John Manley

[Persons with Disabilities, October 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I personally object to the suggestion that somehow or other we have attacked the hon. member's daughter.

If there are particular rules that he wishes to question, then I would be happy to take them under advisement, but I think it is important in the House that we not try to personalize these issues.

[Persons with Disabilities, October 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member is interested in this issue, I am sure he knows that over the period since 1996 the amount of assistance that has been provided to the disabled community in Canada has increased by about 70%.

I am sure that like me he believes the assistance should go to those who are most in need. We look forward to working with him as well as with other members of the House to ensure that as we broaden and deepen access to these funds, in fact those who are most needy receive them.

[People with Disabilities, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, we are not limiting access to the tax credit. We have tried to clarify who qualifies, following the decision of the courts. In fact, there has been an increase of about 70% in the amount that has gone out under the disability tax credit since 1996.

We are actually increasing the benefits available to people with disabilities.

[Government Contracts, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the ethics counsellor has not provided his advice to the Prime Minister at this point as to how much time it will take him. That is a question that would be better put to the ethics counsellor. We expect that we will have his report in short order, at which time we can review its contents.

[Government Contracts, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I have always thought of the king as Elvis. In any event--

[Government Contracts, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the matter is being reviewed by the ethics counsellor at the present time. Perhaps we could all do well to wait for his report.

[Airline Security, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the design of the security charge was that users would pay the additional expenses that were incurred to provide the level of security that Canadians want and expect at their airports.

We will be reviewing the level of the charge together with the level of expenditures during the course of the coming months to determine whether the amount of the charge was appropriately determined. I would point out that the decline in use is related to many things other than simply the additional charge.

[Government Contracts, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, first, we have said that the guidelines Treasury Board has for issuing contracts were respected in the matter of which the hon. member complains. Second, at his initiative, the ethics counsellor is reviewing the matter. The hon. member should at least wait until the ethics counsellor has had a chance to review it and to give his report to the Prime Minister.

[Taxation, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, a problem that does not exist cannot be solved. The provinces have the same revenue sources as the federal government, and others as well, lottery revenues for instance.

We all have an obligation to control spending and the public has its priorities. That is what we must focus on. We must stop blaming each other. We must find real solutions in order to meet the priorities of Canadians.

[Taxation, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, it is very simple. On shared projects, we can work together. Projects like the Séguin report, however, with its 20-year revenue projections, are not at all a basis on which to work together.

I believe the people of Quebec and the rest of Canada have lost patience with governments constantly trying to point the finger of blame at each other.

We need to work together. That is what I said in Montreal.