House of Commons Hansard #159 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was transport.

Topics

Transportation Amendment ActGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

NDP

Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his very helpful intervention in the debate on Bill C-44. I think he made some very important points. In particular, I was impressed with the point he made about effective agencies that enforce consumer legislation but enforce concerns about takeovers and amalgamations of airline companies, about advertising of airlines and those kinds of things, and how he linked that to our concern about Investment Canada and other agencies of the federal government that do not seem to do the job that they are set up to do.

We have seen how the Terasen deal that he mentioned has been solidly opposed by British Columbians who are concerned about what it means for an important natural resource, what it means for a company that was a public company in British Columbia for many years. It is so important, especially when we look at the fact that Terasen has an interest in water systems in some of our major cities.

We have seen 8,000 people in British Columbia file complaints with the B.C. Utilities Commission that decided that public hearings were not necessary. That is another example of a completely ineffective government agency that does not do its job and does not meet the concerns of citizens, so I am very glad that he raised that in conjunction with the bill.

I am also glad that he raised the situation of Canadians with disabilities because I know that it is something that he has worked hard on in Parliament but also before he was elected to Parliament. I wonder if he might just expand a little more on the concerns that Canadians with disabilities have about our transportation systems and how the bill does nothing to address those concerns.

Transportation Amendment ActGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his comments around Terasen and the government's woeful neglect of due diligence, public process, and responding to the public need in the Terasen sell out. It is not just Terasen. Going beyond that, we have seen 11,000 takeovers of Canadian companies since the government came to power, each one of them rubber stamped.

There were 11,000 rubber stamps. In no case was there due diligence or public hearings around this process, not a single time. It is a fire sale. The sell out of Canada is beyond precedence. When Terasen came up, British Columbians very clearly expressed the view that they had serious concerns about the environmental and safety record of Kinder Morgan, serious concerns about a Bush bagman, who was formally with Enron, purchasing the company, and serious concerns about rate increases and the government just rubber stamping it for the 11,001 time. It is absolutely appalling.

The hon. member's question around disabilities and the concern in the disability community about the lessened access to transportation is a very good question.

Here we have a situation where people with disabilities in the year 2005 have less accessibility than they did in 1997 or 1996. We are moving backwards and that is what is so appalling about this. One would have thought that in Bill C-44 the government would have addressed those serious concerns that are well known. The Council of Canadians with Disabilities has a great reputation and is a well reputed organization that has expressed those concerns directly to this Parliament, as well as to the Minister of Transport. Yet, the government did absolutely nothing to address these concerns. However, at the rate the Liberals are going, they may throw out something, maybe a press release, before the non-confidence vote tonight just to say that they have dealt with it.

Transportation Amendment ActGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Conservative

James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC

Mr. Speaker, the member for Burnaby—New Westminster has a lot of complaints about the bill, but he has not made it clear whether the New Democrats will actually be voting in favour of or opposed to the bill. If he can make that clear, it would be much appreciated by the House.

I was not planning on asking a question, but for a New Democrat from British Columbia to get up in the House to lecture any political party on either transportation policy or fiscal and economic policy is laughable.

When the New Democratic Party was in power in British Columbia for a decade, it took us from the fastest growing province in Canada to a have not province. From being a have province with everything booming and growing, coming out of Expo 86, growing in the late 1980s, growing into the 1990s, what happened in British Columbia? We elected New Democrats and our economy went south, and it went south in a huge way.

We became a have not province. We ended up being on the receiving end of benefits from Ottawa and that was because of New Democratic fiscal and economic policies. New Democrats are in the House and have the gall to lecture any political party in the House on fiscal and economic policy. It is laughable.

Given that we are debating transportation policy, I want to say to the member, who delved into provincial politics for 90% of his speech, that the New Democratic Party, his party, was in power in British Columbia for 10 years. There were only two transportation policies even remotely on the radar screen in British Columbia at that time. One was the Island highway, but because of NDP dropping the ball, bungling, scandal and pathetic management, it caused that highway to be twice as expensive as it would have been, which would have freed up hundreds of millions of dollars for other projects. However, his party failed to do the proper homework in developing that project.

