Christian Paradis

[Quebec City Armoury, April 3rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the member can call the minister responsible for the Quebec City region every bad name in the book. The Bloc Québécois should be ashamed of themselves. I can say one thing: they sit here in this House, looking at the situation, not really knowing what is happening, and tossing lines in the water, just to see what comes up.

In the budget, we committed to holding public consultations. Why? So that the people from the Quebec City area can tell us their ideas, rather than simply coming up with willy-nilly plans, the way the other side of the House likes to do.

That being said, I can say this: we will be delivering the goods very soon.

[Public Works and Government Services, April 3rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, one thing is clear: the government must always ensure that the process is open and transparent, and that is what we are doing. We have to comply with international agreements, and we have to make sure that taxpayers get their money's worth.

That being said, our government is making decisions to help our companies be more competitive so that they can create jobs, not cut them.

The opposition should stop making all kinds of insinuations. There are rules, and we are following them. Canadian taxpayers will benefit.

[Goods and Services Tax, April 3rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member can give all kinds of details from the past with his own interpretations, but personally, I will rely on what was said this week. Quebec's finance minister, Ms. Jérôme-Forget, said that indeed, the tax was not completely harmonized. So, if Quebec would be open to certain changes in order to have a model similar to that of Ontario and complete harmonization, we could then begin good-faith negotiations.

[Goods and Services Tax, April 3rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, such negotiations do not take place in the House of Commons. The Government of Canada negotiates with the Government of Quebec, not the Bloc Québécois. We will keep a close eye on this issue, and as we have been saying all week, we are ready to begin good-faith negotiations.

[Goods and Services Tax, April 3rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, this week, we heard that Quebec's finance minister was open to the idea of making some changes to bring Quebec's situation into line with Ontario's. As we have been saying all week, we are ready to open good-faith negotiations.

[Goods and Services Tax, April 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the answer has not changed. We repeated it over and over yesterday. Ms. Jérôme-Forget said that changes would have to be made to make Quebec's situation more like Ontario's. We are keeping a close eye on things, and we will engage in good-faith negotiations if things go that way.

[Goods and Services Tax, April 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we listened to what the finance minister, Ms. Jérôme-Forget, said. We are keeping a close eye on the situation. As I said, we will begin good-faith negotiations if Ms. Jérôme-Forget follows up on what she said.

[Goods and Services Tax, April 1st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I see some reactions, but I would like to read two things said by the Quebec finance minister yesterday in the Quebec National Assembly: “I expect, Mr. Speaker, to completely harmonize things here as in Ontario and then to obtain the $2.6 billion in compensation.” She went on to add “We are going to propose (to the federal Minister of Finance) the adoption of exactly the same agreement as he signed with Ontario—”

Contrary to what the Bloc Québécois is saying, or the hon. member for Outremont, the Quebec sales tax is not harmonized, as the Ontario one will be. We prefer to be at the service of the population rather than to be token spectators, because there is nothing token about representing Quebec.

[Goods and Services Tax, April 1st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I repeat, the Minister of Finance of Quebec said yesterday in the National Assembly that adjustments would have to be made to harmonize Quebec's tax. I am referring to the debates, which he should read.

That said, we are looking at the situation and, as a good government, we will negotiate in good faith if negotiations are held, and we will monitor the situation, but this will not be negotiated here in the House of Commons or in the newspapers.

They wanted to engage in a false debate, but now they see that the tax was not harmonized. The Minister of Finance said so herself.

[Goods and Services Tax, April 1st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, I will tell my colleague that he should listen instead of reading his sheet while I answer questions. I said that we would monitor the situation closely. If there are negotiations, the government will negotiate in good faith. This cannot be negotiated here in the House of Commons or in the newspapers, Our government is federalist, like the Government of Quebec. We want this to work, and we will negotiate in good faith.