John Manley

[Airline Security, October 2nd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, boardings are down all across North America in the wake of the events of September 11 last year. In attempting to determine the appropriate level for the security charge in the last budget, an attempt was made to estimate the level of boardings that would be experienced during this year in light of those events. In fact the estimate was fairly close, although perhaps boardings will prove to be slightly fewer than had been estimated in advance. These are variables we will take into account in the review of the charge.

[Airline Security, October 2nd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, we will review the transport charge when we have adequate data in order to be able to review it properly. However, we do have a difference in principle with the opposition members. That is that we believe the users of the air transportation system should bear the costs of the additional security measures. They believe we should simply spend more and take it out of other revenues.

[Finance, October 2nd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, this spending problem is so grave that our spending as a percentage of GDP is at the level it was in the early 1950s. Our spending problem is so grave that we are the only G-7 country that is running a surplus this year and next year.

Our spending problem is such an addiction that we are the only G-7 country to be posting a 3.5% growth rate this year and probably next year. If the member is in the dark I do not know what I can do about it.

[Finance, October 2nd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, it has been the record of the government to lower taxes.

In fact, the announcement we made in October 2000 on tax reduction was a $100 billion package over five years, the largest tax reduction package in this country's history; of that, $20 billion of tax reductions in this year alone. I do not know what the hon. member is worrying about.

[Finance, October 1st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I think the opposition member is all about talk. We generally have a budget for each fiscal year. The fiscal year, as he knows, starts on the first of April. We will have a budget in advance of the first of April, as we did in advance of the last first of April. Whether it falls within a particular calendar year is really of no consequence.

[National Revenue, October 1st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, we consider this matter very much a serious one. I am reviewing what the government has done with respect to deepening and broadening the disability tax credit. That is in fact the way to deal with these issues.

The hon. member will know that there are disability provisions in the Speech from the Throne. It is appropriate that we should decide the breadth and depth of the disability tax credit rather than the courts making decisions that are not the same as a policy that we would adopt in Parliament.

[Government Contracts, June 21st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, alas, we have asked repeated times and we have been stonewalled. We have even been ridiculed by the other side when we have asked them to come clean with the source of funding for their leadership candidates in the last campaign. Is it from Canada? Who is it from? What is it all about? They just want to keep it hidden in the dark. What are they trying to hide?

[The Media, June 21st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, that is an interesting question. I assume I am being asked to take this as being a representation on the part of the member as to who should be on the board of directors of the Bank of Canada. I will take it as that. Of course I am sure she will agree that the independence of the bank is a very important prerequisite for the credibility of the monitoring policy of the government. That has been the tradition and that will continue to be respected.

[Government Contracts, June 20th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the six point plan is all right. Let us have an ethics counsellor for parliamentarians, but the Alliance Party? No, a dilatory motion, let us stop that one in its tracks. Disclosure of contributors to members of parliament for political purposes? No, they do not want to tell who gave money to the Leader of the Opposition. They would rather hide that. They do not want all those names coming out. Let us have a six point plan from the other side. Let us see them implement it for themselves.

[Government Contracts, June 20th, 2002]

--statements that he would never make outside of the protection of parliamentary privilege.

He knows perfectly well that all of the facts are being investigated by the auditor general, who has extensive powers under the act. He does not think that is sufficient.

The truth is, despite the fact that the government put on the table today a $5.2 billion package for agriculture, those members cannot even think of a question to ask about it.