Andrew Saxton

[Government Advertising, October 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the action plan website and advertising campaign further increased transparency and accountability to Canadians. We want Canadians to have information about all of the important measures in our stimulus package, like the home renovation tax credit, but again we know where the Liberals stand. They voted against home owners receiving this credit.

It is little surprise that the Liberal member does not support informing Canadians about these important economic stimulus programs and initiatives. After all, the Liberals voted against these recession fighting measures in their relentless pursuit of an unnecessary and opportunistic election.

[Bear Ball Hockey Tournament, October 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I was proud to attend the annual Bear Ball Hockey Tournament in North Vancouver this past month. I would like to draw attention to this growing annual charitable event and pay tribute to the organizers, John and Jennifer Bear.

This is the fifth consecutive year that the Bears have put on this four-on-four ball hockey tournament. Over $20,000 has been raised over the years in support of Camp Goodtimes, a free summer recreation camp run by the Canadian Cancer Society for children and teens suffering from cancer.

This remarkable achievement highlights the power that every Canadian holds to better our communities and our country and to make a difference in the lives of others. I salute the passion of John and Jennifer Bear and the efforts of all players, sponsors and participants over the five-year history of this successful tournament.

[Federal Appointments, October 8th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, this government is committed to accountability and transparency and we will continue to be committed to that.

[Federal Appointments, October 8th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, this is the government that tried to bring in a public appointments commissioner but the Liberal Party shot it down. We are committed to accountability and transparency and we will continue to be committed to that.

[Government Advertising, October 8th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, that comes from the party that brought us the sponsorship scandal. What a turn of events.

This government has a long-standing commitment to communicate important services and benefits to Canadians. We will continue to live up to our responsibility, especially the global economic crisis.

Is the member opposite suggesting that Canadians do not deserve to know about measures like the home renovation tax credit?

[Government Advertising, October 8th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, advertising is a key way for the government to reach a large number of Canadians on important issues of public concern, such as H1N1, elder abuse, Canadian Forces recruitment and the home renovation tax credit.

We are not surprised that the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberals do not want Canadians to know about measures like the home renovation tax credit. After all, they voted against it in their relentless pursuit for an unnecessary, opportunistic election.

[Finance Minister of the Year, October 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, our government is delivering results. Through Canada's economic action plan, we are helping the economy, creating and protecting jobs and safeguarding Canadians during the global recession, and the world is taking notice.

Canadian banks were again named the world's soundest by the World Economic Forum. The International Monetary Fund predicts Canada will lead all G7 countries in economic growth next year.

And now Canada adds another economic award to its trophy case. We are happy to report that Euromoney magazine, a worldwide publication considered a leading voice on global financial markets, has named its annual finance minister of the year. No Canadian has ever won this award. That changed today. The finance minister of the year is none other than Canada's finance minister, the hon. member for Whitby--Oshawa.

The magazine notes that Canada's finance minister has enhanced his country's reputation for sound fiscal policy. That is something that he and Canadians can be very proud of.

[Liberal Party of Canada, October 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberals voted to force an unnecessary election that Canadians do not want, an election that would harm our economic recovery and hurt unemployed Canadians.

The Conservative government remains committed to implementing Canada's economic action plan by focusing on the economy, which is our number one priority. Is the economy the Liberal leader's priority? It definitely is not, as his party has opposed every key measure in our government's plan. The Liberals even voted against the recession-fighting home renovation tax credit. They voted against enhancing the working income tax benefit. This week they voted against EI benefits for long-tenured workers, showing they do not care about those hardest hit by the global recession.

Shame on them. While our Conservative government is fighting the recession, the Liberals want to fight an election.

Yesterday the Liberal leader made it official, that he is not in it for Canadians, he is just in it for himself.

[Economic Recovery Act (stimulus), October 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the harmonization of taxes is decided at the provincial level, not at the federal government level. That is a decision for the provinces to make.

Several years ago under the previous Liberal government, three provinces decided to harmonize their taxes. Two more provinces have decided to do it now. It is their decision and their decision alone.

[Economic Recovery Act (stimulus), October 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, that question comes up time and time again in North Vancouver. I have been knocking on doors for the last few weeks. People are telling me that they have been putting off renovations to their kids' bedrooms. They have been putting off renovations to their homes and decks, but they are doing it now because of the home renovation tax credit, which was implemented as part of Canada's economic action plan.

An editorial in The Globe and Mail said the home renovation “tax credit has proven one of the more successful of the government's stimulus measures, helping create demand for services and supplies”.

I repeat the Home Hardware CEO, who says, “The home renovation tax credit has been a big help to many of the retailers and certainly we have benefited from that”

It is one of the most popular items in budget 2009. It is despicable that members from the Liberal Party are voting against such a popular measure.