John Baird

[Air Transportation, March 10th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, no Prime Minister and no Minister of Finance has done more to cut taxes for hard-working middle-class families than the two sitting in the front row of this legislature.

Let us be very clear. For hard-working Canadian families, tax freedom day, that day where Canadians stop working for the government and start working for themselves, arrives more than two weeks sooner than it did just four years ago.

Cutting taxes creates jobs, more hope and more opportunity. That is why the country is on such a strong economic footing compared to every other country in the industrialized world.

[Air Transportation, March 10th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, we have come forward with additional security measures that are required to keep Canadians safe. That is one of our fundamental responsibilities at Transport Canada.

We have said two things. One is that the government will be completely transparent on all the funding that will be collected by these charges. It will be a user fee principle. We are prepared to report back in an open and transparent way to the transport committee of the House of Commons.

[Infrastructure, March 9th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to announce that our collaboration with the Government of Quebec and municipalities in all Quebec regions has been very successful. There is not one dollar left on the table. Everyone is prepared and will continue to work together.

There have been good examples of cooperation and I am certain that Quebec municipalities, like all municipalities throughout Canada, will take steps to create jobs next year. We cannot wait several years to create hope and jobs in Quebec.

[Government Spending, March 8th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I sort of get the feeling that the member opposite is hitchhiking.

As we said, there are strict rules with respect to the use of government aircraft. They have to be used when no commercial operations exist. They have to be used only for official government business. All the rules were followed in this case.

Again, I am very pleased to inform the member opposite that the use of government aircraft in these types of circumstances is down by almost two-thirds since this government was elected. That is a record to be proud of.

[Government Spending, March 8th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the government has established strict rules for the use of these aircraft. They can only be used on official government business and only when cheaper commercial options are not available. I am pleased to inform the House that under this government, the use of government aircraft by cabinet ministers has declined by some two-thirds.

Frankly, I would like to ask the member what he has against Tim Hortons? That is just un-Canadian.

[Infrastructure, March 5th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the economic growth and jobs budget presented yesterday by the government is all about focusing on the economy and improving the lives of Canadians to restore more hope and more opportunity,

We will spend a further $19 billion on federal stimulus spending that will be complemented by $6 billion in stimulus funding from the provinces, territories and municipalities.

We can look at what municipalities are saying about this budget. Look at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities that is headed up by the mayor of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Basil Stewart. He says:

FCM applauds the federal government for protecting core investments in cities and communities as it reduces the federal budget deficit. These investments will help local governments--

[Status of Women, March 5th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, the member opposite should do the right thing, should do the decent thing, and accept the apology of the minister like the rest of us.

[Status of Women, March 5th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, our colleague and our friend, the Minister of State for the Status of Women, has made a sincere apology with respect to this issue. As all hon. members should do, I have accepted it and I encourage everyone to do the right thing.

[Infrastructure, March 5th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question.

We have accomplished very good work with the Province of Quebec. All the money available for the Province of Quebec and its municipalities has been spent.

We have had a good relationship with the provincial government. In all the regions of Quebec, municipalities are ready to act, and the successes will continue until the end.

[The Budget, March 5th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, long before Canada's economic action plan began to bring real benefits to the economy in the country this government gave significant support to seniors.

Since 1999, the level of poverty among seniors in the country has fallen from 7.9% to less than 5%, thanks to the great efforts of the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.

This government is committed to pensions. We are committed to the old age security. We are committed to the guaranteed income supplement.

We have taken significant measures with respect to helping those who are unemployed, whether it is long-term worker benefits, whether it is additional measures in training, whether it is the great work on work-sharing. We will continue to do that because we need more jobs, more hope and more opportunities.