John Manley

[Budget Surplus, January 27th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, in October, we made fairly clear forecasts, which, we explained, were based on information from the private sector.

Therefore, when it comes to decisions that we made regarding the budget, the member will have the opportunity to judge whether or not we did a good job.

[Budget Surplus, January 27th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, we are certainly very happy that the numbers are positive, that we have a surplus up to this point, and 2002 saw the creation of some 560,000 jobs in Canada.

When there is this kind of an increase in employment, it brings with it some increase in tax revenues. I hope that when the next budget is brought down, we will be able to predict that there may be a bit more money in the coffers than what was forecast in October.

[Political Party Financing, January 27th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, naturally I will table a budget shortly, but even with such a warm invitation as that, I am not going to reveal what is in it.

[Airline Security, December 13th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure I understood the question. The air security charge was based upon the additional costs that would be incurred to increase the level of security in the air transportation system. They were additional costs and therefore additional revenue was required to pay for them.

The hon. member clearly believes that people who do not use the air system should pay for the security of that system out of their general taxes. That is not the approach we have chosen to follow.

[Airline Security, December 13th, 2002]

No, Mr. Speaker, because that would be imprudent. Furthermore, I call the member's attention to the fact that if we look at the statistics the overall level of air passenger traffic in Canada for the first nine months of 2002 was down by about 8% relative to the same period in 2001. However for the first three months of 2002 it was down by 12%. Those were the months when there was no air security charge.

Therefore I find it very difficult for him to make the case that usage is down simply because of the air security charge.

[Justice, December 13th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I enjoy hearing a member from the Progressive Conservative Party talk about financial mismanagement. When we arrived here we found the state of management of the finances of the country to be generating a deficit of $42 billion annually. That is real money.

Now we are the only remaining country in the G-7 still running a surplus. I think he ought to take a financial management course and perhaps it will help him.

[Equalization Payments, December 13th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I am unaware of whether the minister from Saskatchewan wishes to raise it among other ministers or not.

I know that officials have been reviewing some questions around the data that is being used in order to generate the calculations. That review, I understand, continues.

As he knows, I am sure, the review of the equalization system itself is scheduled for 2004 and that process is now underway.

[Banks, December 13th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the hon. member is well aware that foreign investment is allowed in banks. There is a limit on the number of shares that can be owned by one individual, whether Canadian or foreign.

As far as mergers are concerned, I have asked for a report on this from the Senate and House finance committees. I am still waiting on the report from the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance.

[Firearms Registry, December 13th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, if this gun registry is so bad, then why do the police agencies access it 1,500 a day? Why has the number of lost or missing firearms declined by 68%? Why has the number of stolen firearms decreased by 35% over the same period? Why are fewer firearms being used in crime?

They are against gun control. They are not just against the registry, and we do not even know who gave the money to their leader.

[Firearms Registry, December 13th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, we know Alliance members do not care about $72 million or anything else. They are against gun control. They are against the fact that we have already had more than 7,000 firearms licences refused or revoked, 50 times higher than had been the case before. They do not care about the fact that the police access this online system 1,500 times a day. They are against gun control. It is as simple as that.