Yes, tell it like it is.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2006, with 56% of the vote.
Intergovernmental Affairs May 16th, 1995
Yes, tell it like it is.
Intergovernmental Affairs May 16th, 1995
Times have changed. She sold out.
Intergovernmental Affairs May 16th, 1995
Exactly the same.
Manpower Training May 10th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, are we to understand by the Minister of Finance's evasive reply that he will continue to skim money from the unemployment insurance fund, to use the huge surpluses that he is generating by setting premiums too high to increasingly interfere in a sector where he has no business being and stifle Quebec's job creation efforts?
Manpower Training May 10th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, when the Quebec Minister of Finance announced yesterday that the Quebec government intended to implement a series of measures to give the province a real policy on manpower training, he requested that the unemployment insurance premiums levied in Quebec be reduced, and I quote: "These premiums are at any rate too high, given that the unemployment insurance fund is now in a surplus position and that the federal government is using some of the premiums to intervene in programs which are in fact our responsibility".
Does the Minister of Finance intend to follow up on his counterpart's urgent request to reduce the unemployment insurance contributions of Quebec businesses, which would prove that he is dedicated to job creation and that the federal government is moving towards withdrawing from the sector of manpower training?
Job Creation May 8th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, does the minister realize that, if we are not careful, we could, as mentioned in the most recent report of the Bank of Canada's governor, recreate the situation which prevailed in 1990, when Canada was the first country to go into a recession, before the United States, before Europe, before the rest of the world, because of a policy of excessively high interest rates? The governor of the Bank of Canada confirmed that last week. We are doing exactly the same thing again.
How does the Minister of Finance explain that the Bank of Canada's policy remained the same under his government, particularly in light of the fact that there are 800,000 fewer jobs than in 1990, and also considering that, before he took over the finance portfolio, he felt that this policy had a devastating effect on economic growth and job creation? There are 800,000 jobs gone.
Job Creation May 8th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. Last Friday, the governor of the Bank of Canada, Mr. Gordon Thiessen, confirmed to the finance committee that the bank's current monetary policy is similar in every respect to the one pursued by his predecessor. In fact, the governor referred to the continuity of the bank's policy.
Does the Minister of Finance confirm the governor's comments that the Bank of Canada's current monetary policy is similar to the one which was in effect under the previous government?
Internal Trade May 5th, 1995
He is the only one who understands.
Taxation May 3rd, 1995
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the deputy minister referred to the wealthy and suggested that the taxes of wealthy Canadians be reduced.
The idea would be to listen a little less to the Power Corporation head office and, with respect to tax reform, to start by imposing a minimum tax on corporations. That would make sense.
How does the Minister of Finance reconcile his deputy minister's statement with, on the one hand, his so-called commitment to ensure that all Canadian taxpayers make an effort to help reduce the deficit and, on the other hand, his decisions which have consisted thus far in demanding a much bigger effort from lower income households and attacking the unemployed at every chance?
Taxation May 3rd, 1995
Mr. Speaker, at a conference on the economy held in Ottawa yesterday, the Deputy Minister of Finance, David Dodge, stated that Canadians earning between $75,000 and $200,000 a year pay too much tax. He suggested that the federal government reduce taxes for high income earners so that Canada can remain competitive on global markets.
Does the Minister of Finance agree with his deputy minister and should we expect a ministerial statement announcing a tax reduction for high income earners in the near future?