Andrew Saxton

[Business of Supply, May 9th, 2012]

Madam Chair, my question is also for the Associate Minister of National Defence.

Under the previous Liberal government, Canada did not have the ability to move much equipment by air. Our aircraft were not large enough and were already fully tasked to other duties. Any time we wanted to move large equipment or lots of it by air, it was embarrassing, to say the least. As a G7 country, we had to beg a lift from our allies or hitch a ride on a rented cargo plane from another country. When the Conservatives took government, they were criticized by the opposition for moving so quickly with such an expensive procurement.

I would like to ask the minister to tell us, in hindsight, whether it was worth it. Did Canada make the right decision?

[Ministerial Expenditures, May 4th, 2012]

Madam Speaker, this is like Groundhog Day all over again. We are always looking for ways to run the government at a reasonable cost to taxpayers.

I will tell the House what we have done. We have frozen the salaries of MPs, including the salary of the member opposite. We have frozen the salaries of senators. We have reduced ministers' office spending, reduced the cost of travel and reduced hospitality spending.

This government is taking real action to reduce the cost to taxpayers.

[Ministerial Expenditures, May 4th, 2012]

Madam Speaker, I said it once and I will say it again: we are always looking for ways to run the government at a more reasonable cost to taxpayers.

Ministers work long hours, and drivers frequently have to work the hours the ministers work. Salaries and overtime for drivers employed by the public service are based on collective agreements with unions.

[Ministerial Expenditures, May 4th, 2012]

Madam Speaker, as I mentioned, we are always looking for ways to run the government at a reasonable cost to taxpayers.

I will tell the House what we have done. We have frozen the salaries of MPs and senators, reduced ministers' office spending, reduced the cost of travel and reduced hospitality spending. This government has taken real action to reduce the cost to taxpayers.

[Ministerial Expenditures, May 4th, 2012]

Madam Speaker, we are always looking for ways to run the government at a reasonable cost to taxpayers. Ministers work long hours and drivers frequently have to work the hours that their ministers are working. Salaries and overtime for drivers employed by the public service are based on collective agreements with the unions.

[The Budget, April 4th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, budget 2012 is our government's plan for jobs, growth and long-term prosperity. Savings measures contained within the budget are modest. We will continue to improve necessary services to Canadians moving forward.

[Employment, April 4th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, economic action plan 2012 is our plan for jobs, growth and long-term prosperity, keeping taxes and debt low, while returning to a balanced budget. We have found fair, balanced and moderate savings measures to reduce the deficit, which would reduce the size of the federal public service by about 4% over the next three years. Departments will be informing unions and employees about specific changes and will communicate accordingly.

A leaner, more affordable government is good for Canadian taxpayers.

[Public Appointments Commission, April 2nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, we tried to appoint a public appointments commissioner but it was the opposition that chose to play partisan games and prevented that appointment from happening. Despite this, we have made the public appointments process more open, transparent and equitable. Job positions are now posted online for everyone to see and appointments will continue to be made based on merit.

[Public Appointments Commission, April 2nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, economic action plan 2012 is our plan for jobs, growth and long-term prosperity. We are eliminating the Public Appointments Commission. Our government has significantly strengthened the public appointments system, including advertising appointments and conducting open selection processes for leadership and full-time positions. Appointments will continue to be made based on merit.

[The Budget, March 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our 2012 budget is a low tax, low debt plan focused on jobs, growth and long-term prosperity.

Our government's modest and measured action is subdued compared to the measures implemented in the mid-1990s. Public servants who lose their jobs will be treated fairly.