House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2008, with 57% of the vote.
Manufacturing Industry February 5th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, since the hon. member wishes to speak about the auto industry, I can assure her that on Friday I was at the Oshawa plant. I met and spoke with representatives of another major auto company. Today I am meeting with Mr. Hargrove and other individuals.
The real question for Canadians is why the Liberals got a flat tire when they had an opportunity in government to deal with the auto industry and the competitive issues and did not deal with them.
Manufacturing Industry February 5th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. The reason the community trust legislation was passed is that this government is listening. If Canadians listened to the member's party, we would be running deficit budgets and no one is interested in that.
Let me point out--
Automotive Industry February 5th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have arrived lately at concern about auto policy in this country.
It is interesting, for example, that when the government reduced the GST by two points, reducing the price of an automobile for a consumer by $600 in the case of a $30,000 automobile, they did not support that.
On all of the other initiatives that the government is undertaking, whether it is infrastructure, regulatory harmonization or the harmonization of fuel standards, the Liberal Party was nowhere to be seen in the past, and it did not deal with this issue.
Government Boards, Agencies and Commissions February 4th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, my friend refers in part to Dr. Carty. Dr. Carty, as the Prime Minister has indicated, announced his retirement for March 2008.
Some of the functions that Dr. Carty fulfilled are being replaced by the new Science, Technology and Innovation Council. It contains some of Canada's most respected and distinguished citizens: the president of the University of McGill, the president of the University of Saskatchewan, the president of the University of Calgary, the chairman of the Royal Bank and EnCana, and other very respected Canadians. It is chaired by Dr. Howard Alper, who may be our most distinguished scientist.
I can assure the House that our science policy and science investments are in good hands.
Manufacturing Industry January 30th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work with all of the sectors in the Ontario economy, indeed the economy across the country, to ensure that we are competitive and to ensure that we make innovations.
If my hon. friend would read the CIBC report, she would find that many of the jobs that are being lost are being replaced by jobs that are actually of equal quality or even higher quality. I encourage my friend to perhaps focus on CIBC rather than CBC as a source to quote in the House.
Manufacturing Industry January 30th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, I can say as the Minister of Industry, many years ago I started my own employment working at a coal mine. So any time a Canadian loses a job, it is something that I feel strongly about.
Instead of listening to the complaints from the Liberals, from the party opposite, the government is getting things done. In terms of the manufacturing sector, nothing is more important in the province of Ontario than the auto sector.
I can assure the member that just yesterday, the Minister of the Environment, Minister of Finance, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and I collectively met with the chief executive officers of the auto industry, working on making our country competitive and producing jobs for Canadians. We are getting the task done.
Science and Technology January 30th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, what is inconvenient is that my friend is not acquainted with the truth. He is certainly not acquainted with the truth on this particular issue.
The intent of this government is to strengthen the science and technology strategy of Canada. A great deal of what I work on is directed to do that.
Dr. Howard Alper is one of the most respected Canadians in science and technology. He has assisted the government of Australia in focusing its efforts. He has a very well respected group of Canadians who are focused on this.
At the end of the day, my friend I think will be forced to retract much of what he has said here today in the House.
Science and Technology January 30th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, this is a preposterous assertion. Dr. Carty is a respected Canadian whom I hold in very high regard.
Under the science and technology strategy, which this government has put forward, there is an intent to focus the science and technology strategy to harness more resources. There is a group of extremely distinguished Canadians headed by Dr. Howard Alper who will be assisting the government.
These are Canadians who are well known and well respected in science. They will be working with us in order to focus our science and technology strategy. The individual in question is held in high regard by me.
Automotive Industry January 29th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, the NDP, of course, is all strategy and no action.
The government has been taking action. The government has been working together with the auto industry with respect to the assembly industry and the parts industry, very serious work with respect to infrastructure, the Windsor-Detroit bridge crossing, work on regulatory harmonization, work as well on fuel consumption standards and smart fiscal policy.
Those are the kinds of initiatives that will make this industry competitive so that Canadians can continue to do what they have always done, which is to be exceptional in the assembly of automobiles.
Industry January 29th, 2008
Mr. Speaker, as was indicated yesterday in the House and as the Prime Minister indicated today, we will continue to work on the community trust development. We will continue to put in place the agreements across Canada with all of the premiers so that these dollars can be expended to aid workers and to aid communities that are in transition. That is the purpose of the fund. The government is listening to Canadians. It is listening to workers who need help.
I would encourage the Liberals to show up when some of these financial measures are voted on in the House.