Ed Harper

[Official Opposition, March 7th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian taxpayer picked up some of the tab for the visit. Does the Prime Minister believe that Canadians received good value for the money spent?

[Official Opposition, March 7th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, traditionally the primary objective of opposition leaders has been to defend the interests of Canada. The present Leader of the Official Opposition has been forthright that this is not his primary goal. His objective is to lead Quebec out of Canada.

Does the Prime Minister believe that in this case the Leader of the Official Opposition misused his office to promote the breakup of Canada?

[Official Opposition, March 7th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

Many Canadians, including federalists in Quebec, were outraged last week when the Leader of the Opposition made an official visit to Washington and New York to sell Quebec separatism. The purpose of this visit was made very clear by the opposition leader. He went to lay the groundwork for future relations between a separate Quebec and the United States.

Does the Prime Minister not agree that by having the Canadian embassy involved the Canadian government legitimized the purpose of this visit?

[Petitions, February 25th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege for me today to present a petition from Brenda Smith of Wasaga Beach in my riding requesting our action on the distribution of killer cards. I am pleased to add it to the petition which has just previously been endorsed.

[Petitions, February 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I am assured that many thousands more names will be sent along shortly on this matter. I present 30,000 petitioners.

[Petitions, February 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of 30,000 and more residents of the constituency of Markham-Whitchurch-Stouffville, I present the following petition with an estimated 30,000 names affixed.

This petition reads as follows: "To the House of Commons and Parliament assembled, we the undersigned residents of the electoral district of Markham-Whitchurch-Stouffville draw the attention of the House to the following: that our elected member of Parliament was given a mandate by his constituents to sit as a member of the Liberal caucus and, effective January 28, 1994, resigned his membership in the Liberal caucus as a result of a request by the Prime Minister of Canada to do so; that our member has admitted to inexcusable behaviour involving former employees and that this information was withheld from the electorate before his election; that our member intentionally misrepresented his credentials to the electorate and to the Liberal Party of Canada; that our member has stated that he will continue to sit in the House as an independent member despite requests for his resignation by an overwhelming majority of his constituents including the undersigned; and that we the petitioners have absolutely lost all respect and confidence in our member to represent us-

[Cigarette Smuggling, February 10th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I have a supplementary question for the Prime Minister.

My constituency office in Barrie has received many calls, all in opposition to the plan, not one in support. Surely every member in Ontario has received similar calls. Will the Prime Minister allow the 97 government members from Ontario to publicly express the feelings of their constituents?

[Cigarette Smuggling, February 10th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister has suggested that one-third of cigarettes in Ontario are contraband. The decision to cut tobacco taxes has only moved cigarette smuggling from the St. Lawrence River to the Ottawa River. Now that the Prime Minister has a plan to stop

the north-south flow, what plan does he have to stop the east-west flow?

[Cigarette Taxes, February 9th, 1994]

I have a supplementary question, Mr. Speaker. The premier of Nova Scotia also expressed his disagreement with the Prime Minister yesterday. In fact the majority of premiers are strongly opposed to this tax reduction.

Why has the Prime Minister chosen to listen to the premier of Quebec while ignoring other affected premiers?

[Cigarette Taxes, February 9th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister and was inspired by Mr. Ian Craig from the riding of Scarborough-Rouge River.

As the lone opposition member from the province of Ontario, I am very concerned that the Prime Minister has negotiated a cigarette deal with the premier of Quebec at the expense of Ontario.

Yesterday the premier of Ontario, Bob Rae, stated: "All this does is put pressure on the rest of us to literally fall into line with a policy that... was declared unilaterally by the federal government and one province".

On behalf of the people of Ontario and the premier, how can the Prime Minister possibly justify creating a series of provincial dominoes of which Ontario is just the first and which has no choice but to match the tax cuts of Quebec?