Lawrence Toet

[The Penny, February 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, today we say goodbye to the penny. For years they collected in jars on our dressers, demanding too much time for too little return of our small business owners and retailers. That is why, as of today, the Mint will no longer distribute the coins, saving taxpayers $11 million a year.

To ensure a smooth transition, we have worked with retailers and small businesses on a national awareness campaign and we have encouraged Canadians to donate their pennies to charity as they so generously continue to do so.

With this transition, Canada will adopt a straightforward rounding system like Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and others, which have all successfully eliminated their pennies. By rounding cash transactions to the nearest nickel, we will save both businesses and consumers time and trouble in the checkout lines.

Consumers should remember that these rules only affect cash payments and that pennies will retain their value indefinitely.

[Elmwood—Transcona, January 29th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, 2012 was a year of many great celebrations and accomplishments for the wonderful people of Elmwood—Transcona.

From Happy Days on Henderson to Canada Day celebrations and the Transcona Centennial celebration, we gathered to celebrate our community.

From the Disraeli Freeway completion to the construction agreement for the Plessis underpass, we are working together to improve our community and to continue to support projects that will increase opportunities for employment and in valued skilled trades and economic prosperity for our community.

Our government has invested in improved lighting for sports fields, playground and building improvements for area community centres, and improvements to daycare facilities. These are the priorities of the community, and our government is helping fulfill these needs and is creating jobs for our community.

I have also had the pleasure of awarding the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal to some truly inspiring community members, each of whom has contributed his or her time and energy to make our community stronger. We each have our memories of what our community was and a vision of what it will be if we continue working together at building on a foundation of helping each other.

I am thankful for the support of my constituents whom I proudly represent.

[The Economy, January 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is not immune to global economic challenges from beyond our borders. That is why in 2013 we will continue our commitment to grow the economy and create jobs by keeping taxes low and through measures like major new investments in research and development. However, while we are focused on helping the economy grow, the NDP wants a $21 billion carbon tax which would cripple our economy and put Canadians out of work.

Could the Minister of Finance please give this House an update on our government's action to grow the economy and create jobs for hard-working Canadians?

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, November 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am somewhat surprised and shocked that the member would be making statements in the House complaining about the time allotted for study in committee when it was that member who brought forward a motion in committee, before we even started studying, to shut down the study. He is now complaining that we did not have enough time to study but he did not even want to start studying. I find that somewhat incredible and amazing.

In one paragraph, the member talked about greenhouse gases and navigable waters together. These are two completely different items, but he is trying to tie them together as if navigable waters has something to do with greenhouse gas emissions. It is amazing. He continues with misleading statements on where the lakes and rivers that are protected are found, et cetera.

I have a big question for the member. Has he ever read the Navigable Waters Protection Act? The word “environment” is not mentioned once in there. It is completely about obstruction to navigation and the navigability of waterways. If the member would please read that legislation as it stands, he would realize that it is not an environmental law.

[First Nations Financial Transparency Act, November 27th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I was listening to the member speak, and the one thing that really struck me is that we keep on talking about wanting to speak and speak, and it reminds me of what the Liberals did with the emissions, when they signed onto the Kyoto protocol and did nothing with it except talk about it, until we formed government when something actually started to happen and we saw emission reductions.

The member also said it is not an “us versus them” as far as accountability goes, yet why does he want to make it that way? The member should be supportive of this. He says all Canadians, including aboriginal communities, desire accountability, yet he is talking about a bill that brings forward accountability. Does the member not believe that there should be accountability on the part of a leadership group of elected officials, to the people who elected them?

[Elmwood—Transcona, November 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, three things are happening in my riding of Elmwood—Transcona.

Last Friday, I had the pleasure to announce much needed improvements to the East End Leisure and Cultural Centre in Elmwood as part of the community infrastructure improvement fund. This project will enhance the life experience of our youth.

Also, CN Rail recently announced that Transcona will be its national training centre, which will see approximately 250 employees visiting our riding each week from across Canada to receive training.

Finally, New Flyer Industries will develop and build four electric buses and a high-capacity charging station with the financial support of over $3.4 million through Sustainable Development Technology Canada.

All of this has been done without a job-killing carbon tax, as the NDP would like to impose on Canadians. From investing in our youth to supporting clean energy in my riding of Elmwood—Transcona, Canada's economic action plan is working.

[New Democratic Party of Canada, October 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, since 2006, our government has encouraged the opposition to support our efforts to get tough on the things that matter to Canadians, like crime.

However, instead of getting tough on crime, the NDP has a plan to get tough on Canadian families with its proposed $21 billion job-killing carbon tax. Its plan can be found on page 4 of its party platform in black and white. The NDP would raise billions in new revenue off the backs of Canadian families. The NDP certainly has the tough part down. Its sneaky tax scheme would raise the price on necessities for hard-working families, like groceries, gas and heat, which would certainly make their lives tougher.

Thankfully for Canadian families, our government continues to keep taxes low, an important part of our plan for jobs growth and long-term prosperity.

This government will not support a tough on families, job-killing carbon tax.

[New Democratic Party of Canada, September 21st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as I head back to my riding this weekend, I will be pleased to assure my constituents that our government will not support the NDP's carbon tax.

Canadians in my riding and across the country have been pleased to see taxes consistently decrease under our government. They absolutely do not want to see the price of gas, groceries and electricity rise. Under the NDP's carbon tax, prices would rise on all of these things plus so much more.

We call on the NDP leader to stop hiding behind the media and come clean with Canadians. How much would his carbon tax cost them?

Our government will continue our low-tax plan for jobs and growth and we call on the opposition to start supporting that plan.

[Petitions, June 11th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I table a petition today from the residents of Elmwood—Transcona. The petition is for equity and fairness at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

The petitioners humbly pray and call upon Parliament and the government to ensure that the Holodomor and Canada's first national internment operations are permanently and prominently displayed at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in their own galleries, and that the government suspend any further funding to the museum until issues surrounding the governance of the museum are reviewed and addressed.

[Business of Supply, May 31st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I have listened to several speakers in the last while, and it amazes me that they keep fearmongering about the seasonal employment issue. They know full well that is what they are doing. However, if they had taken any time to read what has been brought forward, they would know these are reasonable measures.

We are not asking people to move from one side of the country to the other side of the country. Places that have issues with high unemployment are not going to be affected at all by this. These people will still be able to continue to claim EI.

I would like for one of the members opposite to stand and explain to me why they figure they are doing justice to Canadian workers, who need to be supported and to find jobs and would like to find jobs, by fearmongering and scaring them as if we are going to make them move from one side of the country to the other. The members know full well that is not the truth.