Jim Peterson

[Social Transfers, December 17th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I should remind the hon. member that in our last budget we allocated $11.5 billion to health.

[Taxation, December 17th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, if the member wants to talk about jobs, there have been 760,000 new jobs created in Canada over the past two years and over 1.7 million since this government took office.

With the Reform Party in free fall and with the Tories unclear about even a clear question, it is absolutely no surprise that on Canada's political highway the united alternative is nothing but road kill.

[Taxation, December 17th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I would simply remind the hon. member that the increase in the CPP was agreed to by Ernie Eves and Stockwell Day.

Having said that, I am very pleased to be able to take this question on behalf of our finance minister, the minister who has already cut personal income taxes by 10%, the minister who put forth Canada's six point program for reform of the international financial architecture, the minister who was appointed head of the G-20.

All Canadians can indeed be proud of the global role of international financial leadership played by our government.

[Taxation, December 17th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, we are the ones who cut the EI by over $5 billion a year. We cut it, but not as Reform wanted, which was for the employers only.

Talk about the presents, here are the presents: GDP up 4.7%, consumer spending up 4.8%, business investment up 11.3%, exports up 15%, trade surplus at $7.8 billion, the current account is in surplus. I could go on, but it is not even Christmas.

[Taxation, December 17th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, this is exactly what we have done. When we took office, EI premiums were at $3.07 heading to $3.30. We have cut them six times since then. They are now down to $2.40. This is progress and we will continue.

[Committees Of The House, December 15th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I feel certain that the member's heart was telling him that he wanted to concur in this report.

[Committees Of The House, December 15th, 1999]

Never again.

[Proceeds Of Crime (Money Laundering) Act, December 15th, 1999]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-22, an act to facilitate combating the laundering of proceeds of crime, to establish the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada and to amend and repeal certain acts in consequence.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Foreign Investment, December 15th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, we all understand the situation very well. We have been listening to committees as to exactly what they have been doing. We understand that there are certain ways that cloned funds and derivatives have been used in various ways. This is a reality of the marketplace. There is nothing new here at all. This is a matter which the government has under active review.

[Foreign Investment, December 15th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, all of us in the House know that the 20% foreign property limit is something that has been under review. We were looking forward to receiving the reports from the various committees and have received them. We have also received some other reports. The whole issue of the foreign limit is a matter which is under review by the government at this time.