Art Hanger

[National Defence, October 30th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the House heard that the Canadian forces are expecting a $1 billion shortfall next year. This is after a Liberal policy of thousands of cuts on the duty roster, the troops, pay freezes for years, dilapidated housing and old equipment. Now we hear there is going to be another 76 military personnel cut from CFB Comox. We need more troops, not fewer.

The government has a choice. When is the minister going to choose between mothballing more equipment and cutting troops and giving Canada—

[Points Of Order, October 29th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, far be it for me to determine whether or not that was a briefing note through his office. I seek to have both those documents on the table because he was reading directly from both of them.

[Points Of Order, October 29th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During question period the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Defence was reading from two documents when he was answering questions from the opposition. I would seek to have those documents tabled in the House.

[National Defence, October 29th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence has a choice to make. He can either tear the heart out of the military further by reducing manpower, or commit the appropriate resources for a combat capable force. Which is it going to be?

[National Defence, October 29th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I will withdraw those words.

[National Defence, October 29th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence should get his facts straight and maybe hire a new researcher. His man does not know what he is talking about. The parliamentary secretary is lying.

[National Defence, October 29th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, let me set the record straight for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence. The Reform Party has always advocated increased defence spending. Now, back to the question. What choice will the Minister of National Defence make? He can commit the necessary resources for a combat capable force to cover the shortfall of $1 billion, or he can tear the heart out further from the military by cutting back on manpower. What is it going to be?

[National Defence, October 29th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the problem gets worse. Brigadier General Holmes also said that the overall national defence budgetary shortfall for the next fiscal year will amount to $1 billion.

In my way of thinking, the minister has a choice to make. He can commit the necessary resources for a combat capable defence force, or he can tear the heart out of the Canadian military even further with manpower cuts. Which is it going to be?

[National Defence, October 29th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the Defence Policy Review magazine is reporting that Brigadier General Walter Holmes, the military's central area land forces commander, told a meeting last weekend that the army is running a budgetary shortfall of $170 million. It is impossible for the military to operate even on the budget it has been given.

My question for the defence minister is, how much of this shortfall is a result of excessive government cutbacks?

[Apec Inquiry, October 23rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I assure the Deputy Prime Minister that the Reform Party has no confidence in how this commission is operating or in the government's interference into that commission's work.

According to the solicitor general, the RCMP will take the fall for the APEC fiasco. Now the commission chairman states the same thing, that the RCMP will take the fall for the APEC fiasco.

Canadians, on the other hand, know better. The blame lies at the Prime Minister's feet—