House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 56% of the vote.
Employment Insurance November 1st, 1999
Mr. Speaker, it is a fact that the government is sitting on a $21 billion EI surplus that it built by gouging and overcharging Canadian workers and businesses on their EI premiums. The government's chief actuary has said that it could lower those premiums to $2.05, sustain the fund and still provide for a rainy day disaster.
Why does the finance minister not listen to the government's own chief actuary and lower the EI premiums from $2.55 to $2.05? Why does he not just do that?
Division No. 47 November 1st, 1999
For those who care to listen, it is important to point out before we get into the real debate on the Nisga'a in my presentation the Liberal government has brought in what is commonly known as debate closure or time allocation on Bill C-9, a government bill which involves some $1.3 billion of taxpayer money.
It involves several thousands of square kilometres in the province of British Columbia. It involves establishing, for lack of better words, a self-governing nation in the province of British Columbia. By the way it was the NDP Government of British Columbia that pushed through its legislation, totally ignored the call for referendum and more debate or even some form of serious public inclusion in the negotiations of the Nisga'a agreement. That call was disregarded by the provincial Government of British Columbia.
In essence, the 96% or 97% of the people of British Columbia, the taxpayers, the people who have lived there for generations and have voiced opposition to the Nisga'a agreement, were ignored by the Government of British Columbia and now they are being ignored by the Government of Canada.
These elected representatives have a mandate to look at what is in the best interest of the country, be it national or regional, and to make decisions which reflect a concern that the result of this decision will not result in more conflict for years to come. Certainly their handling of Bill C-9, the Nisga'a agreement, has no representation of those factors in any respect.
Not only have they cut off debate on Bill C-9. Not only have they clearly demonstrated that they are not willing to listen to the voices of the people of British Columbia. That voice is represented in a huge way by the members of parliament in the Reform Party, the official opposition, of whom well over 20 come from the province of British Columbia. They are not willing to listen to the hon. member for Skeena, the Reform Party's chief critic for Indian affairs. By the way, the Nisga'a land claim area is in his riding. There is probably no one in the House who knows the situation better than the hon. member for Skeena. There is probably no one who has talked to more people in that area of the country than the member for Skeena. There is no one who knows the implications and the effect that will be caused by the Nisga'a agreement better than the member for Skeena.
We, his colleagues in the House, have drawn from not only what he has clearly given us through the information he has provided but have drawn from the people in our ridings.
My riding of Prince George—Bulkley Valley is not too far from the Nisga'a land claims area. In case members think that by being a few hundred miles away the effect loses something, I point out that in the spring of this year we had a meeting on this very subject in my riding in Prince George, B.C. In the neighbourhood of 500 people came out to discuss the Nisga'a agreement, so the concern is there.
We in the Reform Party recognize that what has been the status quo for treating native concerns in the country over decades and generations simply has not worked. Surely anyone in the House who took the time to look even once a year at the auditor general's report could clearly see in the report that the auditor general year after year after year cast a huge amount of criticism on the operation of the department of Indian affairs operations, the way natives are treated, the total lack of accountability for the funding, the billions upon billions of dollars of funding that have gone into native programs, and the zero accountability. The signing a few years ago of this alternative funding agreement has simply made matters worse.
Members would only have to look at the last six years of auditor general's reports to see exactly what I am talking about. The auditor general brought in his report and talked about the disaster that has occurred in the department of Indian affairs; the different ministers', once they have had a crack at it, running of that ministry; and the inherent disaster because they continue to follow a path of total confusion, to a point where there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
The minister of Indian affairs stands in the House and thanks the auditor general for pointing out these things to the government and assures us that they have taken note and will take steps to address them. The same criticism comes back the next year.
In the case of Bill C-9, the Nisga'a agreement, this is the worst possible thing the Liberals could do. They have no idea of the impact this will have on not only British Columbia but on Canada as a whole. They have no idea because they have refused for decades to strike out in a new direction to try a different approach than just the same old thing that has not worked.
Despite the tens and hundreds of billions of dollars this government and previous governments have spent on native programs the fact is, and they know it, that the standard of living, the social conditions and the lifestyle have not changed in 35 years. The lifestyle of average band members, despite the billions of dollars, has not changed. That is evidence that something is wrong, and they know it.
Division No. 47 November 1st, 1999
Could we please have some order in the House, Madam Speaker. This is very disrespectful.
Division No. 47 November 1st, 1999
Madam Speaker, it is obvious from the noise on the Liberal members' side of the House that Bill C-9 is not an important bill to them. Therefore they are not really concerned, as they have demonstrated on a number of occasions, about hearing the voices of the people of British Columbia, the province that will see the impact of this ill planned and ill conceived bill that is wrought with peril, should it proceed.
I am speaking about Bill C-9, the Nisga'a final agreement act. Before I go any further I want to point out to anyone who is watching and any of the Liberal members who would care to listen what the government has done to the people of British Columbia, and indeed to the people of Canada.
Committees Of The House October 29th, 1999
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I move that the member for Vancouver Island North be now heard.
Committees Of The House October 29th, 1999
Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the member for Prince George—Peace River, that the member—
Committees Of The House October 29th, 1999
Madam Speaker, I have a different point of order.
Committees Of The House October 29th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, that was an absolutely astounding, unbelievable presentation by the member.
If we want to talk about narrow agendas and taking hostages, the narrow agenda of the Liberal government is to ram through the Nisga'a agreement having no regard for the voices of British Columbians. The Liberals do not want to go to B.C. They do not want to hear the voices of British Columbians talking of their concerns about the Nisga'a agreement. That is why they are taking this position on the Reform Party's request that the Indian affairs committee travel to British Columbia so it can hear the voice of British Columbians.
This government is not interested in that. It accuses us of holding parliament hostage. It is holding the people of British Columbia hostage in its constant refusal to listen to their concerns.
Let us be realistic about the wants and the desires of the government to have the finance committee go to London to hear the economic report of the finance minister. It is almost laughable that the member can stand and say that the government is out there to listen to Canadians. We all know that it is only a dog and pony show, an agenda so that the finance minister can go out and tell Canadians what his—
Taxation October 29th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, this is truly amazing. Ask any Canadian taxpayer if they are paying more taxes today than ever before under the Liberal government. Their answer will be yes, they are.
The Liberals are ripping off $40 billion more in taxes from Canadians. If they had one good reason we could understand, but all the time they have cut health care. They have cut money for education, and now they are even refusing to help prairie farmers.
They are pretending to cut taxes but they are raising taxes. Why do they not stop pretending and start cutting taxes for real?
Taxation October 29th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, this is an amazing response. Every year the government takes more taxes from Canadians, up $40 billion since 1993. Canadians are suffering. They cannot make ends meet under this burdensome government tax burden.
Thirty-eight per cent of all income in the country is gobbled up by the government. How can the government stand there and continue to say that it is cutting taxes when all the time it is raising taxes? All the evidence is there. What is wrong with the government? Does it not get it?