The second transportation project in the entire decade of NDP rule in British Columbia was the fast ferry fiasco, the joke, where over $400 million went to ferries that did not work at all. They were an environmental disaster, a mechanical disaster, and turned out to be a fiscal and economic disaster for taxpayers in British Columbia. That was $400 million that could have gone to substantive policy changes including: the Kicking Horse Canyon and the lives that have been lost there; improvements to the problems with the Sea to Sky Highway; the problems in the northeast sector; rapid transit; and all the things he is talking about. He is great at pointing out all the problems, but when it comes to New Democrats having the opportunity to solve problems, his party failed miserably in British Columbia.

Would the hon. member stand up and explain why his party was so pathetic in government?

Transportation Amendment ActGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC

With pleasure, Mr. Speaker. I would be very pleased to address the concerns, but first, if the hon. member had actually listened, I mentioned three times what our position was on the bill and three times I think is enough. He can check the blues if he does not want to listen.

It is funny because the hon. member who just spoke actually sees most of his federal riding now represented provincially by New Democrats. What he is doing now is standing in the House and criticizing the electors of his communities who chose to elect a New Democrat, among the 33 New Democratic Party MLAs who now sit in the B.C. legislature. They chose to make those choices and he is criticizing his own electors. Since he seems to oppose his own electors so vehemently, that may be an inkling of what is to come in the next few weeks, so he should be very prudent about the kinds of things he says in the House.

I should also mention that I understand the Conservatives are kind of fiscally challenged, but the record deficits we have seen in British Columbia come from the Gordon Campbell government. There are record deficits beyond belief in British Columbia. There were balanced budgets handed over to the Gordon Campbell regime and Gordon Campbell has left us with record deficits. There seems to be a contradiction.

If the hon. member is very concerned about deficits, he should be looking at who did the worst job. The balanced budgets of the NDP, which were handed over to Gordon Campbell's government, or the record deficits that we have seen from the B.C. Liberals.

We are seeing with the Olympics now, hundreds of millions of dollars in cost overruns, as he knows very well, that were not raised when the initial Olympic requisition was put forward. Now we are seeing from this management, hundreds of millions of dollars of further funds required.

It is not surprising why the member is fiscally challenged. He knows very well, as we know in this corner of the House, that the Department of Finance has actually analysed fiscal period returns from all major political parties from 1981 to 2001. The worst financial record, based on the actual fiscal period returns of provincial and federal governments, actually belongs to the Liberal Party. It has the worst record of financial management fiscal period returns of any of the political parties in Canada. The second worst record belongs to the Conservative Party administration, federal and provincial.

The best record in financial management, based on the fiscal period returns, and we are not talking about budget, we are talking about fiscal period returns, belongs to the New Democratic Party. It is important for the public to know this. Not only are we good and effective on social programs but we are also the best financial managers in the country.

Transportation Amendment ActGovernment Orders

1:50 p.m.

Liberal

Marlene Catterall Liberal Ottawa West—Nepean, ON

Mr. Speaker, as I pre-warned you, this is my last speech in the House of Commons after 17 years and I trust you will not be tough on relevance to the topic at hand.

It was 29 years ago that I first ran for and was elected to municipal council, and 18 years ago that I first entered the House of Commons as a member of Parliament. They have been fabulous years.

I want to thank all my constituents in Ottawa West--Nepean who have placed their confidence in me through five consecutive elections. I also want to thank the hundreds of volunteers and those who have contributed financially to campaigns. Volunteers are the fuel of our democracy. It is not money, but people who help fight elections and win or lose them. These individuals make democracy work at the grassroots.

I want to thank my staff who have worked unbelievably hard hours for an unbelievably difficult boss and for constituents who are not always friendly, as we all know. They have done this with great goodwill and with a determination to do whatever they can to help when it is needed.

I want to thank my family. Nobody in the House is unaware of the fact that our families pay the price when we have the great privilege of serving in this place. They pay it in time away, missed birthday parties and missed Christmases. They miss a normal relationship with a parent, a child, a granddaughter or daughter.

For all of the above, I thanks because serving in this place is a great privilege.

Very few Canadians will ever have the privilege of sitting in this chamber, playing a role in the history of our country and helping shape public policy that creates a country that we will be leaving to coming generations.

