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Crucial Fact

  • His favourite word was million.

Last in Parliament October 2015, as Conservative MP for Eglinton—Lawrence (Ontario)

Lost his last election, in 2015, with 43% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Business of Supply May 25th, 2015

Mr. Chair, first, it is important to understand that under the family benefit program, families will save, on average, $1,140 from the package. Thanks to measures introduced by our government, the average Canadian family of four will receive up to $6,600 this year.

Income splitting is already helping seniors across the country, which is why the government is now proposing similar relief for families. The opposition would shut down that benefit for Canadians from all walks of life.

Business of Supply May 25th, 2015

Mr. Chair, I think it is important to note that the NDP's plan would only help a few families that are fortunate enough to receive a spot in its bureaucratic program, which, from experience, is usually higher-income families.

Instead, our plan will benefit every single family across Canada, four million families. In providing choice for families, we believe that mom and dad know better how to support their children than bureaucrats in Ottawa.

Business of Supply May 25th, 2015

Mr. Chair, I have said repeatedly, and a number of times this very evening, that our family tax program will overwhelmingly benefit low- and middle-income Canadians. Twenty-five per cent of the benefits will go to families earning less than $30,000 a year. We estimate that almost $10 billion in 2015-16, or one-half of 1% of GDP, will be returned to families and invested in the economy over the coming months.

This, again, not only is our philosophical difference, because the opposition believes that money earned by hard-working Canadians is, by right, the government's, but it does not seem to understand the benefit of having money retained in the private sector for economic growth.

Business of Supply May 25th, 2015

Mr. Chair, the member opposite seems to harbour the belief that if funds have not been seized by the government then somehow they are lost to the economy. The member opposite seems to think that the government is entitled to hard-earned money. They start with the fact that the money is the government's, and by exception, the people get to keep their own money.

Business of Supply May 25th, 2015

Mr. Chair, as I have said, our government believes in keeping more money in the pockets of Canadian families, and due to the measures we have introduced, the tax burden on Canadians is lower than it has been in over 50 years. Every single family with children under 18 would benefit from the new suite of family measures.

Business of Supply May 25th, 2015

Mr. Chair, I believe the exact number was $2.4 billion.

Business of Supply May 25th, 2015

Mr. Chair, the governor was very clear. He believes that the first quarter would be slow and there would be a resumption in growth. The Bank of Canada was projecting, I believe, around 1.9% growth this year, and that growth would be better than most G7 countries.

Business of Supply May 25th, 2015

Mr. Chair, I think the hon. member knows that there is a 6.8% unemployment rate right now.

It is rich for the NDP and the Liberals to be criticizing our government's record on the economy and job creation. They voted against every job creation measure our government has put forward, including introducing the small business job credit.

Business of Supply May 25th, 2015

Mr. Chair, our government has created 1.2 million net new jobs from July 2009 to April 2015. More than 90% are full-time positions. Over 80% are in the private sector. Almost 60% are in high-wage industry. That is 20% more jobs compared to our closest competitor since our government came into office.

Business of Supply May 25th, 2015

Mr. Chair, I thank the hon. member for York Centre for the question. He has provided dedicated and effective service to his constituents.

Since 2006, our Conservative government has made unprecedented investments in infrastructure across Canada. Under the Paul Martin Liberals' so-called infrastructure program, funding was unpredictable and insufficient. Unlike the Liberals, our government listens to concerns of mayors, premiers and regional chairs. That is why we have made historic investments in infrastructure.

Through the $33-billion building Canadian plan, our government has helped to build over 12,000 provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure projects from coast to coast to coast. Our Conservative government announced the largest and longest federal commitment to infrastructure in Canadian history, with $75 billion in support for public infrastructure over the next decade, including $53 billion for provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure under the new building Canada fund.

Funding under the plan is now flowing into provinces, territories and municipalities. The new building Canada fund is open for business. The fund will help to build stronger communities and support local economies across Canada.

Recently, the Prime Minister announced $150 million under Canada's 150 infrastructure plan to 1,800 projects in communities across Canada. The 150th anniversary of Confederation is a time to celebrate the places across this great country that unite and connect us, such as the parks, the trails and the cultural and community centres. The infrastructure program will help preserve and improve these treasured cultural and community locations, allowing Canadians and their families to enjoy moments of sport, recreation, leisure and contemplation for years to come.

I should also mention the gas tax fund, which is federal money that helps municipalities with their infrastructure priorities. It was originally a temporary program, but when we saw how important it was to Canadian cities and towns, we took action. We made it permanent. We doubled it. It grows annually now, representing an additional $1.8 billion in funding over the next decade. The gas tax fund comprises the largest portion of the new building Canada plan and it is providing $2 billion to support local infrastructure projects this fiscal year.

Building on these investments, the Prime Minister announced an additional $5.8-billion investment to build new infrastructure across the country. This funding would support the modernization and repair of important infrastructure assets to create jobs in communities across Canada and to contribute to Canada's long-term economic prosperity.

Our government is following through on our commitment to build infrastructure that is unprecedented in Canadian history, and our success speaks for itself. We are investing in public infrastructure. We are investing in transit. Our new transit fund is revolutionary and will provide an opportunity for all major urban and suburban projects for years to come. That is what Canadians expect and deserve.