Lawrence Cannon

[Infrastructure, May 14th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, we are cleaning up the mess the Liberals left us when we took power. That is the first order of business.

It enabled us not long ago to go to the Toronto Transit Commission and, in effect, hand over the money that was required to purchase buses, which the Toronto Transit Commission had already bought. Therefore, we got the job done on that.

We put money in FLOW in the greater area of Toronto. We have helped the Evergreen Line. I can go on for 20 or 30 projects, including in his riding. We are getting it done.

[Infrastructure, May 14th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to have this question from my colleague. It gives me once again the opportunity to say that this government is getting the job done with $33 billion for infrastructure across the country.

IPSCO Place is a very important project. We have told the people of Regina that they can count on this government. We will get the job done there.

[Minister of Foreign Affairs, May 14th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, a few months ago the Bloc was interested in having a national conversation. Now it is more interested in neighbourhood gossip.

[Minister of Foreign Affairs, May 14th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, an unprecedented human tragedy is taking place in Burma. China has been rocked by a deadly earthquake. Civil war could resume in Lebanon.

But the only thing the sovereignist gossips in this House have wanted to talk about for at least a week is the past relationships of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Bloc is an embarrassment to Quebeckers.

[Minister of Foreign Affairs, May 13th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, for several days in this House, the Bloc Québécois has continued to harp on this theme. Obviously, it is a strategic tactic on the part of the Bloc Québécois; to change the subject; to avoid talking about other things.

Perhaps that party would like to tell us the reason why it decided to vote against the reduction of the GST at a time when Quebeckers are celebrating the fact that the GST has been cut from 6% to 5%. Will it explain to Quebeckers why the Bloc wants to increase the price of gas?

[Minister of Foreign Affairs, May 13th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I repeat, the government has not put national security at risk. Once again, we are speaking of the private life of a person and we continue to insist on that position.

[Minister of Foreign Affairs, May 13th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the very words of our colleague drip with the typical arrogance of the leader of the Bloc Québécois.

He is probably shouting a little less loudly today, though, in view of the results of the byelections in Quebec last night, which showed that the federalist forces have grown phenomenally.

[Minister of Foreign Affairs, May 13th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, once again I want to remind the leader of the Bloc Québécois that the government is not putting national security at risk. I want to reassure him on this. I was also able to tell him again yesterday that this is a matter of our colleague’s private life.

I would have liked to see the Bloc Québécois ask questions about the economy or the increase in the price of gasoline, but everyone knows that the Bloc wants to shrink the Quebec economy through gas prices and thereby destabilize it.

[Minister of Foreign Affairs, May 12th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I thought that the Bloc Québécois would start things off today by asking questions about the economy and its extraordinary performance as it continues to create new jobs month after month.

However, the Bloc Québécois seems to think it best to ask yet more questions about a person's private life. We are well aware that the RCMP plays a role. The RCMP has a responsibility with respect to members of cabinet and national security. That is the RCMP's role.

[Minister of Foreign Affairs, May 12th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Bloc Québécois can play the town gossip if he wants, but the issue remains the same: this is a private matter. As far as we are concerned, this is a private matter. I would like to remind the Leader of the Bloc Québécois that he was invited to join the Privy Council a few years ago, but he turned it down. That position would have allowed him to discuss matters of national security, but he refused.