John Reynolds

[The Environment, February 27th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister does not believe Perrin Beatty and Ralph Klein, then perhaps he will believe Industry Canada.

Somebody said they are Tories. That may be true, but let me talk about Industry Canada and what it has to say. Industry Canada's studies show that Kyoto could cost Canada up to $75 billion per year and lead to the loss of 4% of oil, agriculture and chemical jobs, 9% of natural gas jobs and 11% of electrical jobs.

Is shutting down the economy of Canada the Prime Minister's legacy for Canada?

[The Environment, February 27th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not believe the former cabinet minister he himself appointed as head of the CBC. Perhaps he will believe the government of the province most affected by Kyoto.

Alberta estimates that Kyoto could cost Canada 2% to 3% of GDP. That is $25 billion to $40 billion by the year 2010.

Does the Prime Minister believe Alberta's numbers and if so, how can the Prime Minister support the Kyoto protocol?

[The Environment, February 27th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, in a report titled “Pain Without Gain” Canadian manufacturers and exporters warned today that ratifying Kyoto could lead to the loss of 450,000 jobs. Does the Prime Minister accept these figures and if so, how could he dream of ratifying the Kyoto protocol?

[2002 Winter Olympics, February 25th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I join the Prime Minister in congratulating Team Canada, the on ice and snow version. Canada's men's and women's hockey teams did us proud in bringing the gold back to Canada. Overall this was Canada's most successful winter games.

Canadians will never forget the amazing success of Jamie Sale and David Pelletier who accepted silver with class and without complaint. The whole world knew that they deserved gold that they eventually won.

We will never forget Marc Gagnon and Catriona LeMay Doan who were golden in speed skating; Clara Hughes, the first Canadian to win medals in both the winter and summer games; Haley Wickenheiser, who led our women's hockey team to victory; and so many other Olympians.

We will always remember Sakic, Lemieux, Iginla, Yzerman, Fleury, that great goaltender Brodeur, and the rest of the star-studded men's hockey team ably led by Pat Quinn and Wayne Gretzky. They brought back to Canada, after 50 years, what is rightfully ours. I hope the Prime Minister is sitting here 50 years from now waiting for the next one, maybe on the opposite side.

Yesterday's event was probably the greatest sporting moment in Canadian history since Paul Henderson scored his famous goal against the Soviet Union 30 years ago.

Canadians are a winter people, living in a land that Voltaire called quelques arpents de neige, a few acres of snow, and Bob and Doug McKenzie called the great white north. The ice and snow of a Canadian winter cannot chill our hearts and spirits for we have learned how to warm ourselves with the thrill of winter sports.

The only thing that could possibly surpass the thrill of these games would be to repeat these same successes again on home ice so to speak at the Vancouver Whistler Olympic Games of 2010.

[The Economy, February 25th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, we only have to look at our TR4 slips this month versus last year to find out that those figures are just not accurate.

Another study shows that because of the government's rising taxes the underground economy has risen from 3% to 16%, and that is just not last year, that is right now.

The co-author of the study said:

--cutting taxes is still the...most important thing governments can do to...reverse the growth in the underground economy

Why has the government not offered real tax relief to Canadian citizens this year?

[The Economy, February 25th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, our hockey team may have the gold but under the government our economy is still finishing out of the medals.

One of Canada's leading economists has just produced a study that has found the federal tax burden has not fallen in seven years, despite the government's so-called tax cuts.

Canadians still face paying over 40% of their GDP in taxes, while in the United States it is only 30%, and it is our biggest competitor and our trading partner.

How can the government claim to have offered tax relief when the tax burden for hard-working Canadians has not budged at all?

[The Economy, February 25th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, it is nice to welcome the Prime Minister back from his trip. I am sure the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Industry were there to meet him when he got off the plane.

The Canadian Alliance has repeatedly raised concerns about the government's failure to address the country's international competitiveness.

Further, the government has also failed to grapple with the problems of defence. Yesterday team Canada showed us all what international competitiveness and a strong defence were all about.

My question for the Prime Minister: How about that Joe Sakic?

[The Environment, February 22nd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of the Environment has had questions today and over the past few weeks from all parties in the House about Kyoto but we do not get any answers. Let us try to make it a very simple question to see if we can get an answer of yes or no.

Will the government table in the House the full cost of Kyoto, a detailed implementation plan and have a vote in the House before the deal is ratified, yes or no?

[The Environment, February 22nd, 2002]

Answer the question.

[The Environment, February 22nd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, we quote the minister's own colleagues in cabinet and he tries to say we misrepresent them. However, he still has not answered the question we asked him. The question is very simple. Will he as the minister and will the government table in the House the full costs of Kyoto and the detailed implementation plan before it is ratified?