When I first walked into the House of Commons as a member of Parliament, I sat in my seat very aware of those who had come before me, those who had helped create a country that is the envy of the world. I was very aware also of my obligations to try to do the same for generations to come, to leave them a better country than I found it.

Parliament is the crucible of the country. Here we hear all the voices of Canada, the east, the west, the north, small communities, large communities, urban communities, rural communities and resource communities. It is here we try to deal with the diversity of our great country and make decisions that will affect all our citizens. It is here that we hopefully resolve differences so we can move forward as a nation.

I have been very privileged to take part in some of the great debates of our time such as the debate on free trade and the debate on how we manage the fiscal policies of the country so we can afford those programs that Canadians want and need.

I have been privileged to see the implementation of the first new national social program in a generation, the national child benefit. I have been privileged to see us address the problems in our health care system and to participate as we tried to address the important environmental issue of climate change. I leave here proud of what I have contributed and proud of the people with whom I have served.

I also leave here with some sadness. In the last 12 years I have not seen one iota of improvement in the representation of women in this chamber. In my view that is one of the greatest democratic deficits we have to address.

I also leave with sadness at the disrepute this place and those who come here to serve have fallen into. I attribute that to repeated criticism and negativity both among us in the House and in the media. It has contributed to an impression that neither this place nor the people who serve here deserve

I have been privileged to work with people from all parties and from all parts of Canada. I know they come here to serve their country and their constituents. They work hard at great personal sacrifice. Members serve with integrity and with honesty. They do not deserve to be tainted with the brush that belongs to a very small number.

If I have one message to leave the House and Canadians, it is that. The people who serve here and this place deserve our respect. When people lose respect for their institutions, in my view democracy itself is at risk.

I call upon all the members who will return to remember that what people think of this place matters. It matters more than the criticisms we might want to launch, and important as they are, they too are a part of democracy. However, let us not do it at the expense of respect for this place and respect for all members as people.

My father chose this country as his adopted country more than 70 years ago. From the time when I was a little girl, I learned how lucky we were to be Canadians. The first morning I walked into the House of Commons through those great big doors and into the Hall of Honour, as a member of Parliament, I thought of my dad. He had died only a few months before that election. I said to myself, “Okay, daddy, so what is the daughter of a lousy immigrant tailor doing in this place?” The fact that I was able to make that journey and sit in this place is a measure of the value of the country and what it stands for.

I thank all members for the privilege of serving with them and the opportunity of serving my country.

Transportation Amendment ActGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker

Let me add my voice to those who have worked with the hon. member. I was a whip at one time when she was the first female whip appointed in this place. It was a pleasure to serve with her and I wish her the very best in whatever the future might bring.

Kawartha Participation ProjectsStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Peter Adams Liberal Peterborough, ON

Mr. Speaker, Kawartha Participation Projects provides housing and support to people with disabilities in Haliburton, Northumberland, Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough. It is dedicated to enabling people with physical disabilities to live as independently as they choose.

KPP believes that every person is unique, has his or her own distinct values and goals and the right to life, support, a home, respect and dignity. It has houses, geared to income units and apartments. It provides outreach services to adults in their own homes throughout the region.

The volunteers and staff of KPP and the KPP Foundation deserve our respect, support and thanks. They make our community richer by enriching the lives of persons with disabilities and their families.

UkraineStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Conservative

Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB

Mr. Speaker, Michael Ignatieff has been parachuted by the Prime Minister into a Toronto area riding to run for the Liberals. Mr. Ignatieff has repeatedly expressed a disdain for Ukrainians and the independent state of Ukraine. According to Mr. Ignatieff, Ukrainians conjure up images of “embroidered peasant shirts, the nasal whine of ethnic instruments, phoney Cossacks in cloaks and boots”.

Ukrainian Canadians are understandably outraged that the Prime Minister is promoting a candidate who refers to Ukrainians as “little Russians”. It has been almost one year since 1,000 Canadians were deployed as election observers to help foster democracy in independent Ukraine, Europe's second largest state and ancestral homeland for 1.2 million Canadians.

On behalf of the Conservative Party of Canada, I would like to state our unqualified and continuing commitment to freedom, democracy and an independent Ukraine.

Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of CommerceStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Shawn Murphy Liberal Charlottetown, PE

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of the most dedicated members of the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce. Harvey MacKinnon retired earlier this month his post as general manager, ending a distinguished career with the chamber that spanned decades.

