John Baird

[Infrastructure, April 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the first deadline is May 1. I think we have been clear that we will certainly be prepared to receive applications after that date.

The good news is that as of noon today in the province of Ontario, working with my premier, Dalton McGuinty, we have received 1,350 project proposals from more than 234 municipalities.

Municipalities are responding to the challenge. They are putting their money where their mouth is. They are moving quickly to get the job done. The hon. member can count on Dalton McGuinty and me to be there to support our municipalities.

[Infrastructure, April 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, it is always very interesting to hear the New Democrats talk about the need to make investments.

This is an interesting project. Just last month the leader of the NDP stood up in the House and said that we should have a buy Canadian policy. I understand 80% of this project would not be made in Canada. It is quite interesting.

I have said to the member and to the City of Toronto that if they could bring forward a proposal of investments that could be made in the next two years, we would certainly be open to receiving it, but we do not want to stimulate the economy some time in 2019. Canadians need jobs today, and our goal is to make that happen.

[Transportation, April 30th, 2009]

Absolutely not, Mr. Speaker. That is why this government, through the Minister of Industry and many others, is making substantial investments, particularly in Canada's dynamic aeronautics industry. It is an important cornerstone of the Canadian economy. It is very important obviously in the province of Quebec.

I would certainly be pleased to look at any proposal with respect to Saint-Hubert and respond to the member opposite.

Obviously, we want to ensure that infrastructure dollars are spent right across the country so they can create more jobs, more hope and more opportunity.

[Transportation, April 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, it is a great thing when the private sector makes investments in Canada.

The Minister of Finance and I were at an airport in Toronto. All $45 million is being paid privately. This is creating a lot of jobs.

Under the building Canada fund and under the airports capital assistance program, we have the opportunity to provide a limited amount of money in support. We would certainly be prepared to give the Saint-Hubert airport due and fair consideration.

[Automotive Industry, April 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the one remarkable thing that has happened over the last four or five months is that the Prime Minister has put aside partisan politics and is working in partnership with the Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty. The announcement being made at this hour is between the Prime Minister and the Premier of Ontario, and I do not think he would appreciate the characterizations made by the Liberal Party opposite.

What would be terrible for the auto sector would be for the Liberal Party to try to raise taxes on new cars. It voted against the GST tax reduction and now we have to ask, is that one of the first things it will do: bring in a new tax on Canadian-built automobiles?

[Automotive Industry, April 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Industry have provided great leadership on this file, doing their part to preserve Canada's share of the production of Chrysler manufacturing and auto assembly.

The member opposite did say that he did not get an answer to a question. Here is the answer that Canadians want to know. They heard the Liberal leader say on April 14, “We will have to raise taxes”. I would like this member to stand in this place and tell us what taxes the Liberal Party will raise, when will it raise them and which middle-class Canadians will be targeted for special punishment from this new Liberal tax grab?

[Infrastructure, April 28th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I have had occasion to be briefed by the Toronto Transit Commission on this important project.

What we have in our budget, our economic action plan, is a plan to try to stimulate job creation in the next two years, not some time five or ten years down the road. We have agreed to look at the city's proposal and respond in short order.

I was also very pleased to join the minister of finance in her constituency just yesterday for a $45 million infrastructure endowment at the Toronto City Centre Airport. A lot of jobs will be created for Bombardier, building those great new airplanes, which are built right in the city of Toronto.

[Rail Transportation, April 20th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we are presently working with our colleagues from the Quebec government and the McGuinty government in Ontario. It is very important that we determine the costs before proceeding. That is the Conservative way of doing things. We do not operate like the previous government, which made election promises without knowing the true costs of the project.

[Rail Transportation, April 20th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we are working co-operatively with the Government of Quebec and the Government of Ontario because we respect provincial jurisdiction. We are working on a plan to revise the figures that were done in recent years. This is an important partnership.

We will not simply push aside the Government of Quebec, the Premier of Quebec and the elected representatives of Quebec and work with a foreign government. We are going to work constructively with our friends in Quebec.

[Taxation, April 20th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I share the real concerns of the member for Burlington. All of us on this side of the House are doing everything we can to promote economic growth and job creation and encourage more jobs, more hope and more opportunity. However, the one thing we learned in the province of Ontario before 1995 was that raising taxes kill jobs. It led to less hope and less opportunity.

I implore the leader of the Liberal Party to stand in this place and promise the people of Canada that he will not raise their taxes or at least have the decency to say how much he will raise them, when he will raise them and which ones he will raise.