House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 56% of the vote.
Sponsorship Program April 6th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, it is not an allegation. It is an admission.
Groupaction got money from taxpayers, gave money to separatists, gave money to the Liberal Party, and this Liberal Party now will not answer a simple question. Why did taxpayer dollars go from a program that was supposed to be for national unity to people who are hellbent on destroying Canada?
Sponsorship Program April 6th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, what we want is a simple answer to a very straightforward question.
The Liberals still brag about the sponsorship program as though it was some master stroke of national unity, but Alain Renaud has admitted that Groupaction donated to the Liberal Party and to the separatists after having received money from the sponsorship program.
Taxpayers want to know why taxpayer dollars that were supposed to be for this program, that the Liberals say was for national unity, end up in the pockets of the separatists?
Sponsorship Program March 22nd, 2005
Mr. Speaker, here is what the transport minister said: “If somebody had to pay a certain amount to the Liberal Party to get contracts, I think that money should be reimbursed”.
Lafleur Communications and PR firms Splash and Commando have admitted to making contributions to the Liberal Party to get contracts. Guilt has been admitted. Cash changed hands. Why will the Liberal Party not give back this dirty money and apologize to taxpayers?
Sponsorship Program March 22nd, 2005
Mr. Speaker, the Gomery commission has revealed that the real purpose of the sponsorship program was to line the pockets of the Liberal Party and its friends with our tax money.
If the testimony at the Gomery commission is enough to proceed against the advertising agencies, why then is the Liberal government not also proceeding against the Liberal Party in order to get our money back?
Airline Industry March 21st, 2005
Mr. Speaker, we know what the Liberals are for, which is taxing the air industry into the ground.
One of the business leaders in the poll was quoted as saying, “Our government's dithering on this and other matters makes me feel that we are just plain leaderless”. Another quote to note is, “Federal government taxation is what is hurting the airline industry”.
The business community gets it. The air and travel industry gets it. The transport committee gets it. The Conservative Party gets it.
Why is this Liberal government so absolutely clueless when it comes to the high taxes that are driving Canada's air industry into the ground?
Airline Industry March 21st, 2005
Mr. Speaker, a poll of business leaders, which was released today by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, shows that 55% of respondents think the federal government is responsible for Jetsgo's collapse. Excessive taxes, fees and charges are largely to blame, they say.
Jetsgo certainly had its own problems, but when nine air carriers go broke in eight years of Liberal government, it is clear that the number one problem our air industry faces is this Liberal government.
Will a tenth airline really have to go broke before the government finally does something and stops taxing our air industry into the ground?
Sponsorship Program March 10th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, the evidence is not contradictory. The evidence is mounting that the Liberal government is involved and has been involved in some pretty sketchy activities.
Last week during an advocacy day in Washington, D.C., 1,700 tee-shirts were distributed promoting Canada on Capitol Hill. The shirts were supplied by a company with a sketchy record of unfair labour practices in the third world, and these 1,700 tee-shirts were made in Mexico, not Canada.
Why would the Canadian government not distribute Canadian products on a Canadian trade mission?
Sponsorship Program March 10th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, when we think of it, the sponsorship scandal is based on a very simple premise: The Liberal government awarded generous contracts to advertising agencies that are friends with the Liberal Party and, conversely, these agencies gave money to the Liberal Party. We learned that Pierre Michaud and Pierre Davidson both gave $1,000 to the Liberal Party in 1997, after receiving money from the sponsorship program.
The Minister of Transport promised to give back the dirty money related to sponsorships. Is this also a broken promise by the Liberal government?
Government Contracts March 9th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, in 2003, when the finance minister was the minister of public works, he was aware of an internal audit showing that taxpayers were being ripped off by $146 million. The four year $146 million rip-off was due to a poorly managed contract between Compaq and the Department of National Defence managed by the Department of Public Works. Government auditors had repeatedly raised red flags on this file as far back as 1999 but the Liberals, no surprise, did nothing.
Could the Minister of Finance tell us why the government was so irresponsible with this contract and why for four years the government failed to protect the interests of taxpayers?
The Budget March 8th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, it is the small and medium size airports in this country that are hit the hardest by the government's airport rents policy.
What is stunning though is that the CEO of the Regina airport authority is getting into the face of the Minister of Finance, who is from Regina, saying, “Are you mad? Your policies are damaging the ability of our airport to increase our services”.
It was in fact just a week and a half ago that Air Canada said that it is going to eliminate jet service into the entire province of Saskatchewan. It is replacing them with Dash 8s. That is Air Canada going on a good business model, but it has smaller planes because there are fewer passengers. There are fewer passengers because the government looks at the air industry as a source of revenue through taxes galore.
The Conservative Party would reform the management of airport authorities to ensure that all voices are heard in the airport authorities. I would prefer a Nav Canada type model imposed on the airport authorities so that all voices are heard, so airport improvement fees are not going through the roof, so there is accountability for the rents that are being paid to Ottawa. Over time, a Conservative government would phase out airport rents, get rid of the $24 air tax, have competition in our skies and put passengers rather than bureaucrats first.