Jim Flaherty

[The Budget, June 5th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal member opposite from Nova Scotia is going to vote against an increase in funding for the province of Nova Scotia of $313 million in 2007-08, more money for equalization, more money for health, more money for education, more money for labour market training, more money for infrastructure, and more money for a clean environment, all of which the member proposes to vote against.

[The Budget, June 5th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal member from Nova Scotia raises the budget. This is the budget he is going to vote against. This is the budget the Liberal Party is going to vote against. Here is the announcement in the budget—

[The Budget, June 5th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, let the record show that everyone got up but Ralph.

[The Budget, June 5th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, that is very kind, especially coming from a Liberal member.

That is the party that is led by the current leader who said that there is no fiscal imbalance in Canada. The Liberal leader said in 2006 that “the fiscal imbalance is a myth”. Here is what he said in 2007:

Don’t ask me to pretend there is a fiscal imbalance and elect me and (hope) I will fix it. I don’t want to create these kinds of expectations.

We do not need any lessons from a party that does not even believe that there is a—

[Justice, June 4th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, is that question about Bora-Bora? Perhaps it is a good thing the member is not on a particular jury at present.

We are investing $65 million to bolster anti-money laundering efforts in Canada. This is very important. This year Canada sat as president of the international association. We have also moved the Egmont Group. We in Canada now are the host of the Egmont Group in Toronto, and it deals with intelligence relating to money laundering.

These are leadership positions for our country on this issue.

[Justice, June 4th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, this is an important issue about white collar crime, as it is called, and we did two things in the budget this year.

One thing is the proper funding of the integrated market enforcement teams, known as IMETs, which were started several years ago. They need the necessary funding and they need the necessary advice in the RCMP, so we have Nick Le Pan there now as their senior expert adviser to deal with this serious enforcement issue with respect to white collar crime.

The other thing we need in this country, quite frankly, is unified securities enforcement, which we can try to accomplish through a common national securities regulator.

[Atlantic Accord, June 4th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, if the government were to listen to the member opposite, the people of Nova Scotia would receive $95 million less this year than they will receive under the O'Brien formula. Not only that but next year they would receive $59 million less.

I ask the member opposite how is that a benefit to his constituents and the people of Nova Scotia who want good education and health care? Why would he want to deprive them of $95 million this year?

[Atlantic Accord, June 4th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, budget 2007 for the first time laid out a principled basis for equalization in Canada.

Two provinces in Atlantic Canada had special situations with respect to the accords. The O'Brien expert panel recommended that the accords be capped. Our government decided not to do that so that the accords could be honoured.

They are indeed being honoured and, in the case of the province of Nova Scotia, it asked for the opportunity to opt into the new formula, the new modified O'Brien program, for one year to have a look at that. Yes, it is a benefit of $95 million to the people of Nova Scotia this year.

[Manufacturing Industry, May 30th, 2007]

Since the government was elected, Mr. Speaker, there are more than 450,000 new jobs in Canada and 70% of them are full time jobs. In fact, in various parts of Canada we have labour shortages.

However, there are some challenges, particularly in the manufacturing sector, so we did something about it. In budget 2007 we increased the capital cost allowance rate for machinery and equipment to 50% and permitted it to be claimed over two years only. That is 100%.

We are doing something about it. The Liberals and the NDP—

[Taxation, May 15th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the difference between the party opposite and this party in the treatment of tax havens could not be more obvious. We are dealing with the issue of tax havens. That party did nothing on this issue over the course of 13 years.

As Don Drummond from TD Bank said last night, “I wish when I was at Finance that we could have done something about tax havens”. He said that the anti-tax haven initiative is “a very positive step forward”.

However, I understand that the member has his secret ways of communicating by email with Bay Street and has other information, I know.