Doug Peters

[Employment, December 2nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, that is good news for Canada. This raises to over 400,000 the number of new jobs that have been created in this country this year alone. All these jobs are full time jobs. Indeed, last month there was a growth in employment of some 95,000 new jobs. All those were full time jobs. There was an actual drop in part time employment.

I remind this House that a Prime Minister of a previous government said we would not get the unemployment rate below 10 per cent this decade. The Liberal government brings in next decade's unemployment levels this year.

[Budgetary Policy, December 2nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the interim target is within two years now. It is important for the government to meet its targets on a year by year basis.

It is important to restore the confidence of the financial markets in the ability of the government to meet its targets. There is no point in putting forward a target that is unreachable such as the Reform Party has done in the past. It is important to put forward targets that are reachable and attainable to ensure we have the financial market's support.

That is what we are going to do. We are going to reach our target of 3 per cent of GDP in the third year. Then we are going to go on to a balanced budget.

[Budgetary Policy, December 2nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the government continues to be committed to its deficit reduction target. Its interim target is 3 per cent of GDP in the third year of its mandate. It is definite. It is clearly the Minister of Finance's response to this. It is clearly on the agenda and we will certainly make that target.

[The Economy, December 1st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to confirm to this House and to the hon. member the government's commitment to its deficit reduction program on two fronts, the reduction of spending and the growth in the economy.

Since the beginning of the year the economy has forged ahead at a 5 per cent annual rate. It is the best performance in more than six years. During the third quarter real exports were up more than 5.6 per cent, a record level. A tremendous export performance has led to the highest merchandise trade surplus in six years.

Corporate profits are up for the eighth consecutive quarter to levels that will bring more business advancement and more jobs for Canadians.

[Registered Retirement Savings Plans, December 1st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, it is not this government that is raising the questions of taxing RRSPs. It is the opposition party and the third party that have raised these questions again and again before this House.

I will repeat that we are not going to comment on the individual proposals until our budget is presented in February.

[Registered Retirement Savings Plans, December 1st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the question is raised about the recent poll that was conducted for the Retirement Savings Alliance. That group had the opportunity to present its paper before the finance committee in the consultation process. We are listening to all the consultations and will look forward to that.

I will not, as the Minister of Finance has said in the past, comment on individual proposals at this time.

[World Trade Organization Agreement Implementation Act, November 29th, 1994]

moved that Bill C-57, an act to implement the agreement establishing the World Trade Organization, be read the third time and passed.

[Mortgage Renewals, November 28th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his interest in this subject.

The Senate recommendation reflects a general view that managers of financial institutions require additional information and better information on those subjects. It does not state however that there should be the additional cost of appraisals necessarily in that recommendation. It is one of 42 recommendations by the Senate.

We are going to be looking at all of them very carefully and would certainly not consider implementing any of those recommendations without wide prior consultations with the members of the House and with the public generally.

[Canada Development Insurance Corporation, November 24th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I know the hon. member's interest in the subject. The Senate committee has reported recently. We have looked at the proposals it has made, some 42 of them. One was the recommendation for a partial co-insurance clause. That is something we will have to consider very carefully.

A number of other recommendations it has made are very positive ones. That one is going to be carefully considered. We would certainly not consider implementing co-insurance without careful consultations with all stakeholders and reference to the House.

[Finance, November 24th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, we have never said that our target of 3 per cent of GDP in the third year of our mandate was a final result. We have said that is an interim target on the way to a balanced budget.

It is an interim target. It is achievable and we intend to get to that target of 3 per cent.