I had the pleasure of serving on the board for several years and as president from 1991 to 1992. I found Harvey to be the type of person who could get a terrific job done with very limited resources. He has the uncanny ability to get along with everyone, keep a very positive attitude, get the job done and push ahead the interests of the business community in the greater Charlottetown area. His long term leadership and dedication was recognized in 2003 when he received the prestigious Queen's Jubilee medal.

Harvey certainly has contributed to his work, to Charlottetown and to the policies that aim to improve the quality of life for his fellow citizens. I would ask my fellow members and all Canadians to join me in applauding Harvey's outstanding career and wishing him and his wife Madeline all the best in his retirement.

Rail TransportationStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Bloc

Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Matapédia-Chandler rail line is at considerable risk. The owners of this section of the Gaspé rail line have already indicated their intention to stop all transportation of goods and maintenance service on their rail network.

According to the Canadian Transportation Agency, this section will be sold or dismantled in a year and a half from now. The loss of it will clearly be devastating to the Gaspé. It would not only have a direct effect on the activities on the Chandler-Gaspé section, but it would make it extremely difficult to establish new businesses in the southern part of the Gaspé, it would threaten the future development of the port of Gaspé and would halt VIA Rail operations as well.

Our region simply cannot afford the loss of its railway network.

The federal government must tell us now, clearly, what it plans to do to enable our region to keep its rail network.

Member for Lambton—Kent—MiddlesexStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Rose-Marie Ur Liberal Middlesex—Kent—Lambton, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bid farewell to my colleagues and the constituents of Lambton—Kent—Middlesex.

To the riding association, I certainly have appreciated all the hard work by president, Marilyn Bach, and all the members and executives over the years for faithfully attending the monthly breakfast meetings and being my eyes and ears in the riding.

I thank the volunteers of four successful campaigns for their time, dedication and all the great friendships that have developed. To a very competent campaign manager for my four elections, I thank Dr. Thomas Wolder.

My awesome staff in Ottawa, Chera, Julie, Jessica, and in the riding, Peggy, Lois and Marg, and all the past staff were second to none. We truly were a great team. Their untiring dedication made my work easier.

To my family members, without their support I could not have done my job. Their patience and understanding meant a lot. I look forward to spending more time with all of them, especially my grandsons Zachary and Jordan. Louis has been my rock. I thank my guardian angel, Deb Wiseman.

Last but not least, I thank the constituents in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex. I have enjoyed representing their interests for 12 years.

Electoral CampaignsStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Gary Goodyear Conservative Cambridge, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House privileged to serve my home of Cambridge-North Dumfries. However, it is with disappointment that I have to draw to members' attention yet more inconsistencies between what the Prime Minister says and what his team actually does.

Ever since the Prime Minister pleaded with Canadians to keep his job, we have seen numerous examples of his going on about how he wants a clean campaign. However, the chair of the Ontario Liberal campaign team has revealed the truth. He has advised all his MPs to spend their money after Christmas because it is going to be a negative campaign and that way they will get a bigger bang for their buck.

Remember the flag-burning TV ads the Liberals used? Or what about the handgun firing straight at television viewers? If that is what the members opposite in the Liberal Party call positive, then I guess they call stealing taxpayers' money redistribution.

BioNorthStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON

Mr. Speaker, this morning I was pleased to open the 12th annual BioNorth, Canada's international biotechnology and life sciences conference and exhibition presented by the Ottawa Life Sciences Council. I am proud to say that the Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto biotech triangle is second in the world only to California's cluster.

This year, BioNorth focuses on the commercialization of Canada's extensive and tremendous level of research. Our government has committed more than $2 billion over the next five years to sustain Canada's global lead in university-based research.

Thanks to an outstanding business climate, the private sector is now spending more than $3 billion a year in life sciences R and D and is responsible for over 70,000 Canadian jobs.

Innovation is at the core of Canada's economic success. We are working hard with Canada's entrepreneurs and Canada's investors to secure innovation, growth and prosperity for all Canadians.

Fabory MetricanStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Bloc

Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC

Mr. Speaker, founded in 1947 by a Montrealer who foresaw the move to metric, Fabory Metrican, which manufactures and distributes metric fastenings, is now part of a worldwide distribution network.

