House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 45% of the vote.
G8 Summit September 29th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, the NDP has just revealed the same old, same old. If the member opposite would like to make any allegations of anything untoward, he should have the courage to do it outside this place.
The bottom line is that I approved 32 projects under this fund. All 32 projects were for public infrastructure. They all came in on or under budget. Every dollar has been accounted for. The good news is a lot of jobs and a lot of hope and opportunity were created with those infrastructure projects.
G8 Summit September 29th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, the project the member opposite refers to in Gravenhurst has nothing to do with the G8 legacy fund. I would challenge the member opposite, if he wants to accuse any member of this place of anything unethical, to have the courage and the guts to go outside and repeat those scurrilous allegations.
G8 Summit September 29th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, that is the kind of muckraking that Canadians rejected in the last election campaign. This is just same old, same old.
The Canadian people want us to focus on jobs and the economy. They want us to focus on economic growth. They want us to focus on ensuring there are more opportunities for their children and grandchildren. That is what this government is doing. That is the leadership that the Minister of Finance has provided. That is why he was named the best finance minister in the world last year.
G8 Summit September 29th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, there was so much enthusiasm about Canada's economic action plan, there was so much enthusiasm about infrastructure projects around the country that the mayor was prepared to put the steel on his own credit card because he was so excited to create jobs in that part of the country. That happened from coast to coast to coast, great partnerships with the provinces, with territories, with municipalities from every part of the country, all coming together to fight the recession.
For my friend from Timmins, the good news is that at the end of the day we saw more jobs, more hope and more opportunity.
Points of Order September 28th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I just want to respond to my friend opposite.
The taxpayers of Canada provide a lot of money to the official opposition for research. We encourage the opposition to use it for that and not simply to get a subscription to the Toronto Star.
Ukraine September 28th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, our government has expressed to the Ukrainian government our serious concern about the apparent bias in the ongoing judicial proceedings against former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Political persecution is completely unacceptable. The appearance of political bias in judicial proceedings undermines the rule of law.
We urge, here today, the Ukrainian government to strengthen judiciary independence. We will continue to support efforts to build a peaceful, democratic and prosperous society in Ukraine.
Foreign Affairs September 28th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, Canada has enjoyed good diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for many years, but reports of a Saudi woman being sentenced to 10 lashes for the crime of driving her own car are deeply disturbing.
Although we have heard some positive signs of reform announced in recent weeks, I think I speak on behalf of all members of the House when I condemn, in the sharpest terms, this deeply offensive court decision.
President of the Treasury Board September 28th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, Infrastructure Canada approved 32 projects to support the G8 infrastructure under the three categories provided. I approved all 32 of those projects. There was a contribution agreement written up for each of those 32 projects.
The Auditor General has made some helpful comments about what we can do to be more transparent to the House of Commons in the future. We fully accept those recommendations and will follow them in the future.
G8 Summit September 28th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the member that this government under this Prime Minister brought forward an $8 billion building Canada infrastructure program to support economic growth, to support the expansion of the Canadian economy, and all $8 billion of that fund were voted against.
New Democrats voted against every single dollar of that fund. Shame on the member. Shame on the New Democratic Party.
G8 Summit September 28th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, this government has made unprecedented financial commitments to support border infrastructure, nowhere more anywhere in Canada than in Windsor, Ontario, apparent where the government has a strong partnership with the provincial government, a strong partnership with the State of Michigan and a strong partnership with the Obama administration in Washington.
We are working tremendously hard to ensure that trade can flow better across that border. What we need is for New Democrats to stand in their place and say that they support free trade, that they support free trade with the United States, and that they support NAFTA.
Will the member opposite do that?