House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 54% of the vote.
Goods And Services Tax April 22nd, 1996
Mr. Speaker, I ask the hon. member to read the promises. She should listen:
A Liberal government will replace the GST with a system that generates equivalent revenues, is fairer to the consumers and to small business, minimizes disruption to small business, and promotes federal-provincial fiscal co-operation and harmonization.
That is exactly what the Minister of Finance is doing at this time. We are keeping our promises. That is why the member is so frustrated.
Goods And Services Tax April 22nd, 1996
Mr. Speaker, every Liberal MP campaigned on the red book. It is very clear this phrase is part of the red book and everybody knew it. It is exactly what we are doing at this time.
I remember the days when the member was in the House advocating and supporting the concept of the GST and flip-flopped a couple of times. We said it. We put it in writing and it is very clear.
Some members of Parliament voted against the government on some bills. We have acted accordingly. When a member of Parliament clearly votes non-confidence in the government it is because he does not want to support the government. He wants to be independent and he will sit as an independent member of Parliament. I wish him good luck getting elected as an independent candidate.
Goods And Services Tax April 22nd, 1996
Mr. Speaker, page 22 of the red book is very clear:
A Liberal government will replace the GST with a system that generates equivalent revenues, is fairer to the consumers and to small business, minimizes disruption to small business, and promotes federal-provincial fiscal co-operation and harmonization.
That is exactly what the Minister of Finance is trying to do at this time.
Goods And Services Tax April 15th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, the answer is not very complicated. The hon. member has only to read page 22 of the red book. We were talking about the harmonization of taxes, the sales tax in Canada. It will be done.
We are not worried about them because they will not be there for a long time.
Department Of National Defence April 15th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, the mandate of the commission allows its members to examine all issues relating to these incidents and they definitely intend to do so.
Department Of National Defence April 15th, 1996
Yes, it is complex. It happened before we formed the government, and the party in power had trouble dealing with this matter. After disbanding the regiment involved in these operations, the minister decided to request that a fully independent commission be established to review this whole matter.
All requested documents will be made available to the commission, and all those concerned are doing their utmost to honour the commission's requests, especially the minister, in whom I have full confidence.
Department Of National Defence April 15th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, the minister asked the department to co-operate with the commission. Furthermore, he himself created the commission and recommended that an independent commission be established to review this whole matter.
This is obviously a complex matter that was-
National Defence April 15th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, it is because I have known the Minister of National Defence for a long time. He is a very good man and a very competent minister.
When he became minister he was confronted with a file that was created before the coming of this administration. He has worked with this problem and he has decided to do something unprecedented: to have an inquiry into the operation of national defence. Not only that, but he recommended that we disband the regiment that was involved in that.
He took some extremely courageous actions and he has decided this inquiry will go to the bottom of the file, a file that was started perhaps by an incompetent administration before we arrived.
Distinct Society April 15th, 1996
Indeed, he would tell the people of Quebec that he has always voted against recognition of Quebec as a distinct society, whereas we Liberals have always worked to achieve this end.
Distinct Society April 15th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, I would simply like to read clause 1.4 of the resolution passed this weekend by party officials in Quebec and the members of the Liberal Party in Quebec who want the fact incorporated in the Constitution. Here is the text that was passed and that the Leader of the Opposition has obviously not read: "The Liberal Party of Canada supports the enshrinement in the Constitution of the principles recognized in the Parliamentary resolution passed in December 1995 defining the distinct society".
There is the answer for the hon. member, who, if he were a little more honest with himself and with the people of Quebec-