John Manley

[Ethics, October 24th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, this is a sad commentary on the state of the Alliance's interests in the affairs of state. Those members have asked more questions in the last week on a fishing trip than they have asked in the last year on the fishing industry. That shows where their priorities are. They are trying to throw mud. They are trying to undermine the credibility of institutions. Those members have nothing else to talk about except to pursue minor matters.

[Ethics, October 24th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, to hear the Alliance say that it cannot accept, or it is too little, too late, this is not exactly a surprise. Have they ever said that it was enough or that it was in time?

The Minister of Industry is a person of great personal integrity. He has been a minister for 10 years. He has demonstrated his personal integrity.

The matter has been dealt with in compliance with the instructions of the ethics counsellor who is still seized with a couple of issues. I think it is fine that we just wait and see what the ethics counsellor has remaining to say.

[Ethics, October 24th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, it has been many years, but I recognize the dulcet tones of a rat packer myself in that question.

What we have here is a desperate attempt on the part of the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party to attract some attention to himself. He is a leader who has decided to abandon the history and traditions of his party and turn the brand and its reputation over to the Alliance Party, and who does not have the support of key people in his party, including the previous leader. His desperation shows in his tone of voice.

[Ethics, October 24th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to credibility, he is a member who ought to be careful where he treads. He did sign a document not that long ago and then kind of threw it aside.

In respect to the matter that he is raising, it is clear that the minister has dealt with each of the allegations. He has dealt with them in the House. He has dealt with them in public. He has issued an apology for some aspects of his actions. That should leave the matter closed.

[Ethics, October 24th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the minister has answered these allegations fully in the House. He has dealt with each of the issues that have been raised.

There are a couple of outstanding items that have been referred by the minister himself to the ethics counsellor. He will deal with those when the ethics counsellor has completed looking at them.

[Employment Insurance, October 23rd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I am very respectful of the member's passionate pleas for the unemployed, but frankly, the unemployed do not pay EI premiums, they receive benefits. The surplus did not come from the unemployed. It may have come from employees and employers, but not the unemployed.

[Employment Insurance, October 23rd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, since this government took office in 1993, we have reduced EI premiums ten times and we have already announced in this year's budget another reduction for next year.

I will also say that we, myself and the Minister of Human Resources Development, have formed a committee to develop a new system for determining EI rates, which, at most, will be as high as the cost of the program.

[Budget Surpluses, October 23rd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, it is not a matter of underestimating. In fact, we have adopted the most responsible and prudent behaviours. We have created a contingency fund. We have tried to make very prudent decisions.

By reducing the debt, we have now been saving $3 billion a year in interest charges. This is the money that is now available for—

[Budget Surpluses, October 23rd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, when I met with the provincial ministers of finance on October 10, here in Ottawa, we had discussions. They recognized the fact that the reputation of all the provinces, like that of the Government of Canada, is based on the fact that we have a balanced budget.

It is important, not only for the reputation of the Government of Canada, which still has too great a debt load, but also for that of all Canada's provinces, which are also seen in the context of a very positive frame work in relation to—

[Budget Surpluses, October 23rd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, a commitment was made during discussions between the first ministers in February. This commitment was conditional on the estimated surplus in January 2004. It is only October 23. It is not yet January. We will address this in January.