Guy Lauzon

[Government Response to Petitions, June 20th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to seven petitions.

[Points of Order, June 20th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I can apologize for misleading the House because it has been brought to my attention that in my absence, while I was gone one weekend on a Friday, apparently the House leader did answer two questions regarding northern Ontario, so I do apologize to the House for misleading it.

[Economic Development, June 20th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that this is the very first question, since I have been here on this side of the House in over two years, that has ever been posed about the situation in northern Ontario. It is very interesting that it should come now.

The Conservative government is committed to the development of northern Ontario, unlike the leader of the Liberal Party who said during the leadership campaign that people should move to where the jobs were.

It was this government that announced $45 million in long term stable funding for FedNor and over $60 million to support projects in northern Ontario. This Conservative government also signed a historic agreement with the U.S. to settle the softwood lumber dispute that significantly helped northern Ontario.

What are they going to do after they have the carbon tax?

[Canadian Wheat Board, June 20th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I again thank the member for his question but I will answer it with a question. This is a question from the constituents of Malpeque.

I made a couple of visits to wonderful P.E.I. and the following is the feedback I received. The constituents of Malpeque want to know why their member has asked 32 questions on the Wheat Board and only 2 questions on any issue that has anything to do with P.E.I.

[Canadian Wheat Board, June 20th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question but I am a little confused.

During our throne speech, when we reiterated support for duel marketing for the Wheat Board, the member voted for it. Now he is voting against freedom of choice for the farmers. We cannot figure it out.

At the agriculture committee the other day, he voted to do a study on the carbon tax and on the devastating damages it would do to agriculture. Now he is supporting the carbon tax.

I would like that question answered.

[Agriculture, June 18th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I recently had the pleasure of making several visits to P.E.I. to meet with farmers from all across the Island.

Island farmers told me how frustrated they were with the member for Malpeque. Instead of talking about the issues important to his constituents, all the member seems to want to talk about is the Canadian Wheat Board.

Farmers in P.E.I. talked to me about potatoes, livestock and our government's strong support for supply management. Not one farmer asked me about the Canadian Wheat Board, which only exists in western Canada.

I promised these farmers that since their member of Parliament was absent on the issues important to them, I would raise the issues directly with the minister.

The people of P.E.I. need their representatives to work tirelessly in bringing their concerns to Ottawa. The residents of Malpeque deserve better. They deserve an MP who understands their priorities and brings their interests to Ottawa. In the next election, they will demand better. They will demand a Conservative member of Parliament.

[Points of Order, June 17th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think there is any question that this is a point of debate and not a point of order.

I might just quote this:

That the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food study the effects of a carbon tax and any other broad based environmental tax and ensure that Canadian farmers are not saddled with a carbon tax which would further increase their input costs and hurt their competitiveness.

That is what the member opposite voted for.

[Carbon Tax Proposal, June 17th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the carbon tax being proposed by the Leader of the Opposition is going to drive Canadian farmers out of business. Canadian farmers will not be able to compete with their competitors when they are paying more to fill the fuel tanks on their tractors, paying more to run their combines and paying more to ship their goods to market.

Today the Conservative MPs at the agriculture committee voted to protect Canadian farmers from the devastating effects of a carbon tax.

The bad news for Canadian farmers is that one of the Liberal MPs voted in favour of the carbon tax. The bad news for the Leader of the Opposition is that three Liberals, his own agriculture critic, the member for Mississauga—Erindale and the member for Brant, all voted against the carbon tax. It seems the Liberal leader is having some trouble convincing his own MPs to buy into his tax trick.

All Canadians can rest assured that this Conservative government will not stand by and watch the Liberal leader get away with his carbon tax trick.

[Committees of the House, June 10th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I listened intently to the member's speech. I also listened to his answer to the first question he was asked by my hon. colleague. Quite frankly, he did not answer the question.

People talk about the military going through a decade of darkness under the former Liberal government. Agriculture went through a decade of darkness with the Liberal government as well. Tobacco growers went through a decade of darkness.

I want to ask the member directly, once and for all, what did the member's government do for 13 years while tobacco farmers were in terrible trouble? I would like a direct answer, blow by blow. What did the Liberal government do for those people who suffered for 13 long years?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2008, June 6th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I could not resist. I believe I heard the hon. member defend the carbon tax. I would like some clarification. As he mentioned, the hon. member is on the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food along with my other hon. colleague. If the hon. member can stand there and hear the carbon tax is going to devastate agriculture and the hon. member is suggesting that he believes in the carbon tax--