John Rafferty

[Made in Canada Act, September 18th, 2009]

Yikes is right. Mr. Speaker, if we want to make life less affordable for people in Ontario, such as the people in my riding, why not increase the cost of goods by 8%, and in some cases 13%, for things that have not been taxed before?

I have spoken to all sorts of small business owners who do not want to be coddled. All they want is a fair deal. They want to be able to sell a cup of coffee or one of the great products that comes out of Thunder Bay, Persians. People cannot afford another 8% on top of that. Small businesses cannot afford that. This is all about making life affordable for all Canadians and the people in my riding. Shame on them for the harmonized sales tax. We will have a lot more to say about that later.

Speaking of affordable, not only do we have to keep Canadians working to make it affordable, but there also has to be industry to make life affordable, so that people can be employed. If preference is not given to Canadian companies, those companies will wither and die. A good example is that just recently, the federal government refused to pay its fair share for the city of Toronto to help keep its environment clean and green by having streetcars built at the Bombardier plant in my riding.

Not only are the people in my riding disappointed with the actions of the federal government, but they are disappointed because the government does not seem to understand that if Canadian taxpayers are paying for something, it is a government's responsibility to do everything it possibly can to ensure that those things are built right here in Canada with Canadian taxpayers' money.

I will speak briefly about Bombardier. Bombardier is a state-of-the-art streetcar, train car and subway car manufacturer. It is the best in the world. I have been through that plant a couple of times. Raw materials such as sheets of aluminum come in one end and go out as finished streetcars. The only thing the Bombardier plant in my riding does not make are the wheels. They buy the wheels from somebody else. Everything else is manufactured from scratch in that plant.

It means that those are highly skilled, well paid jobs. If Toronto needs streetcars, subway cars or train cars, it is the government's responsibility to ensure that those train cars are built right here in Canada and preferably right here in Ontario.

The issue is very simple. Canadian taxpayers are going to be purchasing manufactured goods. We are talking about billions of dollars of goods in the case of Bombardier and the streetcars for Toronto. If we are going to spend that money, it is going to come out of the pockets of workers who struggle every day to make ends meet and put food on the table. What would happen if the government had its way? Those jobs would be offshore.

There was a big fight. A whole of people wanted to see those streetcars made in China. We are talking about billions of dollars worth of streetcars, well-paying jobs, and there was a group who wanted to have them built in China.

It might have been $50,000 cheaper to build them in China. However, what about the service? What about after-service? What about after manufacturing? What about people who have the skills in this country to work and work hard on behalf of their families and they do not have an opportunity to work?

Mr. Speaker, I see I am running--

[Made in Canada Act, September 18th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate all the comments I have heard in this place today and certainly the comments from my colleague, the member for London—Fanshawe.

It is interesting. When I was listening to the Conservative members speak, I wrote a couple of things down while they were speaking. They were talking about Canadian businesses being ready to compete worldwide. I heard one of the members say that we need to go on the offence, not the defence. Another commenter said that we do not want to coddle Canadian business.

It is not about coddling Canadian business. It is about making life more affordable for Canadians. How do we make life more affordable for Canadians? We keep Canadians working. It is as simple as that. That is how we make life affordable for Canadians.

Speaking of affordable, I will digress for one second. I noticed that the Leader of the Opposition along with the government are now supporting Mr. McGuinty and his harmonized sales tax in Ontario.

[Forestry Industry, September 16th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues back in this place after a long summer of catching up with constituents in my riding of Thunder Bay—Rainy River, and I am certain they heard the same message from their constituents that I heard from mine. The message was: “Go back to Ottawa, help fix the economy and make Parliament work”.

In the riding I represent the forestry sector directly and indirectly employs thousands upon thousands of people, but our communities continue to suffer severe job losses. Hundreds of families are slipping into poverty and many more are facing an uncertain future.

To honour the wishes of my constituents, I am inviting each member with forestry dependent communities in his or her riding to join me in establishing an all-party forestry caucus.

