Paul Martin

[Taxation, May 11th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, as I have stated, the difference between the two parties is not in the desire to cut taxes, it is in the desire to preserve health care, education and the social fabric of the country. Does the hon. member not agree with that?

The Reform Party has said that it would cut taxes by some $26 billion, but so far it has refused to state, apart from a couple of comments in terms of the elimination of health care spending, what it would do. Will the hon. member in his supplementary stand in the House to tell us where he would get that $26 billion?

[Taxation, May 11th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I have not seen a movie since The Full Monty . Surely to heaven it is unparliamentary that the hon. member rises uncovered in his place.

[Taxation, May 11th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, first, health care and education are not a joke. They are part of the social fabric of the country. That is one of the fundamental differences between ourselves and Reform. Second, we are generating surpluses. Think what a difference—

[Taxation, May 11th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, it may well be that the discussions of the united alternative are going better now that the Tory party is allowing the Reform to ask its questions.

As the hon. member knows, we have cut taxes substantially. That is not the difference of opinion between ourselves and Reform. The difference of opinion is that we want to protect health care and education. The real question is, why is the Reform Party prepared to sacrifice health care in order to pay for upper income tax cuts?

[Canada Pension Plan, May 6th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am certainly prepared to raise any reasonable issue with my colleagues. As the member knows, two of the provinces are headed by governments of his party. One thing I would say is that there is a regular time for review and there will be regular meetings. All these issues can be dealt with.

It is important to understand that what the fund is now doing is not investing in individual stocks. It is investing in the index.

[Canada Pension Plan, May 6th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, if we were to make any changes it would require an agreement between the federal government and the provinces, in fact a majority of the provinces, because the Canada pension plan is under joint federal-provincial stewardship.

In terms of the basic issue the member is raising, the Minister of Health has already answered it. In fact the government has an extensive program to discourage young people from smoking. It is one that the government fully supports.

[The Economy, May 6th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to tell the full monty that the fact is, as the hon. member knows, that we have cut taxes. It has been spelled out very clearly here with $16.5 billion over the next 36 months. We began cutting taxes faster than any other government after the elimination of the deficit.

The country is on the right track and we will continue to do that. At the same time we will invest in education. We will invest in health care. We will invest in future generations of the country.

[The Economy, May 6th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, in his own mind I thought the member for Medicine Hat was the Pope.

The conference board said that many factors affected our ability to operate efficiently. These include organizational effectiveness, the capacity of management, the skills of employees, investment market, firm size and the policy framework set out by governments. What the conference board has done is to confirm exactly the policy of the government.

[Division No. 393, May 5th, 1999]

moved that the bill be concurred in.

[Taxation, May 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is behind the times. We already have cut $16.5 billion over the next 36 months. That was what was to happen in the last budget and the one before that. At the same time, we increased the child tax benefit to $1.8 billion. At the same time, we invested in the health care system and health care research.

The answer to the member's question on where does the Liberal Party stand is, we stand with Canadians.