Jim Flaherty

[The Economy, December 5th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite refers to the OECD report. He does not mention that the OECD stated that employment is the most promising way of tackling inequality, and that the biggest challenge is to create more jobs.

This government is focused precisely on the goal of economic growth and the creation of jobs in Canada. There are nearly 600,000 net new jobs, the best job creation record in the G7. The OECD and the IMF say that Canada's economic growth and job creation will be the best going forward.

That is how we address inequity. That is what the OECD—

[Harmonized Sales Tax, December 1st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, what total nonsense. There is a member of the House of Commons who stands and says that the federal government, the federal Parliament, voted to impose something on a provincial government that is solely a matter of provincial responsibility. Have you never read the BNA Act? Have you never looked at the Canadian—

[Harmonized Sales Tax, December 1st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, as we have said all along, provincial taxation is a provincial responsibility. The Government of British Columbia decided to enter into an agreement with the Government of Canada in order to harmonize its provincial sales tax with the GST. Subsequently there was a change of mind.

In the meantime, pursuant to the terms of the agreement, a certain sum had been provided by the federal government to the provincial government. Since the agreement is not proceeding, that sum needs to be returned and the B.C. government has acknowledged the accuracy of that.

[Employment, November 24th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP bandies about numbers with respect to jobs, so I thought I would seek some authority about their numbers. I went to one of the large unions and the Canadian Labour of Congress's chief economist, Andrew Jackson, said that the Conservatives have the job numbers about right. He said:

[S]ince the worst part of the recession we've created 600,000 jobs. We even have more jobs in Canada than we had at the beginning of the recession.

There is a good authority you should respect.

[Employment, November 24th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, it is the one the NDP voted against on Monday night in the House of Commons. Do they remember that? They refused to support the budget.

They voted against the job creation tax credit for more than half a million small businesses in Canada. That is the part of the economy that generates jobs, the 600,000 net new jobs we have in Canada since the end of the recession.

They voted against the family caregiver tax credit, the children's art tax credit, the volunteer firefighters tax credit, tax relief for the manufacturing sector and making the gas tax fund permanent for infrastructure for municipalities.

That is where the jobs come from. Why does the member keep voting against everything?

[Employment, November 23rd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, not only do we have the view of the IMF that Canada is actually doing quite well, not only do we have Forbes magazine rating our country, Canada, as the best country in the world in which to invest, not only do we have that, but we have the Canadian people who, on May 2, had an opportunity to express their view at the ballot box with respect to the Liberals' economic policy, and we know the result of that. They are sitting way down in that corner.

[Employment, November 23rd, 2011]

Not only was the economic action plan in its first phase effective, Mr. Speaker, but in its next phase we have the budget items that the Liberals voted against. They voted against flowing $1 billion in federal funding to provinces and territories for infrastructure 2011-12. They voted against helping manufacturers by extending the capital cost allowance for two years. They voted against renewing EI pilot projects to help the unemployed. They voted against extending work sharing and against the hiring credit for more than half a million small businesses in Canada. That is the Liberal record.

[Employment, November 23rd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that since the end of the recession in July 2009, the net new job count in Canada is almost 600,000 jobs. The IMF and the OECD have looked at this. They have credited Canada with the best job growth in the G7 since the end of the recession.

I know the member for Kings—Hants does not believe in international assessments. We do and we are proud of our record as looked by the international organizations.

[The Economy, November 22nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the erudite question about budget voting.

Last night the budget was voted on at third reading and it was passed in this place, but without the support of NDP members. They walked away from the job creation tax credit for small business. They voted against the family caregiver tax credit. They voted against the children's arts tax credit. They voted against the volunteer firefighter tax credit. They voted against tax relief for the manufacturing sector and making the gas tax fund permanent for municipalities in Canada.

[Infrastructure, November 22nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, at the request of the opposition we have delivered a series of reports following up on the economic action plan. To keep Canadians informed, there will be one more final public report on the delivery and economic impact of the economic action plan which will build on the five previous reports.

One fact is clear: there are 600,000 net new jobs in Canada since the end of the recession. The economic action plan was the stimulus for that.