House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2019, with 47% of the vote.
Child Care May 3rd, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I hear a lot of indignation from the member opposite about our proposal to give people money. If there is cause for indignation it is because of what that member said on national television yesterday. She insulted every single Canadian who chooses to raise families at home. She insulted every one of us who was raised at home by implying that parents who want to raise their children at home will be bringing up future criminals. That is what she--
The Budget May 3rd, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I guess that is the difference between the opposition parties. Some of them recognize a really good budget when they see it, while some have not learned that lesson yet.
This is a good news budget for all Canadians, whether they are seniors, the disabled, aboriginals or families working or staying at home. There is something in this budget to help every single Canadian, including tax reduction, and I am darned proud of it.
The Budget May 3rd, 2006
Mr. Speaker, Canada has one of the broadest, most generous employment programs of any country in the world. Part 1 of our EI program provides insurance. We have all our programs, work skills development and placement and those sorts of things. It is a very rich and very generous program.
We are looking at developing of a feasibility study to help older workers. Because this is a very complex issue, we take it seriously, which is why we are not going to go off and just throw some program willy-nilly together. We are going to get it right.
Post-Secondary Education May 3rd, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I just listed a lot of brand new programs that will directly help students. What I did not mention was a billion dollars was added for infrastructure for post-secondary education as well as the $16 billion for education that is included in the Canada social transfer.
This is a lot of money that will help a lot of kids get the education they need.
Post-Secondary Education May 3rd, 2006
Mr. Speaker, the member obviously missed a large part of the budget speech yesterday. There are students not just at university. There are students in colleges. There are students who are apprentices. For them, we have the apprentice job creation tax credit and the apprentice incentive grant to help them get jobs. We have a $500 deduction for their tools. We have the tax exemption on all scholarships and bursaries. It is above and beyond what we promised, and we increased eligibility for Canada student loans. That is a lot for students.
Employment Insurance May 3rd, 2006
Mr. Speaker, it is important that as we go forward, we go forward with programs that respect the use of taxpayers' money as well as their needs. We want to make sure that the proper balance is there. We want programs that work, that we can afford, and that do the job properly. That is why it is so important that we evaluate the effectiveness of what we are doing before we decide whether or not to continue with it.
Employment Insurance May 3rd, 2006
Mr. Speaker, as I explained to the hon. member both in this House and in my office, we want to make sure before we make a decision that we are making the right decision based on facts, not fear. We want to evaluate this pilot program and see if it is doing the job it was intended to do, and see if it is doing it effectively and efficiently. That is why I have invited the member to consult with me in the analysis to make sure we are actually doing the right thing, not just doing something for the sake of doing anything.
Employment Insurance May 2nd, 2006
Mr. Speaker, what I want and what the government wants to ensure is that all Canadians get the best value for their dollars and that any programs that we invest in really do help the people who need it and they do not go beyond that but serve the purpose for which they were intended.
I am inviting the hon. member to help me in this consultation to ensure the people he is fighting for are getting the best value they can for the Canadian dollar.
Employment Insurance May 2nd, 2006
Mr. Speaker, as I have explained, this is a pilot project. Pilots are run as tests before we decide whether to continue this program or not. We want to determine how effective it has been in achieving the goals of helping people who need to fill in the gap.
To do that, we need to analyze the results. I want to make sure that we make an informed decision so that if the money can be spent better to help these people in other ways, we will do that, but if the money is better spent where it is, we will do that. However we will do the right thing and make an informed decision.
Public Health Agency of Canada Act May 1st, 2006
moved that Bill C-5, An Act respecting the establishment of the Public Health Agency of Canada and amending certain Acts, be read the second time and referred to a committee.