Kelly Block

[Government Accountability, May 12th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, today the Auditor General released her spring report, which includes the details of another Liberal spending scandal.

Could the Minister of Natural Resources please tell the House how our government has improved accountability and value for Canadian taxpayers' hard-earned money?

[Taxation, May 8th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party and their leader continue to show they have no clue how to help Canadian families during this economic downturn. The Liberal leader said recently that he “will have to raise taxes”. We thank the Liberal leader for his honesty.

Now we know the Liberals want to hike taxes on Canadian families during a global recession. We also know that they want to increase the GST. We know that they want to impose a job-killing carbon tax. We also know that they want to take away the universal child tax benefit. The Liberals and their leader seem to like taking money out of Canadians' pockets.

Would the Liberal leader stand in the House and finally come clean with Canadians? Which taxes would the Liberals raise? By how much would they raise them? Who would be forced to pay these higher taxes?

[Status of Women, May 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago, the Ontario minister of labour heard about the Liberal member for Brampton—Springdale's household paying live-in caregivers less than the minimum wage, confiscating their passports and forcing them to perform humiliating tasks not in their employment contract.

These are serious accusations. The Ontario minister of labour has admitted that he has been sitting on these allegations for two weeks, essentially protecting his federal Liberal cousins.

Will the Minister of State for Status of Women tell the House what options are available to these female caregivers and others facing abuse?

[Justice, April 21st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the best way to fight gangs and organized crime is to disrupt criminal enterprise. Today our Conservative government introduced new legislation to combat auto theft. Gangs thrive on the profits gained from these illegal activities. Cars are stolen and their parts resold to unsuspecting customers. This new legislation will seriously impact the ability of gangs to profit from these illegal activities.

Could the minister tell us how this legislation will help the Canada Border Services Agency reduce the harm inflicted by gangs and other criminal organizations?

[The Economy, March 13th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, our government continues to work together with our four western provinces to help create sustainable, innovative and strong communities. However, we all know that the west is not immune to what is happening elsewhere with the global recession.

Would the Minister of State for Economic Diversification tell the House how our government is investing in the western economy?

[Status of Women, February 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, this government has consistently demonstrated its commitment to women. The Prime Minister appointed the largest percentage of women to cabinet in the history of Canada. He appointed the first minister of state solely responsible for the Status of Women.

This morning the Minister of State for the Status of Women made an exciting announcement. Could the minister please tell the House about the work she is continuing to do for women?

[Science and Technology, February 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, last week's budget included a significant investment to fund leading edge research and provide innovators with the high end research equipment, laboratories and facilities that they need.

Yesterday, the Minister of State for Science and Technology announced details of a new $750 million investment in the Canada Foundation for Innovation. This initiative will help develop new world-class research in my home province of Saskatchewan and across Canada, by attracting international talent to colleges, universities, research hospitals and institutions and by encouraging our researchers to conduct their research here.

I am very proud of our government's investments in science and technology. Innovation will help Canada's economy recover more quickly, create jobs for the future and improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

[The Budget, January 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the constituents of Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar for putting their faith in me to represent them as their member of Parliament. I would also like to thank all of those who volunteered last fall, as well as my family members for their ongoing support.

Canada's economic action plan, budget 2009 is the result of weeks of consultation with thousands of Canadians. In preparation for this plan the Minister of Finance not only consulted widely with Canadians but obtained advice and input from some of the leading economic and financial minds in our country. This is truly an economic action plan for all Canadians.

As the finance minister was travelling across the country consulting Canadians, I was also travelling across my constituency consulting the people of Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar. As an aside, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Minister of Finance for coming to Saskatoon and listening to the people of Saskatchewan.

I went from meeting with residents and business and community leaders from the west side of Saskatoon, to hosting community meetings in the towns scattered throughout the rural part of the riding, to door knocking in the villages and hamlets that did not have a town hall to go to. Through these consultations I met with a wide range of people.

The people of Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar want this government to get on with the business of governing and they want this economic action plan to pass. Canada's economic action plan is economically stimulating, job creating and tax reducing. This plan finds the right balance.

There was a common theme in what I heard and what this government heard, namely, that investment in Canadian communities by way of roads, bridges and other projects is a good way to stimulate the economy and create prosperity for the future. This government is committed to following this advice in as quick a fashion as possible so that the stimulus provided for in this plan gets out into the Canadian economy to promote growth and job creation.

This government is stimulating the economy and creating jobs by investing in social housing. At this time of global economic uncertainty our government is committed to ensuring that the citizens who need assistance the most will receive it. This is why we are investing $1 billion over two years to renovate and retrofit existing social housing units on a fifty-fifty cost share basis with the provinces. These additional funds for social housing are another example of this government investing in the future.

This economic action plan also dedicates $400 million over two years for the construction of housing units for low-income seniors. Our seniors have worked many years to build this great country of ours, yet rising costs have made affordable housing difficult for some. We have heard their concerns and have acted prudently to address them.

These examples of this government's care and compassion for those who need a helping hand are just some of the reasons I support Canada's economic action plan.

I am also very pleased to see that this government is supporting prairie farmers and indeed all Canadian farmers by partnering with the provinces, territories and industry. It is contributing $500 million to the agricultural flexibility plan which will assist farmers in dealing with the fluctuating costs of production, promote new innovations in farming practices and equipment, ensure environmental sustainability, and provide a resource for farmers when they are faced with market challenges or opportunities.

I am also very glad to find that this economic action plan includes an additional $50 million over three years for the expansion of slaughtering capacity in Canada. The expansion of domestic slaughtering capacity will allow our producers to be less reliant on foreign slaughterhouses and will make our livestock producers less susceptible to commodity price fluctuations caused by regulations imposed by foreign governments.

This government is also supporting Canada's livestock industry by creating a market access secretariat to work towards expanding the market for Canadian products beyond the U.S. into other promising and potentially lucrative markets.

This investment and these other initiatives will not only help our cattle producers, but will create jobs, both now and in the future.

During a time of economic downturn, this government realizes that Canadians and Canadian businesses are hurting. We understand that when businesses are hurting, they cannot give their hard-working employees the raises they would like to.

Therefore, our government is giving a tax break to middle and lower income Canadians. Canada's economic action plan will increase the basic personal exemption amount by $620 to $10,320 for 2009. This action will directly benefit our most economically disadvantaged and those just entering the job market.

This action plan will again benefit lower income Canadians and, indeed, all Canadians by increasing the top of the first personal income tax bracket in 2009, as well as increasing the top of the second personal income tax bracket. Our government understands that this global downturn has been forced on Canada and should not be borne by hard-working taxpayers.

I believe that this economic action plan is right for Canada, right for Saskatchewan and right for Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar. It is right for men and it is right for women. It is right for upper income Canadians and it is right for lower income Canadians. It is right for employers and it is right for workers.

I encourage all hon. members of the House to pass Canada's economic action plan budget 2009 next week.

[Address in Reply, January 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, over the past six weeks our Prime Minister, our ministers and MPs have participated in prebudget consultations right across the country. It has been the most comprehensive and inclusive prebudget consultation process in Canadian history. The Prime Minister himself has held round tables right across the country. He and government ministers have made over 84 separate visits to cities across the country. We have heard the concerns of Canadians. We have heard the concerns of our communities and of those individuals who are leading communities when it comes to infrastructure. Members will have to wait until tomorrow so they can hear the rest of the budget.

[Address in Reply, January 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that our Conservative government has done more for first nations and aboriginals in this country than any other government did.