Jim Flaherty

[National Community Development Trust Fund Act, February 5th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I will try not to give a questionable reply. In the first place, the money cannot flow, of course, until it is authorized by this House through legislation and, then secondly, after the agreements are signed with the provinces and territories.

[National Community Development Trust Fund Act, February 5th, 2008]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-41, An Act respecting payments to a trust established to provide provinces and territories with funding for community development.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Guaranteed Income Supplement, February 4th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the member opposite has heard, because other members have heard, that as seniors are preparing their income tax forms this year, what they are seeing are very substantial tax reductions relating to income pension splitting in particular.

This is very important for seniors who have pensions in Canada. It is a significant reduction of great assistance to them. It is fundamental tax reform in Canada, which we brought in some time ago.

[Government Contracts, February 4th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the value for money was provided.

With respect to the earlier matter, the administrative provisions were not followed. As I have said four times now, and I urge the member for Markham—Unionville to listen, that has been corrected.

[Government Contracts, February 4th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, from sea to sea to sea, as I said a few minutes ago when I was asked the same question, the value for money element was there, the work was done and the compensation was earned. What was not done was the administrative functions were not properly followed. That has been fixed.

[Post-secondary Education, February 4th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, substantial stimuli have been provided to the economy. We see some evidence of that in the new January auto sales numbers, which are the second highest on record, in part due to the reduction in taxes, personal income taxes and GST, as of January 1.

That matters to Canadians and Canadian families purchasing automobiles. That is why we have good numbers in January.

[Manufacturing and Forestry Industries, February 4th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the suggestions of the members opposite. I look forward to meeting with the critic from the Bloc on the subject of the budget to come.

Having said that, I note that we know this is a time of some economic slowness, particularly in the United States, and that this is a time for careful economic management of the Canadian budget and the Canadian economy. This is not a time for excess spending.

[Manufacturing and Forestry Industries, February 4th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite seems to make the assumption that paying down debt is somehow not good for Canadian industry and somehow not good for Canadians overall. In fact, paying down debt, coupled with our tax back guarantee, guarantees lower personal income taxes year after year.

Also, respectfully, it is a non sequitur for the member opposite to say that we have a surplus when in fact we have excess revenue but a public debt of $467 billion. Some surplus.

[Government Contracts, February 4th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the question is repetitive. I hope the House will forgive me if I am repetitive also. There was good value for money provided. The work was done. It was documented. It was compensated.

Having said that, I note that the administrative functions were not followed with respect to these contracts. I can assure the House that they are being followed now.

[Government Contracts, February 4th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, we were provided good value for money. I can assure taxpayers of that. There was good value for money in the work done in the preparation of the largest budget in Canadian history, budget 2007.

It is correct, though, that administrative functions were not followed with respect to the contracting. Those procedures are now being followed.