The company offers services relating to the three different aspects of fasteners: the product, the fastening technique and the cost effectiveness of operating procedures.

Thanks to the expertise of some fifty employees in Laval, Fabory Metrican can take over the management of the inventories of its clients, including Bombardier, provide expert technical advice and provide on-site delivery according to production schedules.

With sales of $22 million in Canada, Fabory Metrican helps many companies increase their production and contributes significantly to the labour market and to Laval's economic development.

Federal Court of CanadaStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Devillers Liberal Simcoe North, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Federal Court has allowed a judicial review application in the case of American war resister, Jeremy Hinzman, on the issue of the legality of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Members will recall that Canada refused to join the U.S. in this war because it lacked UN sanction. Many Canadians are now encouraging the Government of Canada to accord similar treatment to the U.S. war resisters today as was accorded to the Vietnam war resisters.

I wish to add my support to those so encouraging the government, because I believe there should be no distinction between a person who was avoiding the draft and one who refuses to join an unauthorized war.

In case this is my last statement in this House, I want to take this opportunity to thank the voters of Simcoe North for giving me the honour of representing them in Parliament for four mandates.

Income TrustsStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB

Mr. Speaker, the whole income trust debacle is such a weird, gripping tale that it has made terms such as “dividend, tax credit, market cap and finance minister” almost part of the pop culture, as in the sentence, “Yes, my parents gave me my dividend tax credit which really helps my market cap, so I should be able to go to the show tonight unless I somehow get it all finance ministered up”.

Just when we thought it could not get any more weird and strange, now the income trust debacle has taken yet another turn, this time toward the RCMP and the Ontario Securities Commission. With published reports saying that large investors may have been tipped off by people in finance, small retail investors are furious and want answers about who knew what when.

The minister's self-serving denials just do not cut it, especially when trading volumes and unit prices shot up just hours before the minister's announcement. On second thought, why does the RCMP not just set up an office right in the PMO so that it can be at the ready for the next Liberal scandal?

Member for Etobicoke--LakeshoreStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Jean Augustine Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform the House that I have decided not to seek re-election in the riding of Etobicoke--Lakeshore.

It has been a great privilege to serve Canada and especially the people of Etobicoke--Lakeshore, to whom I am deeply grateful for their 12 years of friendship and unfailing support.

I want to thank all of my colleagues in Parliament for the tremendous experience of working with them in building a Canada where citizens from every corner of the globe can fulfill their hopes and aspirations. I have enjoyed the many and varied responsibilities with which I have been entrusted.

I owe much to Canada as a black woman who has risen from grassroots engagements to the highest councils of this land. I want to thank my community from coast to coast for their unstinting support of my efforts.

While there is much left to be done, I believe it is time to pass the baton and to explore and embrace other opportunities to serve my fellow citizens. I will miss this place and the many dear friends I have made here. As a proud and committed supporter of our Liberal team, I want to wish its members every success.

New Democratic PartyStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

NDP

Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC

Mr. Speaker, on what is almost certainly the last day of this Parliament, I am proud to rise today as a New Democrat and proud of our record here in this place. As we move to the next election, Canadians can be proud that the NDP members of Parliament got something done, and proud that our leader, the member for Toronto--Danforth, is a leader who puts people first and a leader who got results.

This session saw New Democrats pass the first ever NDP budget. We took $4.6 billion that was destined to end up in the pockets of well-connected friends of Liberals as corporate tax cuts and we turned that money over to affordable housing, reducing tuition, the environment, and foreign aid.

We have been thrust into this election by a Liberal leader who refuses to compromise, so we head to the electorate confident that we did everything we could to get things done in this minority Parliament. We know that more could have been done if it were not for the scandal, the arrogance and the inflexibility of the Liberals and their Prime Minister.

We pay special tribute to the member for Ottawa Centre, who is retiring. He has been an inspiration to all of us.

We intend to return here with more New Democrats to go to bat for Canadians. They can count on that.

Riding of Etobicoke--LakeshoreStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Peter Van Loan Conservative York—Simcoe, ON

Mr. Speaker, on the eve of an election, the Prime Minister has shown that the democratic deficit is alive in the Liberal Party of Canada.

