Michael Savage

[Petitions, May 29th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present another petition from the people of my community who are very concerned about the Conservative government plan to kill child care in Canada. They say among other things that 70% of women with children under the age of six are employed. A taxable $100 a month allowance amounts only to a child benefit and will not establish new child care spaces. Child care is an everyday necessity.

They call upon the Prime Minister to honour the early learning and child care agreement in principle and to commit to fund it for a full five years.

[Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, May 29th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, that is coming from a member who in opposition never let the facts get in the way of a good allegation.

A minister who threatens to punish constituents when their MP disagrees with him is just wrong, but interference is not limited to federal politics. Last week at a rally for a provincial Conservative candidate in Nova Scotia, he said, “...I can tell you he's going to come knocking and we're going to deliver”.

Will the Prime Minister admit that his government is fully submerged in the cesspool of political patronage to which he once referred?

[Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, May 29th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the government's talk about accountability is at odds with reality. Recently the minister for ACOA told a media outlet that I, an elected member of Parliament, should be careful not to bite the hand that feeds and that I reap what I sow when I ask questions in the House about ACOA.

Does the Prime Minister share his minister's view of this type of accountability?

[Petitions, May 19th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure of presenting again a petition on the issue of child care. People in my community are very concerned about the government's plan to kill the national child care plan.

I want to thank the Edward Jost Children's Centre for compiling these and sending them in. The petitioners of Nova Scotia call upon the Prime Minister to honour the early learning and child care agreement in principle and to commit to fund it for a full five years. I thank them for their help.

[Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, May 19th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday in the House I asked the Minister of ACOA a question. His response to the question included a reference to me “going cap in hand, begging for ACOA projects in my riding”.

In a news article today he goes further by suggesting that I should not “bite the hand that feeds”, and that it will not help to get projects approved in my riding.

I have a number of responsibilities in this Parliament, like all MPs, being critic for ACOA among them. However, my number one job is to represent the people of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour and to advocate on their behalf, including organizations and businesses that interact with ACOA.

It is disgraceful to suggest that my constituents will get less attention because I am doing my job in Ottawa: asking appropriate questions of the minister.

In opposition, the member loved to dish out criticism but in government he reacts with anger and threats. That is not my style, nor will it be, but I will not allow my constituents to be victims of the minister's rants. He should apologize to the people of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour and retract his ill-advised comments.

[Budget Implementation Act, May 19th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I agree with much of what was said by my hard-working colleague from Cape Breton—Canso.

There are two things we can say about this budget. First, it is dumb and, second, it is mean. It is dumb because it invests in the wrong things. The challenge for Canada is productivity. The challenge for Canada is to educate its people. The challenge is the emerging giants of China and India. They are not our enemies but they are our competitors.

We need to educate our children. The Liberals would have done that, particularly the lowest income children, if the economic update had been adopted in the fall. There would have been billions of dollars in direct assistance for low income Canadians, aboriginals and persons with disabilities, as well as expanding other scholarships.

My question is about the inequity of this budget, the meanness part, such as cutting the EnerGuide for low income houses and introducing a GST cut that disproportionately assists the rich. There are tax credits for education of $80 on tuition in my province, which is from $6,000 to $8,000 a year. The Conservatives' own brochure advertises this great cut, but for a family that makes $15,000, it will save, according to the government's own numbers, less than $100 a year in 2007 while families that make $150,000 a year will save over $1,200 a year.

The Conservatives advertised the GST cut and the example they used is a $375,000 house. I would like to ask my colleague from Cape Breton—Canso, does this budget even attempt to speak to the people of his riding or mine? How many in his riding live in $350,000 houses and how many make more than $150,000?

[Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, May 17th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, that is the party that pledged to keep politics out of ACOA and to do a value for money audit. One does not keep politics out of ACOA by throwing Conservatives into it, especially the friends of the minister and friends of the political premiers in Atlantic Canada.

The government says one thing and it does another.

Why would the Prime Minister allow the part time Minister of ACOA to interfere with the hiring process?

[Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, May 17th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, recently, ACOA advertised the position of vice-president for the province of P.E.I.

It has become common knowledge that a political operative and employee of the Conservative premier may be handed the $135,000 job. In fact, it would appear the job description was tailored to ensure he gets it, including making the position only English essential, not bilingual, even though other positions reporting to the VP require bilingualism.

This is not supposed to be a political appointment. It is a public service position.

Will the Prime Minister ensure his part time ACOA minister will not interfere with the hiring process?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2006, May 15th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I think the Liberal government had to make tough decisions, not only here but in the provinces as well, which faced difficult times.

I am proud of the fact that when this country started to produce surpluses the Liberal government had the largest tax reduction in the history of Canada. I think it was a reduction of $100 billion in 2000-01. We introduced the child tax benefit, millennium scholarships, Canada access grants and learning bonds. When Liberals had the money, we identified that it should go back to the people who needed it most, to ordinary Canadians, low income Canadians, students and people who needed assistance. I am proud of that record.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2006, May 15th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the most unfair thing about this budget is the way it treats those most in need. The Conservatives even touted this in their brochures. The budget speech was about how great a benefit this will be for people who buy a $350,000 house. I could ask the member for Churchill how many houses in her riding cost $350,000. They talk about the great savings available to families making $150,000. I could ask the member for Cape Breton--Canso how many people in his riding make $150,000.

This is unconscionable at a time when this country needs two things. We need to do more to even out the load among those who have and those who have not. We need to invest in productivity to allow Canada to compete in the global economy with the emerging giants. We have what we need. We just need to put it in the right places. This budget puts it in the wrong places.