Together we can work to raise awareness about the problems of that sector, develop new working relationships with each other, with industry and workers, and prove once and for all that members of this Parliament can work together in the interests of all Canadians.

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, September 14th, 2009]

With respect to government funding announcements since the January 2009 Budget: (a) how many such announcements have been made; (b) what was the location, purpose, and amount of each announcement and which Ministers and Members of Parliament were in attendance; (c) what did each announcement cost to stage, including all travel and hospitality expenses incurred for each Minister, MP, and their staff to attend the announcement; (d) did any involve previously announced funds and, if so, which ones and in what amount; and (e) for each announcement, what amount has since been transferred to each recipient, on what date were each transfer made and if such funds have yet to be transferred, what factors account for the delay?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, September 14th, 2009]

What is the total amount of government funding, since fiscal year 2004-2005 up to and including the current fiscal year, allocated within the constituency of Thunder Bay—Rainy River, listing each department or agency, initiative, and amount?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, September 14th, 2009]

With respect to the Fall 2008 purchase by the government of $150 billion in mortgage securities from Canadian banks through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC): (a) what conditions were sought and received from the banks by the government in return for extending this credit swap, and what conditions, if any, were sought by the government but rejected by the banks; (b) were any conditionalities sought on executive compensation; (c) did the federal government seek assurances of interest rate cuts or greater credit access by consumers and companies in return for the credit swap and, if not, why not; (d) what oversight measures are in place to monitor how the banks use the credit; (e) how was the $150 billion sum disbursed, (i) which banks or financial institutions accessed funds, (ii) on what dates, (iii) in what amounts; (f) what was the presumed economic stimulus of this bailout; (g) how long does the government anticipate holding these mortgages and what is the anticipated return from this credit swap; and (h) in the event of a mortgagee defaulting on their loan, what are the financial liabilities and responsibilities borne by the government?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, June 19th, 2009]

With respect to Expert Panels created by the Minister of Finance since January 2006: (a) which Panels have been so struck, on what date, and which individuals are they composed of; (b) what was the length of duration of each Panel, when and in what locations did each Panel meet; (c) what were the final conclusions and recommendations made by each Panel and have these conclusions been made publicly accessible and, if so, what is the Internet address for each Panel conclusion; and (d) what compensation was paid to each member and what travel, hospitality and miscellaneous expenses were submitted by each panelist, according to each Panel?

[Pulp and Paper Industry, June 17th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, today's forestry package has totally missed the mark. While New Democrats welcome aid for pulp and paper producers to make their operations more efficient and environmentally friendly, the government has failed to deal with some fundamental issues.

Where is the commitment to make EI more accessible? Where is the pension protection for AbitibiBowater retirees? Where are the guarantees for small businesses and suppliers that are owed huge sums of money by large bankrupt corporations?

With hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk across the country, does the minister really think this plan will save them?

[Veterans, June 16th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank our veterans and to congratulate the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 225, in Kakabeka Falls, on its 60th anniversary this week.

Please join me in congratulating the president Ken Milenko; the vice-president, Mary Majbroda; the past president, Jim Heald; the second vice-president, Don Kamula; the sergeant-at arms, Cliff Kerslake; the service officer, Bill Majbroda; and members-at-large, Russel Gillies, Konrad Kramer, Noni MacLean, Steve Druhar and Christel Kramer; and all the members of Branch 225.

I hope that all members of this House will join me in these congratulations and in thanking all of our veterans, our service women and men on active duty, and their families for the sacrifices they have made on our behalf and for serving our country with such honour.

[Forestry Industry, June 15th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, half measures by the government will not save the forestry industry.

Last week's billion dollar black liquor aid package is a start, but it will not level the playing field against U.S. competitors. The American subsidy is much larger, and it will still provide an unfair advantage to American mills.

The Conservative plan will do little to help the million people who rely on the forestry sector for work. When will the government start seeing the forest for the trees and help the forestry industry emerge from this downturn more profitable and stronger than ever?