It has been almost two decades since Etobicoke--Lakeshore Liberals have been permitted to democratically select a candidate. In 1993, Jean Chrétien appointed the current member to be a candidate, eliminating any democratic nomination process. Now, Liberal headquarters has rigged the nomination of a successor, installing a candidate in a process worthy of the worst corrupt third world dictatorship, according to local Liberals.

Yes, that is the same Michael Ignatieff who has lectured for years about the value of our western freedoms and democracy. Apparently, becoming a Liberal can be severely corrupting to one's principles. At least it took Pierre Trudeau two years to transform from the candidate of individual freedom to the War Measures Act prime minister. Michael Ignatieff has taken mere minutes to abandon democratic values.

Mr. Ignatieff is going to fit well into the Liberal Party. That is, until the voters of Etobicoke--Lakeshore stand up for democracy, freedom and Canada, and reject the Liberal Party's latest affront. That day is coming soon.

Grey CupStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Bloc

Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC

Mr. Speaker, all eyes were on football last night. We were all treated to a spectacular show during the Grey Cup championship game, pitting the Montreal Alouettes against the Edmonton Eskimos.

Many Quebeckers over the past 40 years have played some great games for the Alouettes, but it was quite unique last night to see so many great plays by Quebeckers on both teams at the Grey Cup.

We would have preferred to see the Montreal Alouettes win, but we are happy for the Eskimos, specifically Danny Maciocia, who was the first Canadian Football League coach from Quebec to win the coveted Grey Cup.

Maciocia is from Montreal and was a member of the Alouettes coaching team after a stellar career in minor and inter-scholastic football in Montreal. Everyone remembers him as a proud and determined gentleman. Congratulations to the Eskimos and the Alouettes for such a great game.

Conservative Party of CanadaStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

Rona Ambrose Conservative Edmonton—Spruce Grove, AB

Mr. Speaker, the time for accountability has arrived. After tonight, Canadians will finally be able to hold the Liberals accountable for the missing money, the broken trust and all the broken promises. While the government has been completely preoccupied with power, Canadians have seen their hard-earned tax dollars spent on vote buying.

Hard-working Canadians who pay their taxes and play by the rules want a new government, one that will put the interests of Canadians first. This election will provide Canadians with a chance to tell the Liberals that they have had enough, that they are tired of being forgotten, and that it is finally their turn.

Over the coming weeks, Canadians will learn about our plans to clean up government and strengthen our nation's unity. Canadians know that only the Conservative Party will deliver the change of government that is needed to bring political and democratic accountability to Ottawa. A new team, the youngest and most diverse political party in Canada, with added strength and experience, will replace a culture of entitlement with a culture of accountability.

I would like to ask all Canadians to stand up for change and to stand up for Canada.

Clare LakingStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

Russ Powers Liberal Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON

Mr. Speaker, I stand today to pay tribute to Mr. Clare Laking, who passed away this weekend in Toronto. He was one of Canada's five surviving World War I veterans. He was just a few months shy of his 107th birthday.

Mr. Laking served our nation proudly. He was a private with the Canadian Field Artillery's 27th Battery during the first world war. He served in France as a signaller, stringing telephone wire along the trenches. In 1929, he married his wife, the late Helen Patterson. They had two children.

Today, on behalf of all members of the House and indeed all Canadians, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Clare Laking and urge all Canadians to follow his example of remembering the fallen.

Canadian Taxpayers FederationOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

Peter MacKay Conservative Central Nova, NS

According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, 145 announcements have been made since November 3 totalling the humungous figure of $24 billion. The federation notes that the money is being diverted to swing ridings.

The Prime Minister can no doubt buy the Liberals, but when is he going to realize—

Canadian Taxpayers FederationOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

The Speaker

Order, please. There is a translation problem. Perhaps it has been resolved now.

The hon. member for Central Nova.

Canadian Taxpayers FederationOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

Peter MacKay Conservative Central Nova, NS

Mr. Speaker, I am working on my French.

According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, 145 announcements have been made since November 3 totalling the humungous figure of $24 billion. The federation notes that the money is being diverted to swing ridings.

The Prime Minister can no doubt buy the Liberals, but when is he going to realize that he cannot buy Canadians with billions of dollars and promises he will not necessarily keep?