House of Commons Hansard #11 of the 40th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was coalition.
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, as I have just said, if one wants to be Prime Minister one gets one's mandate from the Canadian people and not from Quebec separatists.
From Macdonald and Laurier to Diefenbaker and Trudeau, Liberals and Conservatives have often disagreed but there is one thing we should never disagree on and the leader of the Liberal Party is betraying the best interests in the best traditions of his own party if he thinks he can make a deal to govern.
Prime Minister of CanadaOral Questions
Stéphane Dion LiberalLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, every member of the House has received a mandate from the Canadian people to deliver a government that will face the economic crisis. The Prime Minister has failed. The Prime Minister does not have the support of the House any more. Will he allow a vote to test if he has the confidence of the House, as it must be in a parliamentary democracy?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, not a single member of the House, not even a member of the Bloc, received a mandate to have a government in which the separatists would be part of the coalition.
If the Leader of the Opposition thinks he has support for this, he should have the confidence to take this to the people of Canada who will reject it.
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is too bad that the noise the Conservatives make is a whole lot more than the voting power they command in the House.
Yesterday, the parliamentary budget officer shot down the Conservative argument that they were doing everything possible to stimulate the economy. This gentleman, who was appointed by the Prime Minister, says the impact of past tax cuts is all used up.
Why has the government not presented a recovery plan to protect Canadian jobs?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
We have acted, Mr. Speaker, and we are acting. We have before the House the RRIF amendment for seniors. We have the proposal with respect to pensioners, very important for pensioners this year if Parliament chooses to act on this. We have the proposal for business with respect to credit through the Export Development Corporation, about $3 billion worth of credit, very important for Canadian manufacturers.
All these would stimulate the economy, but I gather all are opposed by the Liberals.
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Mr. Speaker, the minister still does not get it. The Parliamentary Budget Officer, appointed by the Prime Minister, says that the impact of past tax cuts is all used up. That means it is all gone, there is nothing left, not for auto and forestry workers now losing thousands of jobs, not for the extra quarter of a million Canadians due to become unemployed by 2010.
Why does the minister not understand that he has done nothing for the economy and that is why the Conservatives have lost the confidence of the House? It is very simple.
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the member of the separatist coalition opposite raises a question. I think there was a question in there somewhere about economic plans. The only economic plan we have heard from the separatist coalition is a $30 billion spending program.
Jim Flaherty Conservative Whitby—Oshawa, ON
Carolyn, relax, you are going to hurt yourself.
This is what Don Drummond said about—
The EconomyOral Questions
The Speaker Peter Milliken
Order, please. The Minister of Finance appears to be addressing members by name and he knows that is out of order.
Honestly, hon. members two weeks ago today were saying we needed more order in the House. Today is not orderly and I would ask hon. members to restrain themselves so we can hear the questions and the responses.
The hon. Minister of Finance has the floor for a few more seconds.
Jim Flaherty Conservative Whitby—Oshawa, ON
Mr. Speaker, what is being proposed by the separatist coalition is a $30 billion spending program. That would put our country into a structural deficit for a long time. As Don Drummond of the TD Bank said, this would be a disaster that would launch us into a structural deficit.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister, who in 2004 suggested that the Governor General consider alternatives to an election, is now claiming that forming a coalition is undemocratic. That is untrue, and he knows it. The Prime Minister has also said that the 2004 agreement pertained to an amendment to the throne speech. That is also untrue, and he knows it.
Instead of looking for red herrings, will the Prime Minister admit that a coalition was formed because he did not make the sort of compromises a minority government must make, that he bears sole responsibility for the political crisis and that he has lost the confidence of this House?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Parti Québécois said today, “It is clear that this country is not working. The only solution is to separate, to opt for sovereignty.”
The applause from the Bloc shows why this country needs a government that supports Canada, the best country in the world.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have learned from years of experience in this House that when members rise every couple of minutes to applaud, that means that things are not going well.
The Bloc put realistic proposals on the table to stimulate the economy in the interests of Quebec, proposals that have largely been adopted by the coalition but were ignored in this government's ideological statement.
Does the Prime Minister realize that his narrow ideological corridor has led him to a dead end and that he has lost the confidence of the House?
Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to respond to my counterpart, the new Quebec lieutenant for the leader of the Liberals. I will quote, if I may, from last October 7's Le Devoir: “It is obvious to us, as a very function of what we are [a sovereignist party], that we will enter into ad hoc alliances only. That is what determines whether something goes through or not”.
This is what he has just done: signed a blank cheque, handed over his seats to the Liberal leader, betrayed the people who elected him.
Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC
Mr. Speaker, it might be worthwhile for the Quebec political lieutenant to read the agreement before commenting on it.
During the campaign for the election he called supposedly to deal with the economic crisis, the Prime Minister never proposed any solutions. That explains why his government stayed in a minority position. Then the throne speech, as well as the economic statement, contained less than nothing about supporting the economy and helping the victims of the crisis.
Does the Prime Minister understand that he has totally failed, no longer has the confidence of the public, and no longer has the confidence of this House?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the member of the separatist coalition opposite surely has read about the tax reductions and he knows the stimulus that this provides to the economy, including the three tax reductions that come into force 30 days from now.
In January the stimulus will be 2% of GDP. The help for seniors, pensioners and small businesses, in particular on the credit side of the Business Development Bank of Canada, are all vital in this time of economic turbulence.
Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC
Mr. Speaker, our responsibility as parliamentarians is to ensure that answers are found for the public's concerns and difficulties during the current crisis. The government has totally discredited itself by doing exactly the opposite of that: creating more uncertainties and insecurity.
Is the Prime Minister aware that the initiative by the opposition parties has the support of civil society and that labour unions, environmentalists, women's groups and coalitions of artists see the tripartite agreement as a response at last to their concerns?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, with respect, the strident questioning does not help the economy. What will help the economy is further credit being available and affordable to small, medium and large businesses in the country, further investments in infrastructure, a reduced tax burden to incent spending in the economy and help for pensioners and seniors.
I would think the member opposite would want to support that for the people of Quebec and Canada.
Jack Layton NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Speaker, 62% of people voted against giving this Prime Minister a mandate. They voted for opposition parties. Parties on this side of the House have set aside their differences to work together. The new coalition government's priority will be to put forward concrete solutions for the economy. That is what people want now.
The Conservatives refused to do it, so how can Canadians have confidence in this government?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the three opposition parties told voters that they had no plan to form a coalition. That was their commitment, their promise to the Canadian people.
That is what they told the Canadian people. Instead of being willing to co-operate, the leader of the NDP has admitted that from the beginning of this Parliament his sole objective was to form a coalition with the separatists. That is not what federalists, Conservatives, Liberals and NDPers across the country, voted for.
Jack Layton NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Speaker, what I said during the election, and have said for years and have put into practice, is I am ready to work with other parties in the House, and we have evidenced that with all parties.
It is clear that the Prime Minister does not understand this. He has been unwilling to work with other parties. That is why he has lost the confidence of the House. That is what is happening here. He used to say that the prime minister had a moral obligation to respect the will of the House. He is refusing to allow a vote. He knows full well he has lost the confidence.
When will he recognize that fact and turn over power to those who have—
