the rest of Canada and enshrined in the Constitution. I got into politics to see this Canada emerge in the next-
The Budget April 16th, 1996
You asked about unemployment because I was applauding the fact that it has declined.
In Lille recently, there was a conference of industry and labour ministers during which President Chirac asked a very interesting question. He said: "Is there a third method, half way between the American way, where jobs are created very rapidly and social programs are almost nonexistent, and the European way, which is extremely rigid, where social programs are on a much larger scale, yet where job creation has been stagnant if not regressing for the last few years?"
The answer is: Canada. We talked about that with President Chirac. Canada is the third way between European rigidity, which leans more toward socialism, and the American way, which leans more toward the free market but does not adequately protect its people.
I am extremely proud to say this Canadian way, this third way in the world, is the method that the Liberal government has supported year after year for the last few generations.
You say you are surprised that the electorate appreciated the budget. I was right there campaigning, my friend; I saw the constituents and I knew, the minute the budget was brought down, that the election was won because they were reassured about pensions. Let me remind you that we have brought the Liberal Party score from 52 to 60 per cent and that the Bloc Quebecois went from 39 to 34 per cent.