Mr. Speaker, far be it from me to understand the NDP and its child care policy. However, we offered Canadians a child care plan. They voted for it. We offered it and we will deliver it.
House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2011, with 54% of the vote.
Child Care June 20th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, far be it from me to understand the NDP and its child care policy. However, we offered Canadians a child care plan. They voted for it. We offered it and we will deliver it.
Child Care June 20th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, charging that the universal child care benefit is a tax grab, when it will put millions of dollars in the hands of Canadian families, is a very odd and unsupported assertion. The numbers of the member opposite are speculative. I assure the House that our plan works.
Child Care June 16th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, the government supports equality. We will continue to support policies and programs which contribute to the well-being of all Canadians, men and women.
Child Care June 16th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, the statistics point to multi-faceted reasons for those findings. They also point to encouraging developments regarding an increased participation in post-secondary education.
Business of Supply June 15th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the NDP into NDP land, which is Saskatchewan. The reason we have so many Conservative MPs from Saskatchewan in the House is because seniors see that the policies of the NDP do nothing but cause their children to leave the province. Seniors in our province want their kids home. That is the first thing.
The second thing is our criminal justice policy. They want to be safe in their homes. The NDP policies simply do not work. People do not feel safe in their homes. There are home invasions. We have among the highest criminal rates in Canada.
The other problem that has arisen with the NDP is high taxation. That is why we welcome the 1% reduction in the GST. In our province GST is charged on PST, so things like telephone bills and others will benefit from our GST policy. Our five priorities went over well in Saskatchewan.
Although it is an interesting and lofty motion, and there is need to address seniors' needs, did the NDP go through the consultations we did? To be in the jurisdiction of the province to the point of dental and health benefits, I am a little concerned whether we could ever meet what this NDP motion asks.
I also would like to make a correction on the cancellation of the secretariat, which I have been hearing all afternoon. I am tired of hearing about it. We did not cancel the secretariat, which has been so widely proclaimed from the other side of the House.
Perhaps the NDP should think about consulting the provinces a little more before it puts a motion like this before the House. Then they should all come to Saskatchewan for a day and see our seniors. Because of the health districts amalgamating, if seniors have to go into a senior citizen's home or if they have to go for any kind of long term care, they are shipped across the health district.
These are 70, 80 and 90 year old people. They cannot stay in their home communities. There is no respite, no home care for them. This all has to do with provincial jurisdiction, which has not been delivered very well in the province of Saskatchewan, a supposedly rich province. We have both uranium and oil. However, we have an NDP government discouraging that and people are moving out of the province. We have a declining population. We are one of two provinces experiencing this.
I would like the NDP to think about some of their promises, on which they will be unable to deliver.
Business of Supply June 15th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I have to ask the member, is the NDP not the party that wanted to tax the inheritance of these poor seniors who have saved for all of their lives and wanted something to give to their children? Was it not that party that wanted an inheritance tax?
Business of Supply June 15th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, when the NDP speaks about supporting seniors with a charter that is covering such a wide scope of areas outside of federal jurisdiction, would the member agree that for these goals to be realized, there would have to be very extensive collaboration with the provinces? Therefore, it probably could not be realized without extensive collaboration with the provinces. I would like the member to tell me how the party would do that.
Older Workers June 15th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, the government recognizes the important contributions older workers make to Canada as a whole, as well as Quebec.
The recent budget committed to doing a feasibility study in consultation with the provinces. The study will examine current programs and potential options for addressing the needs of older workers.
Older Workers June 15th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, the government recognizes the importance older workers make to both Quebec and Canada as a whole. Older workers help increase our country's productivity and competitiveness.
The Minister of Human Resources remains committed to finding ways to encourage older workers to stay on the job longer while helping those who lose their jobs to return to employment.
Business of Supply June 15th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, again, I appreciate that question. We are using the direct mailing of the application forms. There are information campaigns and partnerships trying to contact these communities and seniors who are difficult to reach. Each year there are recipients who, through their tax returns, confirm their eligibility, and they are automatically renewed.
It is an undertaking. It will be extensive. We welcome any suggestions about where there are perhaps some gaps that we should be aware of, and we will certainly try to help so that the seniors are duly served.