House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2000, with 51% of the vote.
Employment Insurance December 2nd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the chief actuary for employment insurance says that the EI rate should be as low as $1.90 per $100 on Canadians' paycheques. That is $1.90, not $2.55. That difference amounts to hundreds of dollars a year for workers and small business in this country, yet the finance minister insists on keeping it at $2.55.
Why is the minister being so stubborn? Why will he not lower it more?
Points Of Order December 1st, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I think probably what my colleagues feel is that there is not equality in the way in which every member is treated. I can understand the position that you are in. It is awkward. You have to make a call on the fly and it is a difficult thing for you to do. I think my colleague from Winnipeg made a good point that rather than just standing there for what seems forever when we are in the short, tight period of question period, maybe you do need to be a little more proactive.
I have just gone up to my office and reviewed the tape of my question period time and over five minutes was spent on that. There was nothing unparliamentary in what I said. But what I sensed from you, Mr. Speaker, was that because you were angry with the Bloc you ended up taking it out on me. I am not sure there is any wisdom in that.
Employment Insurance December 1st, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I am sure Canadians feel good. It is sort of like when a mugger steals your purse and gives you bus fare so you can get home—
Employment Insurance December 1st, 1998
The question is, why will he not obey the law? Why is he overcharging?
Employment Insurance December 1st, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I will tell you what is overboard. It is a finance minister who will overcharge and take too much money out of our pockets.
I would like to ask—
Employment Insurance December 1st, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister is gouging workers by $350 each on their EI premiums. Today he expects us to cheer because he is only going to gouge them by $292. He is gouging every small business person $500 per worker, but today the announcement is that he is only going to gouge $417 out of them.
Let me ask a question of the tax collector. His knife is in the back of every small business by nine inches. He is going to put—
Supply December 1st, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I have to ask the minister a question again, and I will do it very slowly, because what I heard from him were a couple of notes jotted down on a sheet. There was no forethought, there was no organization in that. I suggest he read Hansard tomorrow to see how little sense that speech actually made.
The member for Calgary Southwest asked him in good faith what is the problem, what is the hang-up with the federal government, and again more blather.
The minister knows how serious this issue is. The government can talk about the fact that everything is great in Quebec and in every other province. But the government did precious little to help the federalist side in the election last night and then the minister stands up today as if everything is terrific. It is not. We have a separatist government again in Quebec.
I would like him to stand up and say exactly what it is with his government that is the hang-up to seeing through this social union that every premier in the country wants.
We do not need a lecture on unity this morning. We need the minister to stand up and say what he will do to make sure the social union goes through with every premier in the country and what his hang-up is. Name it, please.
Health November 30th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the erosion is 50% down to 10%. That is the erosion the government is responsible for.
We have Liberal health care havoc. Thousands of hospital beds have been closed under the government. Thousands of hepatitis C victims have been abandoned. There are nearly 200,000 people in waiting lines. These are the people who do not get headlines.
That is what happens when the Prime Minister guts $7 billion in health cuts. It was the Prime Minister who got us into this health care mess. How is he to get us out of it and when?
Health November 30th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, B.C. has increased its spending in health care for seven years running. It is trying to make up for the mess that the federal government has put us in.
What has the Prime Minister done about these costs? We have seen an admission now that it will accept some of the blame for health care costs. Transfers to B.C. have gone from 16% down to 10%.
Once upon a time in fairy tale land the Liberals promised never to pay less than 50% of the health care costs for British Columbia and every other province.
Why has the Prime Minister insulted all British Columbians, the provincial government, the nurses and every patient who is waiting?
Agriculture November 26th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, it was our motion on agriculture that we debated in the House not long ago. Perhaps he has had a little memory loss.
It is easier to arrest a farmer in Manitoba than to challenge the big U.S. department of agriculture. It is easier for the government to increase user fees and fertilizer taxes in Saskatchewan than it is to talk to Americans and Europeans about lowering their subsidies.
Here is the problem. Foreign subsidies are too high and Canadian taxes are too high. Why does the government not admit that its heavy handed tax collectors and the light weight ministers abroad that will not tackle this issue are the real problem?