House of Commons Hansard #164 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was cfia.
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, as I said a moment ago, the deficit reduction action plan was a major part of the budget. It was important so that we could control the growth of government expenses. Part of that was dealing with the environment and getting to one project one review with time limits.
I am sure the hon. member wants to be informed on these matters. Once again, I suggest that he read the budget this weekend.
Sadia Groguhé NDP Saint-Lambert, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives obviously do not care about the economic reality of Canadians. Their biggest change focuses on the economic reality of 308 members of Parliament. Today they introduced a massive 443-page bill that amends more than 40 acts. There are changes to the Navigable Waters Protection Act that will give more powers to the minister.
This bill is flawed and amendments will be necessary. Will they agree to them?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, as I said a moment ago, there are no surprises. The budget was delivered on March 29. The budget document itself is almost 500 pages. It is the economic action plan of the Government of Canada for our country, not only for this year but for the ensuing years.
This is the plan. This is the creation of jobs, growth and prosperity for our country. I urge the hon. members to read it for their own edification.
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, the minister and the government seem to have learned nothing from their experience in bringing in the first omnibus bill. Now they want to ram through another bill of over 450 pages.
How do they expect Canadians to understand all the devious schemes and plans the government has for them in such a short amount of time?
This is a Prime Minister who used to have contempt for such tactics. Why is the same Prime Minister so keen to misuse his power and ram this budget down the throats of Canadians?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, we have had budget bills in this place, including under the previous Liberal government, that were many pages longer than this budget bill.
Having said that—
Jim Flaherty Conservative Whitby—Oshawa, ON
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
The minister has to address his comments through the Chair and not directly at other colleagues.
The minister is out of time now anyway.
The hon. member for St. John's East.
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
Mr. Speaker, on the one hand we have $18,000 in free flights; a campaign manager the Conservatives call incompetent; and a minister claiming he is not responsible because he is new.
On the other hand we have Reg Bowers, the scapegoat, rewarded with a plum patronage appointment by the Prime Minister; the minister's brother-in-law negotiating questionable agreements after the fact; and potential campaign overspending of 21% by a minister who won by only 79 votes.
Would the minister admit that his campaign broke the law?
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, this is a hard-working and honest Labradorian and Canadian. We are proud to have him in our caucus.
The new official agent in place will work with Elections Canada to correct any mistakes that have been made.
However, one mistake that still needs correcting, for the benefit of all Newfoundlanders in that member's riding, is that he and his party are promoting a devastating carbon tax that would kill the jobs of Newfoundlanders.
We, as Canadians, are all proud of the prosperity that Newfoundlanders have worked hard to build, particularly in natural resources. We do not consider that a disease. We consider that an achievement.
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Mr. Speaker, when someone breaks the law, he breaks the law, period.
If a new financial advisor defrauds his clients, he cannot get out of it by simply saying that he is sorry, that it was a rookie mistake and that he will not do it again. Yet, that is exactly the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs' strategy. He illegally spent thousands of dollars. It is tantamount to stealing the election.
Does the Prime Minister find the minister's pathetic and ridiculous explanations acceptable?
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, the minister in question is working to build a better Canada.
He is working to build a better Canada.
However, the first thing one must do before proposing to build a better Canada is to believe in a united Canada. That member has donated not once, not twice, but 29 times to the hard-line, separatist Québec solidaire.
For Canadians to trust and believe in that party, they need to know that party believes in Canada.
Would the member confirm if he is now a federalist?
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Mr. Speaker, let me set the record straight.
I love Canada. I love Quebec and I love Montreal, but above all, I love the people, and I would never let them get sick by eating tainted meat as the Conservatives are doing.
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Mr. Speaker, I want a society that is fairer for everyone: families, workers, seniors and students. I am proud to work with the future Prime Minister of Canada.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
Order. There is far too much noise. The hon. member has 10 seconds to finish his question.
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Mr. Speaker, can the minister stop hiding behind this joker and admit that there was election fraud?
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, no one questions all the love that he has for everybody and everything that is good and great in the world, but he still will not answer the simple question. After he donated 29 times to the same hard-line separatist party, Canadians have reason to simply ask the question if he believes in a united Canada.
There is nothing more beautiful than when someone who was a separatist becomes a federalist and comes to be part of this big, beautiful Canadian family. We invite him to stand to do that right now.
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are wondering if it is possible in Canada in 2012 to buy an election, so let us see. The member for Labrador buried $18,000 in free flights, blew past the spending limits by 21% and then squeaked into Ottawa with just 79 votes. For this, he gets promoted to cabinet and his political agent gets a plump patronage job for which he has no qualifications. When he gets caught, he just shrugs.
Will he stand up and tell the House whether he believes that subverting the electoral laws of Canada is just part of the cost of doing business?
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, subverting electoral law is just part of the way the NDP regularly does business. In fact, his party attempted to buy elections through $340,000 in illegal union money, forcefully taken out of the pockets of honest, hard-working Canadian employees who had no choice in the matter.
The member can try to redeem himself by agreeing to support a bill before the House of Commons that would require financial transparency in how unions spend the money they take from workers. Will he support it?
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
Mr. Speaker, let us return to the issue with the minister from Labrador for just a minute. We now know he spent over $20,000. Let us look at the facts. He said that he made a rookie mistake, but here are the real facts.
He ran in half a dozen Innu Nation elections going back to the 1990s. His campaign manager has been heavily involved with the provincial Conservatives for decades. Therefore, they are hardly political rookies.
Could the Prime Minister fire this minister? Since he is the skipper of the ship, could he answer the question and not Gilligan?
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
Order. I do not know that these kinds of characterizations are helpful.
The hon. parliamentary secretary to the minister of transport.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I always like to hear a question from the sinking ship way over there in the corner. It is taking on water over there.
The Liberals have four leadership candidates from five years ago who have almost a half a million dollars in illegal loans, which have now become illegal donations. Yet the member has the audacity to rise in the House and attack the integrity of one of the finest Labradorians and Canadians. It is shameful over there.