Yvan Loubier

[The Economy, September 19th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, if a prebudget consultation process is initiated, the minister should be present to provide guidance. Last year, he gave direction to prebudget consultations. So, why is his office now telling us that he will be available from November 1 to 4 only? Is it because he has things to hide from the people of Quebec, who are about to make a decision regarding their future? Is he trying to hide his incompetence, seeing that there has been no net job creation since November 1994 and that economic growth is stalled?

[The Economy, September 19th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, whereas the official opposition has done nothing else for the past two years, the Prime Minister only yesterday discovered a sudden desire to address real problems: job creation, economic growth, public finances. His finance minister does not share that interest, however, since he will not be taking part in the work of the finance committee leading up to the pre-budget consultation before the Quebec referendum is held.

My question is for the Minister of Finance. How does the Minister of Finance explain his decision not to personally initiate the pre-budget consultations starting up today, but to wait until November to appear before the finance committee?

[Income Tax Act, June 16th, 1995]

Drab.

[Job Creation, June 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, in the opinion of the Minister of Finance, the economy is in a slowdown at the moment. In his recent budget, he predicted that the 1996 slowdown would be even worse than this year's. Most economists are talking about a possible recession in Canada for 1997.

I would ask the Minister of Finance where the unemployed should look for hope.

[Job Creation, June 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in the House in response to a question from the official opposition, the Minister of Finance admitted, for the first time and publicly, that Canada's economy is in a slowdown and might not recover until next year.

My question is for the Minister of Finance.

Given that, for the first time, the minister is admitting that the economy has slowed down and that, furthermore, there has been no net creation of jobs in the past six months, is the minister

prepared to drop his lax approach and come up with some concrete support and job creation measures?

[Job Creation, June 13th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, instead of spinning yarns, the Minister of Finance would be well advised to take a real look at his balance sheet since coming to office.

Mortgage rates, for example, have increased by 30 per cent, the growth rate for exports dropped 90 per cent over three months and there has been no net job creation over the past six months. That is the real balance sheet of this government, of the Minister of Finance. Therefore, he should have given me real answers and real figures instead of making it all up.

I would like to ask him the following question: Will he acknowledge that a growth rate of close to zero confirms the failure of his economic strategy, which has not enabled us to create any new jobs or to offer Quebecers and Canadians the hope of dignity through employment, which the Prime Minister keeps on repeating?

[Job Creation, June 13th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, according to Statistics Canada, net job creation over the past six months has been zero, although the Minister of Finance's budget predicted job growth of three per cent in 1995. In addition, economic growth has literally gone flat in the first three months of 1995, with an annualized growth rate of 0.7 per cent, yet the Minister of Finance forecast in his budget that the rate of growth would hit 3.8 per cent this year.

Since everything points to the fact that the minister's predictions will not come true this year, will he acknowledge that zero economic growth will not generate any new jobs and that he is going to have to review his budgetary forecast regarding the deficit?

[Unemployment Insurance Reform, June 13th, 1995]

Hear, Hear.

[Government Finance, June 6th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, will the Prime Minister make the commitment that, at the G-7 Summit, amidst the recommendations made by the International Chamber of Commerce and the wind of conservatism blowing on this Parliament, he will not defend conservative economic policies even farther right than his first two budgets,

in which he unabashedly hacked at the social security net of Quebecers and Canadians?

[Government Finance, June 6th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

During his visit to Ottawa, the chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce urged G-7 countries to get their finances under control in order to guarantee solid economic growth. To arrive at this end, he suggested cutting social programs, decreasing the minimum wage, reducing minimum working conditions and restricting pension plans.

As host and chairman of the G-7 Summit in Halifax, does the Prime Minister share the views of the chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, Arthur Dunkel?