Jim Flaherty

[Finance, February 12th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the best social program is a job. This government in two years has created more than 750,000 excellent social programs in Canada.

With respect to low income Canadians, we have removed 650,000 low income Canadians completely from the income tax rolls in Canada. We also have the working income tax benefit which the members opposite talked about but never did, which we introduced and which is now law in Canada. We also have a working families tax plan and a registered disability savings plan to help Canadians.

[Government Contracts, February 12th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member makes the assumption in her question that the work was not done for the money paid. That suggestion is wrong. The evidence is publicly available. I invite the hon. member to look at and review the evidence of the work done for the money paid.

[Government Contracts, February 12th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, as I made clear, the documentation in support of the time spent, the hours worked over several months in the contract to which the hon. member referred is publicly disclosed in accordance with the rules. I invite the hon. member to review the documentation. Once the hon. member has done that, if she thinks that there was not value for money, she can raise it here, but the hon. member could at least do her homework before she asks the question.

[The Budget, February 11th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, that is a secret. I cannot tell the hon. member what the--yes I can.

I would like to say that our government's third budget will be tabled on February 26 at 4 p.m.

[Government Contracts, February 11th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, it is good to see this afternoon that the member for Markham—Unionville has slithered out from under his rock once again.

Most of the contracts to which reference is made, and I make the point most of the contracts to which the hon. member refers, were routine departmental contracts in the Department of Finance for photocopying and other services delivered to the Department of Finance. All of it is publicly available for examination.

[Government Contracts, February 11th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the budget speech is being prepared within my office. It is not quite ready, but I will be pleased to let the member know soon when we will have the opportunity to use the budget speech.

The work was done by Mr. MacPhie and his company. All of the documents were produced. They have been available for examination by all hon. members. Members can have a look at them for themselves. Hon. members can decide on the reasonableness.

This work was done over several months with respect to policy and communications, and there was value for money.

[Government Contracts, February 6th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I will not repeat the answer I have already given, but I will say that when combined with the initiatives that we took in budget 2006, this year there will be more than $21 billion in new tax relief for Canadians. In a time of slowing economy, this is equivalent to about 1.4% of Canada's economy. This will be delivered to Canadians in this year.

[Government Contracts, February 6th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier this week, value for money was provided. The work was performed for the Canadian people. The administrative function was not followed and that has been corrected.

[Finance, February 6th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite says that the GST is nonsense. He ridicules Canadians and the taxes they pay by saying that the GST is nonsense.

The GST is a permanent tax reduction for Canadians, a $12 billion per annum tax reduction for Canadians. He would raise it. When he was asked about the GST, the member for Markham—Unionville said, “It's an option. All I can say is that it is consistent with our approach”.

The Liberal approach is to tax and spend and raise taxes.

[Finance, February 6th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I know the member opposite thinks that Canadian geography ends at Steeles Avenue in the GTA but it is not so.

Many people in Canada disagree with the member for Markham—Unionville when he says that he wants to raise the GST by two full percentage points, when he talks about saving the GST and restoring the GST. If he actually cared about Canadians from coast to coast to coast, he would not advocate raising the GST, raising taxes on Canadians.