Jim Flaherty

[The Economy, December 2nd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, as I have already indicated to the House today, leading independent private assessors, forecasters and analysts have looked at this, including the University of Toronto, the Conference Board of Canada, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the National Bank Financial Group.

They all came to the conclusion that we have created or maintained about 220,000 jobs as a result, strictly, of the economic action plan. Of course, we have had economic growth as well in the past five quarters, resulting in nearly 430,000 total net new jobs in Canada since the end of the recession.

[The Economy, December 2nd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, since the end of the recession, that is since the end of the second quarter in 2009, the end of July 2009, the overall job creation has been 430,000 net new jobs in Canada.

This is more than the total number of jobs lost during the three quarters of recession that we suffered through.

[Infrastructure, December 2nd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, our partners, the provinces and the municipalities, have done a terrific job. Nearly 90% of these infrastructure projects will be completed by the deadline. We are talking about more than 20,000 projects across the country. That is why so many jobs have been created across Canada. Nearly 90% will be completed on time. One more construction season will be allowed for the rest of them to be completed because we are being fair, reasonable and flexible.

[Infrastructure, December 2nd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's economic action plan is expected to create or maintain 220,000 jobs by the end of 2010. This does not even count the 260,000 Canadians who have benefited from participating in work sharing. Where do these numbers come from on the 220,000? From the University of Toronto, the Conference Board of Canada and the National Bank Financial Group among others.

Why is it that the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who is supposed to report accurately to Parliament, cannot agree with any other experts in this country?

[The Economy, December 1st, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Statistics Canada reported that our economy grew again for the fifth straight quarter. We have also seen 430,000 net new jobs created since the end of the recession. These are both signs that our economic action plan is working and that we are on the right track.

While we are not out of the woods yet, Canada is in a better place than most. This is what the Wall Street Journal said yesterday about our country. It said Canada, “has pulled through the downturn in better shape than most of its peers, with the healthiest banking system and strongest economic recovery”.

[Government Spending, December 1st, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite must be the only person in Canada who thinks the American economy is doing better than the Canadian economy.

Let us talk about employment and unemployment. The United States unemployment rate is about 9.6%. The Canadian rate is less than 8%. That has not happened in Canadian history since 1975. That is because we had a good stimulus plan, which was supported by the member's party at a time of economic crisis in this country and which has worked.

The member should applaud the plan and applaud Canada's economic performance.

[Finance, December 1st, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, it is just the opposite, of course. The stimulus spending was necessary and it was supported by Parliament. It was necessary to protect our country. The member's party supported it.

It was necessary to run a deficit. Why was it necessary to run a deficit? It was to protect our country and to protect jobs. In fact, we gained back all of the jobs lost during the recession as a result of the economic action plan.

I do not know why the member would complain about it two years later.

[Finance, December 1st, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, it is apparent that the member for Random—Burin—St. George's did not experience in Newfoundland the cuts that were done by the federal Liberal government in the 1990s, but I can tell her that the people of Ontario did.

We felt it having to reduce the number of teachers and the number of nurses, and not being able to build the hospitals that the people of Ontario needed. I know the member for Toronto Centre lived through that. Apparently the member from Newfoundland did not.

The people of Ontario in Vaughan voted earlier this week because they remembered.

[Finance, December 1st, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure where the hon. member was in the 1990s. I know her leader was not in Canada. I did not realize she was not, either.

Do you know what happened in the 1990s, Mr. Speaker? The Liberal federal government decided that it would balance its budget on the backs of the provinces. Those of us who were working in the provinces at that time, including the member for Toronto Centre who has said this, suffered through those cuts to the provinces. What were the cuts in? They were in health care, education—

[Tax Harmonization, November 30th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, we are discussing a number of factors with the Government of Quebec. I discussed some of them with the minister of finance of Quebec last week. Again, our officials continue to discuss a number of factors.

The goal is to get to a true harmonization, if that is what the Government of Quebec wants. If we are able to get there, that will be an accomplishment. However, the discussions are continuing.